KR20120046956A - Event information control module - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An event information control module is provided to input a data signal outputted from an external input device and monitor an event data signal from the data signal, thereby preventing system error. CONSTITUTION: An insulating unit(210) comprises a photo coupler, which electrically divides and outputs the digital signal inputted from outside. A comparing unit(220) outputs the signal of a comparator by comparing the digital signal with the reference voltage of the comparator. A control unit(230) performs the time stamping of the digital signal. The control unit transmits the time stamped event information.

Description

Event information control module

The present invention relates to an event information control module, and in particular, event information capable of collecting / processing and analyzing event signals detected from sensors of a factory or a building using a computer controlled network system at high speed, and recording and organizing them in the order of occurrence. It relates to a control module.

In general, industrial processes are so complex that they receive more information than humans can digest.

For example, industrial plants require thousands of sensors and control means (motors, valves) to monitor and control multiple processes.

Therefore, the use of numerous sensors requires visualization.

Highly accurate human-machine interface visualization systems are today connected to sensors and control devices as described above to obtain data.

Such a system obtains and filters the data.

The filtered data is graphically displayed on a server of a human-machine interface.

Such data includes detected process conditions, mode changes corresponding to the environment, events and warning messages.

Here, the event refers to a change of state of the digital signal output from the external input device.

An information control module system that discloses an example of sensing such event data is shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the information control module system 100 includes an insulation unit 110, a comparator 120, a controller 130, an external input device 140, and a display unit 150.

The external input device 140 is composed of various digital input / output devices or sensors.

The insulation unit 110 includes a photo coupler to transmit and insulate a signal between the external input device 140 and the comparator 120.

The comparator 120 includes a plurality of comparators, and compares the signal output from the insulation unit 110 with the reference voltage of the comparator and outputs an output signal to the controller 130.

The controller 130 is formed of a transistor, a standard NAND, a NOR circuit, and an active element as a gate array, and is a type of application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

The controller 130 receives and processes a digital signal output from the comparator 120 and transmits the digital signal to the display unit 150.

The display unit 150 receives the signal output from the controller 130 and displays it on the screen of the display unit 150.

The display unit 150 is a computer with a screen to be displayed.

However, since the information control module system can only know the information of the input contact point (sensor number or relay contact number) where the event occurred, the information on the occurrence time, order of occurrence, and the number of occurrences of the event is not known. There was a problem that you can not track the history of the operation to know.

The present invention is to solve the problems described above, by inputting a data signal output from an external input device, and monitoring the event data signal from the data signal, the occurrence time of the event, the order of occurrence, the number of occurrences, the occurrence contact, etc. The purpose is to provide an event information control module that can be stored as event information of the system to prevent accidents and trace the cause of the system.

In order to achieve the above object, the event information control module according to the present invention comprises an insulator configured to electrically separate and output a digital signal input from the outside by a photo coupler;

A comparator for comparing the digital signal output from the insulator with a reference voltage inside the comparator to output a signal of a comparator;

A controller for time stamping the digital signal output from the comparator at a time synchronized with GPS and transmitting event information which is the time stamped digital signal; And

And an event memory unit for storing the event information transmitted from the control unit.

Here, the event information may be at least one of an event occurrence time, an occurrence sequence, an occurrence count, and an occurrence contact point of the event.

As described above, the present invention includes an event memory unit in an information control module, and stores an event data signal output from an external input device in the event memory unit so that an accident of the system is performed using information on a time, sequence, number, and contact point of the event. Cause tracking and accident prevention have the advantage.

1 is a system block diagram illustrating a conventional information control module system.
2 is a block diagram of an event information control module system according to the present invention.

2 is a block diagram of an event information control module system according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, an event information control module system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an external input device 250, an event information control module 200, and a display unit 260.

The event information control module 200 includes an insulation unit 210, a comparator 220, a controller 230, and an event memory unit 240.

Usually, the industry relies on automatic data collection and control systems to keep the process cost-effective and safe while lowering its overall production costs.

Data collection involves multiple sensors measuring the production process and periodically sending the measured data to data collection devices and control systems.

These measurements come in many forms.

