WO2023169411A1 - Portable communication interface apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An embodiment of the present application provides a portable communication interface apparatus. By means of the communication interface apparatus, a programmable logic controller can perform wireless communication with a terminal device of a user, and can take an existing terminal device to serve as an HMI apparatus for a programmable logic controller, and thereby the programmable logic controller can be conveniently controlled or monitored by means of the existing terminal device, and use costs of the programmable logic controller are reduced. In addition, the communication interface apparatus communicates with the terminal device by means of a Bluetooth low energy consumption communication mode, the energy consumption of the communication interface apparatus can be reduced, and further, the whole communication interface apparatus can be powered using a battery, and consequently the communication interface apparatus can be miniaturized and is convenient to carry and use.

Description

Portable communication interface device Technical field

Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of programmable logic controllers (PLC, Programmable Logic Controller), and in particular, to a portable communication interface device.

Background technique

At present, automatic control devices such as programmable logic controllers (PLC) are widely used in various production sites. In order to facilitate the operation of the PLC or obtain the status of the controlled object, you can set up a human-machine interface (HMI, Human Machine Interface) device connected to the PLC. Users can issue control commands to the controlled objects of the PLC through the HMI device, set the parameters and working modes of the controlled objects, view the parameters and working modes set by the controlled objects, display the real-time operating parameters and curves of the controlled objects and historical parameters, etc. wait.

There are two main types of HMI devices currently in use: one is integrated on the PLC body, which can include a display screen and a small number of buttons; the other is an external dedicated HMI device, which can include: a touch screen and corresponding controls. Modules and other components.

It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is only to facilitate a clear and complete description of the technical solutions of the present application and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art. It cannot be explained simply because these solutions are described in the background technology section of the present application. It is believed that the above technical solutions are well known to those skilled in the art.

Contents of the invention

The inventor found that due to the limitation of the size of the PLC itself, the HMI device integrated on the PLC body usually has a smaller display screen and fewer buttons, so it is inconvenient to view or use. In addition, since the external dedicated HMI device is relatively expensive, the cost of using the HMI device is high, and the power supply of the HMI device needs to be connected to the mains, so the range of use is very limited. In addition, the HMI device is large in size. , not easy to carry.

In order to solve at least one of the above technical problems, embodiments of the present application provide a portable communication interface device, through which the PLC can wirelessly communicate with the user's terminal equipment, and the existing The terminal equipment serves as the HMI device of the PLC. Therefore, the PLC can be easily controlled or monitored through the existing terminal equipment, and the cost of using the PLC can be reduced. Moreover, the communication interface device communicates with the terminal device through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication method, which can reduce the energy consumption of the communication interface device, and further, can use the battery to power the entire communication interface device, thereby enabling The communication interface device is miniaturized and easy to carry and use.

According to a first aspect of the embodiment of the present application, a portable communication interface device is provided, which allows a programmable logic controller to communicate with a terminal device. The device includes: a first communication module, which communicates with a terminal device through a universal serial bus interface. Connected to the programmable logic controller; a second communication module, which uses Bluetooth low energy communication mode to wirelessly connect with the terminal device; a control module, which controls the communication through the first communication module and the second The communication module controls data transmission between the programmable logic controller and the terminal device; and a power module includes a battery, and uses the battery to control the first communication module and the second communication module. and supply power to the control module.

According to a second aspect of the embodiment of the present application, the power module further includes: a power conversion circuit, the power conversion circuit includes an ultra-low quiescent current low voltage dropout regulator, and the ultra-low quiescent current low voltage dropout regulator The converter converts the output voltage of the battery into a first preset voltage and provides it to the first communication module, the second communication module and the control module.

According to a third aspect of the embodiment of the present application, the ultra-low quiescent current low dropout voltage regulator also converts the output voltage of the battery into a second preset voltage and provides it to the universal serial bus interface.

According to a fourth aspect of the embodiment of the present application, the battery is a button battery.

According to a fifth aspect of the embodiment of the present application, the first communication module, the second communication module and the control module are integrated in a microcontroller chip.

According to a sixth aspect of the embodiment of the present application, when the time that the microcontroller chip is in the idle state reaches a preset time, the microcontroller chip enters the sleep mode.

According to a seventh aspect of the embodiment of the present application, the universal serial bus interface is connected to the first communication module and to the universal serial bus interface of the programmable logic controller.

According to an eighth aspect of the embodiment of the present application, the device further includes: a first accommodation part to accommodate the first communication module, the second communication module and the control module; and a second accommodation part , which protrudes from one end of the first receiving part and accommodates the power module; the universal serial bus interface protrudes from the other end of the first receiving part.

