JP7374379B1 - Data collection device, data collection system, database creation method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

A data collection device (10) in a semiconductor manufacturing system is connected to a plurality of controlled devices that operate according to control instructions via an industrial network (eg, CC-Link IE TSN (Mitsubishi Electric trademark), TSN network). The data collection device (10) includes a main communication unit (13) that receives operation data indicating the operating status of each controlled device at each communication cycle, and a main communication unit (13) that is attached to each controlled device to manage a plurality of controlled devices. a creation unit (120) that creates a multidimensional database having a first axis corresponding to a list of labels to be sent and a second axis corresponding to a list of communication cycles; The apparatus further includes an adding unit (130) that adds the operating data to the database (40) along the second axis every communication cycle in association with the label of the controlled device whose operating state is indicated by the operating data.

Description

The present disclosure relates to a data collection device, a data collection system, a database creation method, and a program.

At sites where FA (Factory Automation) systems that control various devices are operated, it is becoming increasingly important to use data for quality control. For example, in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, semiconductor wafers are transported by controlling equipment such as servo motors via an industrial network. By collecting and analyzing data from such equipment, abnormalities in the equipment and semiconductor wafers can be detected.

Since systems such as semiconductor manufacturing factories are large in scale and a large amount of data is collected, the data is managed in a database. In order to utilize this type of database, work is required to construct the database, such as associating the data with the data of the data source or the person in charge of management. Such work is complicated because it is necessary to perform it while checking the actual system configuration, and it places a heavy burden on system design and development work. Therefore, it is conceivable to use a technology that automatically constructs a database to some extent (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1 describes a technique in which communication devices perform cyclic communication with each other at regular intervals, and a data collection management device manages communication data transmitted in the cyclic communication. The communication data includes a station number indicating a transmission source communication device and a cycle number specifying a communication cycle. The data collection management device manages the collected communication data by arranging line data including a station number, a cycle number, and actual data of the communication data.

International Publication No. 2021/130912

The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 manages, when an error occurs in communication data, the error occurs in the communication data transmitted at what timing and from which communication device. Therefore, even when line data indicating communication data is managed by arranging it in one direction, if this line data includes a cycle number and a station number, it is possible to manage the occurrence of errors.

However, when a user uses the periodic communication history after the fact, information in which the line data is simply arranged as described above is not easy to use because it has poor visibility. Therefore, there is room for making it easier to use the history of periodic communications in the FA field.

The present disclosure was made under the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to facilitate the use of periodic communication history in the field of FA.

In order to achieve the above object, a data collection device of the present disclosure is a data collection device that is connected via a network to multiple controlled devices that operate according to control instructions, and that is a data collection device that is shared with multiple controlled devices. A communication means that receives operating data indicating the operating status of each controlled device at each communication cycle defined by time, and a list of labels attached to each controlled device in order to manage multiple controlled devices. a creation means for creating a multidimensional database having a corresponding first axis and a second axis corresponding to a list of communication cycles; and operation data received by the communication means, the operation state being indicated by the operation data. Additional means for adding to the multidimensional database along the second axis in each communication cycle in correspondence with the label of the controlled device , and acquisition means for obtaining control commands for each of the controlled devices in each communication cycle. , the communication cycle has a first time segment and a second time segment arranged within the communication cycle, and in the first time segment, control commands for each of the plurality of controlled devices are transmitted over the network, and in the second time segment, In the classification, operating data of each of a plurality of controlled devices is received by a communication means, and the first axis includes a first list of labels of controlled devices as a source of operating data and a list of controlled devices as a destination of control commands. a second list of device labels; , the control command acquired by the acquisition means is added to the multidimensional database along the second axis every communication cycle, in correspondence with the label of the second list of controlled devices controlled by the control command.

According to the present disclosure, the adding means adds the operating data to the multidimensional database along the second axis every communication cycle, in association with the label of the controlled device. As a result, a multidimensional database with high visibility is generated as a reception history of operational data. Therefore, the history of periodic communications at the FA site can be easily utilized.

A diagram showing the configuration of a data collection system according to Embodiment 1 A diagram showing an example of wafer processing within a manufacturing apparatus in a semiconductor manufacturing process according to Embodiment 1. A diagram showing an example of input to the user interface according to Embodiment 1 A diagram showing the hardware configuration of the FA device according to Embodiment 1 A diagram showing a functional configuration of a data collection device according to Embodiment 1. A diagram showing a database at a stage created by the creation unit according to Embodiment 1. First diagram for explaining periodic communication according to Embodiment 1 Second diagram for explaining periodic communication according to Embodiment 1 A diagram showing a database to which operation data has been added by the addition unit according to Embodiment 1. Flowchart showing database table creation processing according to Embodiment 1 Diagram showing an overview of system configuration information according to Embodiment 1 A diagram showing the functional configuration of a data collection device according to Embodiment 2 A diagram showing an example of a database according to Embodiment 2 A diagram showing an example of a database according to Embodiment 3

Hereinafter, a data collection system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1.
The data collection system 100 according to this embodiment is constructed as part of a control system that controls equipment via a network in a factory. This control system is, for example, an FA system for implementing a manufacturing line, a processing line, an inspection line, or other processing steps. Furthermore, the data collection system 100 collects information indicating the operating status of a device to be controlled from the device, and the collected information is subjected to analysis. This analysis may be, for example, real-time detection of abnormalities or signs of abnormality, user analysis for quality control, or automatic or manual control of parameters for controlling equipment. It may also be an analysis for improvement.

