Saving and restoring controller state and context in an open operating system
AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
InventorsSubbian Govindaraj, Shelly Lynn Urdaneta, Steven Mark Cisler, Mark Joseph Weiland
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a system and methodology for saving and restoring controller state and context in an industrial controller. In an aspect of the invention, the industrial controller has a memory module having at least RAM and flash memory. Savings of the state and context is accomplished through writing an image of the RAM to flash memory prior to the power being removed from the RAM. Restoring is accomplished through writing the RAM image in the flash memory back to the RAM after the RAM has been energized.
Claims37
A system that facilitates retention of data in an industrial controller that employs an open operating system, comprising:
- a volatile memory component that stores controller state and context data;
- a power monitoring component that monitors power state of the controller;
- a non-volatile memory component;
- and
- a processing component that generates an image of the controller state and context data from the volatile memory upon receiving a signal from the power monitoring component that the controller is undergoing a power loss condition, and saves the image in the non-volatile memory component.
A system that facilitates retention of data in an industrial controller that employs an open operating system, comprising:
- means for monitoring power state of the controller;
- and
- means for generating an image of controller state and context data from volatile memory of the controller upon receiving a signal from the power monitoring component that the controller is undergoing a power loss condition, and saving the image in a non-volatile memory component.
A method for saving controller state and context data comprising:
- utilizing an open operating system for a controller
- monitoring a power condition of the controller;
- and
- saving the controller state and context data from a volatile memory component to a flash memory component upon detecting a power loss condition.
A system that facilitates retention of data in an industrial controller that employs an open operating system, comprising:
- a volatile memory component that stores controller state and context data;
- a power monitoring component that monitors power state of the controller;
- a non-volatile memory component;
- a save component that senses a user initiated controller state and context save, and
- a processing component that generates an image of the controller state and context data from the volatile memory upon receiving a signal from the save component that a copy of the image is requested, and saves the image in the non-volatile memory component.
A system that facilitates retention of data in an industrial controller that employs an open operating system, comprising:
- means for monitoring power state of the controller;
- means for sensing a user initiated controller state and context save, and
- means for generating an image of controller state and context data from volatile memory of the controller upon receiving a signal from the user initiated controller state and context save sensing means, and saving the image in a non-volatile memory component.
A method for saving controller state and context data comprising:
- utilizing an open operating system for a controller
- monitoring a power condition of the controller;
- sensing a user initiated controller state and context save, and
- saving the controller state and context data from a volatile memory component to a flash memory component upon sensing a user initiated controller state and context save condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.