Title of Invention	A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MODIFYING A TECHNICAL OPERATION OF AN AUTOMATION UNIT OF THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Abstract	A control and communication system (10) is suggested including at least one automation unit (14) being adapted to run an operation program, and an engineering unit (12) being adapted to modify the operation program, the engineering unit (12) including a code-configurator, which is adapted to project automation functions of the operation program in the form of at least one configured data structure and to modify the configured data structure, the at least one automation unit (14)including an interpreter framework (52), which is adapted to include a catalogue of necessary automation functions of the operation program and an empty data structure, the interpreter framework (52) being further adapted to interpret the modified configured data structure and to provide a modified operation program on the basis of the automation functions of said catalogue and the modified configured data structure.

Title of Invention

A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MODIFYING A TECHNICAL OPERATION OF AN AUTOMATION UNIT OF THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Abstract

A control and communication system (10) is suggested including at least one automation unit (14) being adapted to run an operation program, and an engineering unit (12) being adapted to modify the operation program, the engineering unit (12) including a code-configurator, which is adapted to project automation functions of the operation program in the form of at least one configured data structure and to modify the configured data structure, the at least one automation unit (14)including an interpreter framework (52), which is adapted to include a catalogue of necessary automation functions of the operation program and an empty data structure, the interpreter framework (52) being further adapted to interpret the modified configured data structure and to provide a modified operation program on the basis of the automation functions of said catalogue and the modified configured data structure.