According to a ninth aspect of the embodiment of the present application, the width of the first accommodating part is smaller than the width of the second accommodating part.

According to a tenth aspect of the embodiment of the present application, the device further includes: a display module connected to the control module and displaying the working status of the portable communication interface device.

One of the beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application is that: through the communication interface device, the PLC can communicate wirelessly with the user's terminal equipment, and the existing terminal equipment can be used as the HMI device of the PLC. Therefore, the existing terminal equipment can be used conveniently Control or monitor the PLC easily and reduce the cost of using the PLC. Moreover, the communication interface device communicates with the terminal device through Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication mode, which can reduce the energy consumption of the communication interface device. Furthermore, the battery can be used to power the entire communication interface device, so that the communication interface device can Miniature, easy to carry and use.

With reference to the following description and drawings, specific implementation modes of the embodiments of the present application are disclosed in detail, and the ways in which the principles of the embodiments of the present application can be adopted are indicated. It should be understood that embodiments of the present application are not thereby limited in scope. Embodiments of the present application include numerous alterations, modifications and equivalents within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Description of the drawings

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the application, and constitute a part of the specification for illustrating the embodiments of the application and together with the written description to explain the principles of the application. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other embodiments can be obtained based on these drawings without exerting creative efforts. In the attached picture:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a portable communication interface device according to an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the power consumption of the portable communication interface device according to the embodiment of the present application;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a portable communication interface device according to an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 4 is another schematic diagram of the structure of a portable communication interface device according to an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed ways

The foregoing and other features of embodiments of the present application will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description and drawings, specific embodiments of the present application are specifically disclosed, which illustrate some of the implementations in which the principles of the embodiments of the present application may be adopted. It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the described embodiments, but rather , the embodiments of the present application include all modifications, variations and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish different elements from the title, but do not indicate the spatial arrangement or temporal order of these elements, and these elements should not be used by these terms. restricted. The term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms. The terms "comprises," "includes," "having" and the like refer to the presence of stated features, elements, elements or components but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, elements or components.

In the embodiments of this application, the singular forms "a", "the", etc. include plural forms and should be broadly understood as "a" or "a type" and not limited to the meaning of "one"; in addition, the term "the" "" shall be understood to include both the singular and the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, the term "based on" shall be understood to mean "based at least in part on," and the term "based on" shall be understood to mean "based at least in part on," unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Features described and/or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, in combination with features in other embodiments, or in place of features in other embodiments . The term "comprising" when used herein refers to the presence of a feature, integer, step or component but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components.

Embodiments of the first aspect

An embodiment of the present application provides a portable communication interface device. The communication interface device is used for communication connection between a programmable logic controller (PLC) and terminal equipment.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a portable communication interface device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1 , the portable communication interface device 100 includes: a first communication module 1 , a second communication module 2 , a control module 3 and a power supply module 4 . Among them, the first communication module 1 is connected to the PLC through a universal serial bus (USB) interface. The second communication module 2 uses Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication method to wirelessly connect with the terminal device. The control module 3 controls data transmission between the PLC and the terminal device through the first communication module 1 and the second communication module 2 . The power module 4 includes a battery 41, through which the first communication module 1, the second communication module 2 and the control module 3 are powered.

In this way, the communication interface device allows the PLC to communicate wirelessly with the user's terminal equipment, and the existing terminal equipment can be used as the HMI device of the PLC. Therefore, the PLC can be easily accessed through the existing terminal equipment. Control or monitor and reduce the cost of using PLC. Moreover, the communication interface device communicates with the terminal device through Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication mode, which can reduce the energy consumption of the communication interface device. Furthermore, the battery can be used to power the entire communication interface device, so that the communication interface device can Miniature, easy to carry and use.

In some embodiments, the first communication module 1 is wired to the PLC through USB communication. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the communication interface device 100 may also include a universal serial bus interface 5 . The serial bus interface 5 is connected to the first communication module 1 and to the universal serial bus interface of the PLC.

In some embodiments, the universal serial bus interface 5 can be various types of USB interfaces, for example, it can be USB-TYPE A, USB-TYPE B, USB-TYPE C, USB-MICRO interface, etc.

In some embodiments, after the serial bus interface 5 is inserted into the USB female port of the PLC, the first communication module 1 can transmit data to the PLC or receive data sent by the PLC according to the corresponding communication protocol.

In some embodiments, the second communication module 2 uses the BLE communication method to wirelessly connect with the terminal device. Since the BLE communication method consumes less energy, the overall energy consumption of the communication interface device 100 can be reduced. Furthermore, the battery can be used to power the entire communication interface device 100, which is beneficial to miniaturization of the communication interface device 100.

