JP2011138433A - Field equipment and field equipment system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow various functions to be dynamically settable so as to prevent hardware resources of field equipment from being wasted. <P>SOLUTION: Field equipment 20C includes a programmable device 206 that is capable of programming a functional circuit such as a memory or an accelerator required for constructing a system based on hardware configuration information. A communication part 200 of the field equipment 20C downloads hardware configuration information Hc from a control device via a control line 30. A CPU 202 accumulates the downloaded hardware configuration information Hc in a memory 204 and sets the downloaded hardware configuration information Hc in the programmable device 206. The programmable device 206 configures a memory for holding software So to operate functions, and also, configures an accelerator to assist operations of the functions on the basis of the hardware configuration information Hc. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a field device and a field device system for controlling and monitoring a factory or a plant. Specifically, by installing a programmable circuit unit in a field device, functional circuits such as a memory and an accelerator necessary for system construction are configured to be minimal and optimal.

Field equipment systems are used as systems for controlling and monitoring factories and plants. As shown in FIG. 11, the field device system includes a control device 50 and field devices 60A, 60B, and 60C (hereinafter, field devices 60A, 60B, and 60C may be collectively referred to as field device 60). The control device 50 and the field devices 60A, 60B, 60C are electrically connected to each other via the control line 70.

The control device 50 is a host computer for controlling the field device 60, forms a control loop in which functions executed by the field device 60 are connected to each other, and reflects the connection method of the control loop to each field device 60. The operation of the field device 60 is started. In FIG. 11, the functions A-1 and A-2 are assigned to the field device 60A, the function B-1 is assigned to the field device 60B, and the functions C-1, C-2,
C-3 is assigned. A control loop is configured by connecting predetermined functions. At this time, at the time of shipment from the factory, function A is required as a function necessary for system construction.
−1, B−1, C−1, and C−3 are set, and the function A-2,
It is assumed that the function C-2 (dotted line) is set.

The field devices 60A, 60B, and 60C automatically control the quantity in the factory or plant by using a sensor or a valve by operating the function set by the control device 50. The field devices 60A, 60B, and 60C are equipped with a memory for storing software that operates each function at the time of shipment from the factory. For example, the field device 60A includes a memory 600a for function A-1 and a memory 602a for function A-2. The field device 60B is equipped with a memory 600b for function B-1. The field device 60C includes a function C-1 memory 600c, a function C-2 memory 602c, and a function C-.
3 memory 604c is installed.

As a system for controlling factories and plants in this way, for example, a system construction support tool is provided, and standard software programs that are modularized and packaged by function are cut and pasted on the screen etc. by module and package. A field device system that can be modified by additional processing has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-94457 A

By the way, in the system using the current field device, once the field device is attached to a predetermined place, it is difficult to change the configuration of the attached field device. Therefore, when the field device is shipped from the factory, as described above, the function of the field device is set by selecting not only the function necessary for constructing the system but also a function that can cope with an expected change.

However, if a function that is not used occurs as a result of system construction, the hardware resources (mainly memory) that were necessary to operate the function will not be used. A problem arises that wear resources are wasted. For example, in FIG. 11, when functions A-1, B-1, C-1, and C-3 are used and functions A-2 and C-2 are not used, function A-2 and function C- Memory 602a and 602c for storing software for operating 2 (dotted line enclosing portion) becomes a useless hardware resource. In addition, since hardware resources that operate more than necessary functions are installed in the field device, there is a problem that the cost of the field device increases accordingly. Also, on the side of manufacturing field devices,
It is necessary to produce / manage a wide variety of products, resulting in high costs.

As for performance, as a way to shorten the control cycle of the control loop,
The speed of the field device can be increased by increasing the speed of the CPU in the field device or by installing dedicated hardware (accelerator). However, the speeding up of the CPU requires more power for operation, so it is difficult to easily cope with the field equipment where power is limited. The installation of dedicated hardware (accelerator) has a problem that a lot of hardware resources are wasted when a function that requires an accelerator is not used.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a field device and a field device system in which various functions can be dynamically set so that hardware resources of the field device are not wasted. It is to provide.

