Patent Description:
Accordingly, these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Industrial automation systems may include automation control and monitoring systems. The automation control and monitoring systems may monitor statuses and/or receive information from a wide range of devices, such as valves, electric motors, a wide range of sensors, other suitable monitoring devices, and the like. One or more components of the automation control and monitoring systems, such as programming terminals, automation controllers (e.g., programmable logic controllers (PLCs) or programmable logic devices (PLDs), input/output (I/O) modules, communication networks, operator control stations, and the like may use the statuses and/or received information to provide alerts to operators to change or adjust operation of one or more devices of the industrial automation system (e.g., such as adjusting operation of one or more actuators), to manage the industrial automation system, or the like.

Operator control stations may be implemented using hardwire connections. The use of hardwire implemented control stations involves additional cabling, installation costs, and product costs. Moreover, the operator control stations may also send commands to one or more drives within a control cabinet of the industrial automation system. The drives may be connected to an Ethernet network and the control system of each drive may receive commands and use statuses and/or information to make control decisions. However, hardwire connecting the operator control stations to a communication network may result in a bundle of cables, which may be cumbersome, error-prone, and susceptible to latency issues.

<CIT> relates to Open Motion Control Method and System Using Open Remote Control Driving Scheme. A stand-alone motion controller is provided that is independent of a computer and operates by receiving a remote control command in a standard interface from an external host system such as a HMI (Human Machine Interface). An open motion control method and system are provided in which a motion controller can drive a motor by instructing a new command even before an upper system receives a result of the execution even during a previous old command.

<CIT> relates to an operator interface terminal for correlating data points to time points. An operator interface terminal receives individual data points from a machine at individual time points. The operator interface terminal correlates the individual data points to the individual time points as the data points are received. The operator interface terminal transfers the data points correlated to the time points to a central information system. The operator interface terminal receives a control instruction from an operator. The operator interface terminal processes the control instruction to transfer a control signal to the machine, wherein the control signal drives the machine to operate based on the control instruction.

<CIT> relates to a plug and play motor control system. An approach to connecting components within a motor control system and configuring the motor control system is provided. A communication gateway component is provided that facilitates connection of components, such as a motor starter, an operator interface, and a terminal block, through a digital communication link. The digital communication link employs digital communication cables that allow multiple types of data to be transmitted over a single cable. Accordingly, a single data cable can be employed to connect the operator interface to the communication gateway component, and a single data cable can be employed to connect each of several components (e.g., the motor starter) to the communication gateway component. The operational components are connected directly to the communication gateway via discrete wiring or via a communication link.

<CIT> relates to a system and method for incorporating an inline inductor into a connector. A multi-drop cable communicatively couples a plurality of industrial automation components. The multi-drop cable includes a plurality of transmission lines extending between a plurality of nodes. An electrical connector is disposed at a first node of the plurality of nodes. The electrical connector includes a printed circuit board (PCB) layer and one or more pins that connect to one or more respective transmission lines. The transmission lines include single pair Ethernet (SPE) conductors, a switched power (SP) pair, a pair of network power (NP) conductors, and a select line conductor.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to simplify wiring and installation of an operator control station for an industrial automation system.

According to the invention, an operator control station of an industrial automation system according to claim <NUM> is provided.

According to the invention, an industrial automation system according to claim <NUM> is provided.

According to the invention, method according to claim <NUM> is provided.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detail description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:.

When introducing elements of various embodiment of the present disclosure, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of these elements.

Industrial automation systems may be used in various contexts, such as a manufacturing plant, a resource extraction system, a hydrocarbon extraction site, a chemical refinery facility, an industrial plant, a power generation system, a mining system, a brewery, or the like. For example, in a resource extraction system context, a drive associated with a control system may control load and position of a rod pump to perform an oil extraction process. Although examples are provided with regard to specific contexts, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that these examples are not intended to be limiting and that the techniques described herein can be used with any suitable context.

To improve operation of industrial automation systems, components of the industrial automation system (e.g., supervisory control system) may monitor performance of one or more devices (e.g., operator control station) with respect to the industrial automation process as a whole. Statuses and/or information from the one or more components (e.g., supervisory control system) may be transmitted to respective control systems of drives associated with the one or more devices via an Ethernet network. Respective control systems of the drives may use the statuses and/or information to make control decisions related to the one or more devices controlled or coupled to the drive. As mentioned above, each drive may be housed in a control cabinet associated with the industrial automation system, and each drive may include a control system to control operations of respective components (e.g., load devices, motor). To enable the supervisory control system to receive statuses and/or information from the one or more devices (e.g., operator control station), each device may be connected to an Ethernet network. In some cases, each device may be connected to the Ethernet network via a separate Ethernet cable. However, wiring each device to the Ethernet network via an Ethernet cable may be cumbersome, cost inefficient, and result in a bundle of Ethernet cables, which may be difficult to maintain.

As such, it may be desirable to connect operator control stations to the Ethernet network while reducing the number of wires and overall installation cost, increasing transmission speed, and the like. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides techniques for connecting operator control stations using a single pair Ethernet (SPE) cable.

