KR20210050795A - Compatible control device for railway facilities and compatibility method of application software using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a compatible control device for railway facilities and a method for interchanging application software for compatibility of a control device and application software in a platform screen door and a train. The compatible control device for railway facilities, which connects a communication module as a physical route where communication is delievered and an external input/output hardware to enable application software to be interchanged in a platform screen door and a train, comprises: a hardware device driver connected to a plurality of external input/output hardwares; a plurality of application software modules separated by a function for control to operate independently; an operating system for controlling the external input/output hardware and providing basic environment for the application software to function as a mediator to enable a user to use the compatible control device for railway facilities; and a compatible middleware for interchanging the communication module, the hardware device driver and the application software modules by using a variable name to perform some functions aside from basic functions of the operating system, wherein each of the application software modules interfaces with the outside by using an input/output variable and assigns a hardware address to a place where the input/output variable is read and written, based on the variable name in a process of opening the compatible control device.

Description

Compatible control device for railroad facilities and compatibility method of application software using it {COMPATIBLE CONTROL DEVICE FOR RAILWAY FACILITIES AND COMPATIBILITY METHOD OF APPLICATION SOFTWARE USING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a compatible control device for railroad facilities and a compatible method of application software using the same, and more particularly, a compatible control device for railroad facilities for compatibility of control devices and application software in platform screen doors and railroad vehicles, and It relates to a method of compatibility of application software using this.

Many control devices are used in railroad facilities such as platform screen doors and railroad vehicles, and application software for control is installed in the control device. Most of the control devices and software are dependent on the hardware structure, and the structure of the finally configured system is inevitable to be dependent on the hardware of the control device.

1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an operation of a general control device.

Referring to FIG. 1, in general, a control device 10 (eg, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit)) is operated by hardware and software, and most of the software is driven by the operation of a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory. . Software works by calling addresses of hardware, including memory.

The operating system (OS) 13 supports and operates the basic operation of software.

In the ECU, the OS 13 manages hardware (external input/output, communication, etc.) and plays a role of driving and supporting control software. Sometimes, an FPGA, which is a CPU without an OS 13, is used, but the FPGA also includes basic OS functions inside.

The application software module 12 refers to one of structured application software in which application software is separated by function and separated separately. Here, the application software is responsible for the control function required by the ECU.

The hardware device driver 11 provides information for operating hardware (input/output board) in charge of external input/output and is managed by the OS 13.

On the other hand, in general computers, the external input/output interface method is standardized by the driver information by the OS manufacturer to provide a flexible structure, and the OS controls the interface to enable batch input/output in the application software.

However, it is difficult to standardize the ECU because of its various external input/output and external hardware according to its control functions and characteristics, and its types and characteristics are different, and because it reflects the design characteristics of the ECU manufacturer, compatibility between manufacturers is impossible.

Due to the incompatibility of hardware, it is also impossible to apply the software interchangeably, so the software of the control device is customized with the hardware. This is called dependent.

In order to escape such dependency, many parts such as standardized hardware structure, interface method, and hardware device driver have to be standardized, but the situation is not standardized due to the manufacturer's technology protection and changes according to technology development.

This hardware-dependent ECU structure and lack of software compatibility make it difficult for users to maintain and maintain, as the ECU applied once can only be replaced with the same ECU. Especially, in the case of small manufacturers, it is even more serious as there are cases in which design identity cannot be maintained. In the case of a system that cannot be maintained, the entire system must be redesigned/manufactured, resulting in a large economic loss.

0001) Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1507116 (2015. 03. 24.) (Integrated controller of safety door opening and closing device for railway station) 0002) Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1524524 (2015. 05. 26.) (Laser distance measurement sensor system for urban railway platform safety gate (PSD)) 0003) Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1662164 (2016. 09. 27.) (Electric motor type modular braking system with compatibility) 0004) Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1804201 (2017. 11. 28.) (Integrated impedance bond with frequency compatible function)

Accordingly, the technical problem of the present invention is to focus on this point, and an object of the present invention is that the control device in the railroad field is compatible with each other regardless of the manufacturer, and the compatibility for railroad facilities implemented so that the control software once developed can be reused. It is to provide a type control device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a compatible method of application software using the above-described compatible control device for railway facilities.