As shown in FIG. 1, the data collection system 100 includes a data collection device 10 that controls controlled devices 31, 32, and 33 and collects data, and a user interface for making various settings for the data collection device 10. and controlled devices 31 to 33 that are controlled by the data collection device 10 via an industrial network 300.

The data collection device 10 is a control device typified by a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), and controls a controlled device 31 connected via an industrial network 300 by executing a control program provided from a terminal 20. ~33 is controlled. The control program may be a program written in a ladder language or may be a program written in another language.

The data collection device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) unit 11 that executes a control program to control the components of the data collection device, and an analysis unit 12 that analyzes operating data indicating the operating status of the controlled devices 31 to 33. , a main communication unit 13 for communicating via an industrial network 300, and a DB (Database) unit 14 for accumulating operational data. The CPU unit 11, analysis unit 12, main communication unit 13, and DB unit 14 are connected via a PLC bus 19 and communicate with each other. The data collection device 10, which is a PLC, is a function block type control device configured by a CPU unit 11, an analysis unit 12, a main communication unit 13, and a DB unit 14 installed in a base unit having a PLC bus 19. be. The DB unit 14 has a database 40 in which data collected from the controlled devices 31 to 33 is stored. In the following, the database 40 will be referred to as DB40.

Each of the controlled devices 31 to 33 corresponds to a device for implementing a processing step in a factory. The controlled device 31 includes a slave communication unit 311 for communicating with the main communication unit 13 of the data collection device 10, and a servo device 312 including a servo amplifier and a servo motor. The controlled device 32 includes a slave communication unit 321 for communicating with the main communication unit 13 and a servo device 322 . The controlled device 33 includes a slave communication unit 331 for communicating with the main communication unit 13 and a sensor 332. In the following, each of the controlled devices 31 to 33 may be referred to as the controlled device 30 without distinguishing them from each other. Each of the controlled devices 30 operates according to a control command given from the outside.

For example, the controlled devices 31 to 33 perform a cleaning process for semiconductor manufacturing equipment as shown in FIG. In each of a plurality of processing tanks that sequentially clean materials that are processing wafers, the materials are transported by driving a ball screw 35 using a servo motor. In FIG. 2, it is shown by one ball screw 35 that belongs to the processing tank 1 together with the controlled device 31 that the controlled device 31 has a 1-axis servo motor, and the controlled device 32 has a 2-axis servo motor. This is shown by two ball screws 35 belonging to the processing tank 2 together with the controlled equipment 32. These servo motors operate according to control commands from the data collection device 10, which is a control device.

In addition to the sensor 332 shown in FIG. 1, the controlled device 33 shown in FIG. 2 includes a two-axis servo motor that belongs to the processing tank 3 together with the controlled device 33. Each of the controlled devices 30 only needs to have an operating section that operates in accordance with a processing step or in accordance with a processing step in accordance with a control command from the data collection device 10, and this operating section may be a servo device or It may be a sensor, or it may be a part that operates differently from a servo device and a sensor. Note that the operation by the operation unit may or may not involve movement of the object. For example, a sensor serving as an operating unit may perform an operation of outputting a signal indicating a sensing result of a sensing target such as temperature, pressure, and flow velocity in a processing step. Further, the semiconductor manufacturing process shown in FIG. 2 is realized by the operation of a large number of controlled devices including devices different from the controlled devices 31 to 33. As shown in FIG. 2, the number of controlled devices 30 may be more than three, or may be arbitrarily changed depending on the system configuration at the site.

As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of devices including controlled devices 31 to 33 transmit operation data indicating the operating status of the devices to the data collection device 10. The operational data received by the data collection device 10 is accumulated in the DB 40, displayed to the user by the terminal 20 as needed, and used for analysis by the user. The operation data transmitted from the controlled devices 31 and 32 having the servo devices 312 and 322 is, for example, data indicating the latest values of the motor speed, torque, or bus voltage of the servo devices 312 and 322, and The operation data transmitted from the controlled device 33 having the sensor 332 is data indicating the latest sensing result by the sensor 332. Operation data is periodically transmitted as described below.

Returning to FIG. 1, the terminal 20 may be an industrial PC (Personal Computer), a tablet terminal, or a general PC, or may be another information processing device that functions as a user interface. The terminal 20 is connected to the data collection device 10 via a communication line such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or a LAN (Local Area Network) cable. By executing a software application called an engineering tool, the terminal 20 exhibits a function for a user to create and edit a control program to be executed by the data collection device 10 as a control device, and uses the completed control program to collect data. Write to the device 10.

