iled description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a network diagram depicting network A coupled to network B and a master computer;
FIG. 2 illustrates an object-oriented model and classes that are used to clone I/O devices;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating operational steps for cloning the I/O devices;
FIG. 4 illustrates a graphical user interface (GUI) for selecting a device object that will be cloned to create new device objects;
FIG. 5 illustrates a GUI for an exemplary device object that allows attributes or parameters to be set;
FIG. 6 illustrates a GUI for configuring parameters for a first device object;
FIG. 7 illustrates cloning of the first I/O device;
FIG. 8 illustrates a network neighborhood GUI of the master computer;
FIG. 9 illustrates a GUI showing target systems that are auto-discovered; and
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 10 illustrates a GUI that enables cloning of the I/O devices of the target systems and modification of the attributes or parameters of the I/O devices.
The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
The present invention uses an object oriented model for specifying and configuring industrial input/output (I/O) networks and devices. The unique object oriented model of the present invention allows greater ease and flexibility for specifying attributes or properties of different I/O devices that are connected to the networks. The object oriented model is used to automatically clone devices, their attributes or properties. The present invention provides a powerful mechanism—particularly in situations where the industrial I/O network and devices are configured off-line.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a network diagram depicts a local master control computer 10 or a remote master computer 10′ that is connected to an I/O device 12-1 and an 1/O device 12-2 via a network A 16. A network B 20 is connected to the network A 16 through a gateway 24. The network A 16 and the network B 20 can be similar or different types of networks. Additional devices (e.g., device 12-3, . . . 12-n) are connected to the network B 20.
For example in a first exemplary system, the network A 16 is an Ethernet network and the network B 20 is a Honeywell proprietary network. Still other network types are contemplated and may be employed without departing from the present invention. The master control computer 10 and/or 10′ is a computer running Microsoft® Windows®. The I/O devices 12 include but are not limited to: RF (radio frequency) barcode readers; sensors (e.g., temperature sensors); actuators (e.g., relays); motor starters; and other industrial I/O devices.
One existing problem (that the present invention overcomes) is the difficulty in configuring multiple I/O devices 12 that exist on multiple networks. For example, a factory may have 168 motor starters on one or more interconnected networks. Each motor starter may have over 100 attributes and/or properties. Examples of motor starter attributes include a current and voltage limits. Prior approaches have used time-consuming ways to configure the characteristics of the networked devices 12.
As is shown in FIG. 2, the present invention uses an object oriented model 50 to clone the I/O devices 12, including the I/O devices 12 that are on different I/O networks 52. Industrial devices are expressed in the control software on the master control computer 10 and/or 10′ using an object oriented model 50 according to the present invention. The object oriented model 50 creates a class structure that includes a device class 64.
As a non-limiting example, the device class includes an analog class 66, a digital class 70, and other related device classes 72. Through a property of inheritance 76, the I/O devices 12 that are instantiated from the analog class 66 automatically inherit the attributes, properties and/or operations of the analog class 66. Thus, the user does not have to retype attributes and perform initialization operat