In order to realize the object of the present invention as described above, according to an embodiment, a communication module connected to a communication medium, which is a physical path through which communication is transmitted, and an external input/output hardware are connected, so that application software in platform screen doors and railway vehicles A compatible control device for railroad facilities implemented to be compatible with each other includes: a hardware device driver connected to a plurality of external input/output hardware; A plurality of application software modules that are separated for each function and operate independently for control; An operating system that controls the external input/output hardware and provides a base environment for the application software to mediate a user to use the compatible control device for railroad facilities; And a compatible middleware that makes the communication module, the hardware device driver, and the application software modules compatible using a variable name in order to perform some functions other than the basic function of the operating system, wherein each of the application software modules It is characterized in that a hardware address is designated based on a variable name in the process of interfacing with input/output variables and reading/writing input/output variables in the process of opening the compatible control device.

In one embodiment, the compatibility middleware includes: a communication interface for interfacing with the communication module for compatibility; An external hardware interface that interfaces with the external input/output hardware for compatibility; A software module interface that interfaces with the application software module for compatibility; And a variable object dictionary in which information necessary for the communication interface, the external hardware interface, and the software interface for compatibility is registered.

In one embodiment, the information required for the software interface may include variable name data, variable format data, address data, and read/write method data.

In one embodiment, the software module interface directly performs an opening procedure in the variable object dictionary, the external hardware interface performs an opening procedure in the variable object dictionary with a variable name based on information of the hardware device driver, and the The communication interface may perform an opening procedure for the communication variable name of the variable object dictionary with another communication module in the opening step.

In order to realize another object of the present invention, a method of compatible application software using a compatible control device for railroad facilities according to an embodiment includes a communication module connected to a communication medium, which is a physical path through which communication is transmitted, and an external input/output. It is connected between the output hardware, and the platform screen door and the application software in railroad vehicles are mutually compatible. The compatible method of the compatible control device for railway facilities includes the steps of registering an interface address based on a variable name for a software module interface and opening the software module interface; Registering an interface address based on a variable name for an external hardware interface to open the external hardware interface; Opening the communication interface by registering an interface address based on a variable name for the communication interface; And operating at least one of the software module interface, the external hardware interface, and the communication interface in response to an external request, (i) a variable name for each interface in the step of opening each interface. Registering an interface address based on (ii) reading and writing as the interface address in the step of operating each interface.

In one embodiment, the opening of each interface includes: registering a producer variable name in a variable object dictionary; Allocating the address of the registered producer variable name to the variable; Retrieving a consumer variable name using a variable from the variable object dictionary; And designating an address corresponding to the searched consumer variable name.

According to such a compatible control device for railroad facilities and a compatibility method of application software using the same, it is possible to avoid hardware dependency and use the control devices between different models in mutual compatibility, and to reuse the application software once developed regardless of hardware change. So that compatibility can be secured.

1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an operation of a general control device.
2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a compatible control device for railway facilities according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating the compatible middleware shown in FIG. 2.
4 is a flow chart for explaining a compatible method of a compatible control device for railway facilities according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart for explaining an opening procedure of the three interfaces shown in FIG. 4.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present invention, various modifications may be made and various forms may be applied, and specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific form disclosed, it should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

In describing each drawing, similar reference numerals have been used for similar elements. In the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of the structures are shown to be enlarged than the actual size for clarity of the present invention.

Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In the present application, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features. It is to be understood that the presence or addition of elements or numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof, does not preclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition.

In addition, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms as defined in a commonly used dictionary should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and should not be interpreted as an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present application. Does not.

2 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a compatible control device 100 for railroad facilities according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, a compatible control apparatus 100 for railway facilities according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a hardware device driver 110, a plurality of application software modules 120, an operating system (OS, Operating System). Including 130 and the compatible middleware 140, the communication module 300 connected to the communication medium 200, which is a physical path through which communication is transmitted, and the external input/output hardware are connected between the platform screen door and the railway vehicle. It is implemented so that the application software is compatible with each other. Here, the term “connected” includes a wide variety of connections. For example, the term "connected" should be broadly interpreted to include circuit elements directly connected to each other and circuit elements indirectly connected through other circuit elements.

In this embodiment, the compatible control device 100 refers to a control device (ECU) that can be used interchangeably with each other regardless of the manufacturer. In addition, the communication module 300 refers to a part in charge of communication in the ECU hardware. In addition, the external input/output hardware is controlled by the external hardware interface 144 (shown in FIG. 3 to be described later), and refers to hardware in charge of external inputs and outputs.

The hardware device driver 110 is connected to a plurality of external input/output hardware and provides information on external input/output hardware.

The application software modules 120 are software in charge of control and are separated for each function and operate independently.

The operating system 130 controls external input/output hardware and provides a base environment for the application software to mediate the user to use the compatible control device 100 for railroad facilities. In the present embodiment, the operating system 130 refers to a program that controls the hardware of the ECU and provides a base environment for application software, so that the user can use the ECU.

