JPH06348521A - Decentralized type controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable one of controllers of dual constitution to find the factor of the stopping of control when the other controller becomes abnormal and the control is stopped. CONSTITUTION:The controllers FC1 and FC2 of the dual constitution are so constituted that memory areas ME and CPU register areas wherein self- diagnostic results of its own controller and factor information are stored are arranged in the physical memory spaces of the mutually opposite controllers, and also equipped with self-diagnosis means 1 which diagnose of its own software and store their diagnostic results and factor information in their memory areas ME, CPU abnormality detecting means 2 which diagnose their processors and store the diagnostic results and factor information in its own CPU registers, and abnormality processing means 3 which read out abnormality detection results and factor information stored in the memory areas ME and CPU register areas RE for the opposite-side controllers arranged in their memory spaces and send them to the side of a monitor device OPS through a communication line.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is a distributed system comprising a monitoring device in charge of operation / monitoring of a process, and a redundant control device connected to this monitoring device via a communication line and in charge of process control calculation. Type control device, more specifically, a distributed system that enables the monitoring device to easily understand the cause of any abnormality that occurs in one of the control devices of the redundant configuration that is in charge of process control calculation. Type controller.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a control device applied to a distributed control device for process control, this part has a dual structure in order to improve reliability, and in case of failure of one control device, the other control device is provided. Those that are put on standby are widely used. An example of such a distributed control device having a dual control device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57-8696.
No. 8, JP-A-57-86971, and JP-A-2
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No.-264353.

[0003]

In a distributed control device having such a control device in a dual configuration, when an abnormality occurs in one control device, the other control device that has been in a standby state until then is controlled. Rights have been transferred, and control of the process continues without interruption. in this case,
On the monitoring device side, it is possible to know that there is an abnormality in one of the duplicated control devices, but it is not possible to know what the cause was. The reason is that for the control unit on the side where the abnormality has occurred, after the abnormality is detected, the CPU in the other control unit
It is not possible to access from.

Therefore, in order to find out the cause of the occurrence of the abnormality in the control device on the side where the abnormality is detected, it is necessary to save the memory contents using a special tool and analyze it. There was a problem that it took time and effort. The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and when an abnormality is detected in one of the control devices of the redundant configuration, the distributed control is such that the cause of the abnormality can be known on the monitoring device side. The purpose is to provide a device.

[0005]

The present invention, which achieves such an object, is in charge of a control device for operating and monitoring a process, and a control operation of a process connected to the monitor device via a communication line. A distributed control device comprising a first control device and a second control device that can be executed independently, wherein the first and second control devices display self-diagnosis results of their own control devices and factor information thereof. The memory area for storing and the CPU register area are arranged so as to be arranged also in the physical memory space of the other side control device, and self-diagnosis of the own software is performed and the diagnosis result and factor information are stored in the own memory area. Self-diagnosis means for performing self-diagnosis of its own processor and storing the diagnosis result and factor information in its own CPU register, and the self-diagnosis means or CPU abnormality detection means. When an abnormality is detected by the means, the control right is switched to the control unit on the side where the abnormality is not detected, and it is stored in the memory area for the counterpart control apparatus and the CPU register area arranged in its own memory space. A distributed control device is provided with an abnormality processing means for reading out an abnormality detection result and its factor information and transmitting it to the monitoring device side via a communication line.

[0006]

In the first and second control devices, one operates on the control side and the other operates on the standby side. In such operating state,
The self-diagnosis means and the CPU abnormality detection means need to detect the abnormality of the hardware, software, CPU, etc. in each control device by monitoring various signals generated in the control device and activating a diagnostic program. Depending on, or at a fixed cycle.

The results of these diagnoses and factor information are stored in its own memory and CPU register, and are also reflected in the contents of the memory area and CPU register area arranged in the memory of the partner device. When an abnormality is detected,
The abnormality processing unit switches the control right, and the abnormality detection unit on the side of the control device to which the control right is transferred has a memory area and a CPU register area for the counterpart control apparatus arranged in its own memory space. The stored abnormality detection result and its factor information are read out and transmitted to the monitoring device side via the communication line.

As a result, the monitoring device side can display the abnormality detection result transmitted through the communication line and the factor information thereof as an alarm message.

