JP7123666B2 - Wireless communication equipment and communication system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to wireless communication devices such as wireless field devices installed in plants, factories, and the like.

In power plants, gas plants, steam plants, factories, etc., wireless networks conforming to the industrial wireless standard ISA100.11a and the like are constructed. For example, gateways, wireless field devices (wireless communication devices), etc. are connected to the network. The wireless field devices are ISA100.11a devices, and include pressure gauges, differential pressure gauges, thermometers, level gauges, flow meters, and the like. A wireless field device transmits measured values (measured values) and the like to a data collection server or the like via a gateway.

The field wireless devices described above have operation modes. The operation mode is switchable among a plurality of modes including Automatic (Auto), Out Of Service (OOS), and the like. Auto is a mode indicating a normal operating state, and during this operating mode, measurements etc. are sent to the data collection server with a status of "GOOD". OOS is a mode indicating out of service and during this mode of operation measurements etc. are sent to the data collection server with a status of "BAD".

More specifically, when the operation mode of a field wireless device is Auto, the data collection server that receives the measured values from this field wireless device processes the measured values as normal data. On the other hand, when the operation mode of the wireless field device is OOS, the data collection server that receives the measured value from this wireless field device does not process the measured value as normal data. Therefore, in order for the data to be processed as normal data, it is necessary to set the operation mode of the wireless field device to a mode indicating a normal operation state, such as Auto.

A field wireless device that is an ISA100.11a device is set to OOS, which is an initial setting, as an operation mode when it is shipped from the factory or when the battery is replaced. It is also necessary to set to OOS when a test (WCI test) for ISA100.11a operation authentication is executed. This is because the WCI test has an item to confirm that the initial setting is OOS. The WCI test is performed on field wireless devices via a gateway by a terminal device that sets and manages the network.

In order to switch the operation mode from the initial setting (OSS) to Auto, if the gateway has a setting change function, a switching instruction (mode change command) is sent from the terminal device that performs network settings and management via the gateway to the field wireless device. should be sent to Alternatively, the operator may move to the place where the field wireless device is arranged and operate the terminal device directly connected to the field wireless device by short-range communication to switch.

There is also a configuration in which switching of the operation mode of the device is performed using a switch connected to the outside of the device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2002-247178

In the configuration of the field wireless device having the operation modes described above, if the connected gateway does not have a mode change function, the operation mode cannot be switched from a remote location, and the operation mode cannot be changed from the initial setting (OOS). It is difficult to switch to the mode immediately. Therefore, it is difficult to cause the data collection server or the like to immediately start normal processing of the measured values or the like.

As described above, since the WCI test includes an item for confirming that the initial setting is OOS, it is difficult to set the initial setting to a mode such as AUTO.

The present invention provides a wireless communication device, etc., in which the operation mode is changed from the initial setting to another mode as early as possible even when the operation mode of the wireless communication device cannot be changed using another device such as a gateway. intended to

A wireless communication device provided by the first aspect of the present invention includes communication control means and setting means. The communication control means controls wireless communication with other devices including gateways connected via a wireless network. The setting means sets the operation mode by switching between a plurality of modes including at least a first mode as an initial setting and a second mode different from the first mode. Further, in a predetermined state in which the connection with the gateway is disconnected, the communication control means connects with the gateway, the setting means sets the first mode as the operation mode, and the connection with the gateway is completed. When the predetermined time has passed after the first mode, the operation mode is switched from the first mode to the second mode.

If the setting means receives an instruction to switch from the first mode to another mode from another device before the predetermined time elapses, the setting means switches the operation mode based on the switching instruction, and switches to the second mode after the elapse of the predetermined time. may not be switched.

The predetermined time may be set to be longer than the time required for a test conducted through the gateway and including an item for confirming that the mode after connection is the first mode.

The communication system provided by the second aspect of the invention comprises a plurality of devices including wireless communication devices and gateways. A wireless communication device includes communication control means and setting means. The communication control means controls wireless communication with other devices including the gateway connected via a wireless network. The setting means sets the operation mode by switching between a plurality of modes including at least a first mode as an initial setting and a second mode different from the first mode. Further, in a predetermined state in which the connection with the gateway is disconnected, the communication control means connects with the gateway, the setting means sets the first mode as the operation mode, and the connection with the gateway is completed. When the predetermined time has passed after the first mode, the operation mode is switched from the first mode to the second mode.