As used herein, single pair Ethernet (SPE) conductors may include a single pair of twisted wire for transmitting and receiving data. Non-limiting examples of SPE conductors include SPE cables, SPE wires, SPE traces, and SPE bars. As used herein, a gateway communication device may be a communication device that is directly (e.g., no intervening components) connected to the Ethernet network. The gateway communication device may serve to connect two or more networks and provide a routing function. That is, the gateway communication device may receive data or status information from components (e.g., supervisory control systems) of the industrial automation system from the Ethernet network and facilitate routing of the data or status information to respective destination drives. The gateway communication device may also receive data (e.g., control signal) from other drives and facilitate routing of the data to respective destination components via the Ethernet network. Based on the data or status information received via the gateway communication device (e.g., performance of the component), a respective control system of a respective drive may make a control decision. A drive may control torque, power, speed, direction, or any suitable operation of a respective component. For example, a variable frequency drive (VFD) may control a speed of a motor based on a command received from the gateway communication device via the Ethernet network. The SPE conductors may be used to couple the operator control stations to the Ethernet network, such as, via the gateway device.

By way of introduction, <FIG> illustrates an example industrial automation system <NUM> employed by a food manufacturer in which the present embodiments described herein may be implemented. It should be noted that although the example industrial automation system <NUM> of <FIG> is directed at a food manufacturer, the present embodiments described herein may be employed within any suitable industry, such as automotive, mining, hydrocarbon production, manufacturing, and the like. That is, the following brief description of the example industrial automation system <NUM> employed by the food manufacturer is provided herein to help facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of how the embodiments described herein may be applied to industrial devices to significantly improve the operations of the respective industrial automation system based on the current configuration of the equipment in the industrial automation system. As such, the embodiments described herein should not be limited to be applied to the example depicted in <FIG>.

Referring now to <FIG>, the example industrial automation system <NUM> for a food manufacturer may include silos <NUM> and tanks <NUM>. The silos <NUM> and the tanks <NUM> may store different types of raw material, such as grains, salt, yeast, sweeteners, flavoring agents, coloring agents, vitamins, minerals and preservatives. In some embodiments, sensors <NUM> may be positioned within or around the silos <NUM>, the tanks <NUM>, or other suitable locations within the example industrial automation system <NUM> to measure certain properties, such as temperature, mass, volume, pressure, humidity, and the like.

The raw materials be provided to a mixer <NUM>, which may mix the raw materials together according to a specified ratio. The mixer <NUM> and other machines in the example industrial automation system <NUM> may employ certain industrial automation devices <NUM> to control the operations of the mixer <NUM> and other machines. The industrial automation devices <NUM> may include controllers, input/output (I/O) modules, motor control centers (MCCs), motors, human machine interfaces (HMIs), operator control stations, contactors, starters, sensors <NUM>, actuators, conveyors, drives, relays, protection devices, switchgear, compressors, sensor, actuator, firewall, network switches (e.g., Ethernet switches, modular-managed, fixed-managed, service-router, industrial, unmanaged, etc.) and the like.

The mixer <NUM> may provide a mixed compound to a depositor <NUM>, which may deposit a certain amount of the mixed compound onto conveyor <NUM>. The depositor <NUM> may deposit the mixed compound on the conveyor <NUM> according to a shape and amount that may be specified to a control system for the depositor <NUM>. The conveyor <NUM> may be any suitable conveyor system that transports items to various types of machinery across the example industrial automation system <NUM>. For example, the conveyor <NUM> may transport deposited material from the depositor <NUM> to an oven <NUM>, which may bake the deposited material. The baked material may be transported to a cooling tunnel <NUM> to cool the baked material, such that the cooled material may be transported to a tray loader <NUM> via the conveyor <NUM>. The tray loader <NUM> may include machinery that receives a certain amount of the cooled material for packaging. By way of example, the tray loader <NUM> may receive <NUM> ounces of the cooled material, which may correspond to an amount of cereal provided in a cereal box.

A tray wrapper <NUM> may receive a collected amount of cooled material from the tray loader <NUM> into a bag, which may be sealed. The tray wrapper <NUM> may receive the collected amount of cooled material in a bag and seal the bag using appropriate machinery. The conveyor <NUM> may transport the bagged material to case packer <NUM>, which may package the bagged material into a box. The boxes may be transported to a palletizer <NUM>, which may stack a certain number of boxes on a pallet that may be lifted using a forklift or the like. The stacked boxes may then be transported to a shrink wrapper <NUM>, which may wrap the stacked boxes with shrink-wrap to keep the stacked boxes together while on the pallet. The shrink-wrapped boxes may then be transported to storage or the like via a forklift or other suitable transport vehicle.

