Abstract:
A power supply that is capable of supplying power to an input/output channel for an Industrial Process Control System. The power supply includes a primary voltage converter having a first voltage input and a second voltage output, and overvoltage protection components that prevent the second voltage from rising above a predetermined maximum. The power supply includes a first low dropout regulator that is connected to receive the second voltage and to generate a third voltage, a second low dropout regulator that is connected to receive the second voltage and to generate a fourth voltage, and a third low dropout regulator that is connected to receive the fourth voltage and to generate a fifth voltage. The power supply provides an over-voltage fault tolerant self-testable architecture, allows for compact low cost individual channel isolation and fault tolerant EMI/RFI filtration.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/101,773 filed on Oct. 1, 2008 and European Patent Application No. 09157013.5 filed on Mar. 31, 2009, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    a. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    One aspect of the invention relates to supplying power to a module for an Industrial Process Control System and for providing a power supply with over voltage protection in particular for an Industrial Process Control System suitable for:
       Emergency Shutdown systems   Critical process control systems   Fire and Gas detection and protection systems   Rotating machinery control systems   Burner management systems   Boiler and furnace control systems   Distributed monitory and control systems       
 
         [0011]    Such control systems are applicable to many industries including oil and gas production and refining, chemical production and processing, power generation, paper and textile mills and sewage treatment plants. 
         [0012]    b. Related Art 
         [0013]    In industrial process control systems, fault tolerance is of utmost importance. Fault tolerance is the ability to continue functioning safely in the event of one or more failures within the system. 
         [0014]    Fault tolerance may be achieved by a number of different techniques, each with its specific advantages and disadvantages. 
         [0015]    An example of a system which provides redundancy is a Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) system. Using TMR, critical circuits are triplicated and perform identical functions simultaneously and independently. The data output from each of the three circuits is voted in a majority-voting circuit, before affecting the system&#39;s outputs. If one of the triplicated circuits fails, its data output is ignored. However, the system continues to output to the process the value (voltage, current level, or discrete output state) that agrees with the majority of the functional circuits. TMR provides continuous, predictable operation. 
         [0016]    However, TMR systems are expensive to implement if full TMR is not actually a requirement, and it is desirable to utilize an architecture which provides flexibility so that differing levels of fault tolerance can be provided depending upon specified system requirements. 
         [0017]    Another approach to fault tolerance is the use of hot-standby modules. This approach provides a level of fault tolerance whereby the standby module maintains system operation in the event of module failure. With this approach there may be some disruption to system operation during the changeover period if the modules are not themselves fault-tolerant. 
         [0018]    Fault tolerant systems ideally create a Fault Containment Region (FCR) to ensure that a fault within the FCR boundary does not propagate to the remainder of the system. This enables multiple faults to co-exist on different parts of a system without affecting operation. 
         [0019]    Fault tolerant systems generally employ dedicated hardware and software test and diagnostic regimes that provide very fast fault recognition and response times to provide a safer system. 
         [0020]    Safety control systems are generally designed to be ‘fail-operational/fail-safe’. Fail operational means that when a failure occurs, the system continues to operate: it is in a fail-operational state. The system should continue to operate in this state until the failed module is replaced and the system is returned to a fully operational state. 
         [0021]    An example of fail safe operation occurs, for example if, in a TMR system, a failed module is not replaced before a second failure in a parallel circuit occurs, the second failure should cause the TMR system to shut down to a fail-safe state. It is worth noting that a TMR system can still be considered safe, even if the second failure is not failsafe, as long as the first fault is detected and annunciated, and is itself failsafe. 
         [0022]    This invention relates to improved power supplies within a controller controlling an industrial process control system. 
         [0023]    It is advantageous if input or output modules for an industrial process control system are powered with their own independently isolated power supplies. It is desired that the method for generating the isolated power supply for each channel require a minimum number of isolation components. This has benefits in the areas of cost and flexibility. If individual channel isolation supplies of an input module are excited independently then each channel power supply converter may be driven at a unique frequency or phase, providing a reduction in peak radiated and conducted EMI/RFI emissions. 
