Industrial controller and network card with buffer negotiation
AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
InventorKyle E. Neet
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An interface for a network communication card for industrial controllers uses a dual-port memory that may be re-partitioned by values communicated through the dual-port memory itself. A default partitioning and a non re-partitionable common area allow flexible re-partitioning without disrupting the communication necessary for the partition to take place. Negotiation between the controller and network card allow maximum flexibility in re-partitioning while respecting partitioning limits characteristic of the network card and its network.
Claims15
An interface for a network card used with an industrial controller, the network card comprising:
- a dual-port memory partitionable to provide buffers for the passage of messages between the network card and the industrial controller;
- a connector half providing a releasable electrical interface between the dual-port memory and the industrial controller allowing access to the dual-port memory by the industrial controller when the connector half is connected to a corresponding connector half on the industrial controller;
- an electronic computer executing a stored program to:
- (i) receive via the dual-port memory an indication of at least one proposed new partitioning value for the dual-port memory from the industrial controller;
- and
- (ii) evaluate the proposed new partitioning value and if it is acceptable, re-partitioning the dual-port memory to comport with the proposed new partitioning value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.