JPH07183902A - Communications network system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a system which connects a communications network and a transmission line of RS-232c, etc., directly to each other. CONSTITUTION:Data conversion between Ethernet 100 which connects a server machine 10 and plural client machines 20-1-20-n and the transmission line 150 of RS-232C, etc., which connects terminal devices 40 of those client machines 20-1-20-n is performed by using a processing means such as a defining means 200. Consequently, the communication network and transmission line are connected directly to each other.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a function distribution system of computers for controlling, for example, a production line, and more particularly to a communication network for connecting a server machine and a client machine, and a transmission line for connecting a client machine and a terminal device. The present invention relates to a communication network system that directly connects to and.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 9 is a system configuration diagram showing a conventional communication network system. As a system that distributes computer functions, Ethernet network (Et
In the case of performing process control of a plant, for example, a server machine that is a central processing unit and a client machine that is a sequencer or the like that controls the plant. In the figure, 10 is a server machine that has the role of managing the whole, and 30 is a data file consisting of a plurality of magnetic disks connected to this server machine 10. A large amount of data from each measuring device installed above is stored. Reference numeral 70 denotes a client machine, which accesses the data file 30 of the server machine 10 to take out necessary data, and then sends the data expanded into these bits to the transmission path 150 such as RS-232C. Reference numeral 80 denotes a microcomputer, which receives data from the client machine 70 via the transmission path 150 and displays the received data on a display screen or the like. The user gives an appropriate instruction while monitoring the change of each line of the plant on the display screen of the microcomputer 80. An Ethernet network 100 is a communication network that connects the server machine 10 and a plurality of client machines 70.

Next, the operation of this conventional example will be described. The contact signal (D / I) input to the microcomputer 80 is sent to the client machine 70 via the transmission path 150 such as RS-232C. Client machine 70
Receives the signal, accesses the data file 30 of the server machine 10, extracts necessary data, and expands the data into bits. After that, the data is transmitted to the microcomputer 80 via the Ethernet network 100. The microcomputer 80 outputs the bit information received from the server machine 10 to an external device as a contact signal (D / O).

[0004]

Since the conventional communication network system is configured as described above, the communication network between the server machine 10 and the plurality of client machines 70, the client machine 70 and the microcomputer. The communication format with the transmission path 150 to and from 80 must have a two-layered hierarchical structure. For this reason,
There is a problem that the response response from the input of the contact signal from the microcomputer 80 to the output of the output device of the microcomputer 80 via the client device 70 and the server device 10 is slow (5 to 6 seconds are required). If an analog signal is to be directly input to the server machine 10, the server machine 10 requires a card for A / D conversion (analog / digital conversion). However, since the A / D conversion card has a special specification, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost of the product in the entire communication network system increases. Further, since the communication network and the transmission path 150 such as RS232-C are required, there is a problem that the number of homeware (H / W) becomes two and the installation space becomes large.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a communication network system capable of directly connecting a communication network and a transmission path.

[0006]

In a communication network system according to the invention of claim 1, a terminal device and a slave device are connected via a transmission line, and the slave device and the main device are connected via a communication network. In the connected communication network system, the subordinate device monitors a change in the data of the terminal device and a defining unit that defines the mutual data of the transmission path and the communication network, and if there is a change, An input monitoring means for inputting the data from the terminal device, a text creating means for creating text data based on the definition from the data received from the input monitoring means, and the text data for the main data via a communication network. Transmission management means for transmitting to the device,
Reception management means for receiving data corresponding to the text data from the main device, output data creation means for converting the corresponding data into an output format based on the definition, and terminal data for converting the data converted into the output format. Output processing means for outputting to the terminal device in response to an output request from the terminal device.

In the communication network system according to the invention of claim 2, data input by the input monitoring means from the terminal device and data output by the output processing means to the terminal device are contact signals and predetermined communication. Format data and analog signals.

In the communication network system according to the invention of claim 3, the input data and the output data are contact signals and analog signals.

In the communication network system according to the invention of claim 4, the input data and the output data are contact signals and data in a predetermined communication format.

[0010]

In the communication network system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the transmission lines having different communication standards and code systems are directly connected to the communication network. In order to realize this, the definition means of the subordinate device defines in advance the data of the transmission line and the communication network to match each other. In the transmission process, the input monitoring means monitors a change in the data of the terminal device, and if there is a change, inputs the data from the terminal device. Next, the text creating means creates text data based on the above definition from the above data received from the input monitoring means.
Next, the transmission management means transmits the text data to the main device via the communication network. Next, in the reception process, first, the reception management means receives data corresponding to the text data from the main device. Next, the output data creating means converts the relevant data into an output format based on the definition. Next, the data converted to the output format by the output processing means
Output to the terminal device in response to the output request from the terminal device. By doing so, the communication network and the transmission path are directly connected.