For example, after the terminal device is turned on, the terminal device can establish a connection with the second communication module 2 by searching for Bluetooth devices and other operations. In addition, the terminal device can provide users with corresponding HMI through the application program (APP) matched with the PLC, which facilitates user operation and improves user experience. Wherein, the APP can be an application program based on Android system (Android APP), or it can be an application program based on IOS (IOS APP); but the present invention is not limited to this, for example, it can also be an application program running on other operating systems.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 , the communication interface device 100 may further include an antenna 8 . After the first communication module 2 establishes a connection with the corresponding communication module of the terminal device, the first communication module 2 can send data to the terminal device through the antenna 8. In addition, the first communication module 2 can also receive data sent by the terminal device through the antenna 8. .

In some embodiments, the control module 3 may control components in the communication interface device 100 . For example, it can control data transmission between the PLC and the terminal device through the first communication module 1 and the second communication module 2. For another example, the control module 3 can also control the actions of the display module 6 described later, and so on.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 , the power module 4 can power the first communication module 1 , the second communication module 2 and the control module 3 . In addition, the power module 4 can also perform the entire communication interface device 100 powered by. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the power module 4 can also supply power to the universal serial bus interface 5, as well as the display module 6 and UART programming port 7 described later. Since the power module 4 can supply power to the entire communication interface device 100, the connection between the PLC and the terminal equipment can be realized at any time, which is convenient and easy to use. Moreover, there is no need to install another power supply module in the communication interface device 100, which is conducive to miniaturization of the communication interface device 100; in addition, the communication interface device 100 does not need to be connected to an external power supply device, which can eliminate the need for an external HMI device. The signal connection line and the power connection line improve the convenience of the communication interface device 100.

In some embodiments, the battery 41 in the power module 4 may be a button battery. As a result, the size of the communication interface device 100 can be further reduced, making it easier for the user to carry it around. For example, the battery 41 may include two button batteries with an output voltage of 3V, and the output voltage of the battery 41 is 6V. However, the present application is not limited to this. Other types or numbers of batteries can also be used, and other values of output voltage can also be set according to actual needs.

In some embodiments, the power module 4 further includes a power conversion circuit 42 . Among them, the power conversion circuit 42 may include an ultra-low quiescent current low dropout regulator (LDO). Compared with ordinary LDOs, the power consumption of the communication interface device 100 can be further reduced by using ultra-low quiescent current LDOs, thereby extending the service life of the battery 41 . In addition, since the overall power consumption of the communication interface device 100 is very low, a smaller button battery can be used to power various components in the communication interface device 100 .

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 , the ultra-low quiescent current LDO can convert the output voltage of the battery 41 into a first preset voltage and provide it to the first communication module 1 , the second communication module 2 and the control module 3 .

In some embodiments, the ultra-low quiescent current LDO can also convert the output voltage of the battery 41 into a second preset voltage and provide it to the universal serial bus interface 5 .

For example, a two-stage ultra-low quiescent current LDO can be set in the power conversion circuit 42. When the output voltage of the battery 41 is 6V, the first-stage LDO converts 6V into 5V (the second preset voltage) and provides it to the universal serial Bus interface 5; the second-level LDO converts the 5V output by the first-level LDO into 3.3V (first preset voltage) and provides it to the first communication module 1, the second communication module 2 and the control module 3. Therefore, the power module 4 can provide appropriate voltage to each module in the communication interface device 100 . However, the present application is not limited to this. Other forms of ultra-low quiescent current LDOs may also be provided in the power conversion circuit 42 , or the power conversion circuit 42 may be configured to output multiple output voltages as needed. For example, an ultra-low quiescent current LDO outputs two voltages, namely a first preset voltage and a second preset voltage.

In the embodiment of the present application, the first preset voltage and the second preset voltage can be set according to actual needs, and the present application does not limit the specific values of the first preset voltage and the second preset voltage.

