JP7516794B2 - Slave Device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a slave device.

In the field of factory automation (FA), various types of devices that share the work process are controlled. In order to link together the various controllers, control devices that control sensors and actuators used in the processes within a certain area such as a factory facility, and manufacturing equipment, an industrial network called a field network has been constructed to connect these devices.

A typical field network uses a master-slave system consisting of various slave devices and a master device. An example of a slave device is a gateway device that connects devices such as sensors, controllers, and actuators to the field network via the slave devices. A master device is a device called a programmable logic controller (PLC), for example, that centrally manages such slave devices.

In such field networks, a large number of communication cables are laid between each device to construct the network. Ethernet/IP is an example of such a field network system (ETHERNET: registered trademark).

JP 2007-316770 A

In FA gateway devices, it is necessary to be able to easily plug and unplug cables on-site for process changes, setup changes, etc. In order to make it easier for managers and workers (hereinafter referred to as managers) of processes to which a field network is applied to understand the cable connections, FA gateway devices are provided with connectors for various cables on the front panel.

Fast automation gateway devices may also be provided with information indicator lamps that show the status of the connection with the device via the cable connector, or the presence or absence of an abnormality in the device connected to the cable connector. The connector information indicator lamps are configured using, for example, LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) and are intended to enable administrators, etc., to check these statuses at the site where the gateway device is installed.

However, because the cable connecting the device is connected on the front panel side, there is an issue that the information display lamp is difficult to see because it is blocked by the cable. The present invention was made in consideration of the above problem, and aims to realize a slave device in which the information display lamp related to the cable connector is easily visible even when the cable is connected to the cable connector.

The present invention employs the following configuration to solve the above-mentioned problems. One aspect of the present invention is a slave device that connects to a network and communicates with a master device, and includes a front panel, a plurality of cable connectors arranged on the front panel, and information display lamps arranged on the front panel to surround the cable connectors, the information display lamps being provided on a plurality of the cable connectors.

The above configuration makes it possible to realize a slave device in which the information display lamp relating to the cable connector has good visibility even when the cable is connected to the cable connector.

In the slave device according to the above aspect, the cable connector provided with the information display lamp may be configured as a device connector for connecting to a device. With the above configuration, it is possible to realize a slave device as a gateway device that can connect multiple devices such as sensors, actuators, and controllers to a network via the slave device.

In the slave device according to the above aspect, the information display lamp may be configured to display at least one of the connection status with the device via the cable connector to which the information display lamp is provided and the status of the device. With the above configuration, a slave device can be realized that allows an administrator or the like to easily check on-site the status related to the device connected to the slave device as a gateway device.

In the slave device according to the above aspect, the information display lamp may be configured to emit light in multiple colors. With the above configuration, a slave device can be realized that allows an administrator or the like to easily check various information about the status of the device on-site.

In the slave device according to the above aspect, the information display lamp may be configured to emit light differently for each area. With the above configuration, a slave device can be realized that allows an administrator or the like to easily check various information related to the device status on-site.

In the slave device according to the above aspect, the information display lamp may be configured to be annular and surround the cable connector. With the above configuration, a slave device in which the shape of the information display lamp is more specific can be realized.

In the slave device according to the above aspect, the light-emitting surface of the information display lamp may be configured to protrude from the front panel. This configuration allows for a slave device with excellent visibility of the information display lamp from directions other than the front.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a slave device can be realized in which the information display lamp relating to the cable connector has good visibility even when a cable is connected to the cable connector.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a slave unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a slave unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the slave unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the slave unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the slave unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a slave unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing the slave unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Embodiment]
Hereinafter, an embodiment according to one aspect of the present invention (hereinafter, also referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described with reference to the drawings.

§1 Application Example First, an example of a situation in which the present invention is applied will be described. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a slave device 1 of this embodiment. The slave device 1 of this embodiment is a field network terminal that is connected to a field network (network) and communicates with a master device.

The slave device 1 has a substantially rectangular front panel 12. A plurality of cable connectors are arranged on the front panel 12. A number of the cable connectors are provided with annular lamps 32 arranged on the front panel 12 so as to surround the cable connector.

The cable connector provided with the annular lamp 32 may be a device connector 42 for connection to a device. The other cable connector may be a communication connector 41 for connection to a field network.

By providing the slave device 1 with the above configuration, it is possible to realize a slave device in which the information display lamp relating to the cable connector has good visibility even when a cable is connected to the cable connector. This allows managers and others on-site to easily recognize information about the status of the cable connector.

In particular, when the slave device 1 is a gateway device for FA, the administrator can easily recognize the status of the connection with the device, or the presence or absence of an abnormality in the connected device.

