Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated

Sentech, Inc.

Tjs Development Corporation, Inc.

Allen-bradley Company, LLC

Alan J Campbell

Thomas J Schultz

John Howard Stuedemann

Richard H Radosevich

Rangarajan M Tallam

Russel J Kerkman

John Michael Keller

Joseph Daniel Riley

Gary A Kabitzke

Ronald Rudy Hrlevich

Calvin C Steinweg

Scott D Braun

Paul Thomas Krause

William Edward Floro

Peter John Halpin

Timothy J Murphy

David G Fullington

Mark Luboski

Timothy J Strandt

Steven Terry Seidlitz

Chris K Radtke

Alex Yegorov

Darshini H Mehta

Joseph D Riley

Embodiments of this present disclosure may include an industrial control system that uses a daisy chain communication network to couple point-to-point sensors (P2P sensors) for communication of data between respective P2P sensors and a controller. Each P2P sensor may couple to the daisy chain communication network via accessing circuitry. The accessing circuitry may include switching circuitry and flip-flop circuitry to control when each P2P sensors may communicate with the controller via the daisy chain communication network.

Daisy chaining point-to-point link sensors

A tamper detection apparatus includes a switch and a tamper detection circuit with a non-volatile memory in an industrial product enclosure. In response to the switch detecting a door or panel of an industrial product enclosure being open when an electronic component or system in the enclosure is unpowered, the tamper detection circuit stores a tamper event code in the non-volatile memory. After the electronic component or system is powered, a system processor obtains the tamper event code from the tamper detection circuit and refrains from operating a machine or process pending reset of the industrial product by a user.

Method and apparatus for industrial product tamper detection

A method may include receiving, via a processor, a request to enable movement of a rotor. The method may involve sending a first signal to a mechanical relay system in response to receiving the request, such that the second signal may cause a mechanical relay to close. The mechanical relay system is configured to couple a first conductor to an EM brake. The method may also include sending a second signal to a solid-state relay system after sending the first signal to the mechanical relay system, such that the second signal may cause a solid-state relay to close. The solid-state relay system may couple a second conductor to the EM brake, such that the EM brake may open after receiving power via the first conductor and the second conductor.

Extending the life of electromagnetic brake control circuits

Control circuitry of a motor drive provides commands for operation of power circuitry in cooperation with peripheral circuits and devices, such as converters, inverters, feedback precharge circuits, feedback devices, interfaces, and so forth. The communications with the devices is handled by fiber optic communications circuitry that implements a flexible scheme of dynamic interval communication depending upon the capabilities and design of the peripheral circuit or device. The communication may be in accordance with a plurality of predetermined schemes, each having different data transfer rates, data allocations, and so forth. The schemes may each set communications protocols (e.g., timing) over a high speed interface between the fiber optic communications circuitry on one side and over fiber optic cables to the peripherals on another side.

Motor drive with dynamic interval communication

Control circuitry of a motor drive provides commands for operation of power circuitry based at least in part on signals exchanged with functional circuits, such as for system data and control data, such as feedback of motor or system parameters. The functional circuits may operate at different data rates, with different interrupt intervals, depending upon their capabilities. The control circuitry accommodates all of these flexibly. A physical backplane printed circuit board comprising independent data lines for each functional circuit allows for independent configuration of the data rates, interrupt intervals and communications between the control circuitry and the functional circuits.

Motor drive with independent physical backplane communication

Embodiments of this present disclosure may include a system that include multiple processing devices and an open ring communication bus communicatively coupled to each of the processing devices. Each processing device may use a control application to perform an operation on an industrial automation system. The control application of each processing device may output data related to the operation of the open ring communication bus during a respective timing interval used for communication via the open ring communication bus.

Distributed processing via open ring bus structure

Systems and methods are provided for performing diagnostic testing for multiple motor drives operating in parallel. In one embodiment, the diagnostic testing may involve determining which of the multiple motor drives are in operation and communicating the active configuration of motor drives to testing circuitry. The testing circuitry generates an enable input signal transmitted to the transistor gates in each of the active motor drives. The testing circuitry also generates a power supply input signal transmitted to a DC to DC converter in each of the active motor drives. The responses to the enable input signal and the power supply input signal are measured to determine safety compliance.

Parallel motor drive disable verification system and method

Methods and apparatus are presented for obtaining clock data from Manchester coded serial data streams, in which received data is sampled at a sample rate higher than the serial data baud rate, multi-bit groups of transition bits are generated which individually indicate data transition locations in a corresponding multi-bit sampled data bit group, and clock data is derived using the multi-bit groups of transition bits without requiring receipt of synchronization data or receipt of a separate clock.

Method and apparatus for clock data recovery from Manchester coded serial data stream

Multiple inverter motor drives are interconnected in parallel to provide a common output to a motor. Common control circuitry is coupled to all parallel drives via optical cables and provides signals to power layer circuitry of each inverter for generation, at the power layer, of timing for gate drive signals for the respective inverter power electronic switches. The resulting timing exhibits a high degree of synchronicity such that very little imbalance occurs in the outputs of the paralleled drives, resulting in very low circulating currents.

Parallel power inverter motor drive system

Techniques include systems and methods of synchronizing multiple parallel inverters in a power converter system. In one embodiment, control circuitry is connected to a power layer interface circuitry at each of the parallel inverters, via an optical fiber interface. The system is synchronized by transmitting a synchronizing pulse to each of the inverters. Depending on the operational mode of the system, different data exchanges may occur in response to the pulse. In an off mode, power up and power down data may be exchanged between the control circuitry and the inverters. In an initiating mode, identification data may be transmitted from the inverters to the control circuitry. In an active mode, control data may be sent from the control circuitry to the inverters. In some embodiments, the inverters also transmit feedback data and/or acknowledgement signals to the control circuitry. Power layer circuitry of the inverter adjusts a local clock based upon sampled data from the control circuitry to maintain synchronicity of the inverters between synchronization pulses.

Power layer generation of inverter gate drive signals

A motor drive is provided that includes a control circuit or board and a one or more functional circuits or option boards coupled to the control board, and a profile that includes a configuration for the option board. A method of operating a motor drive that includes loading a profile for a option board coupled to a control board of the controller, wherein the profile comprises a configuration for the option board. A tangible machine-readable medium implementing the method is also provided.

Motor controller having integrated communications configurations

In one embodiment, a motor drive is provided that includes a control board and an option board coupled to the control board via a serial interface, wherein the option board includes a configurable data transfer rate. A method of operating a motor drive that includes configuring a transfer rate of an option board coupled to a control board via a serial interface. A tangible machine-readable medium implementing the method is also provided.

Growing community of inventors

New Berlin, WI, United States of America

Alan J Campbell