Patent Application
20220374275
The invention relates to a system for resource administration in an installation of automation technology.
Field devices that are used in industrial automation technology systems are already known from the prior art. Field devices are often used in process automation as well as in manufacturing automation. Field devices, in principle, refer to all devices that are used in-process and that supply or process process-relevant information. Field devices are thus used for capturing and/or influencing process variables. Sensor units are used for capturing process variables. These are used, for example, for pressure and temperature measurement, conductivity measurement, flow measurement, pH measurement, fill-level measurement, etc., and capture the corresponding process variables of pressure, temperature, conductivity, pH value, fill level, flow, etc. Actuator systems are used for influencing process variables. These are, for example, pumps or valves that can influence the flow of a fluid in a pipe or the fill level in a tank. In addition to the aforementioned measuring devices and actuators, field devices are also understood to include remote I/O's, radio adapters, or, generally, devices that are arranged at the field level.
A variety of such field devices is produced and marketed by the Endress+Hauser group.
Field devices, such as are known today, usually have measuring transducer electronics in addition to the sensors and/or actuators. This serves the purpose of processing collected measurement signals from the sensors or actuating signals from the actuators and converting them into a measured value, or into additional information derived therefrom (for example an envelope curve) or into a manipulated variable. For this purpose, the field device has parameters that set the field device to the respective application.
Field devices available nowadays sometimes have a large number of parameters, so that parametrization is a complex and error-prone process (due to incorrectly set parameter values), which also entails a high outlay on testing. Replacing a field device is complicated, since the replacement device must be given the same parametrization as the field device to be replaced. This can also lead to an information loss if not all of the parameter values are set correctly.
The software of the measuring transducer electronics is kept essentially static and is only rarely renewed by updates. These updates are often used to fix errors. However, the scope of functions enabled by the software remains essentially identical and cannot be expanded. In addition, field devices are limited in their resources so that often only small memory and performance resources are present. Even if an update of the software were able to add further functions, as described for example in patent application DE 10 2012 112 842, their functional complexity would be low due to the limited memory and performance resources of the field device.
In addition, the field devices are not upwardly compatible. For example, if new field device generation comes onto the market, this will often have increased memory and performance resources. The functional scope of the software of the measuring transducer electronics can be increased here, for example by improved measurement and evaluation algorithms, since more resources are available. However, this version of the software will not be compatible with the older field devices, since these have lower memory and performance resources.
It has become known from DE 10 2011 006 989 A1 and from DE 10 2013 103 212 A1 that field devices output only raw data via a communication network, i.e., for example, measurement signals and/or actuating signals that are processed only to a basic extent by measurement and evaluation algorithms. Calculation of the measured values or the manipulated variables then takes place in a network component other than the field device, for example in a cloud. Here, however, the problem arises that the measured values or manipulated variables cannot be available in real time, which is not suitable for time-critical applications. However, this does not solve the updating problems of the software of the measuring transducer electronics.
Proceeding from this problem, the object of the invention is to provide a system that makes it possible to simplify the adaptability of the field devices to processes and to ensure that future measurement and evaluation algorithms can be used with the existing field devices in the field.
The object is achieved by a system for resource administration in an installation of automation technology, comprising:
Examples of field devices that are used in the system according to the invention have already been described in the introductory part of the description.
According to an advantageous development of the system according to the invention, it is provided that the sizes of the provided computing resources or computing memory resources, of the field device, of the edge devices, and of the server platform differ from one another, wherein the field device has the smallest size of the computing resources or memory resources provided and wherein the server platform has the largest size of the computing resources or memory resources provided.
According to a preferred development of the system according to the invention, it is provided that, in the event that the logic/application components can also be instantiated on the edge device and/or on the field device apart from on the server platform, the operator will be given a selection option via the instantiating component.