According to the present invention, even if the operation mode of the wireless communication device cannot be changed using another device such as a gateway, the operation mode can be changed from the initial setting to another mode as early as possible. Therefore, it is possible to start acquisition of measured values and the like in the normal operation state earlier, and reduce the burden on the operator who changes the operation mode.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication system; FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a wireless field device (wireless communication device); FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a table showing the data structure of an analog input object and the relationship between operation modes and statuses; 4 is a flowchart showing mode switching processing of a wireless field device;

A communication system and a wireless communication device according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the structure of this invention is not limited to each embodiment. Further, the order of various processes constituting various flows described below is random as long as there is no contradiction in the processing contents.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication system 100. As shown in FIG. Communication systems are applied, for example, to systems that monitor equipment deployed in power plants, gas plants, steam plants, factories, and the like. A communication system 100 includes field wireless devices 1A to 1C, a gateway 2, a terminal device 3, a server 4, and the like.

The field wireless devices 1A to 1C are wireless communication devices (ISA100.11a devices) that are connected to other devices including the gateway 2 via the wireless network 50 and perform wireless communication conforming to ISA100.11a. The field wireless devices 1A to 1C are, for example, sensor devices such as flowmeters and temperature sensors, and valve devices such as on-off valves. In this embodiment, sensor devices having sensors such as temperature sensors will be described as wireless field devices 1A to 1C. The wireless field devices 1A to 1C measure, for example, the temperature of steam traps distributed in a steam plant. Then, the field wireless devices 1A to 1C transmit the measured values to the server 4 or the like via the gateway 2. FIG.

The gateway 2 performs wireless communication conforming to ISA100.11a with the field wireless devices 1A to 1C. Also, the gateway 2 is connected to the terminal device 3, the server 4, and the like via the IP network 60, and performs communication with the terminal device 3, the server 4, and the like by the IP protocol. The gateway 2 relays data such as measured values transmitted and received between the terminal device 3 and the server 4 and the field wireless devices 1A to 1C.

In addition, the gateway 2 also performs a process of permitting connection to a new field wireless device and a process of executing a test (WCI test) for authenticating the operation of ISA100.11a in response to an instruction from the terminal device 3 or the like. Note that the above test is a test prescribed by WCI, which is a certification body, and has a general configuration, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The terminal device 3 is, for example, a personal computer, and configures and manages the wireless network 50 including the wireless field devices 1A to 1C via the gateway 2. FIG. In addition, the terminal device 3 receives a start of execution of the WCI test from the operator, instructs the gateway 2 to execute the test, and displays the test result (data log) acquired via the gateway 2 on a display device such as a liquid crystal display. Let

The server 4 is a data collection server that acquires (collects) data such as measured values measured by the field wireless devices 1A to 1C via the gateway 2 . The collected data is used, for example, to monitor the operational status of equipment deployed in plants and the like.

The wireless field devices 1A to 1C may be configured to be directly connected to the gateway 2 in the wireless network 50, or may be configured to be connected to the gateway 2 via a relay device such as a router. good too.

Next, hardware configurations of the field wireless devices 1A to 1C will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the field wireless device 1A. Note that the field wireless devices 1B and 1C also have the same configuration as the field wireless device 1A, so description thereof will be omitted.

The field wireless device 1A has a controller 11A, a communication controller 12A, a memory 13A, a sensor 14A, and the like. The field wireless device 1A is driven by a battery power supply (not shown) such as a built-in lithium battery.

The control unit 11A is composed of a CPU, a ROM, a memory, etc., and controls the operation of the entire device based on programs, data, etc. stored in the ROM. Specifically, the control unit 11A generates a process industries user application object such as an analog input object and an analog output object having a data structure conforming to ISA100.11a. An analog input object is an analog value input, and as shown in FIG. 3A, for example, consists of data such as a measurement value and a status by the sensor 14A. Information as shown in FIG. 3B is set in the status according to the operation mode at the time of measurement of the measured value.

The operation mode is the operation mode of the device main body, and is set by switching between a plurality of modes. 11 A of control parts operate|move based on an operation mode. In this embodiment, there are three modes: Automatic (AUTO), Manual (MAN), and Out Of Service (OOS). AUTO is the normal operating mode. MAN is a mode in which input values and output values are manually set. OOS is a mode indicating service stop of object creation. OOS is also a mode that is initially set as an operation mode.