[0009]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the basic functions of the device according to the present invention. In the figure, OPS is a monitoring device (operator station) in charge of process operation / monitoring, and is provided with display means such as CRT and data input means such as keyboard, touch screen and mouse.

FC1 and FC2 are the first and second of the duplicated configuration.
Is connected to the monitoring device OPS via the communication line BS. These first and second control devices FC1,
The FC2 is in charge of the control calculation of the process, and each of them can execute the control calculation by itself. One of them is the control side to access the process, and the other is the standby side to access the process. It is configured not to do.

The communication line BS has a duplex structure here, but may have a single structure. In each of the first and second control devices FC1 and FC2, reference numeral 1 is a self-diagnosis unit that self-diagnoses its own software and stores the diagnosis result and factor information in its own memory area ME. The self-diagnosis means 1 has, for example, a function of monitoring signals on a data bus or an address bus, a read / write signal, etc., and performing a parity check of these signals, a collating function of various status signals, etc. It is possible to detect read / write abnormalities, communication control function abnormalities, and so on.

Reference numeral 2 designates a self-diagnosis of its own processor, and displays the diagnosis result and factor information in its own CPU register area R.
It is a CPU abnormality detecting means stored in E. This CPU abnormality detection means 2 is, for example, a CPU ready signal output from a processor (CPU) and various watch / watch signals.
It has a function of monitoring a time-out signal from a dog timer, a power stop signal from a power supply circuit or a power switch, a CPU error check signal, and the like.

When an abnormality is detected by the self-diagnosis unit 1 or the CPU abnormality detection unit 2, the control unit 3 switches the control right to the control unit on the side where the abnormality is not detected, and the memory area ME, The abnormality detection result and the factor information thereof in the counterpart control device stored in the CPU register area RE are sent to the monitoring device OPS side via the communication line BS.
It is an abnormality processing means that is transmitted via.

In the monitoring device OPS, 4 is a message display means, which has a function of displaying the abnormality detection result and its factor information sent from the abnormality processing means 3 of the control device FC on the display screen. As the message display means, for example, a message may be displayed in a comment display column on the display screen of the monitoring device, or an error occurred in the control device side in a window format and its factor information may be displayed as an alarm message. Different configurations are used.

FIG. 2 is a structural conceptual diagram of a physical memory space of a control device having a redundant configuration. In the device of the present invention,
Memory area ME for storing the self-diagnosis result and its factor information
The CPU register area RE and the CPU register area RE are also arranged in the physical memory space of the counterpart controller. That is, in FIG. 2, for example, a part M1 and M2 of the space of the physical memory ME in one control device FC1 on the standby side.
A memory area and a CPU register area in the control device FC2 on the control side are arranged in the. Similarly,
In a part M3, M4 of the space of the physical memory area ME in the control side FC2 on the control side, the memory area and the CPU register area in the control side FC1 on the standby side are arranged.

With such a configuration, the contents written in its own memory area and CPU register area are mutually reflected in the memory area and the CPU register area of the other party control device, and the other party control is performed. The state of the device can be known by the other control device. The operation of the device configured as described above will be described below.

The first and second control devices FC1 and FC2 are
At the start of the operation, one becomes the control side and the other becomes the standby side. Which control device becomes the control side and which becomes the standby side is determined in advance by hardware or by whether the CPU is in the operating state (outputs the ready signal first). .
Then, when the operations of the two control devices (CPUs) are normally performed in synchronization with each other, the control side and the standby side perform exactly the same control arithmetic processing, and the control side and the standby side are distinguished from each other.
The difference is whether the control device on the control side is actually accessing the process side.

As described above, the control operation data is actually output to the process side only from the processor device on the control side, but the input / output data to / from the process side is controlled by the control device on the standby side. It is also necessary (because it is necessary to perform the same control calculation as that on the control side), and for that reason, the input / output data is copied from the control side to the standby side by an equalization means (not shown).

Self-diagnosis means 1 in the first and second control devices
Monitors the signals on the data bus and address bus, read / write signals, etc., and checks the parity of these signals to diagnose malfunctions of various software or hardware executed in the controller. ing. Further, the CPU abnormality detecting means 2 monitors time-up signals of various watch dog timers, CPU ready signals, etc., or activates a self-diagnosis program at regular intervals, so that various functions of the CPU operate normally. Make a diagnosis.