In the communication network system according to the second aspect of the present invention, the data input by the input monitoring means from the terminal device and the data output by the output processing means to the terminal device are contact signals and a predetermined communication format. Data and analog signals of a predetermined communication format are handled.

In the communication network system according to the third aspect of the present invention, the data input by the input monitoring means from the terminal device and the data output by the output processing means to the terminal device are contact signals and analog signals. As a result, contact signals and analog signals are handled.

In the communication network system according to the present invention, the data input by the input monitoring means from the terminal device and the data output by the output processing means to the terminal device are contact signals and a predetermined communication format. The contact signal and the data in a predetermined communication format are handled by using the data.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Example 1. 1 is a configuration diagram of a communication network system showing a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a function flow of software for explaining a PIO direct connection function of a client machine in the system of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a card in the client machine, FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a transmission process in the communication network system, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a reception process in the communication network system.

In FIG. 1, 10 is a server machine as a main device, 20-1 to 20-n are client machines as slave devices, and the server machine 10 and the respective client machines 20-1 to 20-n are , Connected by Ethernet as a communication network. 40 is a terminal device such as a personal computer or a sequencer,
It is connected to a terminal device via a transmission path 150 such as RE-232C. Reference numeral 100 denotes an Ethernet network, which has a communication speed of 10 megabits / second and the amount of text data that can be transmitted at one time is 10 kilobytes. Each of the client machines 20-1 to 20-n has a definition means 200, a transmission management means 201, a text creation means 202, an input monitoring means 203, and a reception management means 2.
04, output data creation means 205, and output processing means 2
06 and.

The client machines 20-1 to 20-n have 20
By means of 0 to 206, software is packaged, and inefficiency of creating application software for each property is released. The definition means 200 sets whether or not the input / output signal assigned to the PIO of the terminal device is used (definition setting function 28 in FIG. 2). For example, an input signal from the outside defines whether to handle 1 bit / item or to handle multiple bits / item. Further, it is defined whether the signal output to the external device of the terminal device is handled as 1 bit / item or as multiple bits / item. The input monitoring means 203 converts the D / I (ON / OFF signal) of the data input from the terminal device into bits based on the definition of the definition means 200 (PI definition) (input monitoring function 23). The text creating means 202 converts the input bit data into text data based on the definition of the defining means 200 (text creating function 22).
The reception management means 204 and the transmission management means 201 collect and monitor communication log (recording) data of input / output between the client machine / server machine (transmission management function 21, reception management function 24). The output data creating means 205 decomposes the text data into one point of the PIO terminal and converts it into an ON / OFF signal of PO (bit) (output data creating function 2
5). The output processing means 206 connects the address obtained by bit-dividing the output data and the PO terminal, and outputs the PO as a digital signal (D / O) to the terminal device (output processing function 2
6).

FIG. 3 shows a card configuration of the client machine 20-n. 46 is a CPU card, 47 is a memory card, and 48 is a communication network interface (I).
F) card, 49 digital input (D / I) card,
50 is a digital output card (D / O).

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, before starting the communication network system, the definition means 200 of the client machine 20-n defines and sets each address of the input / output signal (step S10). Specifically, first, it is set whether or not each address (one or one point of several hundreds of D / I and D / O signals) can be used. Next, it is set which input address corresponds to which output address, that is, which input address changes the signal and outputs the answer. Next, a simple bit pulse signal or a set of several bits (4 bits, 8 bits, etc.) is set as a signal having one meaning. Next, is each input device ON and valid?
Set whether it is valid when it is OFF. Finally, the transmission form of data to be transmitted by the Ethernet work 100 is set. Then, after the definition setting processing by the defining means 200 is completed, this communication network system is started.

First, the input monitoring means 203 is the terminal device 40.
Of each address information of (for example, OFF → ON or ON
→ OFF is monitored (step S11,
S12). If there is a change (YES in step S12),
The information of this change is taken in (step S13), the text creating means 202 modifies the bit signal from the input monitoring means 203 into the form of text data that matches the preset transmission form (step S14), and the text is sent to the transmission management means 201. hand over. The transmission management means 201 receives the information from the higher-level server machine 10 via the Ethernet network 100 (step S15), and extracts the corresponding data from the data file 30 of the server machine 10.

Next, when the client machine 20-n receives in the communication network system, as shown in FIG. 5, the reception management means 204 receives the corresponding data from the data file 30 of the server machine 10 (step S2).
0). The output data creation means 205 is the reception management means 204
The corresponding data is bit-developed so as to match the output data format (step S21), and the output processing means 2
The bit expanded data is passed to 06. The output processing unit 206 constantly monitors the output request of the output data creating unit 205 (steps S22 and S23). When the output request is generated (YES in step S23), the bit signal of the corresponding address changes (for example, from OFF to ON). Or ON → OF
F) Inform the outside that the signal has changed.
That is, the output processing unit 206 converts the data converted into the output format of the terminal device via the transmission path 150 to the terminal device 40.
(Step S24).