         [0024]    Ideally, critical systems will be protected from over-voltage faults in the components of their power supplies. Preferably a method of overvoltage protection will provide for the detection of the over-voltage faults, while permitting the system to continue to operate. Ideally any power supply over-voltage fault circuitry is testable in order to detect any faults. 
         [0025]    Preferably common mode noise spikes are suppressed within a power supply. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a power supply that includes a primary voltage converter having a first voltage input and a second voltage output, and overvoltage protection components preventing said second voltage rising above a predetermined maximum. A first low dropout regulator is connected to receive said second voltage and to generate a third voltage. A second low dropout regulator is connected to receive said second voltage and to generate a fourth voltage and a third low dropout regulator is connected to receive the fourth voltage and to generate a fifth voltage. 
         [0027]    In one embodiment said first voltage is greater than said second voltage; said second voltage is greater than said third voltage; said third voltage is greater than said fourth voltage; and said fourth voltage is greater than said fifth voltage. 
         [0028]    The overvoltage protection components may comprise a series fuse and a parallel avalanche diode. 
         [0029]    The power supply accordingly may further comprise a microprocessor connected to each of said low dropout regulators and to said primary voltage converter. The microprocessor is arranged in operation to send a test signal and an enable signal to each low dropout regulator and to receive a monitored voltage from each low dropout regulator and further arranged in operation to apply the test signal to cause a small perturbation in a voltage received by one of said low dropout regulators and said primary voltage converter. The microprocessor monitors the resulting generated voltages and shuts down any one of said low dropout regulators by use of said enable signal. 
         [0030]    The primary voltage converter may utilize a capacitor network comprising two parallel sets of two series capacitors to suppress the propagation of parasitic noise spikes at their source. 
         [0031]    According to another aspect of the invention combinable with one or more of the above aspects, there is also provided a power supply for a channel of an input/output module comprising: a field programmable gate array for generating a pair of complementary square waves on two output pins and a transformer comprising two inputs connected to receive each of said pair of complementary square waves. 
         [0032]    In this aspect, a pair of clamping diodes may be connected to each output pin. 
         [0033]    The power supply may also comprise a damping resistor in series with each transformer input. 
         [0034]    According to another aspect of the invention combinable or useable with one or more of the above aspects, there is provided a power supply system comprising a plurality of power supplies for a plurality of channels of an input/output module and in which each power supply is arranged in operation to generate a pair of complementary square waves at a different frequency to the frequency at which each other pair of complementary square waves is generated. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0035]    Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0036]      FIG. 1  is an illustration showing the architecture of a distributed industrial process control system which uses the apparatus and method of the present invention; 
           [0037]      FIG. 2  illustrates schematically a controller of the industrial process control system illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0038]      FIG. 3  illustrates a possible configuration of a controller; 
           [0039]      FIG. 4  shows various options for an input assembly and output assembly of associated with the controller shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0040]      FIG. 5  shows one possible configuration implementing a two out of three voting strategy; 
           [0041]      FIG. 6  illustrates a second possible configuration for a two out of three voting strategy; 
           [0042]      FIG. 7  is a schematic illustration showing an input module; 
           [0043]      FIG. 8  is a block diagram of a channel of an input module; 
           [0044]      FIG. 9  is a circuit diagram of a power isolator; 
           [0045]      FIG. 10  illustrates an exemplary power supply in accordance with the present invention; and 
           [0046]      FIG. 11  illustrates a noise filtered power supply. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0047]    In the Industrial Process Control System shown in  FIG. 1 , a distributed architecture is designed to be used in different SIL environments, so that if a high SIL is required it can be provided, but if a low SIL is all that is needed, the system can be reduced in complexity in order to reduce unnecessary costs. 