When any abnormality is detected as a result of these diagnoses, the information is stored in the memory area M of its own memory.
E and the CPU register area RE are set respectively. Here, since these memory area and CPU register area are both arranged in the physical memory space of the counterpart control device, the same information is stored in the memory of both the first and second control devices. It is set in the area and the CPU register area.

In the CPU register area RE of FIG.
NSR1 is a register unit that stores information on the self side such as status regarding duplex control, information on power supply monitoring signals from the power supply circuit, status signals such as I / O control signals, and NSR2 stores information on the partner control device side. The register section is shown. Further, the NSR 3 causes the CPU to start and stop (whether it is stopped by detecting an error or by the self-stop of the program,
ERRSTS, a register unit for storing information such as whether or not it is started or stopped based on a signal sent through the communication line BS
Reference numeral 1 indicates a register section on the own side in which detailed information of the error is set when the error of the own side is set in the register NSR3, and ERRSTS2 indicates a register section of the other side in which the detailed information of the other side error is set. There is.

The abnormality processing means 3 is a self-diagnosis means 1, CP.
When an abnormality is detected by the U abnormality detecting means 2, if the U own has the control right, the control right is switched to the control device side which was on the standby side until then, and the control operation is performed in the single configuration. Here, since the control calculation by the control device that has newly become the control side was performing the same control calculation in synchronism with the control side when it was on the standby side, the continuity of control is maintained. However, access to the process can be continued. Furthermore, the abnormality processing means 3 of the control device on the side to which the control right is newly transferred has the CPU and the memory area of the partner control device arranged in its own physical memory space.
The abnormality detection result and its factor information stored in the register area are read out and transmitted to the monitoring device OPS side via the communication line BS.

Message display means 4 of the monitoring device OPS
Displays the abnormality detection result and its factor information transmitted from the abnormality processing means 3 of the control device FC as an alarm message on the display screen. This alarm message display is
For example, it is displayed in the comment column on the display screen of the monitoring device, or is displayed in a window format. Figure 3
It is a figure which shows an example of the diagnostic result and its factor information (alarm message) sent to the monitoring apparatus side.

Here, the data of the alarm message includes an 8-digit character portion 41 and a 16-digit code portion 42.
It consists of and. The content of the message to be displayed is shown in the remarks column. It is possible to recognize the abnormality result and the abnormality factor from these pieces of information. Therefore, when one of the control devices is stopped during the operation / monitoring of the process and the control right is transferred to the standby control device, the operator uses the message displayed by the message display means 4 to display the message. It is possible to immediately know the abnormality detection result and its cause, and it is possible to quickly determine the next measure to be taken.

[0025]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, in the redundant control device, the memory and the CPU register for storing the diagnosis result of the partner device and the factor information thereof are arranged in their own physical memory spaces. Even if an abnormality occurs in one of the control devices and the control right of the standby control device is transferred, the cause of the stop of the control device on the other side is It becomes possible to know even in the control device of. Therefore, by transmitting the detailed information of the stop cause of the control device to the monitoring device as an alarm message and displaying it, it is possible to provide a distributed control device that can easily perform system maintenance and the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing basic functions of an apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a structural conceptual diagram of a physical memory space of each control device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a diagnostic result and its factor information (alarm message) sent to the monitoring device side.

[Explanation of symbols]

 OPS monitoring device (operator station) FC1, FC2 control device BS communication line 1 self-diagnosis means 2 CPU abnormality detection means 3 abnormality processing means 4 message display means ME memory area RE CPU register area

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A monitoring device for operating and monitoring a process, and first and second control devices which are connected to the monitoring device via a communication line and which are in charge of controlling and calculating a process. In the distributed control device, each of the first and second control devices has a memory area for storing a self-diagnosis result of its own control apparatus and a CPU register area for storing the CPU register area. It is also configured to be placed in the physical memory space, and self-diagnosing means for self-diagnosing its own software and storing the diagnosis result and factor information in its own memory area, and self-diagnosing for its own processor. An abnormality is detected when the abnormality is detected by the CPU abnormality detecting means for storing the diagnosis result and the factor information in its own CPU register and the self-diagnosis means or the CPU abnormality detecting means. The control right is switched to the control device on the other side, and the abnormality detection result and its factor information stored in the memory area for the control device on the other side and the CPU register area arranged in its own memory space are read out. A distributed control device, comprising: an abnormality processing means for transmitting to the monitoring device side via a communication line.