The compatible middleware 140 makes the communication module 300, the hardware device driver 110, and the application software modules 120 compatible using variable names in order to perform some functions other than the basic functions of the operating system 130. In this embodiment, the compatible middleware 140 is a part responsible for some functions other than the basic functions of the operating system 130, and the software module interface 146 (shown in FIG. 3) and the communication module interface 142 (Shown in FIG. 3), refers to middleware compatible with a driver interface and the like.

In the present specification, the compatible control device 100 for railway facilities has a general structure of hardware and software, and software can be classified into an operating system 130 and application software (or control software), and the operating system 130 is hardware It includes the device driver 110 and manages it. This is the same structure as a general ECU. The compatible control device 100 for railway facilities according to the present invention additionally includes a compatible middleware 140 in which a part of the operating system 130 operates as middleware.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating the compatible middleware 140 shown in FIG. 2.

2 and 3, the compatible middleware 140 includes a communication interface 142, an external hardware interface 144, a software module interface 146, and a variable object dictionary 148, and The communication module 300, the hardware device driver 110, and the application software modules 120 are compatible.

The communication interface 142 interfaces with the communication module 300 for compatibility. In particular, the communication interface 142 performs an opening procedure for the communication variable name of the variable object dictionary 148 with the other communication module 300 in the opening step.

The external hardware interface 144 interfaces with external input/output hardware for compatibility. In particular, the external hardware interface 144 performs an opening procedure of the variable name according to the information of the hardware device driver 110 to the variable object dictionary 148.

The software module interface 146 interfaces with the application software module 120 for compatibility. In particular, the software module interface 146 directly performs an opening procedure on the variable object dictionary 148.

The variable object dictionary 148 registers information (eg, input/output variables) necessary for the communication interface 142, the external hardware interface 144, and the software interface for compatibility, and transfers the contents of the variable between each interface. It has a memory structure for Typically the object dictionary is a standardized device description. The object dictionary described above is a table having the same structure for all kinds of devices. Here, the information required for the interface may include variable name data, variable type data, address data, and read/write method data.

The application software module 120 interfaces with the external and input/output variables via the software module interface 146, and the place where input/output variables are read and written is not a hardware-dependent address, but a compatible control device for railway facilities ( In the process of opening 100), a hardware address is designated based on the variable name and stored in the variable object dictionary 148. The above-described variable name has a unique name in the compatible control device 100 for railroad facilities.

4 is a flowchart for explaining a method of compatibility of the compatible control device 100 for railway facilities according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 to 4, the software module interface 146 is opened by registering an interface address based on a variable name for the software module interface 146 (step S110).

Then, the external hardware interface 144 is opened by registering the interface address based on the variable name for the external hardware interface 144 (step S120).

Then, the communication interface 142 is opened by registering an interface address based on the variable name for the communication interface 142 (step S130).

Then, in response to an external request, at least one of the software module interface 146, the external hardware interface 144, and the communication interface 142 is operated (step S140). In the above operation step, the interface operates according to the assigned and designated address. That is, the software module interface 146 directly performs an opening procedure in the variable object dictionary 148, and the external hardware interface 144 performs an opening procedure in the variable object dictionary with the variable name based on the information of the hardware device driver 110. Then, the communication interface 142 performs an opening procedure for the communication variable name of the variable object dictionary 148 with the other communication module 300 in the opening step.

5 is a flowchart for explaining an opening procedure of the three interfaces shown in FIG. 4.

2 to 5, first, a producer variable name is registered in the variable object dictionary 148 (step S210), and an address is assigned to the corresponding producer variable (step S220). Subsequently, the consumer variable name using the variable is searched in the variable object dictionary 148 (step S230), and the corresponding consumer variable address is designated (step S240). Here, a producer refers to a producer of information, and a consumer refers to a consumer of information. In other words, among the software modules, the sending entity is called the producer, and the receiving entity is called the consumer.

In this embodiment, the compatible control device 100 for railroad facilities according to the present invention operates in a separate procedure between an opening step and an operating step.

In the opening step, the interface address is registered based on the variable names for the three interfaces (that is, the communication interface 142, the external hardware interface 144, and the software module interface 146). Read and write as an address.

The variable object dictionary 148 is a storage space for registering information necessary for the interface, such as variable name data, variable format data, address data, read/write method data, etc., and is opened while the compatible control device 100 for railroad facilities is started. By running the step, the address for the interface is completed, and it has been performed normally and proceeds to the operation step.