In order to solve the above problems, a field device according to the present invention is connected to a control device for setting hardware configuration information indicating a configuration of a functional circuit that operates a function necessary for system construction, and controls a control target. A field device to be automatically controlled, a circuit unit that can program a functional circuit necessary for building a system based on hardware configuration information, a communication unit that receives hardware configuration information transmitted from a control device, and a communication And a control unit configured to configure the circuit unit as a functional circuit having a specific function based on the hardware configuration information received by the unit.

In addition, the field device system according to the present invention includes a control device for setting hardware configuration information indicating a configuration of a functional circuit that operates functions necessary for system construction, and a control target connected to the control device. A field device system including a field device to be automatically controlled, and the control device acquires a hardware configuration information indicating a configuration of a functional circuit that operates a function necessary for constructing the system, and the control unit acquires the hardware configuration information. A communication unit that transmits the hardware configuration information to the field device, and the field device transmits the functional circuit necessary for constructing the system based on the hardware configuration information, and the control unit. A communication unit that receives hardware configuration information to be transmitted, and based on the hardware configuration information received by the communication unit It is characterized in that a control unit constituting a road section as a function circuit having a specific function.

In the present invention, the field device is equipped with a programmable circuit unit,
Unlike the prior art, a memory or the like corresponding to each function is not installed in advance. The control unit of the field device dynamically changes the hardware resource of the programmable circuit unit to a functional circuit having a specific function based on the hardware configuration information transmitted from the control device via the communication unit.

According to the present invention, since the programmable circuit unit is changed to a functional circuit having a specific function based on the hardware configuration information, the functions necessary for system construction can be arranged at the minimum and optimally. Therefore, the performance of field devices can be improved at low cost.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the field apparatus system which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the block structural example of a control apparatus. It is a figure which shows the block structural example of a field apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of hardware configuration information. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a programmable device. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of a field device system. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of a control loop. It is a figure which shows the comparative example of the execution time of the function in this invention and the conventional field device system. It is a figure which shows the block configuration of a programmable device at the time of comprising a part of programmable device as an accelerator. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the programmable device in the field apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the conventional field device system.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as an embodiment) will be described.
<1. First Embodiment>
[Configuration example of field device system]
First, a configuration example of the field device system FS according to the present invention will be described. The field device system FS according to the present invention includes the programmable device 206 mounted on the field device 20 described later, so that the programmable device 2 can be used according to the required function.
The configuration of the hardware resource 06 can be changed. As shown in FIG. 1, the field device system FS includes a control device 10 and field devices 20A, 20B, and 20C (hereinafter referred to as field devices 20A, 20C) that are electrically connected to the control device 10 via a control line 30.
20B and 20C may be collectively referred to as field device 20). The control device 10 and the field device 20 are controlled by a communication protocol dedicated to the field device such as the FOUNDATION Fieldbus communication protocol.

[Configuration example of control device]
The control device 10 is a host computer for controlling / monitoring the field device 20, and includes a control unit 100, a memory unit 102, and a communication unit 104 as shown in FIG.
The control unit 100 displays the hardware configuration information Hc input by the user operation on the operation screen.
And information such as the control loop connecting the functions to each other, and the hardware configuration information H
c and the like are set in each of the field devices 20A, 20B, and 20C. This control unit 100
For example, CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory) and RA
M (Random Access Memory).

The memory unit 102 includes hardware configuration information Hc indicating the configuration of hardware resources (functional circuit) for operating functions necessary for system construction, and software So for operating functions on the programmable device 206. Is accumulated. The hardware configuration information Hc is VHDL (Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Descri
ption Language) is a pre-compiled information, and software resources for operating hardware functions of the programmable device 206 to operate each function.
Is a program for configuring as an accelerator for supporting processing performed by software So that operates each function. The hardware configuration information Hc is a pattern that uses only the function A, a pattern that uses the functions A and B, a pattern that uses the functions A and C and requires an accelerator for the function C, etc. A program is also included.

The software So is software for causing the functions constituting the control loop designed by the hardware designer to operate on the programmable device 206. In this example, as shown in FIG. 2, the memory unit 102 has functions A-1, A-2, B-1, C-1, and C-3.
Program for operating and control loops connecting these functions (see Fig. 7)
Is accumulated.

The communication unit 104 is an input / output interface connected to the field devices 20A, 20B, and 20C via the control line 30, and receives the hardware configuration information Hc and the software So based on an instruction from the control unit 100. It transmits to 20A, 20B, 20C.