§2 Configuration example <Overview of slave device>
The slave device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 7. The slave device 1 is a terminal in a field network. As a specific example of a communication method for the field network, Ethernet/IP may be applied, but is not limited to this (ETHERNET: registered trademark).

The slave device 1 communicates with the master device through a field network. A programmable logic controller can be applied to such a master device.

In addition, multiple devices such as sensors, actuators, and controllers can be connected to the slave device 1, which is a gateway device that relays these devices and connects them to the field network. The slave device 1 enables the master device to control the operation of these connected devices, or enables the master device to collect data.

<Slave Device Form>
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the slave unit 1. Figs. 2 and 3 are a front view and a rear view, respectively, of the slave unit 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are a left side view and a right side view, respectively, of the slave unit 1. Figs. 6 and 7 are a plan view and a bottom view, respectively, of the slave unit 1.

As shown in the figure, the slave device 1 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape overall. Its back surface 13 is generally rectangular. The back surface 13 is the side surface viewed from the front in FIG. 3 (rear view). The sides of the slave device 1 that are in contact with the short sides of the rectangular back surface 13 are side surface 14 and side surface 15. The sides of the slave device 1 that are in contact with the long sides of the rectangular back surface 13 are side surface 16 and side surface 17.

Side 14, side 15, side 16, and side 17 are each surfaces that are approximately perpendicular to rear surface 13. Side 14, side 15, side 16, and side 17 are each surfaces that are viewed approximately head-on in Figure 4 (left side view), Figure 5 (right side view), Figure 6 (plan view), and Figure 7 (bottom view).

A front panel 12 is arranged on the front side of the slave device 1, parallel to the back surface 13. The front panel 12 is approximately rectangular. The short sides of the front panel 12 are approximately the same length as the short sides of the back surface 13. Sides 16 and 17 are connected to the long sides of the front panel 12. The long sides of the front panel 12 are shorter than the long sides of the back surface 13, and sides 14 and 17 are not connected to the front panel 12.

A step is formed from the side surface 14 to the front panel 12, and an orthogonal surface 14a that is approximately perpendicular to the front panel 12 is connected to the front panel 12. A parallel surface 12a that is approximately parallel to the front panel 12 is connected to the orthogonal surface 14a and the side surface 14. The orthogonal surface 14a is a surface that is set back from the side surface 14 of the slave device 1.

A step is formed from the side surface 15 to the front panel 12, and an orthogonal surface 15a that is approximately perpendicular to the front panel 12 is connected to the front panel 12. A parallel surface 12b that is approximately parallel to the front panel 12 is connected to the orthogonal surface 15a and the side surface 15. The orthogonal surface 15a is a surface that is set back from the side surface 15 of the slave device 1.

Thus, the short sides of the front panel 12 are connected to the orthogonal surfaces 14a and 15a, respectively, and the long sides are connected to the side surfaces 16 and 17, respectively. The side surfaces 16 and 17 are also orthogonal surfaces that are approximately perpendicular to the front panel 12.

In the region where the front panel 12 and the orthogonal surface 14a connect at approximately right angles, a small facet 24 (facet) is formed as a chamfered surface at the connection. Similarly, in the region where the front panel 12 and the orthogonal surface 15a connect at approximately right angles, a small facet 25 (facet) is formed as a chamfered surface at the connection. Small facet 24 and small facet 25 are each elongated surfaces that run along the short sides of the front panel 12.

Therefore, when the orthogonal surface 14a is said to be connected to the front panel 12, this expression also includes the possibility that a small surface 24, which is a chamfered surface in detail, may be formed between the surfaces at the connection. The same applies to the other orthogonal surfaces.

In the region where the front panel 12 and the side surface 16 are connected at approximately right angles, a small facet 26 (facet) is formed as a chamfered surface at the connection portion in a region away from the apex of the front panel 12. Similarly, in the region where the front panel 12 and the side surface 17 are connected at approximately right angles, a small facet 27 (facet) is formed as a chamfered surface at the connection portion in a region away from the apex of the front panel 12. The small facets 26 and 27 are each elongated surfaces that run along the long sides of the front panel 12.

A through hole 22 is arranged between the side surface 14 and the orthogonal surface 14a, which is a surface recessed from the side surface 14. The through hole 22 is drilled in the parallel surface 12a that forms a step near the side surface 14, and penetrates to the back surface 13. A through hole 23 is arranged between the side surface 15 and the orthogonal surface 15a, which is a surface recessed from the side surface 15. The through hole 23 is drilled in the parallel surface 12b that forms a step near the side surface 15, and penetrates to the back surface 13.

Through holes 22 and 23 are each used to fasten slave device 1 to a wall or the like by screwing using a screw or bolt, or by using other appropriate members. At that time, slave device 1 is fixed so that rear surface 13 faces the wall and front panel 12 is exposed.

