Back to results
US 9,178,760 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for configuring network nodes
AssigneePhoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG
InventorsGunnar Lessmann, Joerg Jeschin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In order to configure network nodes as part of the planning and setting-up of an in particular real-time-based and isochronous data transmission between the network nodes, a method and apparatus are proposed, wherein a node is connected via the network to the apparatus which is programmed in such a way that, in response to at least one item of configuration-related information specified by an operator, it generates a set of configuration data which are necessary for configuring at least the one node and transmits at least a subset of this generated set of configuration data to the node via the network.
Claims14
An apparatus for data processing comprising:
- an engineering system device that exchanges data with at least one further node device to which the apparatus, constituting the first node device, is connectable via a PROFINET network, wherein:
- a control unit that configures the at least one further node device with regard to exchanging data via the PROFINET network in accordance with a desired state,
- the desired state comprises a desired topology, the desired topology being generated by the control unit with regard to a set of configuration-related information for the particular variant of a modular system or machine, and which enables an actual comparison of the desired and an actual state and therefore the detection of errors,
- wherein the set of configuration-related information includes specific information that describes each node device in detail, and wherein the specific information includes at least one of:
- (i) a unique identifier of each node device,
- (ii) data pertaining to device type and manufacturer of each node device,
- (iii) a functional description of each node device,
- (iv) a definition of process data of each node device, and
- (v) a unique designation of each network interface and respective network interface type of each node device;
- the control unit generates in response to at least one item of configuration-related information specified by an operator, a set of configuration data which are necessary for configuring the at least one further node device and the control unit transmits at least a subset of this generated set of configuration data to the at least one further node device via the PROFINET network,
- said control unit is programmed to configure the at least one further node device with regard to physical aspects of the data exchange via the PROFINET network,
- the set of configuration data generated and required for configuring the at least one further node device with regard to the physical aspects includes the desired topology for the PROFINET network;
- and
- the control unit checks the generated desired topology with regard to the present actual topology;
- and
- a display that presents the generated desired topology with regard to the present actual topology.
13 more elements
A non-transitory data medium with a program code stored thereon,
- which when executed by an apparatus, causes a control unit to be programmed with the program code, the program code comprising:
- exchanging data with at least one further node to which the apparatus, itself constituting the first node, is connectable via a network, wherein:
- configuring by an engineering system device the at least one further node with regard to exchanging data via the network in accordance with a desired state,
- the desired state comprises a desired topology, the desired topology being generated by the control unit with regard to a set of configuration-related information for the particular variant of a modular system or machine, and which enables an actual comparison of the desired and an actual state and therefore the detection of errors, wherein the set of configuration-related information includes specific information that describes each node in detail, and wherein the specific information includes at least one of:
- (i) a unique identifier of each node,
- (ii) data pertaining to device type and manufacturer of each node,
- (iii) a functional description of each node,
- (iv) a definition of process data of each node, and
- (v) a unique designation of each network interface and respective network interface type of each node;
- the control unit generates in response to at least one item of configuration-related information specified by an operator, a set of configuration data which are necessary for configuring the at least one further node and the control unit transmits at least a subset of this generated set of configuration data to the at least one further node via the network,
- said control unit is programmed to configure the at least one further node with regard to physical aspects of the data exchange via the network,
- the set of configuration data generated and required for configuring the at least one further node with regard to the physical aspects includes the desired topology for the network;
- and
- the control unit checks the generated desired topology with regard to the present actual topology;
- and
- displaying the generated desired topology with regard to the present actual topology.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.