# US 8,543,748 B2 · Fieldbus device control system

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- Number: US 8,543,748 B2
- Document ID: US8543748B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/229,213
- Filed: 2011-09-09
- Published: 2013-03-14
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2011-09-09
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: Frank Leon Kerr, III; George Andrew Matzko
- Inventors: Frank Leon Kerr, III; George Andrew Matzko
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543748B2

## CPC

- G05B 19/0423: {Input/output}
- H04L 12/40039: {Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus}
- G05B 2219/25014: Fieldbus general name of bus connected to machines, detectors, actuators
- G05B 2219/25032: CAN, canbus, controller area network bus
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A fieldbus system is provided, having a plurality of fieldbus devices and a controller. The controller is in communication with the plurality of fieldbus devices though a fieldbus. The controller transmits a plurality of high priority Receive Process Data Objects (RPDOs) and a plurality of low priority RPDOs to the plurality of fieldbus devices through the fieldbus. The controller includes a control logic for sending each of the plurality of fieldbus devices one of the plurality of high priority RPDOs during a frame. The frame is the fastest rate at which the high priority RPDOs are transmitted. The controller includes a control logic for sending at least one of the plurality of fieldbus devices at least one of the plurality of low priority RPDOs. The low priority RPDOs are grouped by a minimum wait time.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fieldbus system, comprising:
a plurality of fieldbus devices;
a controller in communication with the plurality of fieldbus devices through a fieldbus, the controller transmitting a plurality of high priority Receive Process Data Objects (RPDOs) and a plurality of low priority RPDOs to the plurality of fieldbus devices through the fieldbus, the controller including:
a control logic for sending each of the plurality of fieldbus devices one of the plurality of high priority RPDOs during a frame, the frame being the fastest rate at which the plurality of high priority RPDOs are transmitted;
a control logic for sending at least one of the plurality of fieldbus devices at least one of the plurality of low priority RPDOs, the plurality of low priority RPDOs being transmitted after a minimum wait time;
a control logic for defining at least one low priority thread, the at least one low priority thread being the plurality of low priority RPDOs that share the same minimum wait time;
a control logic for preventing the at least one low priority thread from being sent more than once during a frame; and
a control logic for allowing each of the at least one low priority threads to complete at least once during a superframe, each of the at least one low priority threads completing at least once during the superframe;
wherein the superframe is defined as a number of frames needed to allow for each of the at least one low priority threads to complete at least once;
wherein the number of frames in the superframe is based on a number of the plurality of fieldbus devices with the plurality of low priority RPDOs that share the same minimum wait time, a frame rate in ms, the minimum wait time of the plurality of low priority RPDOs in ms, and a number of different minimum wait times between each of the plurality of fieldbus devices; and
wherein the number of frames in the superframe is calculated by the following formula:
n
s
=
{
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frame
p
MinWait
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MinWait
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Frame
p
MinWait
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,
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frame
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MinWait
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MinWait
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p
Frame
p
MinWait
i
]
}
wherein ns is the number of frames in the superframe, dMinWait is the number of the plurality of fieldbus devices with the plurality of low priority RPDOs that share the same minimum wait time, pframe is the frame rate in ms, pMinWait is the minimum wait time of the plurality of low priority RPDOs in ms, i is the number of different minimum wait times between each of the plurality of fieldbus devices, and a least common multiple LCM is of pframe divided by pMinWait, and pframe divided by dMinWait.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fieldbus system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of low priority RPDOs are sent to each of the plurality of fieldbus devices one at a time in a round-robin configuration.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fieldbus system of claim 1, further comprising a configuration tool including control logic for transferring at least one configuration file to the controller.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The fieldbus system of claim 3, wherein the configuration tool includes an interface for receiving an input that defines the plurality of fieldbus devices that are included with the fieldbus system.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The fieldbus system of claim 4, wherein the configuration tool includes control logic for generating the at least one configuration file based on the input from the interface and a data file that contains information regarding all possible configurations for the plurality of fieldbus devices potentially supported by the fieldbus system.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The fieldbus system of claim 1, wherein a CANopen data protocol is used for communication between the controller and the plurality of fieldbus devices.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The fieldbus system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fieldbus devices are fuel valves for a gas turbine.

### Claim 8

A fieldbus system, comprising:
a plurality of fieldbus devices;
a controller in communication with the plurality of fieldbus devices though a fieldbus where a CANopen data protocol is used for communication between the controller and the plurality of fieldbus devices, the controller transmitting a plurality of high priority Receive Process Data Objects (RPDOs) and a plurality of low priority RPDOs to the plurality of fieldbus devices through the fieldbus, the controller including:
a control logic for sending each of the plurality of fieldbus devices one of the plurality of high priority RPDOs during a frame, the frame being the fastest rate at which the plurality of high priority RPDOs are transmitted;
a control logic for sending at least one of the plurality of fieldbus devices at least one of the plurality of low priority RPDOs, the plurality of low priority RPDOs being transmitted after a minimum wait time;
a control logic for defining at least one low priority thread, the at least one low priority thread being the plurality of low priority RPDOs that share the same minimum wait time;
a control logic for preventing the at least one low priority thread from being sent more than once during a frame; and
a control logic for allowing each of the at least one low priority threads to complete at least once during a superframe, the superframe being a number of frames needed to allow for each of the at least one low priority threads to complete at least once, and each of the at least one low priority threads completing at least once during the superframe
wherein the number of frames in the superframe is based on a number of the plurality of fieldbus devices with the plurality of low priority RPDOs that share the same minimum wait time, a frame rate in ms, the minimum wait time of the plurality of low priority RPDOs in ms, and a number of different minimum wait times between each of the plurality of fieldbus devices; and
wherein the number of frames in the superframe is calculated by the following formula:
n
s
=
{
[
L
⁢
⁢
C
⁢
⁢
M
⁡
(
p
frame
p
MinWait
⁢
⁢
1
,
d
MinWait
⁢
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1
)
/
p
Frame
p
MinWait
⁢
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1
]
,
…
⁢
,
[
L
⁢
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C
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M
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(
p
frame
p
MinWait
i
,
d
MinWait
i
)
/
p
Frame
p
MinWait
i
]
}
wherein ns is the number of frames in the superframe, dMinWait is the number of the plurality of fieldbus devices with the plurality of low priority RPDOs that share the same minimum wait time, pframe is the frame rate in ms, pMinWait is the minimum wait time of the plurality of low priority RPDOs in ms, i is the number of different minimum wait times between each of the plurality of fieldbus devices, and a least common multiple LCM is of pframe divided by pMinWait, and pframe divided by dMinWait.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The fieldbus system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of low priority RPDOs are sent to each of the plurality of fieldbus devices one at a time in a round-robin configuration.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The fieldbus system of claim 8, further comprising a configuration tool including control logic for transferring at least one configuration file to the controller.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The fieldbus system of claim 10, wherein the configuration tool includes an interface for receiving an input that defines the plurality of fieldbus devices that are included with the fieldbus system.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The fieldbus system of claim 11, wherein the configuration tool includes control logic for generating the at least one configuration file based on the input from the interface and a data file that contains information regarding all possible configurations for the plurality of fieldbus devices potentially supported by the fieldbus system.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The fieldbus system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of fieldbus devices are fuel valves for a gas turbine.