For example, measurements by sensors or recorders include temperature, pressure, acidity, flow of fluid, packaged goods waiting at the shipping site, photographs of plant facilities, and the like.

Typically, precision measurement systems check input data, output status reports, and send commands to motors or actuators to control part of the process through process management and control software.

Using the data from the sensor, the operator performs various management tasks.

For example, setting new conditions in accordance with changes in external conditions or predicting failure of a device.

Here, the external input device 250 is a digital input / output device or a sensor.

The sensor detects a physical quantity and converts it into an electrical signal. The sensor may include a relay.

The external input device 250 measures a production process with a plurality of sensors for data collection and periodically transmits the measured data to the event information control module 200.

The external input device 250 outputs a data signal composed of a digital voltage or current signal to the insulation unit 210.

The insulation unit 210 is formed of a photocoupler and senses the data signal output from the external input device 250.

The photocoupler inputs a data signal sensed by the external input device 250 to convert it into light, drives the transistor with the light, generates an electrical signal, and outputs the electrical signal to the comparator 220.

Therefore, the photocoupler receives a data signal, which is a digital signal output from the external input device 250, and electrically separates the data signal from the external input device 250 to output an event data signal to the comparator 220.

Here, the insulation unit 210 monitors a plurality of digital input lines (sensor number or relay contact number) connected to the external input device 250, and corresponds to the control of the controller 230 whenever the monitored state changes. Generate an event data signal that is a digital signal (pulse) for the input line.

Here, an event occurs when the monitored state changes.

The comparator 220 includes a plurality of comparators, and compares the voltage of the event data signal output from the insulator 210 with a reference voltage inside the comparator to control a digital signal which is an output signal of the comparator 220. )

The controller 230 timestamps the digital signal output from the comparator 220.

Time stamping is a sequence of letters or numbers that represents the date and / or time the event occurred.

Hereinafter, the output signal of the time stamped controller 230 is referred to as event information.

The controller 230 includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver to time stamp the digital signal output from the comparator 220 at a time synchronized with the GPS.

The time synchronized with the GPS is the time according to the nuclear clock mounted on the GPS.

GPS time differs from Universal time coordinated (UTC) time or Greenwich mean time (GMT) in that there is no leap second.

Therefore, the user can use the GPS receiver in the controller 230 at low cost without recalibration of time.

Time stamping makes it possible to record simultaneously occurring digital events or measurement samples as absolute and / or relative time information.

Time stamping can regenerate a history of accurate event information over time or an acquired signal.

The event memory unit 240 includes a counter and a storage space (memory).

The counter stores the event information whenever the monitored event occurs by latching the measurement to storage.

The event memory unit 240 stores at least one of event information such as the time, occurrence order, occurrence frequency, and occurrence contact point (sensor number or relay contact number) generated from the external input device 250 as a data signal. .

The controller 230 reads current and / or past event information stored in the event memory 240 through the wired / wireless communication network and transmits the event information to the display unit 260.

The display unit 260 is a terminal device such as a computer having a user graphic interface.

The display unit 260 includes a screen for graphically displaying event information.

The display unit 260 may print the first or all of an event through a connected printer.

As such, many industrial systems, including computer controlled network systems, need to capture and report high speed digital data signals for safety and environmental reasons.

In addition, the event information control module may predict the occurrence of the accident in advance and track the operation history to know the cause of the accident.

As mentioned above, the present invention has been described in detail through the preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and applications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, the true scope of protection of the present invention should be construed according to the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope of the same should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

210: insulation
230: control unit
240: event memory

Claims (2)

An insulator configured as a photo coupler to electrically separate and output a digital signal input from the outside;
A comparator for comparing the digital signal output from the insulator with a reference voltage inside the comparator to output a signal of a comparator;
A controller for time stamping the digital signal output from the comparator at a time synchronized with GPS and transmitting event information which is the time stamped digital signal; And
And an event memory unit for storing the event information transmitted from the control unit.
The method of claim 1,
The event information control module, characterized in that at least one of the occurrence time of the event, the order of occurrence, the number of occurrence, the occurrence of the contact point.

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