Full Text	Description Control and communication system including at least one automation unit The invention refers to a control and communication system including at least one automation on unit being adapted to run an operation program, and an engineering unit being adapted to modify the operation program. Further, the invention refers to a method of modifying an operation program of at least one automation unit of a control and communication system, the control and communication system further including an engineering unit being adapted to modify the operation program of the corresponding automation unit. Automation of machinery equipment or plants, such as power plants, demands flexible and multi-purpose control and communication systems, in order to project the increasingly complex adjustment and control objects, in order to put them into operation and in order to adapt them to changing terms and conditions. Although many efforts have been made in order to receive such control and communication systems, known systems are still considered to include too many inflexible rules and to be too complicated in programming and modifying of the corresponding operation programs. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to pro- vide a control and communication system and a method for modifying an operation program of such a system, which are much easier to amend. Meanwhile, the system and method have to keep the presently known low standard of error probability and it should be possible to provide the system and the method on the basis of presently known automation units, such as those of the well known SIMATIC family. The object underlying the invention is solved by a control and communication eystezn including at least one automation unit being adapted to run an operation program, and an engineering unit being adapted to modify the operation program, the engineering unit including a code-configurator/ which is adapted to project automation functions of the operation program in the form of at least one configured data structure and to modify the configured data structure, the at least one automation unit including an interpreter framework, which is adapted to include a catalogue of predefined, necessary automation functions of the operation program and an empty data structure/ the interpreter framework being further adapted to interpret the modified configured data structure and to provid a modified operation program on the basis of at least one of the automation functions of said catalogue and the modified configured data structure. The configured data structure in particular contain pointers and values and is used in the interpreter framework to point at the relevant automation functions (already provided in the said catalogue of the interpreter framework) and to fill them with the appropriate values. In other words, the invention provides a projection of automation functions of an automation unit in the form of at least one configured data structure. This data structure just contains data, but no functions in the common form. The configured data structure is interpreted at the automation unit by assigning corresponding automation functions from a catalogue of automation functions, which was previously included at the automation unit. By doing so, the invention enables a modification of projected automation functions at automation units, which achieves very short times required for generating and downloading of the modifications. The solution according to the invention particularly suitable for control and communication systems of plants, such as power plants, in which the at least one automation unit and the engineering unit are each connected to a common communication bus of a peer-to-peer communication network. in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the eiigineeriuy unit is adapted to send the at least one modified configured data structure to the at least one automation unit by means of the corresponding interpreter framework. Accordingly, the interpreter framework additionally provides the functions of an interface between the engineering unit and the oorrespond- ing automation unit. Further preferred, the engineering unit is adapted to include a structural image of the operation system of the at least one automation unit. The structural image may serve as a basis for the projection of automation functions of the operation program of the corresponding automation unit in the form of said at least one configured data structure. The at least one automation unit is advantageously adapted to switch to the modified operation program while keeping the previous running operation program in a corresponding buffer. Alternatively or additionally, the modified configured data structure is kept in a corresponding buffer of the engineering unit or the corresponding automation unit. The at least one automation unit further advantageously includes a running operation program and is adapted to switch to the modified operation program while running said operation system. The object of the invention is further solved by a method of modifying an operation program of an automation unit of a control and communication system, the control and communication system further including an engineering unit being adapted to modify the operation program, the mothod including the steps of projecting automation functions of the operation program in the form of at least one configured data structure and modifying the configured data structure in the engineering unit, providing a catalogue of predefined, necessary automation functions of the operation program and an empty data structure in the at least one automation unit, sending the modified configured data structure to the at least one automation unit, interpreting the modified configured data structure at the at least one automation unit, and providing a modified operation program at the at least one automation unit on the bases of at least one of the automation functions of said catalogue and the modified configured data structure. In a first preferred embodiment, said method includes the step of sending the modified configured data structure to the at least one automation unit by means of the automation, functions provided in the corresponding automation unit. In a second preferred embodiment, said method includes the step of including a structural image of the operation system of the at least one automation unit in the engineering unit. Further preferred, the method according to the invention includes the step of switching to the modified operation program in the at least one automation unit while keeping the previous running operation program in a corresponding buffer. Alan preferred, said method includes the step of runniny an operation program in the at least one automation unit and switching to the modified operation program while running said operation system. By means of the solution according to the invention a shock- free modification of operation programs in running automation units can be provided, i.e., the modification can be done without interruption or impact on the running process. New functions can be added to the process, internal switchings and parameters can be amended, and functions can be moved to other program cycles. Short "turnarounds" or switching times {according to the in vention only some seconds are typical) can be achieved for providing the modified operation program in the corresponding automation unit in an executable manner. At the automation unit even the previous operation program can be rebuild or restored in a shock-free manner after modifications had been made on the basis of the modified configured data structure. It is only necessary to switch to the old data structure, which points to the previous automation functions and includes values for the previous operation pro- gram. The solution of the invention further enables a simulation of any user-defined input and/or output values in process circuitry without loosing the possibility to display the actual process value of the equipment. The user defined value may be inserted in the configured data structure instead of the actual process value and may thus form the basis for a simulation of such value in the following automation