The terminal 20 is also used to set parameters for the data collection device 10 to communicate via the industrial network 300 and to set parameters for executing the control program. These settings include settings regarding the configuration of the network system 101 including the data collection device 10 as a control device and the controlled devices 31 to 33. Specifically, the user uses an engineering tool to set the configuration of the network system 101, and in the configuration of the network system 101, names that are easy for the user to understand or manage are given to the components of the network system 101. Attach it. The name assigned in this way is used as a management item, ie, a label, in the DB 40, which will be described later. In other words, the system configuration information 21 indicating the configuration of the network system 101 is provided or created by the user at the terminal 20. This system configuration information 21 includes label information 22, and the label information 22 indicates a label attached to the controlled devices 31 to 33 as a name for the user to manage the controlled devices 31 to 33.

In FIG. 3, a user interface 201 of the terminal 20 is illustrated. In this user interface 201, a window 202 for managing devices connected to the industrial network 300 is displayed, and in the window 202, a label to be attached to each of the controlled devices 31 to 33 is input by the user. Specifically, the label name "processing tank 1", which is a user-friendly name, is entered in the input field 511 of the icon 51 corresponding to the controlled device 31, and the input field of the icon 52 corresponding to the controlled device 32 is entered. The label name "Processing Tank 2" is input in 512, and the label name "Processing Tank 3" is input in the input field 513 of the icon 53 corresponding to the controlled device 33. The label name is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3, and may be any name input. Label information 22 indicating these label names is provided from the terminal 20 to the data collection device 10 and used when creating the DB 40, which will be described later.

The CPU unit 11, analysis unit 12, main communication unit 13, and terminal 20 of the data collection device 10 are each configured by hardware elements for functioning as a computer. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the FA device 60 corresponding to the CPU unit 11, analysis unit 12, main communication unit 13, and terminal 20 includes a processor 61, a main storage section 62, and an auxiliary storage section. 63, an input section 64, an output section 65, and a communication section 66. The main storage section 62 , the auxiliary storage section 63 , the input section 64 , the output section 65 , and the communication section 66 are all connected to the processor 61 via an internal bus 67 .

The processor 61 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) as a processing circuit. The processor 61 implements various functions by executing the program P1 stored in the auxiliary storage unit 63, and executes the processing described below. The program P1 of the terminal 20 corresponds to the above-mentioned engineering tool. Note that the processor 61 of the CPU unit 11 executes a control program in addition to the program P1.

Main storage unit 62 includes RAM. The program P1 is loaded into the main storage section 62 from the auxiliary storage section 63. The main storage unit 62 is used as a work area for the processor 61.

The auxiliary storage unit 63 includes a nonvolatile memory represented by an EEPROM and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The auxiliary storage unit 63 stores various data used in processing by the processor 61 in addition to the program P1. The auxiliary storage unit 63 supplies data used by the processor 61 to the processor 61 according to instructions from the processor 61. Further, the auxiliary storage unit 63 stores data supplied from the processor 61.

The input unit 64 includes input devices such as hardware switches, input keys, a keyboard, and a pointing device. The input unit 64 acquires information input by the user of the FA device 60 and notifies the processor 61 of the acquired information.

The output unit 65 includes output devices such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and a speaker. The output unit 65 presents various information to the user according to instructions from the processor 61.

The communication unit 66 includes a communication interface circuit for communicating with an external device. The communication unit 66 receives a signal from the outside and outputs data indicated by this signal to the processor 61. Furthermore, the communication unit 66 transmits a signal indicating data output from the processor 61 to an external device. Note that although one communication section 66 is representatively shown in FIG. 4, the FA device 60 may have a plurality of communication sections 66. For example, the FA device 60 that is the main communication unit 13 separately has a communication section 66 for communicating via the PLC bus 19 and a communication section 66 for communicating via the industrial network 300. Good too.

The data collection device 10 exhibits various functions by the cooperation of the above-mentioned hardware configurations. In detail, as shown in FIG. 5, the data collection device 10 has a reception unit 110 that receives system configuration information 21 provided from the terminal 20, and a controlled device 30 indicated by the system configuration information 21 as its functions. a creation unit 120 that creates and initializes a DB 40 having axes corresponding to the list of labels; an addition unit 130 that adds operational data received by the main communication unit 13 to the DB 40; The control unit 140 includes a control unit 140 that transmits a control command to the controlled device 30.

The reception section 110 is mainly realized by the cooperation of the processor 61 of the CPU unit 11 and the communication section 66. The reception unit 110 acquires system configuration information 21 from the terminal 20 and recognizes the configuration of the network system 101 based on the acquired system configuration information 21. Specifically, the reception unit 110 recognizes what kind of equipment is connected to the industrial network 300. Although one industrial network 300 is shown in FIG. 1, when the network system 101 is configured by a plurality of industrial networks 300 via relay devices such as hubs and gateways, the reception unit 110 , recognize which equipment is connected to which industrial network based on the system configuration information 21. Recognition of a device by the reception unit 110 is recognition of information necessary to communicate with the device, and this information includes, for example, a protocol with which the device can communicate, a protocol to communicate with the device, and a protocol that the device can communicate with. Contains the device's station number or network address. Furthermore, the reception unit 110 may recognize the model or model number of the device, or may recognize information regarding other devices.