According to an advantageous development of the system according to the invention, it is provided that, in the event that a logic/application component is to be instantiated on the field device or on the edge device, even though the field device or the edge device cannot provide the required minimum computing resource or memory resource, the management portion is designed to distribute the logic/application component among the execution units of the field device and of the edge device or of a plurality of field devices or of a plurality of edge devices and to cause them to be instantiated together.
According to a preferred development of the system according to the invention, it is provided that the management portion is designed to manage license information of the operator and to instantiate at least some of the logic/application components only for a specific time in accordance with the license information on the corresponding execution unit.
According to an advantageous development of the system according to the invention, it is provided that, in the event of an exchange or the new addition of an edge device and/or field device, the management portion is designed to automatically assign corresponding logic/application components to the new edge device or field device, in particular analogously to the edge device or field device to be replaced or according to an operator profile.
According to a preferred development of the system according to the invention, it is provided that the first communication network is an Ethernet-based communication network or a field bus network of automation technology, or is based on the HART protocol, wherein the first communication network is designed to be wireless or wired.
According to an advantageous development of the system according to the invention, it is provided that the edge device is in communication with the server platform by means of the Internet as a second communication network.
According to a preferred development of the system according to the invention, it is provided that the edge device is connected to an additional device via a data connection, in particular a wireless data connection, and wherein the additional device can be connected to the server platform by means of an Internet connection and is designed to establish the communication connection between the edge device and the server platform.
According to an advantageous development of the system according to the invention, it is provided that the edge device is in communication connection with the server platform only at those times when a logic/application component is assigned to the edge device and/or to the field device and wherein the communication connection is terminated after the assignment or the initiation of the instantiation.
According to a preferred development of the system according to the invention, it is provided that corresponding execution units are assigned to the edge device or to the field device in a plurality of versions of the same logic/application component, and wherein only that logic/application component that is released by the management portion of the server platform can be instantiated.
According to an advantageous development of the system according to the invention, it is provided that the server platform is designed to be cloud-based.
According to a preferred development of the system according to the invention, it is provided that a logic/application component executes one of the following logic operations or applications:
The raw data of a plurality of field devices can be processed together in order to obtain, for example, values process variables that cannot be captured by any of the individual field devices. A plurality of combinations of primary process variables is known under the keywords “sensor fusion” in order to be able to calculate secondary process variables.
The invention is explained in greater detail with reference to the following FIGURE. The following are illustrated:
Further edge devices can be provided in the installation A, which can be in communication with further field devices (shown by dashed lines in
Both the field devices FG1, FG2 and the edge device ED comprise so-called execution units AEFG1, AEFG2, AEED. These execution units AEFG1, AEFG2, AEED are electronic units with software containers into which logic/application components KO can be loaded. The logic/application components KO contain and permit the execution of functionalities, which extend the basic functionalities of the field devices FG1, FG2 or of the edge device ED. The field devices FG1, FG2 and the edge device ED each represent defined computing resources or memory resources. The computing resources are provided, for example, by microprocessors and/or ASICs. The memory resources are provided, for example, by volatile and/or non-volatile (working) memory modules. Typically, greater computing resources or memory resources can be provided in edge devices ED than in field devices FG1, FG2.
In order to execute the logic/application components KO in the intended execution units AEFG1, AEFG2, AEED provided, specific minimum requirements for the computing resources or memory resources apply. If these cannot be provided by the field device FG1, FG2 or by the edge device ED, the logic/application components KO will not be able to be executed.
The edge device is connected by means of a second communication network KN2, in particular the Internet, to a server platform SP, which is designed according to cloud-computing technology. The server platform SP comprises several components: On the one hand, the server platform SP comprises a container portion CA, in which a plurality of the logic/application components KO described above are stored. In addition, the server platform SP comprises a management portion MA, which manages the distribution of the logic/application components KO among the different field devices FG1, FG2 and edge devices ED in the installation A. On the other hand, the server platform contains its own execution unit AEED for executing the logic/application components KO on the server platform SP. The server platform SP can provide computing resources or memory resources as the field devices FG1, FG2 and the edge device ED.