To perform the operations of each of the devices in the example industrial automation system <NUM>, the industrial automation devices <NUM> may be used to provide power to the machinery used to perform certain tasks, provide protection to the machinery from electrical surges, prevent injuries from occurring with human operators in the example industrial automation system <NUM>, monitor the operations of the respective device, communicate data regarding the respective device to a supervisory control system <NUM>, and the like. In some embodiments, each industrial automation device <NUM> or a group of industrial automation devices <NUM> may be controlled using an operator control station <NUM>. The operator control station <NUM> may generate and/or receive data regarding the operation of the respective industrial automation device <NUM>, other industrial automation devices <NUM>, user inputs, and other suitable inputs to control the operations of the respective industrial automation device(s) <NUM>.

The operator control station <NUM> may have access to configuration data associated with the connected industrial automation devices <NUM>. That is, the operator control station <NUM> may include memory or a storage component that stores information concerning the configuration of each industrial automation device <NUM> connected to it. In some embodiments, the information or configuration data may be populated or input by an operator at the time the respective industrial automation device <NUM> is installed. Additionally, the operator control station <NUM> may query the connected industrial automation device <NUM> to retrieve configuration data, such as model number, serial number, firmware revision, assembly profile, and the like. In some embodiments, the supervisory control system <NUM> may collect configuration data from multiple operator control stations <NUM> and store the information in a suitable memory or storage component.

In some embodiments, the industrial automation devices <NUM> (e.g., operator control stations) may include a communication feature that enables the industrial automation devices <NUM> to communicate data between each other and other devices. The communication feature may include a network interface that may enable the industrial automation devices <NUM> to communicate via various protocols such as Ethemet/IP, ControlNet, DeviceNet, ProfiNet, ModBus TCP, BacNet/IP, or any other industrial communication network protocol. Alternatively, the communication feature may enable the industrial automation devices (e.g., operator control stations) to communicate via various wired, such as Ethernet (e.g., single pair Ethernet (SPE), drive serial interface (DSI), and the like, or wireless communication protocols, such as Wi-Fi, mobile telecommunications technology (e.g., <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, LTE, <NUM>), Bluetooth, near-field communications technology, and the like).

As mentioned above, the industrial automation devices <NUM> may be controlled using a local control system. In certain embodiments, the local control system may be disposed within a respective drive <NUM>. One or more drives <NUM> may be disposed in a control cabinet (e.g., a low voltage motor control center <NUM>) of the industrial automation system <NUM>. Along with the one or more drives <NUM>, the control cabinet may include one or more gateway communication devices <NUM> of the industrial automation system <NUM>. In some embodiments, the one or more gateway communication devices <NUM> may be enclosed in a different housing than the one or more drives <NUM>. For example, each gateway communication device <NUM> may be enclosed in a separate housing than each drive <NUM>. In other embodiments, at least one gateway communication device <NUM> and at least one drive <NUM> may be integrated together in a common housing.

The gateway communication device <NUM> may receive data (e.g., status information) from components (e.g., supervisory control system, operator control station) of the industrial automation system <NUM> via a communication network (e.g., Ethernet network) and may facilitate routing of the data to a respective destination drive via Ethernet connection <NUM>. In some embodiments, the gateway communication device <NUM> may be a drive with the ability to interface with the communication network. Based on receiving data form components of the industrial automation system <NUM> via the gateway communication device <NUM>, a respective drive <NUM> may make a control decision. In some embodiments, the components, such as the supervisory control system, the operator control station, and the like, may make the control decision, and the gateway communication device <NUM> may transmit the data related to the control decision to a respective drive <NUM>. For example, the drive <NUM> may control torque, power, speed, direction, or any suitable operation of a respective industrial automation device <NUM> (e.g., load device). That is, the drive <NUM> may include drive circuitry, such as switches (e.g., diodes, IGBTs, thyristors), that convert single-phase or multi-phase alternating current (AC) voltage into a controllable AC voltage that may be used to perform control operations for a load device, such as a motor. In addition, the gateway communication device <NUM> may receive data from the drives <NUM> via the Ethernet connection <NUM> and route the data to components via the communication network.

With the foregoing in mind, <FIG> illustrates an embodiment of the low voltage motor control center <NUM> including the operator control station <NUM>, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The low voltage motor control center <NUM> may include one or more drives <NUM> to control one or more motors. Each drive <NUM> may include a control system for controlling the one or more motors and may also include a communication component, a processor, a memory, a storage unit, input/output ports, an image sensor (e.g., a camera), a location sensor, a display, additional sensors (e.g., vibration sensors, temperature sensors), and the like. The communication component may be a wireless or wired communication component that may facilitate communication between the drive <NUM> and other devices (e.g., the operator control station <NUM>). The operator control station <NUM> may be communicatively coupled to the gateway <NUM>, the one or more drives <NUM>, and/or any other devices of the industrial automation system via the Ethernet connection <NUM>. The operator control station <NUM> may generate and may transmit data and/or signals via the Ethernet connection <NUM> to the gateway <NUM>, the one or more drives <NUM>, and/or any other suitable devices and may transmit the data and/or signals according to a SPE Ethernet protocol. For example, the operator control station <NUM> may receive a user input via one or more user input interfaces, as described herein, and may generate and may transmit signals and/or data based on the received user input.