The creation unit 120 is mainly realized by the processor 61 of the CPU unit 11. The creation unit 120 acquires from the reception unit 110 the labels attached to each of the controlled devices 30 recognized as components of the network system 101 by the reception unit 110, and creates an axis corresponding to the list of labels of the controlled devices 30. Create a DB 40 with Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the creation unit 120 creates a two-dimensional database defined by a first axis defined in the label list 410 and a second axis different from the first axis. do. However, the database 40 at the stage created by the creation unit 120 does not include actual data in the second axis direction. Note that each label of the controlled device 30 is associated with a device ID for identifying each controlled device 30 in the network system 101. The device ID is an ID for the data collection device 10 and the controlled device 30 to identify the device, and may be a station number or a network address, or may be another identifier. The list of labels is mainly referenced when the DB 40 is used by the user, and the list of device IDs is mainly referenced when the DB 40 is used by the data collection device 10. The creation unit 120 also notifies the addition unit 130 of the created list of device IDs of the DB 40. The creation unit 120 corresponds to an example of a creation unit that creates a multidimensional database.

The label is different from the device ID. Specifically, the label is arbitrarily determined by the user in order to manage the plurality of controlled devices 30, whereas the device ID is usually determined by a data collection device such as a PLC or other device. . Further, the rules for determining a label are different from the rules for determining a device ID. For example, the rules for determining the label allow a relatively long number of characters so that any name provided by the user can be used, whereas the device ID is limited to a certain number of characters as long as it identifies the controlled device 30. It is preferable that the length be uniformly short. That is, while the number of characters for a label is arbitrary, the length of the device ID is the same for all controlled devices 30 and is shorter than the maximum number of characters for the label. Furthermore, if the name is determined and input by the user, the same name is allowed to be attached to different controlled devices 30 as a label, whereas duplication is not allowed for device IDs.

Returning to FIG. 5, the main communication unit 13 communicates with the slave communication units 311, 321, and 331 of the controlled device 30 in accordance with the IEEE 802.1 TSN (Time Sensitive Networking) standard. In the following, the IEEE 802.1 TSN standard will be referred to as the TSN standard. Furthermore, hereinafter, the slave communication units 311, 321, and 331 of the controlled device 30 may be referred to as communication units without distinction.

Here, an outline of communication according to the TSN standard by the main communication unit 13 and the slave communication units 311, 321, and 331 will be explained. These communication units synchronize their time via the industrial network 300. In detail, each communication unit shares time with other communication units using a time synchronization protocol. A time synchronization protocol is a protocol for synchronizing the time of devices on a network with high precision. For example, when IEEE802.1 AS is applied as the time synchronization protocol, a grand master corresponding to one node on the network regularly distributes a highly accurate reference clock via the network. Furthermore, transmission delays are measured by reciprocating data between the grand master and other nodes, and the other nodes obtain reference clocks with this transmission delay corrected. As a result, the time at which the transmission delay was corrected is shared.

Note that sharing time and synchronizing time by multiple devices means synchronizing the clocks of each of the multiple devices. If the clocks of a plurality of devices each measure the same time, and this time is shared by the plurality of devices, the times of the plurality of devices will be synchronized. In the following, the time shared between devices will be referred to as shared time.

The plurality of communication units transmit and receive data based on a predetermined schedule according to a shared time. In detail, as shown in FIG. 7, each communication unit communicates by time division multiplexing in communication cycles 41 and 42 each having a predetermined length according to the shared time.

Communication cycles 41 and 42 are adjacent to each other. That is, the communication cycle 42 is provided immediately after the communication cycle 41, and the end time of the communication cycle 41 is equal to the start time of the communication cycle 42. Although two communication cycles 41 and 42 are shown in FIG. 7, communication cycles equivalent to the communication cycles 41 and 42 are periodically provided before the communication cycle 41 and after the communication cycle 42. The length of the communication cycles 41 and 42 is, for example, 1 microsecond or 1 millisecond.

The communication cycles 41 and 42 each have mutually adjacent time slots TS1 and TS2. When time slots TS1 and TS2 are arranged in this order in the communication cycle 41 as shown in FIG. 7, the start time of the time slot TS1 is equal to the start time of the communication cycle 41, and the end time of the time slot TS1 is equal to the start time of time slot TS2, and the end time of time slot TS2 is equal to the end time of communication cycle 41. Immediately after the time slot TS2 of the communication cycle 41, the time slot TS1 of the communication cycle 42 is arranged.