function. A consistency check may be provided on the basis of the solution according to the invention, which allows to find inconsistencies, e.g. because of communication malfunctions or manually made amendments, before placing the projected modifications into the corresponding automation, unit. In addition, the invention provides the basis for an automatic dispatching of automation functions in corresponding timeframes, in order to receive a balanced processor load of the automation units for the different and various operation cycles. The communication between the engineering unit and the interpreter framework of the at least one automation unit acrording to the invention may further be used for a kind of inte- grated communication mechanism which allows to exchange process signals (in particular for operation of the automation units and/or for human/machine interfaces (hmi)) even across several automation units without needing an additional projection of such signal transfers. Further, said communication may be used for an integrated alarm handling of binary output signals without any additional circuit. The binary output signals may simply be addressed by an appropriate automation function which is to be included in the interpreter framework and may be paged there- after by a corresponding pointer in the configured data structure of the engineering unit. Finally, the solution according to the invention may provide an integrated quality code for each signal, in that the configured data structure does not only address a particular automation function but does further provide quality data for the corresponding signal which are used in the automation function for a quality check. Thus, according to the invention a completely new operation system was configured in the automation unit and a corresponding code generator was developed in the engineering unit. The projected automation functions are entirely described in the form of data, a time consuming generating of functions is not necessary. The automation unit interprets the configured data structures. The interpretation of the operation structures forms the core or basis for the realisation of functions of the operation program. The engineering system particularly receives a complete image of the operation structures deposited in the automation unit and configures the necessary data structures in the case of an activated projecting modification. Thereby all necessary amendments are transferred to the automation unit in parallel to the running operation program. upon consistent and com- plete transfer of all data, the engineering unit will switch the automation unit to the modified operation structure. In this way a negative impact on the running operation program can be ruled out. The interpreter framework is loaded once at the initialisation of the automation unit and provides its services thereafter. The engineering unit uses the services of the interpreter framework fox- the transfer of the configured projecting data, thereby defining the functioning of the interpreter framework. As the interpreter framework includes all necessary functions and also the empty data structures, an extensive loading of further data components during activation of the projecting structures is not needed. A preferred embodiment of a control and communication system and a method of modifying an operation program of an automation unit of a control and communication system according to the invention is described hereinafter referring to the enclosed schematical drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic depiction of an embodiment of a control and communication system according to the invention, Fig. 2a and 2b show a first list of telegrams or jobs which are exchangeable between partners of the control and communication system according to Fig. 1, Fig. 3a and 3b show a second list of telegrams or jobs which are exchangeable between the partners of the control and com- munication system according to Fig. 1, Fig. 4 shows a third list of telegrams or jobs which are ex- changeable between the partners of the control and communica tion system according to Fig. 1, Fig. 5 shows a forth list of telegrams or jobs which are exchangeable between the partners of the control and communication system according to Fig. 1, Fig. 6 shows a diagrammatic depiction of an embodiment of a method of modifying an operation program of an automation unit of a control and communication system according to Fig. 1, Fig. 7 shows a diagrammatic depiction of the proceeding in the corresponding automation unit during the method according to Fig. 6, Fig. 8 shows a first diagrammatic depiction of the content of data components during the proceeding according to Fig. 7, Fig. 9 shows a second diagrammatic depiction of the content of data components during the proceeding according to Fig. 7, Fig. 10 shows a third diagrammatic depiction of the content of data components during the proceeding according to Fig. 7 and Fig. 11 shows a diagrammatic depiction of the communication between the partners of the control and communication system according to Fig. 1. In Fig. 1 a control and communication system 10 is shown, which includes an engineering unit 12 or server (Ft-server) and a number of automation units 14 in the form of SIMATIC S7 control units (only one is shown in Fig. 1). The engineering unit 12 is operatively connected to the automation unit 14 via a peer-to-peer network 16, wherein the communication includes four redundant channels 18, 20, 22 and 24 (channel- no. 0, 1, 2, 3; redundance-no. 0, 1). The units 12 and 14 are thereby each addressed by means of IP-addresses (IP-adr.) and the channels 18 to 2 4 are acccoible through appropriate ports (Port-no.) of the units 12 and 14. Via the first channel 18, the so called engineering-channel, signals, telegrams and/or jobs for the installation and modification of operation programs of the automation units 14 are transferred. The second channel 20, the so called operate- channel, serves for transferring signals, telegrams and/or jobs for the actual operation of the automation unit 14. The third channel 22, the so called hmi-channel, is used for a human/machine interface (hmi) between the engineerina unit 12 and the corresponding automation unit 14. Finally, the forth channel 24, the so called alarm channel, provides alarm handling between the automation unit 14 and the engineering unit 12. As will be described in further detail hereinafter, the channels 18 to 24 provide a kind of integrated communication between the engineering unit 12 and the corresponding automation unit 14, which allows to exchange process signals (in particular for modifying operation programs, for operation of the automation units, for human/machine interfaces (hmi) and/ox for alarm signals) even across several automation units without needing an additional projection of such signal transfers. In Fig. 2a, 2b a list of those signals 26 (in the form of telegrams or jobs) is shown, which are transferred between the engineering unit 12 (Ft-server) and the corresponding automation unit 14 (programmable logical controller, PLC) during the installation and modification of operation programs of the automation unit 14. The signals 26 include, e.g., an initiation or activation of a new configuration of an automation program by means of a signal »£XECUTE». The signal is confirmed by the automation unit 16 with a telegram acknowledgement via a signal «TEL_ACK«. The telegram acknowledgement servco a an integrated quality code for providing a quality check of the communication. Fig. 3a and 3b show a list of those signals 26 which are transferred between the engineering unit 12 and the corre- sponding automation unit 14 during the actual operation of the automation unit 14. Fig. 4 shows the corresponding hu- man/machine interface signal transfer, and Fig. 5 shows the signal transfer in the case of an alarm during operation. In Fig. 6 a diagrammatic partial depiction of the method of modifying an operation program of the automation, unit 14 of the control and communication system 10 according to Fig. 1 is shown. It is an important aspect of the method, that the new or modified operation program is not developed in its entirety at the engineering unit 12 and is