In some embodiments, the gateway <NUM> may receive control signals from other control systems (e.g., the operator control station) via the Ethernet connection <NUM> and may provide these signals to each drive <NUM>. In some embodiments, the Ethernet connection <NUM> may be implemented by a ribbon cable and may include multiple (e.g., seven) wires. For example, the ribbon cable may transmit a select signal, a network power positive signal, a network power negative signal, a control power positive signal, a control power negative signal, and a Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) cable via seven conductors. The SPE may include one pair of conductors to facilitate Ethernet transmission of data. The SPE conductors may carry a SPE positive signal and a SPE negative signal, which may provide network communication functionality across the Ethernet network and to each device connected to the Ethernet network. The SPE positive signal and SPE negative signal may be a part of a bus and/or multi-drop topology (e.g., a topology where multiple data endpoints couple to a same communication bus). Communication transmitted via the SPE conductors may follow the SPE Ethernet protocol. By communicatively coupling the operator control station <NUM> and other components of the industrial automation system via the gateway <NUM> and the SPE conductors, the present embodiment reduces the size of the communication cables used to interconnect different components via an Ethernet network as compared to other communication conductors including standard Ethernet cables. Moreover, the SPE conductors provide for up to <NUM> Megabytes/second transmission rate across <NUM>,<NUM> meters, thereby enabling multiple components to be connected to the gateway <NUM>.

With the foregoing in mind, <FIG> illustrates an embodiment of the low voltage motor control center <NUM> including the operator control station <NUM>, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The low voltage motor control center <NUM> may include one or more starters <NUM> and each starter <NUM> may include one or more safety relays and/or one or more safety contactors. The one or more starters <NUM> may include Low Voltage Soft Starters, Medium Voltage Soft Starters, Low Voltage Starters, or any combination thereof. Each starter <NUM> may start and monitor motors and drives of the industrial automation system. The operator control station <NUM> may be communicatively coupled to the gateway <NUM>, the one or more starters <NUM>, and/or any other devices of the industrial automation system via the Ethernet connection <NUM>. The operator control station <NUM> may generate and may transmit data and/or signals via the Ethernet connection <NUM> to the gateway <NUM>, the one or more starters <NUM>, and/or any other suitable devices and may transmit the data and/or signals according to a SPE Ethernet protocol. For example, the operator control station <NUM> may receive a user input via one or more user input interfaces, as described herein, and may generate and may transmit signals and/or data based on the received user input.

With the foregoing in mind, <FIG> illustrates a schematic diagram of the operator control station <NUM>, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The operator control station <NUM> may include a controller <NUM> that may control operation of the control station <NUM> and may process data acquired by the operator control station <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may be provided in the form of a computing device, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC). The controller <NUM> may include at least one processor, such as processor <NUM>, and at least one memory, such as memory <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, the operator control station <NUM> may also include user input interface(s) <NUM>, data acquisition circuitry <NUM>, a display <NUM>, and an SPE communication interface <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may process acquired data and/or may translate acquired data to provide communication via the SPE communication interface <NUM> coupled to an Ethernet network <NUM>. For example, the processor <NUM> may transmit one or more data signals in the Ethernet communication protocol from the SPE communication interface <NUM> and communication port <NUM> to one or more devices communicatively coupled via the Ethernet connection <NUM> to the Ethernet network <NUM>. Likewise, the controller <NUM> may receive data signals in the Ethernet communication protocol via the SPE communication interface <NUM> and communication port <NUM>. In certain embodiments, the operator control station <NUM> may include additional elements not shown in <FIG>, such as additional data acquisition and processing controls, additional display panels, multiple user interfaces, and so forth.

The user input interface <NUM> may be capable of receiving an input from a user to adjust operation of one or more devices of an industrial automation system. In some embodiments, the user input interface <NUM> may include any number of push buttons 66A, switches 66B (e.g., toggle switches, selector switches, and so forth), pendant stations, lights 66C (e.g., LEDs, pilot lights, and so forth), any other suitable operating interface, or any combination thereof. For example, the user input interface <NUM> may include a start push button to initiate an operation for a device of an industrial automation system, a stop push button to end operation/shut off operation of the device, a selector switch to select an operating mode of the device, and a pilot light to indicate faults with the operator control station and/or the device. In certain embodiments, the user input interface <NUM> may be a portion of the display <NUM>. For example, the user input interface <NUM> may be a touch screen. In another embodiment, the input interface <NUM> may be a push button with an LED indicator that acts as the display <NUM>. The display <NUM> may provide an indication of a current operating mode of the operator control station <NUM> and/or one or more devices of the industrial automation system. The display <NUM> may include one or more lights and/or an indication on a touch screen display to display an operating mode of the operator control station <NUM>.

The data acquisition circuitry <NUM> may be communicatively coupled to the processor <NUM> and may include receiving and conversion circuitry. The data acquisition circuitry <NUM> may receive data from one or more devices of the industrial automation system and may transmit the data to the processor <NUM>. In certain embodiments, the data acquisition circuitry <NUM> may be communicatively coupled to the SPE communication interface <NUM> and may receive data from one or more devices of the industrial automation system via the SPE communication interface <NUM>. For example, the SPE communication interface <NUM> may be an Ethernet communication interface and may enable communication between the Ethernet network <NUM> and one or more devices of the industrial automation system.