<Front panel structure>
A number of cable connectors are arranged on the front panel 12. By configuring various cables to be connected to the front side of the slave device 1, it becomes easier for a manager or the like to change the connections of various cables when making process changes, updating equipment, changing setups, etc. It also becomes easier for a manager or the like to conduct on-site inspections of the connections of various cables.

The cable connectors on the front panel 12 include: A communication connector 41 for connection to a field network. A device connector 42 for connection to a device. A power input connector 43, and a power output connector 44. In the illustrated example, the slave device 1 has two sets of communication connectors 41. These are arranged side by side near the side surface 15 within the front panel 12. In other words, they are arranged along one short side of the approximately rectangular front panel 12.

The slave device 1 also has eight device connectors 42 in an area away from the short side of the front panel 12. Four are arranged along side 16, and the remaining four are arranged along side 17, within the front panel 12. Furthermore, the slave device 1 has one power input connector 43 and one power output connector 44. These are arranged side by side, closer to side 14, within the front panel 12. In other words, they are arranged along the other short side of the approximately rectangular front panel 12.

An indicator 31 capable of displaying the operating status of the slave device 1 is disposed on the front panel 12 of the slave device 1. The indicator 31 is composed of multiple small lamps. Each small lamp displays various operating statuses of the slave device 1 by its on, blinking, or off state, or by the color of its light. In the illustrated example, the indicator 31 is disposed on the front panel 12, near the communication connector 41, on the side away from the side surface 15.

Specific examples of the operating state of the slave device 1 indicated by the indicator 31 include the state of communication through each communication connector 41, and the operating state of the power input connector 43 and the power output connector 44. Other examples include whether or not there is an abnormality in the operation of the slave device 1, whether or not there is an abnormality in the connection with the device, and whether or not there is an abnormality in the operation of the device.

A circular lamp 32 is disposed around each device connector 42. An enlarged view P1 of the device connector 42 and the vicinity of the circular lamp 32 is inserted in FIG. 1. The circular lamp 32 is described in detail below.

<Circular Lamp>
The annular lamp 32 is formed of an annular light-emitting surface that is exposed on the front panel 12 and surrounds the device connector 42. The annular lamp 32 is an example of an information display lamp provided on the device connector 42.

However, the shape of the information display lamp provided on the device connector 42 is not limited to the shape of the annular lamp 32. The information display lamp provided on the device connector 42 may have a light-emitting surface of other shapes, such as an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, a polygonal shape with rounded corners, a semicircular shape, etc., arranged to surround the device connector 42.

As shown in particular in the enlarged view P1 of FIG. 1, and in FIGS. 6 and 7, the information display lamp (annular lamp 32) arranged to surround the device connector 42 is configured so that its main surface, which is its front surface, protrudes beyond the front panel 12. The side surface that appears as a result of protruding beyond the front panel 12 also constitutes a light-emitting surface from which light is extracted.

In this way, the information display lamps (annular lamps 32) arranged to surround the device connector 42 are configured so that the main surface, which is the light-emitting surface, and the side surfaces protrude beyond the front panel 12. By having such a configuration, the information display lamps (annular lamps 32) arranged to surround the device connector 42 can increase visibility not only when observed from a direction directly facing the front side of the slave device 1, but also when observed from an oblique or side direction.

The device connector 42 may be a cable connector capable of communicating with a device in accordance with a specific communication standard. An example of a specific communication standard that may be used is IO-Link (registered trademark).

The annular lamp 32 displays status information related to the device connector 42 on which the annular lamp 32 is provided. The status information related to the device connector 42 presented by the annular lamp 32 can be appropriately selected from various types of information such as the following:

Information about the setting of the connection mode with the device. For example, it may be information about which of the following modes is set: output mode, which outputs a required signal to the device, input mode, which receives a signal from the device, or a mode that links with the device using a specific communication standard. It may also be information about the state in which a connection with the device has not been set.

Information regarding the state of the connection with the device. For example, this may be information regarding whether the device connector 42 is exchanging signals with the device, information indicating that an abnormality such as a short circuit has occurred in the cable, etc. Information regarding the state of the connected device, for example, information received from the connected device regarding the presence or absence of an abnormality in the operation of the device, etc.

The circular lamp 32 changes its state (off, on, or blinking) and light color depending on the type of information selected from these various types of information, thereby displaying status information related to the device connector 42. In particular, by changing the light color of the circular lamp 32, it becomes possible to present a wide variety of information to the administrator, etc.