Example 2. In the first embodiment described above, the transmission / reception of the signal to / from the external device is explained by the digital input (D / I) and the digital output, but in the second embodiment,
As shown in FIG. 6, an analog input card 51 for inputting some analog signals from several systems to the client machine 20-n, and an analog output for outputting some analog signals in some systems. And a card 52.
By doing so, an analog signal can be input / output. Further, the PIO direct connection device (client machine) may be a sequencer as hardware.

Example 3. In the first embodiment described above, the transmission / reception of the signal to / from the external device is described as the case of the digital input (D / I) and the digital output, but in the third embodiment,
In addition to the card shown in FIG. 3, as shown in FIG. 7, the client machine 20-n is provided with an RS-232C card 53 capable of communicating with RS-232C for several lines. By doing so, the external device and the client machine 20-
n transmits and receives data by the communication method of RS-232C.

Example 4. In the first embodiment described above, the transmission / reception of the signal to / from the external device is explained by the case of the digital input (D / I) and the digital output, but in the fourth embodiment,
In addition to the card shown in FIG. 3, as shown in FIG. 8, some analog points to the client machine 20-n, and an analog input card 51 that outputs some analog signals to several systems, and some points. Analog output card 52 that outputs analog signals in several systems, RS-23 for several lines
An RS-232C card 53 capable of 2C communication is provided.

[0024]

As described above, in the invention according to claim 1, in the slave device, the definition means for defining the mutual data of the transmission line and the communication network to coincide with each other, and the data of the terminal device are defined. Input monitoring means for monitoring the change and inputting the data from the terminal device if there is a change, text creating means for creating text data based on the definition from the data received from the input monitoring means, and the text Transmission management means for transmitting data to the main device via a communication network, reception management means for receiving data corresponding to the text data from the main device, and conversion of the corresponding data into an output format based on the definition. Output data creating means and an output device for outputting the data converted into this output format to the terminal device in response to an output request from the terminal device. Since a configuration and a processing unit, can be connected directly to the communication network and the transmission path, enter the contact signal from the terminal device, slave device, responsive response to the output of the terminal is increased through the main apparatus. Further, since the main device does not require a special A / D conversion card, the manufacturing cost of the product in the entire communication network system is reduced. In addition, home wear (H
/ W) is practically one, so the installation space is small.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the data inputted by the input monitoring means from the terminal device and the data outputted by the output processing means to the terminal device are contact signals,
Since the data and analog signal of the predetermined communication format are used,
The amount of data that can be handled can be increased.

In the invention according to claim 3, since the input data and the output data are contact signals and analog signals, not only digital signals but also contact signals and analog signals can be handled.

In the invention according to claim 4, since the input data and the output data are contact signals and data of a predetermined communication format, not only digital signals but also contact signals and data of a predetermined new method can be handled.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a communication network system showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a PI of a client machine in the system of FIG.
It is a figure which shows the function flow of the software for demonstrating O direct connection function.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a card in a client machine of the system of FIG.

4 is a flowchart of a transmission process in the communication network system of FIG.

5 is a flowchart of a reception process in the communication network system of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of a card in a client machine in a communication network system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a card in a client machine in a communication network system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a card in a client machine in a communication network system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram showing an entire conventional communication network system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 server machine 20-1 to 20-n client machine 30 data file 100 Ethernet work 150 transmission line 200 definition means 201 transmission management means 202 text creation means 203 input monitoring means 204 reception management means 205 output data creation means 206 output processing means

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A communication network system in which a terminal device and a slave device are connected via a transmission line, and the slave device and a main device are connected via a communication network, wherein the slave device is connected to the transmission line. Definition means for making a definition to match mutual data with the communication network, input monitoring means for monitoring a change in the data of the terminal device and inputting the data from the terminal device if there is a change, and this input monitoring Text creating means for creating text data based on the above definition from the data received from the means, transmission managing means for sending the text data to the main device via a communication network, and data corresponding to the text data. Reception management means for receiving from the main device, and output data for converting the corresponding data into an output format based on the above definition A communication network system comprising: a creating unit and an output processing unit that outputs the data converted into the output format to the terminal device in response to an output request from the terminal device. 2. The data input by the input monitoring means from the terminal device and the data output by the output processing means to the terminal device are a contact signal, data in a predetermined communication format, and an analog signal. The communication network system according to claim 1. 3. The communication network system according to claim 2, wherein the input data and the output data are contact signals and analog signals. 4. The communication network system according to claim 2, wherein the input data and the output data are contact signals and data of a predetermined communication format.