transferred to the automation unit 14 thereafter, but that it is developed in the form of a configured data structure including just pointers and values, but not entire functions. The pointers and values are interpreted by a interpreter framework, which forms a part of the automation unit 14, but is not depicted in Fig. 6 in detail. Fig. 6 just shows the processes of this interpretation of the configured data structure provided by the engineering unit 12 in principle. First, the engineering unit 12 provides a number of data components (DB) at the interpreter framework of the automation unit 14, in particular a Global DB 28, a Cycle DB 30, a number of Sequence DBs 32, and a Module DB 34. When starting a new program execution {e.g., via the signal 26 «EXECUTE«) at a step 3b, first, an actual cycle DB number is read in a step 38 from the Global DB 28. Thereafter, an actual sequence DB number is read in a step 40 from the appropriate Cycle DB 30. The next step 42 reads an actual module instance from the appropriate Sequence DB 32. Based on these information, an actual module instance is performed thereafter in a step 44, using data from the Module DB 34 and providing outputs into Output rm* 46 (and an Instance DB) . The next steps 48a, 48b and 50a, 50b check whether the last module in the sequence list and/or the last Sequence DB 32 are reached and repeat the appropriate steps 38 to 4.4, accordingly. Dy doing so, the actual automation functions of the operation program of the automation unit 14 are generated via an interpretation of the data structure of the data components 28, 30, 32 and 34, which was provided (in a first-time or modified manner) by the engineering unit 12. Fig. 7 shows an above mentioned interpreter framework 52 in further details. The interpreter framework 52 includes a process 54 (RCvSnd) for receiving and sending data to a telegram buffer 56 (TelBuff). The telegram buffer 56 communicated with a process 58 (ProcEs) for processinq enqineerinq services. The process 58 handles the actual reading and writing of data components, such as a Cycle DB 30, a number of Se quence DBs 32, and a number of Module DBs 34. The process 58 further addresses a number of Index DBs and a Force-DB 62 and writes data to the Output DBs 46. The corresponding telegrams are received by the interpreter framework 52 over the engineering channel 1ft and contain one or more jobs. These jobs are processed by the interpreter framework 52. In errorless case a positive acknowledgement telegram is sent back. E.g., the answer for a signal or telegram DB_READ is a DB_CONTENT telegram. Fig. 8 to Fig. 10 are provided for further explaining the process of interpretation in the corresponding automation unit 14. The process is based on a configuration data component 64 (config DB1), which includes an individualizing RC number and a base cycle. These data are processed takinq into account data from said Global DB 28 and the number of Cycle DBS 30. The included data are in particular information about the cycles to be processed and the sequences within the cycles. Further, the traffic in the peer-to-peer network is addressed via pear-to-peer (PtP) data components. The sequences refer via pointers (depicted by arrows) to modules Of the Module DBs 34, in which the actual instance data are stored. As finally summarized in Fig. 11, the catalogue of predefined necessary automation functions provided in the interpreter framework 52 in combination with the library of data components provided by the engineering unit 12 is thus translated via said sequence date, said cycle data and said instance data to a running operation program which is stored in a output binary DB 66, a output analogue DB 68 and an instance DB 70. Claims 1. Control and communication system (10) including at least one automation unit (14) being adapted to run an operation program, and an engineering unit (12) being adapted to modify the operation program, the engineering unit (12) including a code-configurator, which is adapted to project automation functions of the operation program in the form of at least one configured data structure and to modify the configured data structure, the at least one automation unit (14) including an interpreter framework (52), which is adapted to include a catalogue of necessary automation functions of the operation program and an empty data structure, the interpreter framework (52) being further adapted to interpret the modified configured data structure and to provide a modified operation program on the basis of the automation functions of said catalogue and the modified configured data structure. 2. Control and communication system according to claim 1, wherein the engineering unit (12) is adapted to send the at least one modified configured data structure to the at least one automation unit (14) by means of the corresponding inter preter framework (52). 3. Control and communication system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the engineering unit (12) is adapted to include an structural image of the operation system of the at least one automation unit (14). 4. Control and communication system according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one automation unit (14) is adapted to switch to the modified operation program while keeping the previous running operation program in a corresponding buffer. 5. Control and communication system according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one automation unit (14) includes a running operation program and is adapted to switch to the modified operation program while running said opera- tion system. 6. Method of modifying an operation program of an automation unit (14) of a control and communication system (10), the control and communication system (10) lux'Lher including an engineering unit (12) being adapted to modify the operation program, the method including the steps of: projecting automation functions of the operation program in the form of at least one configured data structure and modi- fying the configured data structure in the engineering unit (12), providing a catalogue or necessary automation functions of the operation program and an empty data structure in the at least one automation unit (14), sending the modified configured data structure to the at least one automation unit (14), interpreting tho modified configured data structure, and providing a modified operation program on the basis of the automation functions of said catalogue and the modified configured data structure. 7. Method according to claim 6, including the step of sending the modified configured data structure to the at least one automation unit (14) by means of the automation functions provided in the corresponding automation unit (14). 9. Method according to claim 6 or 1, including tho step of including an structural image of the operation system of the at lsast one automation unit in the engineering unit (12). 9. Method according to one of claims 6 to 8, including the step of switching to the modified operation program in the at least one automation unit (14) while keeping the previous running operation program in a corresponding buffer. 10. Method according to one of claims 6 to 9, including the step of running an operation program in the at least one automation unit (14) and switching to the modified operation program while running said operation system. A control and communication system (10) is suggested including at least one automation unit (14) being adapted to run an operation program, and an engineering unit (12) being adapted to modify the operation program, the engineering unit (12) including a code-configurator, which is adapted to project automation functions of the operation program in the form of at least one configured data structure and to modify the configured data structure, the at least one automation unit (14)including an interpreter framework (52), which is adapted to include a catalogue of necessary automation functions of the operation program and an empty data structure, the interpreter framework (52) being further adapted to interpret the modified configured data structure and to provide a modified operation program on the basis of the automation functions of said catalogue and the modified configured data structure.