The order of interface opening can be changed according to the design method of the compatible control device 100 for railroad facilities, and the criterion for compatibility is the variable name, and the variable name is the uniqueness of the name within the compatible control device 100 for railroad facilities. Should be maintained.

The interface operation step operates in the same way as the existing control device operates. In other words, in the operation phase, each interface must be operated in parallel within a real-time request range as separate independent objects.

The application software module 120 passes all interfaces through the variable object dictionary 148, and is compatible with input/output variable names.

The compatible control device 100 for railway facilities is compatible with other control devices that communicate with the communication interface 142 as variable names. That is, the compatible control device 100 for railroad facilities is compatible by the input/output variable name of the communication device.

The external input/output hardware is compatible with a variable name method provided to the hardware device driver 110.

If the input/output variable name and variable type are matched as above, it can be compatible with the module or device desired to be compatible.

In the operation phase, the interface operates according to the assigned/designated address.

As described above, the present invention is a technology for configuring a compatible control device for railroad facilities and software in partial units (modules), and securing compatibility and flexibility of interfaces between units. Compatible controls and software for railroad facilities can be reused, making it possible to utilize compatible replacements in maintenance.

This compatibility makes it possible for SMEs to implement an easy division of labor production system between SMEs in many industrial environments, thereby enabling SMEs to continuously produce small-scale specialized products. In addition, users can apply a variety of general compatible products, not exclusive (subsequent) products for control, so they can expect improved maintainability.

Although the above has been described with reference to Examples, those skilled in the art can variously modify and change the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the following claims. You can understand.

10: control device 11, 110: hardware device driver
12, 120: application software module 13, 130: operating system
100: compatible control device 140: compatible middleware
142: communication interface 144: external hardware interface
146: software module interface 148: variable object dictionary

Claims (6)

In a compatible control device for railroad facilities that is implemented to enable interoperability of application software in platform screen doors and railroad vehicles by being connected between the communication module connected to the communication medium, which is the physical path through which communication is transmitted, and external input/output hardware. ,
A hardware device driver connected to a plurality of external input/output hardware;
A plurality of application software modules that are separated for each function and operate independently for control;
An operating system that controls the external input/output hardware and provides a base environment for the application software to mediate a user to use the compatible control device for railroad facilities; And
In order to carry out some functions other than the basic functions of the operating system, the communication module, the hardware device driver, and the application software modules are compatible with each other using a variable name,
A railroad, characterized in that each of the application software modules interfaces with the outside with input/output variables, and a place to read and write input/output variables is designated as a hardware address based on a variable name in the process of opening the compatible control device. Equipment compatible control device. The method of claim 1, wherein the compatible middleware,
A communication interface that interfaces with the communication module for compatibility;
An external hardware interface that interfaces with the external input/output hardware for compatibility;
A software module interface that interfaces with the application software module for compatibility; And
And a variable object dictionary in which information necessary for the communication interface, the external hardware interface, and the software interface for compatibility is registered. The compatible control device for railway facilities according to claim 2, wherein the information necessary for the software interface includes variable name data, variable format data, address data, and read/write method data. The method of claim 1,
The software module interface directly performs an opening procedure in the variable object dictionary,
The external hardware interface performs an opening procedure of the variable name according to the information of the hardware device driver in the variable object dictionary,
The communication interface is a compatible control device for railway facilities, characterized in that in the opening step, the communication variable name of the variable object dictionary to perform an opening procedure with another communication module. A communication module connected to a communication medium, which is a physical path through which communication is transmitted, is connected between external input/output hardware, and is a compatible control device for railroad facilities implemented to enable mutual compatibility of application software in platform screen doors and railroad vehicles. In the compatibility method of the used application software,
Registering an interface address based on a variable name for a software module interface to open the software module interface;
Registering an interface address based on a variable name for an external hardware interface to open the external hardware interface;
Opening the communication interface by registering an interface address based on a variable name for the communication interface; And
Operating at least one of the software module interface, the external hardware interface, and the communication interface in response to an external request,
(i) registering interface addresses based on variable names for each interface in the step of opening each interface, and (ii) reading and writing as the interface address in the step of operating each interface. Compatibility method of application software using a compatible control device. The method of claim 5, wherein opening each of the interfaces comprises:
Registering a producer variable name in a variable object dictionary;
Allocating the address of the registered producer variable name to the variable;
Retrieving a consumer variable name using a variable from the variable object dictionary; And
A compatible method of application software using a compatible control device for railroad facilities, comprising the step of designating an address corresponding to the searched consumer variable name.

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