In some embodiments, the memory <NUM> may include one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media that store instructions executable by the processor <NUM> and/or data to be processed by the processor <NUM>. For example, the memory <NUM> may include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), rewritable non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, hard drives, optical discs, and/or the like. Additionally, the processor <NUM> may include one or more general purpose microprocessors, one or more application specific processors (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or any combination thereof. Further, the memory <NUM> may store data obtained via one or more devices of the industrial automation system and/or algorithms utilized by the processor <NUM>.

The SPE communication interface <NUM> may enable communication between the operator control station <NUM> and components (e.g., gateway(s), motor(s), drive(s), starter(s), and so forth) of an industrial automation system via the Ethernet network <NUM>. The Ethernet network <NUM> may be a logical partition of a network and each device connected to the logical partition may have a portion (e.g., identifier) of an associated Internet Protocol (IP) address that corresponds to the logical partition. In certain embodiments, the processor <NUM> may receive and/or may translate data signals between the Ethernet communication protocol and any other suitable communication protocol to facilitate generation and transmission of signals from the operator control station <NUM> to one or more components of the industrial automation system. For example, the processor <NUM> may receive and/or may transmit data signals via the SPE communication interface <NUM> and communication port <NUM>. In some embodiments, the operator control station <NUM> may be communicatively coupled to the Ethernet network <NUM> via the Ethernet connection <NUM> (e.g., SPE conductors).

With the foregoing in mind, <FIG> illustrates an example embodiment of the operator control station <NUM>, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The operator control station <NUM> may include any number of user input interfaces, such as user input interfaces 66A, 66B, 66C, 66D. In certain embodiments, a first user input interface 66A may be a selector switch and may adjust an operating mode of one or more devices of the industrial automation system. For example, the selector switch may be moved to select a desired operating mode for one or more devices. In response to movement of the selector switch and selecting the desired operating mode, the processor of the operator control station <NUM> may generate and may transmit a signal to one or more devices and/or to a gateway to adjust operation of the one or more devices. For example, the signal may instruct the one or more devices to operate according to the selected operating mode and/or the signal may instruct the gateway to generate and transmit a second signal to adjust the operating mode of the one or more devices according to the selected operating mode.

In some embodiments, a second user input interface 66B may be a push button and may power down and/or shut off operation of one or more devices of the industrial automation system. For example, the processor of the operator control station <NUM> may generate and may transmit a signal in response to the second user input interface 66B receiving an input from a user. Additionally or alternatively, the second user input interface 66B may include an indicator to provide a visual indication of a power status (e.g., power off) of the one or more devices. For example, the second user input interface 66B may include a red pilot light that may activate to indicate no power is currently supplied to the one or more devices. In certain embodiments, a third user input interface 66C may be a second push button and may power on and/or start operation of one or more devices of the industrial automation system. For example, the processor of the operator control station <NUM> may generate and may transmit a signal in response to the third user input interface 66C receiving an input from a user. Additionally or alternatively, the third user input interface 66C may include an indicator to provide a visual indication of a power status (e.g., power on) of the one or more devices. For example, the third user input interface 66C may include a green pilot light that may activate to indicate power is currently supplied to the one or more devices.

A fourth user input interface 66D may be a pilot light to provide a visual indication of an error and/or fault associated with one or more devices and/or the operator control station <NUM>. For example, the fourth user input interface 66D may be a yellow pilot light and may activate to indicate a fault and/or an error assiciated with the one or more devices. The operator control station <NUM> may also include a housing <NUM> and the housing may contain at least one of the components of the operator control station <NUM> of <FIG>. According to the invention, the operator control station <NUM> incorporates plurality of user input interfaces and each user input interface is a separate node of the In-cabinet Bus communication network. According to the invention, each user input interface of the operator control station <NUM> is connected in series and passes generated messages to adjacent user input interfaces for transmission to a destination component associated with the generated message. As such, the wiring and installation of the operator control station <NUM> may be greatly simplified due to the connections. For example, a message transmitted via an In-cabinet Bus infrastructure disposed between a user input interface of the operator control station <NUM> and the destination component may not be interrupted by data or control signals transmitted from other user input interfaces or other components of the operator control station <NUM>. That is, adjacent user input interfaces and/or components or intermediary user input interfaces and/or components between the user input interface of the operator control station <NUM> and the destination component may be bypassed during transmission of the single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet. In some embodiments, the operator control station <NUM> may include one or more communication components (e.g., ports, modems, network switches) that couple to the single pair Ethernet (SPE) conductors <NUM> to transmit single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packets to the destination component.

While <FIG> illustrates four user input interfaces, in other embodiments, any number of user input interfaces may be included and many other embodiments are envisaged. For example, more or fewer user input interfaces may be included in other embodiments of the operator control station. Additionally or alternatively, the operator control station may include any number of user input interfaces, any number of push buttons, any number of switches, any number of LEDs, any other suitable indicators, any other suitable interfaces, and so forth.