In some embodiments, the functions of the first communication module 1, the second communication module 2 and the control module 3 can be implemented through a microcontroller chip (MCU). For example, the first communication module 1, the second communication module 2 and the control module 3 can be integrated into one MCU, thereby simplifying the hardware structure in the communication interface device 100, reducing the connections between components, and making the communication interface device 100 Can be miniaturized. For example, the CH573F model MCU with built-in USB Host and BLE can be used. In idle mode, the power consumption of this MCU can reach 1.5mA, and in sleep mode, the power consumption can reach 1.4μA~6μA. However, the present application is not limited to this, and other hardware forms may also be used to implement the functions of the first communication module 1, the second communication module 2, and the control module 3.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the power consumption of the portable communication interface device 100 according to the embodiment of the present application. In some embodiments, when an MCU is used to implement the functions of the first communication module 1, the second communication module 2 and the control module 3, in the working mode of the MCU, for example, when the BLE module transmits signals, the function of the MCU The consumption is around 4mA~6mA. After the MCU's built-in BLE module completes signal transmission, the MCU can enter the idle state (idle mode). In idle mode, the power consumption of the MCU is around 1.5mA. By causing the MCU to enter idle mode after sending a signal, the average current consumption of the chip can be reduced. For example, the average current consumption can be reduced to about 2.7mA.

In the embodiment of this application, the idle state means that the MCU does not transmit, receive, and process signals.

In some embodiments, when the MCU is in the idle state for more than a preset time, the MCU is caused to enter the sleep mode. Therefore, unnecessary power consumption can be reduced, the power consumption of the communication interface device 100 can be further reduced, and the service life of the battery can be extended.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 , the communication interface device 100 may further include: a display module 6 . The display module 6 can be connected with the control module 3 and display the working status of the communication interface device 100 . For example, the control module 3 can control the action of the display module 6 according to the working state of the communication interface device 100 .

In some embodiments, the display module 6 may be an indicator light, which indicates the working status of the communication interface device 100 by the color of the indicator light and/or turning on and off. However, the present application is not limited to this, and the display module 6 may also be in other forms.

In some embodiments, the communication interface device 100 may also include a UART programming port 7, whereby corresponding files can be programmed to the MCU chip to enable the MCU to implement corresponding functions.

In some embodiments, the communication interface device 100 may also include a switch (not shown), whereby the communication interface device 100 can be controlled to be turned on and off through the switch. By shutting down the communication interface device 100 when not in use, the power consumption of the communication interface device 100 can be further reduced and the service life of the battery 41 can be extended.

In some embodiments, only one indicator light and/or switch may be provided in the communication interface device 100, thereby further reducing the components of the communication interface device 100, which is beneficial to miniaturization. However, the application is not limited to this, and other numbers of indicator lights and/or switches may also be provided.

3 and 4 are schematic diagrams of the structure of the portable communication interface device 100 according to the embodiment of the present application. In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the portable communication interface device 100 may include: a first receiving part 10 , a second receiving part 9 and a universal serial bus interface 5 (FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 in FIG. 4 shown in ). Among them, the first accommodation part 10 can accommodate the first communication module 1, the second communication module 2 and the control module 3 (not shown in Figures 3 and 4); the second accommodation part 9 can be opened from one end of the first accommodation part 10 protrudes and accommodates the power module 4 (not shown in Figures 3 and 4). The universal serial bus interface 5 protrudes from the other end of the first receiving part 10 (shown in FIG. 4 of FIGS. 3 and 4 ). The positions of the various components of the communication interface device 100 are designed in this way, so that the structure is compact, and the communication interface device 100 can be easily made into a size similar to an ordinary U disk, making it convenient for users to carry it with them.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the width of the first receiving portion 10 may be smaller than the width of the second receiving portion 9 . As a result, the overall size and weight of the communication interface device 100 can be further reduced, making it easier to carry.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the communication interface device 100 may further include a cover 11 . A groove is provided inside the cover part 11 , and the cover part 11 is engaged with the first receiving part 10 by fitting the groove with the universal serial bus interface 5 . In this way, the universal serial bus interface 5 can be protected and portable.

The operation mode of the communication interface device 100 is exemplarily described below. For example, when a user enters an industrial site, he or she can long-press a switch (not shown) provided on the surface of the communication interface device 100 to turn on the communication interface device 100. After opening the cover 11, the universal serial bus interface 5 can be inserted into the PLC. USB female port. By running the relevant APP on the terminal device, the Bluetooth device is searched and connected to the communication interface device 100 . Subsequently, the PLC can be monitored and data transferred on the APP side. After use, the communication interface device 100 can be unplugged from the USB female port, long press the switch to shut down the communication interface device 100, and cover the cover 11. However, the present application is not limited to this, and the order of the above operation steps can also be adjusted. For example, the communication interface device 100 and the terminal device can first establish a BLE Bluetooth connection, and then the communication interface device 100 can be inserted into the USB female port of the PLC.

According to the above embodiment, the communication interface device allows the PLC to wirelessly communicate with the user's terminal equipment, and the existing terminal equipment can be used as the HMI device of the PLC. Therefore, the PLC can be easily controlled or controlled through the existing terminal equipment. Monitor and reduce PLC usage costs. Moreover, the communication interface device communicates with the terminal device through Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication method, which can reduce the energy consumption of the communication interface device and further improve the efficiency of the communication interface device. However, the battery can be used to power the entire communication interface device, so that the communication interface device can be miniaturized and easy to carry and use.

