Unified communications module (UCM)
AssigneeInvensys Systems, Inc.
InventorsJohn Carl Gabler, Michael Kieu, Peter P. Kral, Ajay P. Mishra
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fault tolerant control system delivers an embedded functional safety core and a distributed control engine with an onboard communication link in an industrial process control environment. The fault tolerant control system includes a process control workstation connected to a first network and a fault tolerant safety controller connected to a second network, wherein a process controller module, a safety controller module and a field device system integration module are co-located on a power interface board.
Claims22
A fault tolerant control system comprising:
- a process control system workstation operatively connected to a first network;
- a fault tolerant safety controller operatively connected to a second network;
- and
- an interface between the process control workstation and the fault tolerant safety controller, said interface comprising:
- a process controller module operatively connected to the first network;
- a safety controller module operatively connected to a second network;
- a field device system integration module for communicating safety information from the safety controller module to the process controller module;
- and
- a switch configured to selectively connect the safety controller module and the field device system integration module while maintaining a functional and physical separation between the first network and the second network;
- wherein the process controller module, the safety controller module, and the field device integration module are co-located on a power interface board.
A communications interface for a fault tolerant controller, comprising:
- a process controller module operatively connected to a regulatory network;
- a safety controller module operatively connected to a safety network;
- a field device system integration module for communicating safety information from the safety controller module to the process controller module;
- and
- a three-port switch configured to interface the safety controller module and the field device system integration module via a selective connection therebetween;
- wherein the three-port switch isolates communications from the process controller module via the field device system integration module to the safety controller module, and wherein the communications interfaces appears as a control station on the regulatory network.
A fault tolerant controller comprising:
- a modified backplane interface;
- a main processor operatively connected to the modified backplane interface;
- and,
- a power interface board operatively connected to the modified backplane interface, said power interface board comprising:
- a process controller module;
- a safety controller module operatively connected to the main processor;
- a field device system integration module;
- and,
- a three-port switch operatively connected to the safety controller module and the field device system integration module;
- wherein the three-port switch is configured to interface the safety controller module and the field device system integration module via a selective connection therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.