With the foregoing in mind, <FIG> illustrates a flowchart of a process <NUM> for routing data (e.g., control instructions, status information and performance of load devices) from the operator control station to the components (e.g., gateway <NUM>, control system of drives <NUM>, starters <NUM>, relays, and so forth), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Although the following description of the process <NUM> will be discussed as being performed by the processor <NUM> of the operator control station <NUM>, it should be noted that any suitable computing component may perform the process <NUM>. In addition, although the process <NUM> is described in a particular order, it should be noted that the process <NUM> may be performed in any suitable order.

At block <NUM>, the operator control station <NUM> may receive a user input, for example, at user input interface <NUM> of <FIG>. The processor <NUM> may receive data associated with the user input and/or may parse and/or analyze the user input and generate data associated with the user input. Additionally or alternatively, the processor <NUM> may generate a control signal based on the user input. For example, the processor <NUM> may determine the user input corresponds to a pressing a shut off input interface and the processor <NUM> may generate a control signal to shut off and/or power down one or more devices of the industrial automation system.

At block <NUM>, based on parsing and/or analyzing the user input received from the user input interface <NUM> of <FIG>, the processor <NUM> may identify a component (e.g., drive <NUM>, starter <NUM>) that corresponds to the received user input. In some embodiments, the data associated with the user input includes a destination internet protocol (IP) address that helps operator control station <NUM> determine the destination component.

In some cases, the data associated with the user input received and/or generated by the operator control station <NUM> may not be in a format or a state that is suitable for being routed using the single pair Ethernet (SPE) conductors <NUM>. As such, if the data is not in a suitable format, at bock <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may convert the data into a single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet that is suitable for transmission via the single pair Ethernet (SPE) conductors <NUM>. The single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet includes internet protocol (IP) address, control information, load data, and so forth associated with single pair Ethernet (SPE) protocol.

Based on determining the destination component and converting the data to the single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet, at block <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may transmit the single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet to the destination component via the via the single pair Ethernet (SPE) conductors <NUM>. In some embodiments, the processor <NUM> may transmit the single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet to the gateway <NUM> of <FIG>, the gateway <NUM> may then forward the single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet to a control system of the drive <NUM>, and the drive <NUM> may forward the SPE data packet to an adjacent component, and so forth until the destination component receives the single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet. That is, each control system of the respective component, upon receiving the single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet, determines whether it is specified to process the single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet. If the control system determines that it is indeed specified to process the single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet, the control system processes the single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet. Otherwise, the control system may forward the single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet to an adjacent component without processing it. In other embodiments, the operator control station <NUM> may transmit the single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet via an In-cabinet Bus directly to the destination control system without transmitting the packet to an intermediary control system. For example, a message transmitted via an In-cabinet Bus infrastructure disposed between the operator control station <NUM> and the destination component may not be interrupted by data or control signals transmitted from intermediary components. That is, adjacent components or intermediary components between the operator control station <NUM> and the destination component may be bypassed during transmission of the single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packet. In some embodiments, the operator control station <NUM> may include one or more communication components (e.g., ports, modems, network switches) that couple to the single pair Ethernet (SPE) conductors <NUM> to transmit single pair Ethernet (SPE) data packets to the destination component.

With the foregoing in mind, <FIG> illustrates a schematic diagram of low voltage motor control center units 50A, 50B, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The low voltage motor control center unit 50A may include any number of starters, such as starter 58A. In some embodiments, the low voltage motor control center units 50A, 50B may be a single low voltage motor control center having any number of starters and/or any number of corresponding operator control stations. Additionally or alternatively, the low voltage motor control center units 50A, 50B may be separate low voltage motor control centers. In certain embodiments, the low voltage motor control center unit 50A may include only the starter 58A. The low voltage motor control center unit 50A may include any type of starter, such as a full voltage non-reversible (FVNR) starter, a direct on-line (DOL) starter, a full voltage reversible (FVR) starter, or a direct on-line reversing (DOLR) starter. The operator control station 42A may be communicative coupled to the starter 58A via the SPE conductors <NUM> and may control one or more operations of the starter 58A. The operator control station 42A may be configured based on the type of starter 58A. For example, if the starter is a FVNR or DOL starter, the operator control station 42A may include at least four components, such as a first component (e.g., selector switch) to switch the starter 58A between automatic and manual operation, a second component (e.g., illuminating push button) to provide an indication of an operational status (e.g., running, stopped, fault, and so forth) of the starter 58A and to stop operation of the starter 58A, a third component (e.g., second illuminating push button) to provide a different indication of an operational status (e.g., running, stopped, fault, and so forth) of the starter 58A and to start operation of the starter 58A, and a fourth component (e.g., third illuminating push button) to provide another different indication of an operational status (e.g., running, stopped, fault, and so forth) of the starter 58A and to reset operation of the starter 58A.