The time slots TS1 and TS2 are time segments for transmitting predetermined different types of data. In detail, time slots TS1 and TS2 are each provided for communication in a predetermined format, channel, or protocol. Specifically, in the time slot TS1, a control command to the controlled device 30 is sent from the main communication unit 13 corresponding to the grand master to the slave device 30, as shown by the broken arrow in FIG. 7, according to a protocol for real-time communication. It is transmitted to communication units 311, 321, 331. In time slot TS2, operation data from the controlled device 30 is transmitted from the slave communication units 311, 321, 331 to the main communication unit as indicated by thick arrows in FIG. 7 according to a non-real-time protocol such as IP communication. 13. Time slot TS1 corresponds to an example of a first time segment for transmitting control commands, and time slot TS2 corresponds to an example of a second time segment for transmitting operating data.

Since the lengths of the communication cycles 41 and 42 are equal, communication in each time slot is performed periodically. However, since the communication in the time slot TS1 follows a protocol that guarantees real-time performance, data of a relatively small size is transmitted every communication cycle, as shown by the band 401 in FIG. On the other hand, since communication in time slot TS2 follows a protocol that does not necessarily guarantee real-time performance, the amount of data to be transmitted is not constant, as shown by band 402 in FIG. If the data exceeds TS2, the data can be transmitted in subsequent time slots TS2. Therefore, the slave communication units 311, 321, 331 add cycle information indicating the communication cycle in which the operation data is first transmitted to the operation data transmitted in the time slot TS2. The data collection device 10 having the main communication unit 13 identifies the communication cycle during which the operation data is expected to be received by referring to the cycle information added to the operation data. The cycle information may be information that distinguishes a communication cycle from other communication cycles by an integer that is incremented from the start of communication, or may be information that indicates the date and time or system time that indicates the timing at which each communication cycle starts. or other information.

Returning to FIG. 5, the main communication unit 13 outputs the operation data and cycle information received from the slave communication units 311, 321, and 331 of the controlled device 30 to the addition unit 130. The main communication unit 13 corresponds to an example of a communication means that receives operation data indicating the operating state of each controlled device at every communication cycle defined by a shared time shared with a plurality of controlled devices.

The additional unit 130 is mainly realized by the processor 61 of the CPU unit 11. The adding unit 130 adds the operational data received by the main communication unit 13 along the second axis of the DB 40 in association with the device ID of the controlled device 30 that is the transmission source of the operational data. Specifically, the operation data is given a source IP address included in the header of the packet containing the operation data or the packet that is the operation data as source information indicating the source. The adding unit 130 specifies the device ID corresponding to this source IP address from the list of device IDs notified from the creation unit 120, makes it correspond to the specified device ID, and adds a second device ID corresponding to the list of communication cycles. In the axis, a value indicating the operating state of the controlled device 30 indicated by the operating data is added to the DB 40 in correspondence with the communication cycle indicated by the cycle information given to the operating data. The adding unit 130 adds the operating data received by the communication means to the multidimensional database along the second axis every communication cycle, in correspondence with the label of the controlled device whose operating state is indicated by the operating data. This corresponds to an example of additional means.

For example, in FIG. 9, when the main communication unit 13 receives operating data belonging to the communication cycle (n+2) from the controlled devices 31 to 33, the adding unit 130 creates a column having the device ID corresponding to the controlled device 31. In step 411, the operation data from the controlled device 31 is added to the line of the communication cycle (n+2) following the communication cycle (n) and the communication cycle (n+1). Similarly, the adding unit 130 adds the operation data from the controlled device 32 to the row of the communication cycle (n+2) in the column 412 corresponding to the controlled device 32, and adds the operation data from the controlled device 32 to the column 413 corresponding to the controlled device 33. Operation data from the controlled device 33 is added to the row of period (n+2). The second axis of the DB 40 corresponds to time and corresponds to a list of communication cycles.

As shown in FIG. 9, the DB 40 has a first axis corresponding to the list of labels of the controlled devices 30, so the DB 40 is configured using the configuration of the industrial network 300. Further, the DB 40 manages operation data in a matrix along a first axis corresponding to a list of labels of the controlled devices 30 and a second axis corresponding to a list of communication cycles. Since a large amount of operational data is managed in a matrix and the communication cycle is defined by an accurate shared time, using the DB 40 makes it possible to easily grasp the operational data group generated in the network system 101.

Returning to FIG. 5, the analysis unit 12 analyzes the operation data using the ease of overview in the DB 40. In detail, the analysis unit 12 specifies, for example, parameters that should be set in the controlled device 30 in order to improve the performance of the controlled device 30, and notifies the control unit 140 of the specified parameters. For example, the analysis unit 12 identifies motor speeds and torques that cause the bus voltage to become unstable, and identifies alternative parameters for such motor speeds and torques. The analysis unit 12 may analyze the operation data for each column of the DB 40, or may analyze the operation data for each communication cycle. Furthermore, the analysis unit 12 may identify the cause of the malfunction by analyzing the operation data, or may improve the malfunction by offsetting the tendency of the malfunction. The analysis unit 12 corresponds to an example of an analysis means that performs analysis regarding controlled equipment based on operation data stored in a multidimensional database.