[Configuration example of field device]
The field device 20 is a device that can automatically control the quantity in a factory or plant with a sensor, a valve, or the like, and as shown in FIG. 3, a programmable device that is an example of a communication unit 200, a CPU 202, a memory unit 204, and a circuit unit. 206. The communication unit 200 is connected to the control line 3
0 is an input / output interface connected to the control device 10 via 0, and receives hardware configuration information Hc and software So from the control device 10.

The CPU 202 stores the hardware setting information, software So, etc. downloaded (received) from the control device 10 via the communication unit 200 in the hardware configuration data unit 204 a of the memory unit 204. The CPU 202 is connected to a configuration terminal (not shown) of the programmable device 206, reads the hardware configuration information Hc and software So stored in the hardware configuration data unit 204a, and reads the read hardware configuration information Hc and the like into GPIO. (General Purpose Input / Output), serial communication, etc. are supplied to the programmable device 206 and set.

The memory unit 204 includes, for example, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and includes hardware configuration information H
It includes a hardware configuration data unit 204a for storing c and software So, and a main operation program unit 204b for storing a main program and the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the hardware configuration data section 204a of the field device 20C includes hardware configuration information Hc for configuring a memory having the software So of the function C-1, and a function C-3.
Hardware configuration information Hc for configuring a memory having the software So, and hardware configuration information Hc for configuring an accelerator for assisting the operation of the software So of the function C-3 are stored.

The programmable device 206 is a programmable integrated circuit in which an internal logic circuit can be defined / changed by a user after manufacture. For example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Arr.
ay) and CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device). The programmable device 206 is connected to the CPU 202 via the bus 208, and the CPU
Based on the hardware configuration information Hc supplied from 202, the hardware resource is dynamically changed to a functional circuit such as a memory or an accelerator. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the programmable device 206 of the field device 20C has a memory 206a for holding software So that operates the function C-1 when the hardware configuration information Hc has the contents shown in FIG. Are configured, a memory 206b for storing software So for operating the function C-3 is configured, and an accelerator 206c for assisting the operation of the function C-3 is configured.

[Operation example of field device system]
Next, an example of the system construction operation in the field device system FS according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 6, in step S10, the control device 10 and the field devices 20A, 20B, and 20C are installed at predetermined positions in a factory and a plant, and the control device 10 and the field devices 20A, 20B, and 20C are connected to the control line 30. Are connected physically (see FIG. 1).

In step S20, various functions such as a sensing function and a calculation function necessary for the operation of the factory or the plant are set, and a control loop in which the set functions are connected (connected) is configured. These settings are performed by the user on the operation screen of the display unit provided in the control device 10. For example, functions A-1, B-1, C-1, C as functions necessary for plant operation
When -3 is set, as shown in FIG. 7, the outputs of functions A-1 and B-1 are connected as inputs of function C-3, and the outputs of function C-3 are connected as inputs of function C-1. I do. The control unit 100 performs optimization of the control loop.

In step S30, the field device 20 that executes each function constituting the control loop.
The identification (association) of A, 20B, and 20C is performed. For example, function A is added to the field device 20A.
-1 is assigned, the function B-1 is assigned to the field device 20B, and the field device 20C is assigned.
Are assigned functions C-1 and C-3.

Subsequently, when the functions to be operated by the field devices 20A, 20B, and 20C are clarified, the field devices 20A, 20B, and 20C receive the hardware configuration information Hc from the control device 10 via the control line 30 in step S40. to download. Field device 20A,
Each of 20B and 20C is assigned a unique address, and hardware configuration information H
Since the header information (address of each field device) is added to the packet that constitutes c, each hardware configuration information Hc is the specified field device 20A, 20B, 20C.
Downloaded to each of the.

In step S50, the field devices 20A, 20B, and 20C accumulate the hardware configuration information Hc downloaded from the control device 10 in the memory unit 204, and after the download is completed, the hardware configuration information Hc is stored in the programmable device 206 using GPIO or serial communication. Set. Thereby, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the programmable device 206 of the field device 20C configures the memories 206a and 206b for storing the software So corresponding to the functions C-1 and C-3, and the memory 206b. The accelerator 206c is configured to assist the operation of the software So of each function held in FIG.