         [0048]    An exemplary Industrial Process Control System  10 , comprises a workstation  12  one or more controllers  14  and a gateway  16 . The workstation  12  communicates with the controllers  14  and the gateway  16  via Ethernet connections  18  to one or more control networks  13 . Multiple Ethernet connections  18  provide redundancy to improve fault tolerance. The workstation  12  may be connected via a conventional Ethernet connection  11  to another external network  15 . 
         [0049]    A controller  14  will now be described in more detail with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
         [0050]      FIG. 2  illustrates a schematic diagram of the controller  14  comprising an input assembly  22 , a processor assembly  24  and an output assembly  26 . In this schematic illustration the input assembly  24  and output assembly  26  are on different backplanes but they may equally well share a single backplane. 
         [0051]    Assemblies  22 ,  24 ,  26  are created from one or more communications backplane portions which have three slots to accommodate up to three modules together with termination assemblies which have one, two, or three slots, and which interface to field sensors and transducers. A termination assembly may straddle two contiguous backplane portions. A module comprises a plug in card with multiple connectors for plugging onto a communications backplane and a termination assembly. 
         [0052]    It will be appreciated that having three slots in a communications backplane portion is one design option and other design options with greater (or fewer) slots are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 
         [0053]      FIG. 3  illustrates a possible physical configuration of the controller  14 . In this embodiment of the invention, the input assembly  22 , output assembly  26  and processor assembly  24  are physically separated from one another by grouping the modules of different types onto separate communications backplanes. 
         [0054]    In the example shown, the input assembly  22  comprises two communications backplane portions,  22 ′,  22 ″. The first backplane portion  22 ′ has a triplex input termination assembly and three input modules  22   a ,  22   b ,  22   c , the second backplane portion  22 ″ has a duplex input termination assembly  22 ″ and two input modules  22   d ,  22   e . The processor assembly  24  comprises a single processor backplane portion  24 ′ having three processor modules  24   a ,  24   b  and  24   c . The output assembly  26  comprises two backplane portions  26 ′,  26 ″. The first backplane portion  26 ′ has a duplex output termination assembly with two output modules  26   a ,  26   b  and the second backplane portion  26 ″ has a simplex output termination assembly with a single output module  26   c.    
         [0055]    The flexibility of the input assembly  22 , will now be described, in more detail with reference to  FIG. 4 . 
         [0056]    An input assembly  22  comprises one or more backplane portions and termination assemblies  22 ′  22 ″  22 ′″ etc. For example, a triplex portion  22 ′ having three modules  22   a ,  22   b ,  22   c  might be used for high availability requirement, a duplex portion  22 ″ having two modules  22   d ,  22   e  might be provided for fault tolerant applications and a simplex portion  22 ′″ with a single module  22   f  might be provided for failsafe applications. The termination assemblies may be provided with different types of field conditioning circuits. For example assembly  22 ′ may be provided with a 24V DC field conditioning circuit  41 , assembly  22 ″ may be provided with a 120V DC field conditioning circuit  42 , and assembly  22 ′″ may be provided with a 4-20 mA field conditioning circuit  43 . Similarly possible configurations are shown for an output assembly  26 . It will be appreciated that numerous configurations of backplane portions and termination assemblies with various different numbers of modules and various different types of field conditioning circuits are possible and the invention is not limited to those shown in these examples. 
         [0057]    Where an assembly provides more than one module for redundancy purposes it is possible to replace a failed module with a replacement module whilst the industrial process control system is operational which is also referred to herein as online replacement (i.e. replacement is possible without having to perform a system shutdown). Online replacement is not possible for a simplex assembly without interruption to the process. In this case various “hold last state” strategies may be acceptable or a sensor signal may also be routed to a different module somewhere else in the system. 
         [0058]    The processor assembly configures a replacement processor module using data from a parallel module before the replacement module becomes active. 