The second operator control station 42B may be configured based on the type of starter 58B. For example, if the starter is a FVR or DOLR starter, the second operator control station 42B may include at least four components, such as a first component (e.g., a selector switch) to switch the second operator control station 42B between local mode and remote mode operation, a second component (e.g., a second selector switch) to switch operation (e.g., forward, reverse, off) of the starter 58B, a third component (e.g., LED indicator) to provide an indication of an operational status (e.g., running, stopped, fault, and so forth) of the starter 52B, and a fourth component (e.g., illuminating push button) to provide a different indication of an operational status (e.g., running, stopped, fault, and so forth) of the starter 52B and to reset operation of the starter 52B. In local mode operation, the second operator station 42B and starter 58B may communicate directly via the SPE conductors <NUM> and the second operator station 42B may directly control operation of the starter 58B. For example, the second operator station 42B and starter 52B may communicate without intermediate components, such as gateway <NUM> or any other suitable controller (e.g., a programmable logic device). In remote mode operation, the second operator station 42B and/or the starter 58B may be controlled by an intermediate component, such as gateway <NUM> or any other suitable controller (e.g., a programmable logic device). A connector interface <NUM> may couple the low voltage motor control center units 50A, 50B to the gateway <NUM> via the SPE conductors <NUM>. The gateway <NUM> may supply DC power to the low voltage motor control center units 50A, 50B and a controller <NUM>, the gateway <NUM>, and/or the operator stations 42A, 42B may identify components on the In-cabinet Bus network. For example, the controller <NUM>, the gateway <NUM>, and/or the operator stations 42A, 42B may determine a type of starter and may program components (e.g., operator control station, starters, contactors) based on the type of starter. The controller <NUM> may be any suitable automation controller, such as a programmable logic device, a programmable logic controller, and the like. The controller <NUM> may be provided in the form of a computing device, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC). The controller <NUM> may include at least one processor and at least one memory. In some embodiments, the memory may include one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media that store instructions executable by the processor and/or data to be processed by the processor. For example, the memory may include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), rewritable non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, hard drives, optical discs, and/or the like. Additionally, the processor may include one or more general purpose microprocessors, one or more application specific processors (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or any combination thereof. Further, the memory may store data obtained via one or more devices of the industrial automation system and/or algorithms utilized by the processor.

In some embodiments, the operator control station may include any number of modular components (e.g., user input interfaces) and the modular components may be selected based on a desired operation of the low voltage motor control center. For example, the number and/or the type of user input interfaces (e.g., selector switch, push button, LED indicator, and so forth) may be selected and configured according to a desired operation. In certain embodiments, the user input interfaces may be initially configured and/or reconfigured by any number of software operations. For example, the operator control station may be communicatively coupled to the Ethernet network via the SPE conductors and the operator control station may receive configuration instructions to configure any number of user input interfaces.

As mentioned above, in some complex industrial automation systems <NUM>, one or more controllers and/or other industrial automation components (e.g., variable frequency drives (VFDs), PLCs, programmable automation controllers (PACs), contactors, starters, overload protection components, fuses, circuit breakers, disconnects, short circuit protectors, etc.) may be combined into an enclosure or cabinet and referred to as an MCC. <FIG> is a front view of an embodiment of an MCC <NUM>. As shown, the MCC <NUM> includes an enclosure <NUM> that is divided into vertical sections <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. Each section may be further divided into one or more buckets <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, which may be configured to receive units. The units may include, industrial automation components configured to perform industrial automation functions. The units may thus include, for example, motor controllers, VFDs, PLCs, PACs, contactors, starters, overload protection components, fuses, circuit breakers, disconnects, short circuit protectors, and so forth. In some embodiments, the size of each bucket <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may be customized to the type of unit the bucket <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> is configured to receive. In other embodiments, different MCCs <NUM> may be available preconfigured with differently sized buckets. As shown, the cabinet doors <NUM> of some buckets may include disconnect switches <NUM> for disconnecting the respective unit from the MCC <NUM>. Accordingly, to remove a unit, a user may actuate the disconnect switch <NUM> (e.g., from "on" to "off") to electrically disconnect the unit from the MCC <NUM>. The user may then open the cabinet door <NUM>, and physically remove the unit from the enclosure <NUM>. If the unit is being replaced with a different unit, the new unit may be physically installed in the bucket <NUM>, the cabinet door <NUM> closed, and the disconnect switch <NUM> actuated (e.g., from "off" to "on").

The units within an MCC <NUM> may join a wired In-cabinet Bus network by coupling to a multidrop cable that extends through the MCC enclosure <NUM>. <FIG> depicts a portion of the multidrop cable <NUM> for use within the MCC <NUM> of <FIG>. The illustrated portion of the multidrop cable <NUM> may include one or more terminals <NUM> positioned along transmission lines <NUM>. The terminal <NUM> may include a slot <NUM> to facilitate electrical connection of an industrial automation device via a tap circuitry (not shown) to the transmission lines <NUM>. A node may include the terminal <NUM> and a respective connected tap circuitry. In some embodiments, the terminals <NUM> may be referred to as "drops", while the portions of transmission lines <NUM> extending between terminals may be referred to as "trunks" <NUM>. Accordingly, the term "multidrop" in multidrop cable <NUM> refers to the cable <NUM> having multiple terminals <NUM> to which components may be connected. The transmission lines <NUM> may include electrical conductors 208A-<NUM>. It should be noted that different number of terminals <NUM> may be used in different embodiments with the multidrop cable <NUM> in the MCC <NUM>.