When the setting of the hardware configuration information Hc in the programmable device 206 is completed, the field devices 20A, 20B, and 20C download the software So for realizing the functions constituting the control loop from the control device 10 in step S60. For example, the field device 20C downloads software So that operates the functions C-1 and C-3.

In step S70, the field devices 20A, 20B, and 20C store the software So downloaded from the control device 10 on the memory constructed in the programmable device 206 based on the hardware configuration information Hc described above. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, in the field device 20C, the software So that operates the function C-1 is stored in the memory 206a on the programmable device 206, and the software that operates by assisting the function C-3 by the accelerator 206c. So is the memory 206 on the programmable device 206.
accumulate in b.

In step S80, the field devices 20A, 20B, and 20C execute the downloaded software So after the download of the software So is completed, and operate the function corresponding to the software So. For example, the programmable device 206 of the field device 20C operates the functions C-1 and C-3 by executing the downloaded software So. Furthermore, in the programmable device 206, the accelerator 206c that assists the function C-3 is configured. Therefore, the execution of the software So that operates the accelerator 206c assists the process of the function C-3.

When the download of the software So for operating the functions constituting the control loop to each field device 20A, 20B, 20C is completed, the setting required for the operation of the factory or plant is started in each field device 20A, 20B, 20C ( Step S90). And the operation of a factory or a plant is started by completing the setting of the field devices 20A, 20B, 20C necessary for the operation (step S100). When the system starts to operate, execution is repeated in the order of the functions configured by the control loop described above, and process control is started.

[Comparison of execution time of hardware resources in the present invention and a conventional field device system]
Next, the function execution time in the above-described field device system FS according to the present invention and the conventional field device system will be described. Hereinafter, a case where the field device 20C is used as a field device will be described, and a conventional field device system will be described using the field device system shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 11, in the conventional field device system, when the field device is shipped from the factory, each field device 20C has functions C-1 and C necessary for constructing the system in advance.
In addition to the memories 600c and 604c for storing -3, a memory 602c for storing a function C-2 that can cope with a change expected in the future is also mounted. Here, it is assumed that the function C-3 takes longer than the execution time of the function C-1.

Therefore, for example, in the construction of the system, the functions C-1 and C-3 are operated, and the function C
-2 is designed not to operate, the memory 602 for operating the function C-2
c will not be used. Further, since the capacities of the memories 600c and 604c of the functions C-1 and C-3 are equivalent, as shown in FIG. 8, the execution time when the function C-3 is operated is the function C-1 It will be longer than the execution time when operating.

On the other hand, the field device system FS according to the present invention has the programmable device 206 mounted on the field device 20 without having a necessary function such as a memory at the time of factory shipment. Similarly to the above-described conventional field device system, in the system construction, when the function C-1 and C-3 are operated and the function C-2 is not operated, the programmable device 206 of the field device 20C As shown in FIG. 9, the memory 206a and 206b for operating the functions C-1 and C-3 are dynamically configured, and the hardware resource (dotted line enclosing part) that is scheduled to be used for the function C-2 Is dynamically configured as an accelerator 206c for assisting the function C-3 requiring execution time.
As a result, since the function C-3 is operated by the CPU 202 and the accelerator 206c, as shown in FIG. 8, it is possible to significantly reduce the execution time as compared with the conventional field device, and the processing in the function C-3 The speed of operation can be increased.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, since each field device 20 is equipped with the programmable device 206, the designer who constructs the system possesses various functions in advance. It is not necessary to use existing field devices, and the system can be constructed using the field devices 20 that can download and operate only the minimum functions necessary for system construction from the control device 10.

In addition, hardware resources (memory and accelerators) for operating the necessary functions can be changed, so processing capacity can be customized according to cost, and system designers can build a more flexible and optimal system. It becomes like this. Furthermore, since the hardware resource of the programmable device 206 can be dynamically changed to a configuration as required,
Functions necessary for system construction can be arranged at a minimum and optimally. As a result, it is possible to provide a field device system FS that is improved in performance (speed) at low cost.