         [0059]    The field conditioning circuits  41 ,  42 ,  43  transform a signal received from a sensor monitoring industrial process control equipment to a desired voltage range, and distribute the signal to the input modules as required. Each field conditioning circuit  41 ,  42 ,  43  is also connected to field power and field return (or ground) which may be independently isolated on a channel by channel basis from all other grounds, depending on the configuration of the input termination assembly. Independent channel isolation is the preferred configuration because it is the most flexible. The field conditioning circuits  41 ,  42 ,  43  comprise simple non active parts and are not online replaceable. 
         [0060]      FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  illustrate the flexibility of the architecture described herein showing different configurations for a triplex system for generating a signal with a high availability requirement. Referring to  FIG. 5 , a three module input assembly  51  receives a signal from a sensor  50  via a field conditioning circuit in termination assembly  54 . The field conditioning circuit  54  transforms the signal to a desired voltage range and distributes the signal to three replicated input modules  53   a ,  53   b ,  53   c . Each input module processes the signal and the results are sent to a two out of three voter  52  to generate a result signal in dependence thereon. 
         [0061]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , replicated sensors  60   a ,  60   b ,  60   c  each send a signal to a respective simplex assemblies  61   a ,  61   b ,  61   c  via respective field conditioning circuits in termination assemblies  64   a ,  64   b ,  64   c . Each input module  63   a ,  63   b ,  63   c  processes the signal and sends an output to a two out of three voter  62  to generate a signal in dependence thereon. It will be appreciated that many variations and configurations are possible in addition to those illustrated here. 
         [0062]      FIG. 7  illustrates schematically an input module  70  in accordance with the present invention: 
         [0063]    An input module  70  comprises eight isolated channels  71 . Each channel  71  receives signals  72 ,  73   a ,  73   b  from field conditioning circuits in a termination assembly  74 . Each channel communicates with a field programmable gate array (FPGA)  75  which interfaces to an backplane (not shown) via a non-isolated backplane interface  76 . Light emitting diodes (LEDs)  77  are used to indicate status of the module via red and green indicators. 
         [0064]    It will be appreciated that having eight channels is one design option and other design options with greater (or fewer) channels are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 
         [0065]    Programmable I/O pins of the FPGA  75  are used to directly drive low power isolated supplies, supplying the channels  71  without the need for additional power amplifiers. 
         [0066]    Referring now to  FIG. 8  the channel  71  is shown in more detail. 
         [0067]    The input channel  71  comprises a blown fuse circuit  111  receiving blown fuse signal  72 , a primary input circuit  113  receiving primary sense signal  73   a  and a secondary input circuit  112  receiving secondary sense signal  73   b . The input channel also comprises microcomputers  114  and  115  for processing signals  72 ,  73   a  and  73   b.    
         [0068]    The input channel  71  further comprises a power isolator circuit  118  receiving power inputs  78  from the FPGA  75  which will be described in more detail below. The signal isolator  20  receives a command signal  80  and returns a response signal  79  which are routed to and from the microprocessor  114 . The signal isolator  120  is not discussed further here. 
         [0069]    Isolated power for each input channel  71  is created with direct drive from pins of the FPGA  75  by complementary square wave signals  78 . Multiple pins of the FPGA may be paralleled to provide greater drive current capability. 
         [0070]      FIG. 9  shows the power isolator  118  in more detail. The signals  78  are input into a transformer  103  (which in the preferred embodiment is an ultra miniature 1:1 or 1:1.5 isolation transformer). Clamping diodes  101  are used to ensure that the output pins of the FPGA  75  are protected from switching transient spikes from the leakage inductance of the transformer  103 . 
         [0071]    Low value damping resistors  102  may be used to absorb ringing from any switching transients. 
         [0072]    The advantages of this approach are the small size, low cost, and small number of components that are required to generate the isolated supply. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, multiple isolated channels  71  are driven with square wave signals having slightly different excitation frequencies or phases to distribute the EMI/RFI peak amplitudes, which provides improved radiated and conducted emissions performance. 
