Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated

Rockwell Software Inc.

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Clifford J Whitehead, Jr

David Dale Brandt

Dayin Xu

Yi Qiang Yu

Brian Alan Batke

Scott N Sandler

Douglas B Weber

Timothy S Biernat

William J Gibson

Vijayant Kaura

Randall A Havner

Stephen D Ryan

Kam P Yuen

Guolin Zhang

Yi Yu

Gregory S Wilcox

James F Toman

Techniques to facilitate communication between remote industrial assets are disclosed herein. In at least one implementation, a computing system provides a virtual private network (VPN) service for an industrial automation network of an industrial automation enterprise. The computing system communicates with a first gateway system to establish a first connection between a first industrial asset and the VPN service for the industrial automation network. The computing system also communicates with a second gateway system to establish a second connection between a second industrial asset and the VPN service for the industrial automation network, wherein the second industrial asset is located at a disparate location than the first industrial asset. Bi-directional communications are routed between the first industrial asset and the second industrial asset to enable interactions between the first industrial asset and the second industrial asset as if they were directly connected over a same local communication network.

Remote line integration

A system is provided in which a position for each device (relative to other devices) in a topology, and a corresponding device ID for each device, may be predetermined. Then, the predetermined position and corresponding device ID for each device may be compared to actual devices in a topology having preprogrammed device ID's and pre-assigned IP addresses. If the comparison produces a match, the pre-assigned IP addresses in the actual devices may be utilized. However, if the comparison does not produce a match, the condition may be reported for further action.

Internet protocol (IP) addressing using an industrial control program

IP addresses may be allocated to devices in an industrial control system by applying starting address information in combination with each device's relative position in a local network. The starting address information, which may include an IP subnet address, gateway address, subnet mask, subnet size, and/or local network group identifier, may be provided to a first positioned, or 'initiator,' device in a local network. The initiator device may determine its IP address by applying the starting address information and knowledge of being the first positioned device. The initiator device may send the position information and at least a portion of the starting address information to a next device, which may determine its relative position based on the received position information, and which may apply its relative position with the portion of the starting address information to determine its IP address. This process may continue sequentially for each device.

Topology based internet protocol (IP) addressing

An electronic device in an industrial control system may be connected as a network device, such as via EtherNet/IP. The device may be configured to provide an 'unconnected' message notification (or 'active report') when the device detects an enumerated condition, such as an error or deviation. An unconnected message may be a message sent between two or more applications (which may be of the same or different devices) without pre-established communication channel bindings. An unconnected message may include routing path information for routing the message to the host computer, application path information for associating the applications, and data payload information related to at least one of a state of the electronic device and the enumerated condition.

Active report of event and data

A library manager holds related program fragments, for example, control logic fragments and visualization program fragments sharing the same control variables, in library files. Multiple copies of control logic program fragments are instantiated to develop a control program and of the control variable tags for each copy of the control logic program fragments are renamed to prevent conflicts. At a later time, visualization program fragments related to the control logic program fragments are identified by their common origin in the library manger. The control variables of these visual program fragments may then be automatically renamed by using their library files as a guide. The library files may also hold related non-program information.

Library manager for automated programming of industrial controls

A development tool for control programs for industrial controllers develops an area-model detailing equipment and phases of operation of the equipment of a controlled process. This area-model is used as a framework for integrating reusable program fragments together into a cohesive control program. The area-model provides a naming convention for otherwise conflicting variables of the reused control components that preserves the identity of the control variables for subsequent programming. The renaming convention may be tracked so that other program portions stored together with the control program fragments in a library of object templates may be interconnected through the same or other editing systems.

Automated programming system for industrial control using area-model

Growing community of inventors

Cleveland, OH, United States of America

Clifford J Whitehead, Jr