Full Text

Description
Control and communication system including at least one automation
unit
The invention refers to a control and communication system
including at least one automation on unit being adapted to run
an operation program, and an engineering unit being adapted
to modify the operation program. Further, the invention refers
to a method of modifying an operation program of at
least one automation unit of a control and communication system,
the control and communication system further including
an engineering unit being adapted to modify the operation
program of the corresponding automation unit.
Automation of machinery equipment or plants, such as power
plants, demands flexible and multi-purpose control and communication
systems, in order to project the increasingly complex
adjustment and control objects, in order to put them
into operation and in order to adapt them to changing terms
and conditions.
Although many efforts have been made in order to receive such
control and communication systems, known systems are still
considered to include too many inflexible rules and to be too
complicated in programming and modifying of the corresponding
operation programs.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to pro-
vide a control and communication system and a method for
modifying an operation program of such a system, which are
much easier to amend. Meanwhile, the system and method have
to keep the presently known low standard of error probability
and it should be possible to provide the system and the
method on the basis of presently known automation units, such
as those of the well known SIMATIC family.

The object underlying the invention is solved by a control
and communication eystezn including at least one automation
unit being adapted to run an operation program, and an engineering
unit being adapted to modify the operation program,
the engineering unit including a code-configurator/ which is
adapted to project automation functions of the operation program
in the form of at least one configured data structure
and to modify the configured data structure, the at least one
automation unit including an interpreter framework, which is
adapted to include a catalogue of predefined, necessary automation
functions of the operation program and an empty data
structure/ the interpreter framework being further adapted to
interpret the modified configured data structure and to provid
a modified operation program on the basis of at least
one of the automation functions of said catalogue and the
modified configured data structure. The configured data
structure in particular contain pointers and values and is
used in the interpreter framework to point at the relevant
automation functions (already provided in the said catalogue
of the interpreter framework) and to fill them with the appropriate
values.
In other words, the invention provides a projection of automation
functions of an automation unit in the form of at
least one configured data structure. This data structure just
contains data, but no functions in the common form. The configured
data structure is interpreted at the automation unit
by assigning corresponding automation functions from a catalogue
of automation functions, which was previously included
at the automation unit. By doing so, the invention enables a
modification of projected automation functions at automation
units, which achieves very short times required for generating
and downloading of the modifications.
The solution according to the invention particularly suitable
for control and communication systems of plants, such as
power plants, in which the at least one automation unit and

the engineering unit are each connected to a common communication
bus of a peer-to-peer communication network.
in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the eiigineeriuy
unit is adapted to send the at least one modified configured
data structure to the at least one automation unit by means
of the corresponding interpreter framework. Accordingly, the
interpreter framework additionally provides the functions of
an interface between the engineering unit and the oorrespond-
ing automation unit.
Further preferred, the engineering unit is adapted to include
a structural image of the operation system of the at least
one automation unit. The structural image may serve as a basis
for the projection of automation functions of the operation
program of the corresponding automation unit in the form
of said at least one configured data structure.
The at least one automation unit is advantageously adapted to
switch to the modified operation program while keeping the
previous running operation program in a corresponding buffer.
Alternatively or additionally, the modified configured data
structure is kept in a corresponding buffer of the engineering
unit or the corresponding automation unit.
The at least one automation unit further advantageously includes
a running operation program and is adapted to switch
to the modified operation program while running said operation
system.
The object of the invention is further solved by a method of
modifying an operation program of an automation unit of a
control and communication system, the control and communication
system further including an engineering unit being
adapted to modify the operation program, the mothod including
the steps of projecting automation functions of the operation
program in the form of at least one configured data structure

and modifying the configured data structure in the engineering
unit, providing a catalogue of predefined, necessary
automation functions of the operation program and an empty
data structure in the at least one automation unit, sending
the modified configured data structure to the at least one
automation unit, interpreting the modified configured data
structure at the at least one automation unit, and providing
a modified operation program at the at least one automation
unit on the bases of at least one of the automation functions
of said catalogue and the modified configured data structure.
In a first preferred embodiment, said method includes the
step of sending the modified configured data structure to the
at least one automation unit by means of the automation, functions
provided in the corresponding automation unit.
In a second preferred embodiment, said method includes the
step of including a structural image of the operation system
of the at least one automation unit in the engineering unit.
Further preferred, the method according to the invention includes
the step of switching to the modified operation program
in the at least one automation unit while keeping the
previous running operation program in a corresponding buffer.
Alan preferred, said method includes the step of runniny an
operation program in the at least one automation unit and
switching to the modified operation program while running
said operation system.
By means of the solution according to the invention a shock-
free modification of operation programs in running automation
units can be provided, i.e., the modification can be done
without interruption or impact on the running process. New
functions can be added to the process, internal switchings
and parameters can be amended, and functions can be moved to
other program cycles.