The status is set to either GOOD or BAD. GOOD indicates that the measured value is normal data. BAD indicates that the measured value is not normal data. Therefore, even if the server 4 receives a BAD status measurement value, it does not treat it as normal data.

As shown in FIG. 3B, when the operation mode is other than OOS, the status is set to GOOD. If the operation mode is OOS, the status is set to BAD. In addition, in the case of BAD, the reason for the BAD is also included in the status. The status "BAD_OOS" in FIG. 3B means BAD because the operation mode at the time of measurement is OOS.

The control unit 11A stores, for example, the measured value obtained from the sensor 14A and the status corresponding to the operation mode at the time of measurement in the memory 13A as an analog input object. Then, the analog input object is transmitted from the communication control unit 12A to the server 4 or the like through the gateway 2 together with the device ID and the like.

In addition, the control unit 11A functions as setting means for switching and setting the operation mode between a plurality of modes. The control unit 11A switches the operation mode when receiving a mode change command. A mode change command is transmitted from the terminal device 3 to the field wireless device 1A via the gateway 2 by the operator, for example. Operation mode setting information may be stored in the memory 13A, for example.

Note that the control unit 11A sets the operation mode to the initial setting (OOS) when the device is reset even if there is no instruction to change the mode from the operator. A reset may, for example, receive a reset request (command) during a WCI test run. In the WCI test, it is a test item to confirm that the resetting field wireless device 1A is reconnected (Join) to the gateway 2 in the OOS operation mode after the reset request.

Reset is also executed when the power of the field wireless device 1A is turned off. For example, the field wireless device 1A is powered off when the power supply battery is replaced.

When the reset is executed, the field wireless device 1A returns to, for example, the factory shipping state (initial state). In this case, the data in the memory 13A are also erased. Then, the control unit 11A sets the operation mode to the initial setting (OOS). That is, OOS is set as setting information for the operation mode of the memory 13A. Initial setting information is stored in, for example, a ROM.

Moreover, the connection with the gateway 2 is also disconnected by executing the reset. By executing the resetting, the provisioning information required for connection with the gateway 2 or the like is also erased from the memory 13A. Reconnection is possible.

The control unit 11A causes the communication control unit 12A to reconnect to the gateway 2 when the connection with the gateway 2 is disconnected. Further, the control unit 11A switches the operation mode from OOS to AUTO when the reconnection is completed and a predetermined time has passed. That is, in a predetermined state in which the connection with the gateway 2 is disconnected due to reset execution, etc., the control unit 11A reconnects with the gateway 2 and sets (initializes) OOS as the operation mode. Then, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the connection with the gateway 2 was completed, the control unit 11A switches the operation mode from OOS to AUTO.

Note that in the present embodiment, the predetermined time is set to a time (for example, 15 minutes) that is longer than the time required from the start to the end of the WCI test execution. The predetermined time is set to the time required to complete the test item for confirming that the reset field wireless device 1A reconnects (Joins) to the gateway 2 in the OOS operation mode in the WCI test. good too.

The communication control unit 12A has a wireless communication circuit and is connected to the gateway 2 via the wireless communication network 50. FIG. The communication control unit 12A controls wireless communication with other devices such as the gateway 2, the terminal device 3, and the server 4 in compliance with ISA100.11A. The memory 13A is, for example, an EEPROM, and stores data relating to measurement values such as analog input objects, operation mode setting information, provisioning information, and the like, as described above. The sensor 14A transmits measured values such as the temperature of the target equipment to the control unit 11A.

Next, mode switching processing of the field wireless device 1A will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Since the mode switching processing of the wireless field devices 1B and 1C is the same, the description is omitted. The mode switching process is started by the control unit 11A when the connection with the gateway 2 is reconnected after a predetermined state in which the connection with the gateway 2 is disconnected, such as reset execution.

The control unit 11A performs initial setting for setting the operation mode to OOS (step S10). Specifically, the setting information of the operation mode of the memory 13A is assumed to be OOS. Next, the control unit 11A determines whether or not a command to change the mode to AUTO has been received from the gateway 2 (step S11). As described above, the operator may operate the terminal device 3 to cause the gateway 2 to transmit a mode change command. Note that the mode change command may be received from a device other than the gateway 2 .