The control unit 140 is mainly realized by the processor 61 of the CPU unit 11. The control unit 140 generates a control command for setting the parameters identified by the analysis unit 12 in the controlled device 30, and transmits the generated control command to the controlled device 30 via the main communication unit 13. The controlled device 30 is thereby controlled. The control unit 140 corresponds to an example of a control unit that controls a controlled device by transmitting a control command generated based on the result of analysis by the analysis unit.

Next, the database table creation process executed by the data collection device 10 will be explained using FIGS. 10 and 11.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the database table creation process, the reception unit 110 receives system configuration information 21 from the terminal 20 (step S1), and the creation unit 120 extracts label information 22 from the system configuration information 21. (Step S2) A list of labels is created by arranging the labels indicated by the label information according to a predetermined rule (Step S3).

Here, the system configuration information 21 includes information regarding network configurations and devices connected to each network. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the system configuration information 21 includes, as information regarding each device, a label given by a user, a device ID used by a device in the network system 101 to identify the device, and a device ID used to identify the device. and a network address that is configured. Note that the device ID and the network address may be the same information. The rule for creating a list of labels is to identify devices in the order of distance from the data collection device 10, with the data collection device 10 as a reference, as shown by the numbers surrounded by arrows and dotted circles in FIG. It's a rule. This rule creates a list of labels assigned to devices in the order in which they are expected to receive operational data first.

Next, the creation unit 120 associates the device ID of each controlled device 30 with a label as shown in FIG. (Step S5). The creation unit 120 then notifies the addition unit 130 of the created DB 40 information (step S6).

Next, the adding unit 130 determines whether the main communication unit 13 has received the operation data from the controlled device 30 in a new communication cycle (step S7). If it is determined that the operational data has not been received (step S7; No), the adding unit 130 repeats the determination in step S7 and waits until the operational data is received. On the other hand, if it is determined that the operation data has been received (step S7; Yes), the adding unit 130 adds the operation data to the DB 40 along the second axis (step S8). After that, the processing by the data collection device 10 returns to step S7.

As described above, the receiving unit 110 receives the label input to the user interface 201 for managing controlled equipment connected to the industrial network 300, and the adding unit 130 converts the operating data into the controlled equipment. It is added to the DB 40 along the second axis every communication cycle in correspondence with the label of the device 30. As a result, a DB 40 with high visibility is generated as a reception history of operation data. Furthermore, in the DB 40, the label input to the user interface 201 is used as the label of the controlled device 30 whose operating state is indicated by the operating data, so there is no need for the user using the DB 40 to perform post-confirmation work. . That is, if the user constructs the network system 101 that utilizes the industrial network 300, the DB 40 with high visibility is generated without performing preparation work for configuring the database apart from this construction. Therefore, the history of periodic communications at the FA site can be easily utilized.

Further, control commands are transmitted in time slots TS1 for real-time communication, whereas operating data are transmitted in time slots TS2 for non-real-time communication. Thereby, communication including real-time communication and non-real-time communication can be executed without impairing the real-time nature of the control command.

Further, by using the DB 40 as described above, the analysis unit 12 can efficiently analyze the operation data. Furthermore, since the control command generated based on the analysis by the analysis unit 12 is transmitted to the controlled device 30, it is expected that the operation of the controlled device 30 will be efficiently improved.

Furthermore, conventionally, a database may be created using identification information of the controlled device 30 such as a device ID. However, such identification information is usually not easy for the user to understand as information indicating the components of the system, and when referring to the database, the user must confirm which device the station number is assigned to. No. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the label input to the user interface for managing the controlled device 30 and accepted by the reception unit 110 is stored in the DB 40 as the label of the controlled device whose operating state is indicated by the operating data. used for. Therefore, there is no need for the user who uses the DB 40 to perform post-confirmation work.

Embodiment 2.
Next, Embodiment 2 will be described, focusing on the differences from Embodiment 1 described above. Note that for the same or equivalent configurations as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used. In the first embodiment described above, the DB 40 includes operation data, but if the DB 40 further includes control data, it can be used for subsequent analysis. An example in which the DB 40 stores history of control data and operation data will be described below.

The data collection device 10 according to this embodiment includes an acquisition unit 150 that acquires a control command output from the control unit 140, as shown in FIG. The acquisition unit 150 is mainly realized by the processor 61 of the CPU unit 11. The acquisition unit 150 outputs the acquired control command to the addition unit 130. The acquisition unit 150 corresponds to an example of an acquisition unit that acquires control commands for each controlled device every communication cycle.

Note that the control unit 140 outputs a control command to be transmitted to the controlled device 30 regardless of the analysis by the analysis unit 12.

The adding unit 130 adds the control command provided from the acquisition unit 150 to the DB 40 in addition to the operation data acquired by the main communication unit 13. However, as shown in FIG. 13, the addition unit 130 corresponds to a list of labels 420 that includes a first list of labels as transmission sources of operation data and a second list of labels as destinations of control commands. It has a first axis. The adding unit 130 adds operation data along the second axis to the first list created by the creating unit 120, as in the first embodiment. Then, the addition unit 130 adds the control commands provided from the acquisition unit 150 to the second list along the second axis. That is, the adding unit 130 associates the control command acquired by the acquisition unit 150 with the label in the second list of the controlled devices 30 controlled by the control command, and adds the control command along the second axis every communication cycle. Add to DB40. As a result, control commands for each of the controlled devices 31 to 33 are added to the columns 414, 415, and 416 for each communication cycle.

