Abstract:
Systems and methods for safety data writes for process control networks are disclosed. The system may load changed parameters into a function block implemented by a process control server. The loaded changed parameters may be verified as being within safe limits and correctly entered. The verified changed parameters may be loaded into the field device controllers and the system restarted using the loaded changed parameters. The system may load parameters with an online system and use the loaded changed parameters during a warm restart.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/813,249 filed Jun. 13, 2006 entitled “Safety Data Writes for S7F Systems”, which is incorporated fully herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to process control systems, and more particularly to load data associated with starting or restarting a process control system.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     In the process automation industry, object linking and embedding for process control (OPC) provides a standard for communicating with field devices. This standard allows for accessing process data, alarms, events, and historical process data. In a typical monitoring and control network, one or more servers are equipped with the OPC Server application which receives field device data and stores the data in volatile memory.  
         [0004]     Function Blocks implemented in the field device controller, control the operation of the field devices and overall system, for example, data is constantly being updated through polling functions initiated by the process control server. A client computer is typically equipped with a Human Machine Interface (HMI) application that is used to visualize and interact with the field devices using symbolic images and standard windows widgets (e.g. listbox, textbox, radio button, checkbox). The HMI contains programs/drivers capable of communicating through function blocks with any process control server accessible locally on the same computer or from the network.  
         [0005]     Parameters used to regulate the process control system may need to be altered for specific conditions that may require human observation. However, changes to these parameters may have detrimental effects if the entered parameters are outside acceptable ranges or not carefully considered. Accordingly, an efficient device, system and method are needed for allowing parameters to be altered safely without error by one or more operators. In addition, a device, system and method may need to provide for using restart parameters during warm start or testing other than setting back to the safety cold start parameters.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide systems and methods for safety data writes for process control data. The system may load parameters into a function block implemented by a process control server. The loaded parameters may be verified as being within safe limits and correctly entered. The verified parameters may be loaded into the field device controllers and the system restarted using the loaded parameters.  
         [0007]     Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following features. In one embodiment, the system receives a read back of the changed parameters loaded into the function block. The system acknowledges the changed parameters loaded into the function block by an operator and transmits the changed parameters to field device controller. In another embodiment, the system may prevent transmission of the changed parameters to field device controller. The system diagnoses the reasons or symptoms for why the changed parameters were not transmitted and communicates the diagnoses to the operator. In yet another embodiment, the system reloads the changed parameters in the field device controllers and restarts a warm process control system using the loaded changed parameters.  
         [0008]     It is important to note that the present invention is not intended to be limited to a system or method which must satisfy one or more of any stated objects or features of the invention. It is also important to note that the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention, which is not to be limited except by the following claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     The above and other objectives and advantages of the present invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a generalized schematic of a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary safety data writes system  100  is shown. This type of design is frequently used in the process automation industry. One or more input/output (I/O) devices and/or field devices  102  may be used to measure or calculate various parameters related to a process. The I/Os and field devices  102  may be connected to a process control server  104 . The system  100  may be, for example, a Simatic S7 manufactured by Siemens Automation. The process control server  104  may be equipped with the object linking and embedding for process control (OPC) server application which collects field device data and stores the data in volatile memory. This data is continuously being updated through polling functions initiated by the process control server  104  or by a predetermined reporting cycle that the I/Os and field devices  102  follow to report the status of the I/Os and field devices  102 . The addressing information needed to access the I/Os and field devices  102  is stored in a server&#39;s tag database  106 .  
         [0015]     The server&#39;s database  106  stores function blocks data that are accessible by any client computer  108  with access through a network  110  connected to the process control server  104 . The network  110  may connect to one process control server  104  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) or it may connect to multiple servers. Multiple servers may be used to control separate processes either at the same location or at various separate locations. The network  110  may allow access to any of its connected servers. There may also be more than one client computer  108  connected to the network  110 .  
         [0016]     An exemplary process control server  104  may control each field device through a field device controller  112 . The field device controller may be a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) or other controller. The field device controller may be specific and/or internal to the field device  102  or may be separate and used to operate multiple field devices  102 . The field device controllers  112  may use propriety protocol and connections specific to the controller. Function Blocks processed in the field device controllers  112  may be used to communicate operating parameters to process control server  104 .  
         [0017]     In an exemplary embodiment of the safety data writes system, the client computer  108  may be equipped with a Human Machine Interface (HMI) application  114 . The HMI application  114  may be used to visualize and interact with the field devices  102  using symbolic images and standard windows widgets (e.g. listbox, textbox, radio button, checkbox). The HMI application  114  may contain programs/drivers capable of communicating with any process control server  104  accessible locally on the same computer or from the network  110 .  
         [0018]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a flowchart illustrates a first exemplary method for safety data writes for process control system  200 . The control process is initiated (block  202 ). The initiation may be by operator through the HMI application  114  or a software triggered action. The process control server  104  writes changed parameters into a function block (block  204 ). The parameters may be entered by the operator through the HMI application  114 . The process control server  104  may store the parameters with or linked to the function blocks. The parameters are verified to be within safe limits (block  206 ). The verification may be by displaying the parameters again via the HMI application  114  and/or automated verification of predetermined values stored in the server&#39;s database  106 . The changed parameters may be then be consumed by other function blocks in the field device controllers  112  (block  208 ). The process control system  100  may be restarted using the loaded changed parameters instead of cold startup parameters (block  210 ). The control process is completed and may be reinitiated by the operator or software (block  212 ). The field device controller  112  may default to the startup parameters within the function block for future restarts. The parameters may include variables that may be updated by specified action of the process control network. For example, a counter may be used to limit the number of restarts using parameters of the functions blocks.  
         [0019]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a flowchart illustrates a second exemplary method for safety data writes for process control system  300 . The control process is initiated (block  302 ). The changed parameters are prevented from being transmitted to the field device controller (block  304 ). This may be accomplished by not processing the function block by the process control server  104  or a variety of the other possible reasons, for example, but not limited to, not being able to communicate with the field device controller  112 , or another function block identifying the changed parameters as being outside of safety limits or unauthorized operator and preventing the transmission of parameters. The process control server  104  may diagnose the reasons or symptoms for the startup parameters not transmitted to field device controller  112  (block  306 ). The diagnosis is communicated to the operator via the HMI application  114  and/or stored in the server&#39;s database  106  (block  308 ). The control process is completed and may be reinitiated by the operator or software (block  310 ).  
         [0020]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a flowchart illustrates a third exemplary method for safety data writes for process control system  400 . The control process is initiated (block  402 ). The initiation may be by operator through the HMI application  114  or a software triggered action. The operator requests a change of control parameters of the Human Machine Interface object by HMI application  114  (block  404 ). HMI displays a read back of changed control parameters entered (block  406 ). The process control server  104  may have already loaded the changed parameters into a function block or may hold them in storage by the HMI application  114  or the process control server  104 . The operator via the HMI or automated application acknowledges the change of control parameters (block  408 ). The verified changed parameters are transmitted to the field device controller  112  of the process control network (block  410 ). The process control system  100  may be restarted using the loaded changed parameters instead of cold startup parameters. The control process is completed and may be reinitiated by the operator or software (block  212 ).  
         [0021]     It will be understood that the foregoing is only illustrative of the principles of the invention and that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, such embodiments will be recognized as within the scope of the present invention. Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments, which are presented for purposes of illustration rather than of limitation and that the present invention is limited only by the claims that follow.