When the command for mode change to AUTO is received (step S11: YES), the control unit 11A shifts to the process of step S13 and switches the operation mode from OOS to AUTO. On the other hand, if the command to change the mode to AUTO has not been received (step S11: NO), the controller 11A determines whether or not a predetermined time (15 minutes) has passed (step S12). That is, the control unit 11A determines whether or not a predetermined time has passed since the connection with the gateway 2 was completed. Although not shown, the control unit 11A starts clocking when the connection with the gateway 2 is completed.

If the predetermined time has not elapsed (step S12: NO), the control section 11A returns to the process of step S11. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has passed (step S12: YES), the controller 11A switches the operation mode from OOS to AUTO (step S13). Specifically, the setting information of the operation mode of the memory 13A is changed from OOS to AUTO. After that, the control unit 11A terminates the mode switching process.

As described above, in the wireless communication device (wireless field devices 1A to 1C), when a predetermined time has passed since the connection with the gateway is completed, the operation mode is changed from the first mode (OOS) to the second mode (AUTO). can be switched to Therefore, even if the operation mode of the wireless communication device cannot be changed using another device such as a gateway, the operation mode can be changed from the initial setting as early as possible. Therefore, it is possible to start acquisition of measured values and the like in the normal operation state earlier, and reduce the burden on the operator who changes the operation mode.

Further, as shown in the process of step S11, when the command for mode change is received before the predetermined time has passed since the connection with the gateway 2 is completed, the operation mode is changed without waiting for the predetermined time. Therefore, it is possible to start acquisition of measured values and the like in a normal operating state earlier. Note that the process of step S11 may not be provided.

Note that the number of field wireless devices in the above embodiment is not particularly limited, and any number can be adopted.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the operation mode is switched from OOS to AUTO in the mode switching process, but it may be switched from OOS to MAN. Furthermore, although three types of modes (OOS, AUTO, MAN) are switched and set as operation modes, the present invention is not particularly limited to these. At least two or more of the initially set mode and the modes other than the initially set mode may be set as operation modes. Also, the name of the mode is not particularly limited.

Also, in the above embodiments, the wireless field devices 1A to 1C have been described as an example of wireless communication devices, but the present invention is not particularly limited to this. Any wireless communication device may be employed as long as it has an operation mode.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the operation mode is set to OOS after the connection with the gateway is established, but it is not particularly limited to this. For example, OOS may be set as the operating mode just before a connection is made with the gateway.

Also, in the above-described embodiment, the execution of reset is described as a predetermined state, but the present invention is not particularly limited to this. The predetermined state may be a state in which the connection between the wireless communication device and the gateway is disconnected and the operation mode should be set to the first mode (initial setting).

The present invention provides a wireless communication device that performs wireless communication with another device including a gateway connected via a wireless network, in the case where the operation mode of the wireless communication device cannot be changed using another device such as the gateway. Even so, it is useful to change the operation mode from the initial setting to another mode as early as possible.

1A to 1C Wireless field devices (wireless communication devices)
2 gateway 3 terminal device 11A control unit (setting means)
12A communication control unit (communication control means)
50 wireless network 60 IP network 100 communication system

Claims (4)

communication control means for controlling wireless communication with other devices including gateways connected via a wireless network;
setting means for setting an operation mode by switching between a plurality of modes including at least a first mode as an initial setting and a second mode different from the first mode;
including
In a predetermined state in which the connection with the gateway is disconnected,
The communication control means connects with the gateway,
The setting means sets the first mode as the operation mode, and switches the operation mode from the first mode to the second mode when a predetermined period of time has passed since connection with the gateway was completed .
wireless communication equipment. When the setting means receives an instruction to switch from the first mode to another mode from another device before the predetermined time elapses, the setting means switches the operation mode based on the switching instruction. not performing a switch to said second mode;
A wireless communication device according to claim 1 . The predetermined time is set to be longer than the time required for a test conducted through the gateway and including an item for confirming that the mode after connection is the first mode.
3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 or 2. In a communication system having multiple devices including wireless communication devices and gateways,
The wireless communication device is
communication control means for controlling wireless communication with other devices including the gateway connected via a wireless network;
setting means for setting an operation mode by switching between a plurality of modes including at least a first mode as an initial setting and a second mode different from the first mode;
including
In a predetermined state in which the connection with the gateway is disconnected,
The communication control means connects with the gateway,
The setting means sets the first mode as the operation mode, and switches the operation mode from the first mode to the second mode when a predetermined period of time has passed since connection with the gateway was completed .
Communications system.

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