The analysis unit 12 analyzes the operating data and control commands included in the DB 40, and the control unit 140 outputs control commands based on this analysis. Further, the information stored in the DB 40 may be analyzed by the user via the terminal 20.

As described above, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be achieved even in the form in which control commands are added to the DB 40. Further, since the DB 40 includes control commands in addition to operating data, it is expected that more advanced analysis will be performed using the DB 40.

Embodiment 3.
Next, Embodiment 3 will be described, focusing on the differences from Embodiment 1 described above. Note that for the same or equivalent configurations as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, in addition to the first axis and the second axis, the DB 40 includes a list of first operating data and second operating data transmitted from each of the controlled devices 31 to 33. It is generated as a three-dimensional database having a third axis corresponding to . Here, the first operating data and the second operating data are multiple types of operating data that can be transmitted from a single controlled device 30 in a specific cycle. In the example of FIG. 14, the first operating data having a value of "75" and the second operating data having a value of "60" in the period (n) from the controlled device 31 labeled "processing tank 1" is transmitted and stored along the third axis of the DB 40. According to such a DB 40, it becomes easy to search and manipulate information included in the DB 40.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, although an example in which the DB 40 is a two-dimensional database or a three-dimensional database has been described, an axis may be added to generate a four-dimensional or more DB 40.

Further, although an example in which the data collection device 10 is a control device such as a PLC has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. The data collection device 10 may be connected to the industrial network 300 as a separate device from the PLC. If the data collection device 10 is different from the control device, the acquisition unit 150 may acquire a control command from the external control device via the communication unit of the data collection device 10.

Further, although an example has been described in which the data collection device 10 stores the DB 40 in an internal memory, the present invention is not limited to this, and the data collection device 10 may write the DB 40 in an external memory.

In addition, the data collection device 10 refers to the source information indicating the source of the packet as the operational data and the cycle information given to the operational data, and thereby determines the row and column of the DB 40 in which the operational data is to be stored. Although an example of specifying has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in a case where the order of the controlled devices 30 transmitting operation data is determined in advance and the transmission of operation data according to this order is performed periodically, the data collection device 10 By determining whether the operation data is received in the previous period, it is possible to determine the column in which the operation data should be stored. Alternatively, the data collecting device 10 may determine the row in which the operating data should be stored according to the communication cycle managed by the data collecting device 10 without adding cycle information to the operating data. If the communication cycle in which the operational data is actually received is later than the communication cycle in which the operational data should be transmitted according to a non-real-time protocol, an error will occur in the row of the DB 40 where the operational data is stored. , this error is considered to be small to some extent. Additionally, operational data may be transmitted according to a real-time protocol.

The functions of the data collection device 10 according to the embodiments described above can be realized by dedicated hardware or by a normal computer system.

For example, program P1 is stored and distributed in a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or MO (Magneto-Optical disk). By installing the program P1 on a computer, it is possible to configure a device that executes the above-described processing.

Further, the program P1 may be stored in a disk device included in a server device on a communication network such as the Internet, and may be superimposed on a carrier wave and downloaded to a computer.

Furthermore, the above processing can also be achieved by starting and executing the program P1 while transferring it via a network such as the Internet.

Furthermore, the above processing can also be achieved by executing all or part of the program P1 on a server device, and executing the program P1 while the computer transmits and receives information regarding the processing via a communication network. .

In addition, if the above-mentioned functions are realized by the OS (Operating System) or by collaboration between the OS and applications, only the parts other than the OS may be stored and distributed on a medium. , and may also be downloaded to your computer.

Further, similar to the program P1 used by the data collection device 10, the manner in which the terminal 20 uses the engineering tool is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the terminal 20 may create the above-mentioned system configuration information 21 using an engineering tool stored in a cloud server.

Further, the means for realizing the functions of the data collection device 10 is not limited to software, and part or all of it may be realized by dedicated hardware or circuits.

The present disclosure is capable of various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Further, the embodiments described above are for explaining the present disclosure, and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims rather than the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure is suitable for data management at FA sites.

10 Data collection device, 11 CPU unit, 12 Analysis unit, 13 Main communication unit, 14 DB unit, 19 PLC bus, 20 Terminal, 21 System configuration information, 22 Label information, 30 to 33 Controlled equipment, 35 Ball screw, 40 DB, 41, 42 Communication cycle, 51-53 Icon, 60 FA device, 61 Processor, 62 Main storage, 63 Auxiliary storage, 64 Input section, 65 Output section, 66 Communication section, 67 Internal bus, 100 Data collection system , 101 network system, 110 reception unit, 120 creation unit, 130 addition unit, 140 control unit, 150 acquisition unit, 201 user interface, 202 window, 300 industrial network, 311, 321, 331 slave communication unit, 312, 322 servo Equipment, 332 Sensor, 401,402 Band, 411-416 Column, 410,420 List, 511-513 Input field, P1 program, TS1, TS2 Time slot.