Short "turnarounds" or switching times {according to the in
vention only some seconds are typical) can be achieved for
providing the modified operation program in the corresponding
automation unit in an executable manner.
At the automation unit even the previous operation program
can be rebuild or restored in a shock-free manner after modifications
had been made on the basis of the modified configured
data structure. It is only necessary to switch to the
old data structure, which points to the previous automation
functions and includes values for the previous operation pro-
gram.
The solution of the invention further enables a simulation of
any user-defined input and/or output values in process circuitry
without loosing the possibility to display the actual
process value of the equipment. The user defined value may be
inserted in the configured data structure instead of the actual
process value and may thus form the basis for a simulation
of such value in the following automation function.
A consistency check may be provided on the basis of the solution
according to the invention, which allows to find inconsistencies,
e.g. because of communication malfunctions or
manually made amendments, before placing the projected modifications
into the corresponding automation, unit.
In addition, the invention provides the basis for an automatic
dispatching of automation functions in corresponding
timeframes, in order to receive a balanced processor load of
the automation units for the different and various operation
cycles.
The communication between the engineering unit and the interpreter
framework of the at least one automation unit acrording
to the invention may further be used for a kind of inte-

grated communication mechanism which allows to exchange process
signals (in particular for operation of the automation
units and/or for human/machine interfaces (hmi)) even across
several automation units without needing an additional projection
of such signal transfers.
Further, said communication may be used for an integrated
alarm handling of binary output signals without any additional
circuit. The binary output signals may simply be addressed
by an appropriate automation function which is to be
included in the interpreter framework and may be paged there-
after by a corresponding pointer in the configured data
structure of the engineering unit.
Finally, the solution according to the invention may provide
an integrated quality code for each signal, in that the configured
data structure does not only address a particular
automation function but does further provide quality data for
the corresponding signal which are used in the automation
function for a quality check.
Thus, according to the invention a completely new operation
system was configured in the automation unit and a corresponding
code generator was developed in the engineering
unit. The projected automation functions are entirely described
in the form of data, a time consuming generating of
functions is not necessary. The automation unit interprets
the configured data structures. The interpretation of the operation
structures forms the core or basis for the realisation
of functions of the operation program.
The engineering system particularly receives a complete image
of the operation structures deposited in the automation unit
and configures the necessary data structures in the case of
an activated projecting modification. Thereby all necessary
amendments are transferred to the automation unit in parallel
to the running operation program. upon consistent and com-

plete transfer of all data, the engineering unit will switch
the automation unit to the modified operation structure. In
this way a negative impact on the running operation program
can be ruled out.
The interpreter framework is loaded once at the initialisation
of the automation unit and provides its services thereafter.
The engineering unit uses the services of the interpreter
framework fox- the transfer of the configured projecting
data, thereby defining the functioning of the interpreter
framework. As the interpreter framework includes all necessary
functions and also the empty data structures, an extensive
loading of further data components during activation of
the projecting structures is not needed.
A preferred embodiment of a control and communication system
and a method of modifying an operation program of an automation
unit of a control and communication system according to
the invention is described hereinafter referring to the enclosed
schematical drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic depiction of an embodiment of a
control and communication system according to the invention,
Fig. 2a and 2b show a first list of telegrams or jobs which
are exchangeable between partners of the control and communication
system according to Fig. 1,
Fig. 3a and 3b show a second list of telegrams or jobs which
are exchangeable between the partners of the control and com-
munication system according to Fig. 1,
Fig. 4 shows a third list of telegrams or jobs which are ex-
changeable between the partners of the control and communica
tion system according to Fig. 1,
Fig. 5 shows a forth list of telegrams or jobs which are exchangeable
between the partners of the control and communication
system according to Fig. 1,
Fig. 6 shows a diagrammatic depiction of an embodiment of a
method of modifying an operation program of an automation

unit of a control and communication system according to Fig.
1,
Fig. 7 shows a diagrammatic depiction of the proceeding in
the corresponding automation unit during the method according
to Fig. 6,
Fig. 8 shows a first diagrammatic depiction of the content of
data components during the proceeding according to Fig. 7,
Fig. 9 shows a second diagrammatic depiction of the content
of data components during the proceeding according to Fig. 7,
Fig. 10 shows a third diagrammatic depiction of the content
of data components during the proceeding according to Fig. 7
and
Fig. 11 shows a diagrammatic depiction of the communication
between the partners of the control and communication system
according to Fig. 1.
In Fig. 1 a control and communication system 10 is shown,
which includes an engineering unit 12 or server (Ft-server)
and a number of automation units 14 in the form of SIMATIC S7
control units (only one is shown in Fig. 1). The engineering
unit 12 is operatively connected to the automation unit 14
via a peer-to-peer network 16, wherein the communication includes
four redundant channels 18, 20, 22 and 24 (channel-
no. 0, 1, 2, 3; redundance-no. 0, 1). The units 12 and 14 are
thereby each addressed by means of IP-addresses (IP-adr.) and
the channels 18 to 2 4 are acccoible through appropriate
ports (Port-no.) of the units 12 and 14.
Via the first channel 18, the so called engineering-channel,
signals, telegrams and/or jobs for the installation and modification
of operation programs of the automation units 14 are
transferred. The second channel 20, the so called operate-
channel, serves for transferring signals, telegrams and/or
jobs for the actual operation of the automation unit 14. The
third channel 22, the so called hmi-channel, is used for a
human/machine interface (hmi) between the engineerina unit 12
and the corresponding automation unit 14. Finally, the forth