<2. Second Embodiment>
In the second embodiment, a part of the programmable device 206 is configured as the accelerator 206 in that a part of the programmable device 216 is configured as the sub CPU 216c.
This is different from the first embodiment configured as c. Since the configuration of the other field device system FS is the same as that of the first embodiment, common constituent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

[Configuration example of field device]
The field device 20D includes a communication unit 210, a main CPU 212, a memory unit 214, and a programmable device 216. The communication unit 210 downloads the hardware configuration information Hc from the control device 10 and accumulates the downloaded hardware configuration information Hc via the main CPU 212 in the memory unit 204. The main CPU 212 is a memory unit 2
The hardware configuration information Hc stored in 04 is read and supplied to the programmable device 216 using GPIO, serial communication, or the like.

The programmable device 216 configures a functional circuit such as a memory or a CPU described later based on the hardware configuration information Hc supplied from the main CPU 212. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the programmable device 216 constitutes a memory 216a for holding software So for operating the function D-1, and a memory 216b for holding software So for operating the function D-3. And sub CPU 216c for processing function D-3
And configure.

The sub CPU 216c is configured to be operable independently of the functions constituting the control loop using the memory (hardware resource) of the function D-2 that is not used, and is parallel to the main CPU 212. Perform advanced functions. For example, in the function that D-3 can describe the script language, the main CPU is operated by operating the script engine for realizing the function on the sub CPU 216c built on the programmable device 216.
Function D-3 is executed without affecting the operation of 212.

As described above, when the accelerator 206c is configured as in the first embodiment described above, hardware specialized for functions is prepared, and customizable functions (script processing, etc.) are provided. On the other hand, there were some aspects that were difficult to deal with. On the other hand, according to the second embodiment, by configuring the sub CPU 216c that can operate independently of the main CPU 212 instead of the accelerator 206c, it is possible to speed up more advanced functions that could not be achieved by the accelerator 206c. You can plan up. Thereby, the processing time of functions such as scripts can be shortened, and as a result, the overall performance of the field device system FS can be improved.

It should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes those in which various modifications are made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the first and second embodiments described above, the accelerator 206c that assists the processing of the function and the sub CPU 216c that executes the processing independently are configured in the programmable device 206, but a functional circuit having functions other than these is configured. You can also

10 ... Control device, 20, 20A, 20B, 20C ... Field device, 30 ...
Control line 100 ... Control unit 102 ... Memory unit 104 ... Communication unit 200 ...
Communication unit 202 ... CPU 204 Memory unit 206 Programmable device 206a, 206b Memory 206c Accelerator 212
・ Main CPU, 216c ... Sub CPU

Claims (5)

A field device that is connected to a control device for setting hardware configuration information indicating a configuration of a functional circuit that operates a function necessary for constructing a system, and that automatically controls a control target,
A circuit unit capable of programming the functional circuit necessary for constructing a system based on the hardware configuration information;
A communication unit that receives the hardware configuration information transmitted from the control device;
A field device comprising: a control unit configured to configure the circuit unit as the functional circuit having a specific function based on the hardware configuration information received by the communication unit. The communication unit receives software for operating the function on the circuit unit from the control device,
The control unit supplies the software received by the communication unit to the functional circuit configured in the circuit unit,
The field device according to claim 1, wherein the circuit unit executes the function based on the software supplied by the control unit. The circuit unit is a programmable device,
The control unit is configured to assist the programmable device with a memory for storing the function and an operation of the function stored in the memory based on the hardware configuration information transmitted from the control device. The field device according to claim 1, wherein the field device is configured as an accelerator. The circuit unit is a programmable device,
The control unit has a main CPU and, based on the hardware configuration information transmitted from the control device, stores the function in the programmable device and the function stored in the memory. The field device according to claim 1, wherein the field device is configured as a sub CPU that is executed independently of the main CPU. Field device system comprising: a control device for setting hardware configuration information indicating a configuration of a functional circuit that operates a function necessary for system construction; and a field device that is connected to the control device and automatically controls a control target Because
The controller is
A control unit that acquires hardware configuration information indicating a configuration of the functional circuit that operates functions necessary for system construction; and
A communication unit that transmits the hardware configuration information acquired by the control unit to the field device;
The field device is
A circuit unit capable of programming the functional circuit necessary for constructing a system based on the hardware configuration information;
A communication unit that receives the hardware configuration information transmitted from the control device;
A field device system comprising: a control unit configured to configure the circuit unit as the functional circuit having a specific function based on the hardware configuration information received by the communication unit.

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