Embodiments of the second aspect

The embodiment of the present application provides a communication system. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the communication system 200 according to the embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 5 , the communication system 200 may include the portable communication interface device 100 as described in the embodiment of the first aspect, a programmable logic controller (PLC) 101 and a terminal device 102 .

In some embodiments, the portable communication interface device 100 is connected to the PLC 101 through a universal serial bus (USB) interface, and wirelessly connected to the terminal device 102 using a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication method. As a result, the PLC 101 can wirelessly communicate with the user's terminal equipment 102, and the existing terminal equipment 102 can be used as the HMI device of the PLC 101. Therefore, the PLC 101 can be easily controlled or monitored and the use cost of the PLC 101 can be reduced. . In addition, the communication interface device 100 communicates with the terminal device 102 through BLE, which can reduce the energy consumption of the communication interface device 100. Furthermore, the battery can be used to power the entire communication interface device 100, thereby miniaturizing the communication interface device 100. Easy to carry and use.

In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5, the terminal device 102 may be various terminal devices of the user. For example, the terminal device 102 may include, but is not limited to, the following devices: a smartphone, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA, Personal Digital Assistant), a wireless modem, a wireless communication device, a handheld device, a machine-type communication device, a laptop PCs, cordless phones, smart watches, digital cameras, and more.

In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5, the terminal device 102 can provide a corresponding HMI interface to the user through an application program (APP) matched with the PLC 101, which facilitates user operation and improves the user experience.

In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5, the communication interface device 100, PLC 101 and terminal device 102 can be implemented by a combination of software and hardware. In the software part, the communication interface device 100, PLC 101 and terminal equipment 102 can perform data analysis or data assembly through corresponding interface protocols. Among them, the content of the interface protocol, data analysis and data assembly methods can refer to relevant technologies. In terms of hardware, the communication interface device 100 and the PLC 101 are wired through a USB interface, and the communication interface device 100 and the terminal device 102 are wirelessly connected through an antenna using a BLE communication method.

According to the above embodiment, the communication interface device allows the PLC to perform wireless communication with the user's terminal equipment, and the existing terminal equipment can be used as the HMI device of the PLC. Therefore, the existing terminal equipment can be used to easily Conveniently control or monitor PLC and reduce PLC usage costs. Moreover, the communication interface device communicates with the terminal device through Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication mode, which can reduce the energy consumption of the communication interface device. Furthermore, the battery can be used to power the entire communication interface device, so that the communication interface device can Miniature, easy to carry and use.

It is worth noting that the embodiments of the present application are only schematically described above, but the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the connection relationship between various components in the communication system can be appropriately adjusted, and other components can also be added or some components reduced. Those skilled in the art can make appropriate modifications based on the above content, and are not limited to the above description.

Claims (10)

A portable communication interface device that allows a programmable logic controller to communicate with terminal equipment. The device includes: A first communication module connected to the programmable logic controller through a universal serial bus interface; a second communication module that uses Bluetooth low energy communication method to wirelessly connect with the terminal device; a control module that controls data transmission between the programmable logic controller and the terminal device through the first communication module and the second communication module; and A power module includes a battery and supplies power to the first communication module, the second communication module and the control module through the battery. The device according to claim 1, wherein the power module further includes: Power conversion circuit, the power conversion circuit includes an ultra-low quiescent current low dropout voltage regulator, the ultra-low quiescent current low dropout voltage regulator converts the output voltage of the battery into a first preset voltage and provides it to the a first communication module, the second communication module and the control module. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ultra-low quiescent current low dropout voltage regulator also converts the output voltage of the battery into a second preset voltage and provides it to the universal serial bus interface. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The battery is a button battery. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first communication module, the second communication module and the control module are integrated in a microcontroller chip. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the microcontroller chip is in an idle state for a preset time, the microcontroller chip enters the sleep mode. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The universal serial bus interface is connected to the first communication module and to the universal serial bus interface of the programmable logic controller. The device of claim 7, further comprising: a first receiving portion that accommodates the first communication module, the second communication module and the control module; and a second receiving part protruding from one end of the first receiving part and accommodating the power module; The universal serial bus interface protrudes from the other end of the first receiving part. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The width of the first receiving part is smaller than the width of the second receiving part. The device of claim 1, further comprising: A display module is connected to the control module and displays the working status of the portable communication interface device.