channel 24, the so called alarm channel, provides alarm handling
between the automation unit 14 and the engineering unit
12.
As will be described in further detail hereinafter, the channels
18 to 24 provide a kind of integrated communication between
the engineering unit 12 and the corresponding automation
unit 14, which allows to exchange process signals (in
particular for modifying operation programs, for operation of
the automation units, for human/machine interfaces (hmi)
and/ox for alarm signals) even across several automation
units without needing an additional projection of such signal
transfers.
In Fig. 2a, 2b a list of those signals 26 (in the form of
telegrams or jobs) is shown, which are transferred between
the engineering unit 12 (Ft-server) and the corresponding
automation unit 14 (programmable logical controller, PLC)
during the installation and modification of operation programs
of the automation unit 14.
The signals 26 include, e.g., an initiation or activation of
a new configuration of an automation program by means of a
signal »£XECUTE». The signal is confirmed by the automation
unit 16 with a telegram acknowledgement via a signal
«TEL_ACK«. The telegram acknowledgement servco a an integrated
quality code for providing a quality check of the communication.
Fig. 3a and 3b show a list of those signals 26 which are
transferred between the engineering unit 12 and the corre-
sponding automation unit 14 during the actual operation of
the automation unit 14. Fig. 4 shows the corresponding hu-
man/machine interface signal transfer, and Fig. 5 shows the
signal transfer in the case of an alarm during operation.

In Fig. 6 a diagrammatic partial depiction of the method of
modifying an operation program of the automation, unit 14 of
the control and communication system 10 according to Fig. 1
is shown.
It is an important aspect of the method, that the new or
modified operation program is not developed in its entirety
at the engineering unit 12 and is transferred to the automation
unit 14 thereafter, but that it is developed in the form
of a configured data structure including just pointers and
values, but not entire functions. The pointers and values are
interpreted by a interpreter framework, which forms a part of
the automation unit 14, but is not depicted in Fig. 6 in detail.
Fig. 6 just shows the processes of this interpretation
of the configured data structure provided by the engineering
unit 12 in principle.
First, the engineering unit 12 provides a number of data components
(DB) at the interpreter framework of the automation
unit 14, in particular a Global DB 28, a Cycle DB 30, a number
of Sequence DBs 32, and a Module DB 34. When starting a
new program execution {e.g., via the signal 26 «EXECUTE«)
at a step 3b, first, an actual cycle DB number is read in a
step 38 from the Global DB 28. Thereafter, an actual sequence
DB number is read in a step 40 from the appropriate Cycle DB
30. The next step 42 reads an actual module instance from the
appropriate Sequence DB 32.
Based on these information, an actual module instance is performed
thereafter in a step 44, using data from the Module DB
34 and providing outputs into Output rm* 46 (and an Instance
DB) .
The next steps 48a, 48b and 50a, 50b check whether the last
module in the sequence list and/or the last Sequence DB 32
are reached and repeat the appropriate steps 38 to 4.4, accordingly.

Dy doing so, the actual automation functions of the operation
program of the automation unit 14 are generated via an interpretation
of the data structure of the data components 28,
30, 32 and 34, which was provided (in a first-time or modified
manner) by the engineering unit 12.
Fig. 7 shows an above mentioned interpreter framework 52 in
further details. The interpreter framework 52 includes a
process 54 (RCvSnd) for receiving and sending data to a telegram
buffer 56 (TelBuff). The telegram buffer 56 communicated
with a process 58 (ProcEs) for processinq enqineerinq services.
The process 58 handles the actual reading and writing
of data components, such as a Cycle DB 30, a number of Se
quence DBs 32, and a number of Module DBs 34. The process 58
further addresses a number of Index DBs and a Force-DB 62 and
writes data to the Output DBs 46. The corresponding telegrams
are received by the interpreter framework 52 over the engineering
channel 1ft and contain one or more jobs. These jobs
are processed by the interpreter framework 52. In errorless
case a positive acknowledgement telegram is sent back. E.g.,
the answer for a signal or telegram DB_READ is a DB_CONTENT
telegram.
Fig. 8 to Fig. 10 are provided for further explaining the
process of interpretation in the corresponding automation
unit 14. The process is based on a configuration data component
64 (config DB1), which includes an individualizing RC
number and a base cycle. These data are processed takinq into
account data from said Global DB 28 and the number of Cycle
DBS 30. The included data are in particular information about
the cycles to be processed and the sequences within the cycles.
Further, the traffic in the peer-to-peer network is addressed
via pear-to-peer (PtP) data components. The sequences
refer via pointers (depicted by arrows) to modules Of the
Module DBs 34, in which the actual instance data are stored.