Claims (8)

A data collection device connected via a network to a plurality of controlled devices that operate according to control instructions,
Communication means that receives operation data indicating the operating state of each of the controlled devices in each communication cycle defined by a shared time shared with the plurality of controlled devices;
A multidimensional database having a first axis corresponding to a list of labels attached to each of the controlled devices and a second axis corresponding to the list of communication cycles for managing the plurality of controlled devices. a creation means to create;
The operating data received by the communication means is associated with the label of the controlled device whose operating state is indicated by the operating data, and is stored in the multidimensional database along the second axis for each communication cycle. additional means to add;
acquisition means for acquiring the control command for each of the controlled devices at each communication cycle;
Equipped with
The communication cycle has a first time segment and a second time segment arranged within the communication cycle,
In the first time segment, the control commands for each of the plurality of controlled devices are transmitted over the network,
In the second time segment, the operation data of each of the plurality of controlled devices is received by the communication means ,
The first axis includes a first list of the labels of the controlled equipment as a transmission source of the operation data, and a second list of labels of the controlled equipment as a destination of the control command. Corresponds to
The additional means include:
adding the operating data to the multidimensional database along the second axis for each communication cycle in correspondence with the label of the first list;
The control command acquired by the acquisition means is associated with the label of the second list of the controlled devices controlled by the control command, and the control command is acquired along the second axis in each communication cycle. Add to dimensional database,
Data collection equipment. further comprising a reception means for accepting the label of the controlled device given by the user as the name of the controlled device,
The labels given to different controlled devices are allowed to have the same name,
The data collection device according to claim 1. further comprising analysis means for analyzing the controlled device based on the operation data stored in the multidimensional database;
The data collection device according to claim 1. further comprising a control means for controlling the controlled device by transmitting the control command generated based on the result of the analysis by the analysis means;
The data collection device according to claim 3. The communication means receives the operation data to which transmission source information indicating the transmission source and cycle information indicating the communication cycle are added,
adding the operating data to the multidimensional database based on the source information and the period information;
A data collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A data collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
a plurality of the controlled devices;
A data collection system with. A database creation method executed by a data collection device connected via a network to a plurality of controlled devices that operate according to control instructions, the method comprising:
A communication means receives operation data indicating the operating state of each of the controlled devices at each communication cycle defined by a shared time shared with the plurality of controlled devices,
the creation means creates a multidimensional database having a first axis corresponding to a list of labels attached to each of the controlled devices and a second axis corresponding to the list of communication cycles;
Adding means associates the operation data received by the communication means with the label of the controlled device whose operation state is indicated by the operation data, and adds the operation data along the second axis at each communication period. Add to multidimensional database,
an acquisition unit acquires the control command for each of the controlled devices at each communication cycle;
including that
The communication cycle has a first time segment and a second time segment arranged within the communication cycle,
In the first time segment, the control commands for each of the plurality of controlled devices are transmitted over the network,
In the second time segment, the operation data of each of the plurality of controlled devices is received by the communication means ,
The first axis includes a first list of the labels of the controlled equipment as a transmission source of the operation data, and a second list of labels of the controlled equipment as a destination of the control command. Corresponds to
The additional means include:
adding the operating data to the multidimensional database along the second axis for each communication cycle in correspondence with the label of the first list;
The control command acquired by the acquisition means is associated with the label of the second list of the controlled devices controlled by the control command, and the control command is acquired along the second axis in each communication cycle. Add to dimensional database,
How to create a database. A data collection device that is connected via a network to multiple controlled devices that operate according to control commands.
communication means for receiving operation data indicating the operating state of each of the controlled devices in each communication cycle defined by a shared time shared with the plurality of controlled devices;
Creation means for creating a multidimensional database having a first axis corresponding to a list of labels attached to each of the controlled devices and a second axis corresponding to the list of communication cycles;
The operating data received by the communication means is associated with the label of the controlled device whose operating state is indicated by the operating data, and is stored in the multidimensional database along the second axis for each communication cycle. Additional means to add,
acquisition means for acquiring the control command for each of the controlled devices at each communication cycle;
function as
The communication cycle has a first time segment and a second time segment arranged within the communication cycle,
In the first time segment, the control commands for each of the plurality of controlled devices are transmitted over the network,
In the second time segment, the operation data of each of the plurality of controlled devices is received by the communication means ,
The first axis includes a first list of the labels of the controlled equipment as a transmission source of the operation data, and a second list of labels of the controlled equipment as a destination of the control command. Corresponds to
The additional means include:
adding the operating data to the multidimensional database along the second axis for each communication cycle in correspondence with the label of the first list;
The control command acquired by the acquisition means is associated with the label of the second list of the controlled devices controlled by the control command, and the control command is acquired along the second axis in each communication cycle. Add to dimensional database,
program.

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