Patent ID: 12231506

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An edge device ED is depicted inFIG.1. The edge device ED comprises operating electronics which stacks for executing a plurality of applications AP1, AP2, APn, and a communication module KB.

The edge device ED is connected to both a first communication network KN1and a second communication network KN2. The first communication network is, for example, a fieldbus of automation technology to which a plurality of network subscribers are connected. The network subscribers are a plurality of field devices FG1, FG2, FG3, FG4, which are designed to detect physical quantities of a method-related process and to influence physical variables of a method-related process. Examples of such field devices FG1, FG2, FG3, FG4are listed in the introductory part of the description. The network subscribers can also be control components or gateways GW1, GW2. The first communication network KN1can be subdivided into a plurality of segments SG1, SG2which have the same protocol or a different protocol. The gateways GW1, GW2hereby serve, for example, as a protocol translation unit between the different segments SG1, SG2. All known fieldbus protocols, for example HART, Profibus PA/DP, Foundation Fieldbus, but also Ethernet protocols, can be used as protocols. It can also be provided that some of the network subscribers are remote I/Os that query the field devices by HART or ASI communication, for example.

The edge device ED cyclically queries data of the network subscribers, which data are subsequently made available to and processed by the end-use applications AP1, AP2, APn. The processed data are transmitted via a second communication network KN2, which is the Internet, to a cloud-based database DB, for example for asset management purposes or for device healthcare purposes.

The end-use applications AP1, AP2, APn are respectively provided with corresponding filters which define network subscribers to be queried. According to the filters, the user applications AP1, AP2, APn communicate the network subscribers to be queried to the communication module KB. The communication module KB then cyclically queries the corresponding network subscribers. A specific query time for a query is estimated per network subscriber. Such a query time consists of an active query time part, which is directly required for requesting, and a passive query time part, which defines a pause between the end of the active querying of one network subscriber and the beginning of the active querying of the next network subscriber. Given a plurality of network subscribers to be queried, the sampling theorem may be violated and errors may thereby occur given highly dynamic measurement curves, for example if peaks in the measured values occur between two queries.

In order to check whether the requirements are still met, a cycle time is determined. That time which elapses until one of the network subscribers is queried again, or more precisely, the same variable, the same type of value etc. is queried again, is referred to as a cycle time. Said cycle time can be determined in that the respective query time is determined by the edge device querying data of the respective subscriber, or in that the respective query time is determined in advance and read by the edge device, for example from a database.

This cycle time is compared with a request time of the first application. The request time is what is known as a “configured” cycle time, and is dimensioned in such a way that all defined network subscribers can be retrieved and the sampling theorem is not violated, such that a measurement curve can be transmitted without errors.

If the cycle time falls short of the request time, this is communicated to the user as a “good case.” Subsequently, further network subscribers can be added. How many additional network subscribers can be added until just before the request time is exceeded is calculated or output for the user by the edge device. What is known as an “available time” is determined for this purpose. This available time is calculated from the difference between the request time and the determined cycle time. Knowing the time of one network subscriber, from this the time of the still-available network subscribers of this type can be calculated.

If the request time is exceeded, this is communicated to the user as a “bad case.” In addition, a measure for reducing the cycle time is communicated to the user. For example, the passive query time part of the individual network subscribers can be reduced in that the next query is respectively started earlier.

It can be provided that each application defines a plurality of network subscribers to be queried, via corresponding filters. Here, a total cycle time is calculated which may not exceed the respective request times of each of the applications. As a measure for reducing the total cycle time, it can be provided to not run through the cycles of each application one after the other, but rather to shift the queries into one another, for example into sufficiently large passive query time parts, whereby the total cycle time is massively reduced.

The method according to the invention is implemented in particular after the initial configuration of an edge device ED, in order to be able to quickly provide feedback as to whether the edge device ED can perform the querying of the desired network subscribers. Advantageously, the method is also implemented after replacing or adding network subscribers.