On the part of an operator, logic/application components KO can be selected, which are to be used in the measurement equipment of the installation A where. The management application MA then initiates the transmission of the logic/application components KO to the respective measurement component FG1, FG2, ED, provided their computing resources or memory resources are sufficient, and initiates the instantiation of the transmitted logic/application components KO in the corresponding execution unit AESP, AEFG1, AEFG2, AEED.
Two application examples that can be realized by means of the system according to the invention are described below:
In the first exemplary development, the installation section shown in
The field devices FG1, FG2 are supplied with a first version of a special logic/application component KO, which by execution in the respective execution unit AEFG1, AEFG2 enables extended diagnostics functionalities. These diagnostic functionalities, which are implemented, for example, in field devices of the applicant that have the name “Heartbeat”, enable a verification of the hardware components of the field devices FG1, FG2.
After some operating time, a new version of the logic/application component KO is provided by the manufacturer of the field devices FG1, FG2. This is loaded by the manufacturer into the container portion CA of the service platform. The operator, in this case the installation operator, is offered the update of the logic/application component KO. After a selection of the logic/application component KO, the management portion MA checks the executability of the new logic/application component KO in the execution units AEFG1, AEFG2. However, the latest version of the logic/application component KO requires resources that are too high and that the field devices FG1, FG2 cannot provide. However, the edge device ED does have these required resources. The management portion MA therefore initiates the loading of the new version of the logic/application component KO onto the edge device ED. The execution unit AED can then carry out the diagnostic functionalities by accessing the hardware components of the field devices FG1, FG2 via the first communication network.
After some further operating time, a further new version of the logic/application component KO is provided by the manufacturer of the field devices FG1, FG2. This is loaded by the manufacturer into the container portion CA of the service platform. The operator, in this case the installation operator, is offered the update of the logic/application component KO. After a selection of the logic/application component KO, the management portion MA checks the executability of the further new logic/application component KO in the execution units AEFG1, AEFG2,AEED. However, the latest version of the logic/application component KO requires excessively high resources, which neither the field devices FG1, FG2 nor the edge device ED can provide. However, the service platform SP itself does have these required resources. The management portion MA therefore initiates the loading of the new version of the logic/application component KO into the execution unit AESP of the service platform SP. This can then carry out the diagnostic functionalities by accessing the hardware components of the field devices FG1, FG2 via the first and the second communication networks KN1, kN2.
The second application case also relates to the initial commissioning of the two field devices FG1, FG2. In this case, both field devices FG1, FG2 are of the same type, but are intended to perform different measurement tasks after start-up.
In a first step, the field devices FG1, FG2 are connected to the edge device ED via the first communication network KN1. The edge device ED recognizes the type of the field devices FG1, FG2. The edge device ED then registers both devices in the service platform SP and signals its device type or device identifier.
In a second part, the management portion MA of the service platform SP in each case loads onto the edge device ED a logic/application component KO for each of the field devices FG, FG2. By executing the logic/application components KO in the execution unit AEED a basic evaluation of the raw data transmitted by the field devices FG1, FG2 to the edge device ED is made possible.
In a third step, the operator selects on the service platform the respective measurement task for each of the field devices FG. Alternatively, the measurement task has already been preselected, or is automatically recognized and selected by the service platform SP, for example on the basis of environmental data of the respective field devices FG1, FG2. Alternatively, the measurement task has already been stored in the devices at the time of manufacture and is read out by the edge device ED and transmitted to the service platform SP.
In a fourth step, the management portion MA of the service platform SP loads specific logic/application components KO onto the edge device in accordance with the selected measurement task.
In measurement mode, the field devices FG1, FG2 now transmit to the edge device ED raw data relating to captured measured values. Corresponding to the specific logic/application components KO executed by the execution unit AEED, the raw data are processed or evaluated and transmitted to the service platform SP.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2019 129 969.1 | Nov 2019 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2020/080642 | 11/2/2020 | WO |