The multidrop cable <NUM> may facilitate communication between the nodes using various communication protocols. Hence, the number of conductors of transmission lines <NUM> and the arrangement of the conductors may vary based on the communication protocol being used by the MCC <NUM>. For example, the multidrop cable <NUM> may use an industrial Ethernet network protocol (EtherNet/IP). The terminals <NUM> may each include respective tap circuitry that may facilitate connection of various industrial automation components to the transmission lines <NUM> of the multidrop cable <NUM>. The connectors may facilitate power transmission and/or communication between the input/output signals of the respective node and the transmission lines <NUM> of the multidrop cable <NUM>.

The MCC <NUM> may facilitate data communication between different numbers of nodes in different configurations and different directions using the multidrop cable <NUM>. For example, the MCC <NUM> may communicatively connect motor controllers, VFDs, PLCs, PACs, contactors, starters, overload protection components, fuses, circuit breakers, disconnects, short circuit protectors, etc. within the MCC <NUM> using one or multiple multidrop cables <NUM>. Also, a node may take any shape or form as long as the connection adhere to the communication protocol of the multidrop cable <NUM>. For example, a sensor may be positioned on a tap circuitry, and the tap circuitry may connect to a slot <NUM> of the terminal <NUM> to communicate with one or multiple other nodes connected on the multidrop cable <NUM> through the transmission lines <NUM>.

<FIG> depicts a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of the transmission lines <NUM> of the multidrop cable <NUM> using EtherNet/IP protocol. It should be noted that the multidrop cable <NUM> is not intended to be limited to the EtherNet/IP protocol or the depicted conductors 208A-<NUM> shown in <FIG>. The multidrop cable <NUM> may employ other communication protocols and/or other combination of conductors in different embodiments. Also, the transmission lines <NUM> may include cables with different wire gauge or conductive materials for different applications.

The transmission lines <NUM> may include single pair Ethernet (SPE) conductors <NUM>, a switched power (SP) <NUM> pair, a pair of network power (NP) conductors 306A and 306B, and a select line conductor <NUM>. The SPE <NUM> may include a first and a second conductor to enable transmission of a differential signal. In certain embodiments, the SPE <NUM> may be a single pair Ethernet cable and the SP <NUM> and the NP 306A and 306B may carry Direct Current (DC) power. The SPE <NUM> conductors may transmit communication signals and the SP <NUM> conductors may transmit signals in the form of switched electrical power between different nodes. In some embodiments, the SPE <NUM> and/or the SP <NUM> may deliver electrical power to one or multiple nodes to power actuators, contactors, and sounders, among other things. The NP 306A and NP 306B conductors may provide electrical power to one or multiple nodes. In some embodiments, the NP 306A and NP 306B conductors may power the communication circuits and/or microcontrollers of the respective one or multiple nodes. Furthermore, the select line conductor <NUM> may communicate a select line signal to facilitate identification and configuration of nodes. The select line conductor <NUM> may transmit communication signals and/or facilitate communication or transmission of power signals by the SPE <NUM> conductors and/or the SP <NUM> conductors. For example, the select line conductor <NUM> may include identification numbers associated with selection of a node on the multidrop cable <NUM>. It should be noted that in different examples a selected node by the select line conductor <NUM> may perform different functions associated with the selected node.

As such, it may be desirable to connect operator control stations to the Ethernet network while reducing the number of wires and overall installation cost, increasing transmission speed, and the like. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides techniques for connecting operator control stations using a single pair Ethernet (SPE) cable. By employing the techniques described in the present disclosure, the systems described herein may allow for connecting operator control stations to the Ethernet network while reducing the number of wires and overall installation cost, increasing transmission speed, and the like.

While only certain features of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art.

Claim 1:
An operator control station (<NUM>) of an industrial automation system (<NUM>), comprising:
a plurality of user input interfaces (66A, 66B, 66C, 66D) configured to receive a user input, wherein each of the plurality of user input interfaces is a separate node of an In-cabinet Bus communication network, and wherein each of the plurality of user input interfaces is connected in series and passes generated messages to adjacent user input interfaces for transmission to a destination component associated with the generated message;
a communication interface (<NUM>) configured to communicate with one or more devices of the industrial automation system, including a first device via an Ethernet communication protocol, wherein the communication interface comprises a Single Pair Ethernet, SPE, communication interface;
a controller communicatively coupled to the communication interface, wherein the controller is configured to perform operations comprising:
generating a signal based on the user input, wherein the signal is configured to instruct the first device to control at least one component of the industrial automation system; and
providing the signal to the communication interface for transmission to the first device via the Ethernet communication protocol.