As finally summarized in Fig. 11, the catalogue of predefined
necessary automation functions provided in the interpreter
framework 52 in combination with the library of data components
provided by the engineering unit 12 is thus translated
via said sequence date, said cycle data and said instance
data to a running operation program which is stored in a output
binary DB 66, a output analogue DB 68 and an instance DB
70.

Claims
1. Control and communication system (10) including at least
one automation unit (14) being adapted to run an operation
program, and an engineering unit (12) being adapted to modify
the operation program,
the engineering unit (12) including a code-configurator,
which is adapted to project automation functions of the operation
program in the form of at least one configured data
structure and to modify the configured data structure,
the at least one automation unit (14) including an interpreter
framework (52), which is adapted to include a catalogue
of necessary automation functions of the operation program
and an empty data structure,
the interpreter framework (52) being further adapted to interpret
the modified configured data structure and to provide
a modified operation program on the basis of the automation
functions of said catalogue and the modified configured data
structure.
2. Control and communication system according to claim 1,
wherein the engineering unit (12) is adapted to send the at
least one modified configured data structure to the at least
one automation unit (14) by means of the corresponding inter
preter framework (52).
3. Control and communication system according to claim 1 or
2, wherein the engineering unit (12) is adapted to include an
structural image of the operation system of the at least one
automation unit (14).
4. Control and communication system according to one of
claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one automation unit (14)
is adapted to switch to the modified operation program while
keeping the previous running operation program in a corresponding
buffer.

5. Control and communication system according to one of
claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one automation unit (14)
includes a running operation program and is adapted to switch
to the modified operation program while running said opera-
tion system.
6. Method of modifying an operation program of an automation
unit (14) of a control and communication system (10), the
control and communication system (10) lux'Lher including an
engineering unit (12) being adapted to modify the operation
program, the method including the steps of:
projecting automation functions of the operation program in
the form of at least one configured data structure and modi-
fying the configured data structure in the engineering unit
(12),
providing a catalogue or necessary automation functions of
the operation program and an empty data structure in the at
least one automation unit (14),
sending the modified configured data structure to the at
least one automation unit (14),
interpreting tho modified configured data structure, and
providing a modified operation program on the basis of the
automation functions of said catalogue and the modified configured
data structure.
7. Method according to claim 6, including the step of sending
the modified configured data structure to the at least one
automation unit (14) by means of the automation functions
provided in the corresponding automation unit (14).
9. Method according to claim 6 or 1, including tho step of
including an structural image of the operation system of the
at lsast one automation unit in the engineering unit (12).
9. Method according to one of claims 6 to 8, including the
step of switching to the modified operation program in the at

least one automation unit (14) while keeping the previous
running operation program in a corresponding buffer.
10. Method according to one of claims 6 to 9, including the
step of running an operation program in the at least one
automation unit (14) and switching to the modified operation
program while running said operation system.

A control and communication system (10) is suggested including at least one automation unit (14) being adapted to run an operation program, and an engineering unit (12) being adapted to modify the operation program, the engineering unit (12) including a code-configurator, which is adapted to project automation functions of the operation program in the form of at
least one configured data structure and to modify the configured data structure, the at least one automation unit (14)including an interpreter framework (52), which is adapted to include a catalogue of necessary automation functions of the operation program and an
empty data structure, the interpreter framework (52) being further adapted to interpret the modified configured data structure and to provide a modified operation program on the basis of the automation functions of said catalogue and the modified configured
data structure.

Documents:

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Patent Number

269236

Indian Patent Application Number

3628/KOLNP/2008

PG Journal Number

42/2015

Publication Date

16-Oct-2015

Grant Date

12-Oct-2015

Date of Filing

04-Sep-2008

Name of Patentee

SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Applicant Address

WITTELSBACHERPLATZ 2, 80333 MUNCHEN

Inventors:

#	Inventor's Name	Inventor's Address
1	ZINGRAF, JOCHEN	BACHWEG 4 90587 OBERMICHELBACH
2	DREBINGER, ANDREAS	GOETHESTR. 36 91074 HERZOGENAURACH

PCT International Classification Number

G05B 19/05

PCT International Application Number

PCT/EP2007/052819

PCT International Filing date

2007-03-23

PCT Conventions:

#	PCT Application Number	Date of Convention	Priority Country
1	10 2006 015 161.5	2006-03-30	Germany