US 8,769,158 B2Granted

High availability device level ring backplane

AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.

InventorsRobert J. Kretschmann, David S. Wehrle, Gerald R. Creech

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Abstract

A modular, high-availability network for an industrial control system employs a plurality of base modules having backplane and using network ring topology. Base modules may include I/O base modules for communicating with industrial processes or machines, an adapter base module for communicating with a programmable logic controller (PLC) and/or a bus expansion base module for providing additional I/O base modules. Base modules may be arranged side-by-side, having a backplane in a bank. Another embodiment may include having plurality of banks. The network ring topology used by the base modules is normally opened by a ring supervisor at the ring supervisor location. Upon failure of the network, the ring supervisor reconnects the ring to provide an alternative transmission path around the failure point.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A backplane for an industrial control system comprising:

an adapter base module having a first port, a second port, a switching node and a network adapter, the switching node coupled between the first port and the second port and in communication with the network adapter, the network adapter operable to communicate over a control network;
a plurality of I/O base modules, each I/O base module having a first port, a second port and a bus slot, the bus slot for releasably receiving a function card having a switching node, wherein each I/O base module couples the first port and the second port to the switching node when the function card is installed in the bus slot, and each I/O base module couples the first port to the second port when the function card is absent from the bus slot;
and at least one I/O base module having a function card installed in the bus slot;
wherein the second port of the adapter base module is coupled to the first port of an I/O base module, and the second port of each I/O base module is coupled to the first port of the next I/O base module, except the last I/O base module, and the adapter base module and the plurality of I/O base modules each have a third port and a fourth port that are coupled together, wherein the second port of the last I/O base module is coupled to the third port of the last I/O base module, and the fourth port of each I/O base module is coupled to the third port of the previous I/O base module, except the first I/O base module having the fourth port coupled to the third port of the adapter base module, the fourth port of the adapter base module coupled to the first port of the adapter base module to form the network ring.

1 more element

A backplane for an industrial control system comprising:

an adapter base module having a first port, a second port, a switching node and a network adapter, the switching node coupled between the first port and the second port and in communication with the network adapter, the network adapter operable to communicate over a control network;
a plurality of I/O base modules, each I/O base module having a first port, a second port and a bus slot, the bus slot for releasably receiving a function card having a switching node, wherein each I/O base module couples the first port and the second port to the switching node when the function card is installed in the bus slot, and each I/O base module couples the first port to the second port when the function card is absent from the bus slot;
and at least one I/O base module having a function card installed in the bus slot;
wherein the second port of the adapter base module is coupled to the first port of an I/O base module, and the second port of each I/O base module is coupled to the first port of the next I/O base module, except the last I/O base module having the second port coupled to the first port of the adapter base module to form a network ring of switching nodes, and wherein the adapter base module further comprises a first bus slot for releasably receiving a first function card containing a switching node in communication with the network adapter, and a second bus slot for releasably receiving a second function card containing a switching node in communication with a second network adapter, wherein the adapter base:
(a) couples the first port and the second port to the switching node of the first function card when the first function card is installed in the first bus slot and the second function card is absent from the second bus slot;
(b) couples the first port and the second port to the switching node of the second function card when the second function card is installed in the second bus slot and the first function card is absent from the first bus slot;
and (c) couples the first port to the switching node of the first function card, couples the switching node of the first function card to the switching node of the second function card, and couples the second port to the switching node of the second function card when the first function card is installed in the first bus slot and the second function card is installed in the second bus slot.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/542,861Filed 6 Jul 2012 · us provisional application
Priority: 8 Jul 2011
Published: US 2013/0010588 A110 Jan 2013
Granted: 1 Jul 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification23 codes

H05K 7/10
Arrangements of circuit components or wiring on supporting structure: plug-in assemblages of components , e.g. IC sockets
G05B 19/04
Electric: program control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers
G05B 19/05
Program control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers: programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating…
G05B 19/058
Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts: safety, monitoring