         [0073]    All of the input and output modules require a power supply which is protected from overvoltage faults. 
         [0074]      FIG. 10  is an illustration of a power supply for providing two voltages to an input or output module. The supply is protected from over-voltage faults in such a manner that over-voltage faults can be detected and tolerated as will now be described. 
         [0075]    A primary DC/DC converter  121  provides a 3.4V±1% output from a 24V input. 
         [0076]    This output is not directly protected from an over-voltage fault. However, low dropout linear regulators  122  and  125  discussed below protect downstream circuitry from an over-voltage fault on the DC/DC converter  121 . 
         [0077]    A low dropout linear regulator  122  receives this output where it is regulated down to 3.2V±1%. If the low dropout regulator  122  develops an input-to-output short-circuit fault, the worst case fault, then the output supplied cannot rise above 3.4V, which is still within the acceptable recommended operating range for 3.3V±5% integrated circuitry. 
         [0078]    Extreme over-voltage fault protection components, consisting of a series fuse  123  and transient over-voltage protection avalanche diode  124 , are provided for the case where the DC/DC converter  121  develops an output fault condition where the output would otherwise rise above the tolerance level of the low dropout regulators  122  and  125 . 
         [0079]    A further over-voltage protected output voltage is provided by the combination of a further low dropout regulator  125  providing 1.3V±1% from the 3.4V source and an ultra-low dropout regulator  126 . In this example the ultra low dropout regulator  126  provides 1.2V±1% from the 1.3V source voltage provided by the further low dropout regulator  125 , at an amount of current that is adequate to supply an FPGA core, so that there is no possible short circuit fault that will result in more than 1.3V being applied to an FPGA core and resulting in un-predictable operation. 
         [0080]    A supervisor micro-computer  127  is responsible for enabling the regulators  122 ,  125 ,  126  in sequence after the output from the DC/DC converter  121  has stabilized. This provides a confidence level in the functionality of the linear supplies. 
         [0081]    The supervisor micro-computer  127  may generate a test signal  128  to the converter  121  and/or regulators  122 ,  125 ,  126  to coerce the generated voltages by ±0.5%, allowing the linear operation of the linear regulators to be verified by monitoring the generated voltages via monitor signals  129   a ,  129   b ,  129   c ,  129   d.    
         [0082]    This test can be performed either just at power-up, or periodically during normal system operation if desired. The supervisor micro-computer  127  is also responsible for monitoring the over/under-voltage operation of the linear regulators, and shutting the system down using enable signals in the event of an out-of-tolerance fault using enable signals  130   a ,  130   b ,  130   c.    
         [0083]    An alternative to protecting power supplies from over-voltage faults is to sense the over-voltage condition with a comparator and then “crowbar” the output to deliberately create a short circuit fault which must blow the fuse, but saves the system from the consequences of an over-voltage event. Obviously this alternative would be difficult to test and maintain. 
         [0084]    The advantage of the arrangement of the present is that un-testable crowbar circuits are not required, with their large and un-testable components. 
         [0085]    With an isolated DC/DC power supply such as  121  shown in  FIG. 10  it is desirable to provide noise filtering. 
         [0086]      FIG. 11  illustrates a power supply protection circuit in accordance with the present invention. A capacitor network  119  provides a low impedance path for any high frequency noise spikes due to the interaction of a primary winding being driven by a switching power supply controller, and the primary-secondary coupling parasitic capacitances of a flyback transformer. 
         [0087]    Filter capacitors in the network  119  are sized so that the individual capacitors can withstand the necessary isolation voltage, and the series combination of two of them (half that of a single one) provides enough filtration. The resulting system can withstand a short circuit or open circuit fault of either of the capacitors. 
         [0088]    It will be appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately, or in any suitable combination. 
         [0089]    It is to be recognized that various alterations, modifications, and/or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts described above without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.