Conventionally, information display lamps were usually configured with a small circular or rectangular light-emitting surface, so if they were placed adjacent to the device connector 42, there was a high possibility that they would be hidden by the connected cable and become unnoticeable. On the other hand, if an information display lamp was placed away from the device connector 42, there was a problem in that it was difficult for administrators and others to understand the relationship between the information display lamp and the device connector 42.

However, the annular lamp 32 of the slave device 1 according to the embodiment is configured in a ring shape to surround the device connector 42. Therefore, there is a very small possibility that the light emission state will be hidden by the cable connected to the device connector 42 and become invisible, and visibility is excellent. It is also possible to clearly show that the annular lamp 32 displays information related to the device connector 42 that it surrounds.

The device connector 42 may be capable of handling multiple signals in one set. For example, it may be capable of handling an operation such as receiving a sensor signal while outputting a signal for operation (supplying power) to a sensor device. Or, it may be capable of outputting a signal corresponding to an operation to an actuator while receiving a response from the actuator.

In this way, if the device connector 42 can handle multiple signals, the area of the annular lamp 32 can be divided into different areas for each signal, and status information can be displayed in each area. For example, if the device connector 42 can handle two types of signals, separate displays can be displayed in the right and left halves of the ring-shaped area of the annular lamp 32. With this configuration, the slave device 1 can display even more diverse information related to the device connector 42.

<Indicator lamp>
The slave device 1 is equipped with multiple indicator lamps that can give important notifications such as alarms to a manager, etc. An example of an important notification given by the indicator lamps is when there is an abnormality in the operation or connection of the slave device 1 itself or the device connected to the slave device 1. In such a case, the device connected to the slave device 1 cannot operate normally, and the process to which the slave device 1 is applied will not operate normally.

The indicator lamps are arranged on each of the four sides of the front panel 12 of the slave device 1. Indicator lamp 34 is arranged on the short side that connects to the orthogonal surface 14a. Indicator lamp 35 is arranged on the short side that connects to the orthogonal surface 15a. Indicator lamp 36 is arranged on the long side that connects to the side surface 16. Indicator lamp 37 is arranged on the long side that connects to the side surface 17.

Furthermore, each indicator lamp is disposed away from the apex of the front panel 12. As a result, each indicator lamp is disposed at a distance from each other. Preferably, each indicator lamp is disposed at approximately the center of each side of the front panel 12.

Characteristically, each indicator lamp has a light-emitting surface on the front panel 12, a light-emitting surface on the orthogonal surface, and a light-emitting surface on a small facet that acts as a chamfered surface at the connection between the front panel and the orthogonal surface. In each indicator lamp, these three light-emitting surfaces are formed so as to be continuous.

That is, the indicator lamp 34 has a light-emitting surface on the front panel 12, a light-emitting surface on the orthogonal surface 14a, and a light-emitting surface on the minor surface 24. The indicator lamp 35 has a light-emitting surface on the front panel 12, a light-emitting surface on the orthogonal surface 15a, and a light-emitting surface on the minor surface 25. The indicator lamp 36 has a light-emitting surface on the front panel 12, a light-emitting surface on the side surface 16, and a light-emitting surface on the minor surface 26. The indicator lamp 37 has a light-emitting surface on the front panel 12, a light-emitting surface on the side surface 17, and a light-emitting surface on the minor surface 27.

By arranging and configuring each indicator lamp as described above, it becomes possible to see any of the indicator lamps from various directions, except from the rear side of the slave device 1. In addition, even if multiple cables are connected to the front panel 12, there is a small possibility that an indicator lamp that may give important notices such as alarms will be obscured and become unnoticeable.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned application examples and configuration examples, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The technical scope of the present invention also includes embodiments obtained by appropriately combining each of the disclosed technical means.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 slave device 12 front panel 12a, 12b parallel surfaces 13 rear surface 14, 15, 16, 17 side surfaces 14a, 15a orthogonal surfaces 22, 23 through holes 24, 25, 26, 27 small surfaces 31 indicator 32 annular lamp 34, 35, 36, 37 display lamps 41 communication connector 42 device connector 43 power input connector 44 power output connector

Claims (2)

A slave device that is connected to a network and communicates with a master device,
The front panel and
a plurality of cable connectors disposed on the front panel;
and information display lamps disposed on the front panel so as to surround the cable connectors, the information display lamps being provided on a plurality of the cable connectors, respectively;
The light emitting surface of the information display lamp protrudes from the front panel,
the slave device has an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape, and some of the cable connectors on the front panel are arranged along a first side surface of the slave device that is along a long side of the front panel, and the remaining cable connectors are arranged along a second side surface of the slave device that faces the first side surface ,
Each of the cable connectors provided with the information display lamps is a device connector for connecting to a device, and is compatible with two types of signals communicated between the device and the cable connector;
A slave device in which the information display lamp has areas divided for each of the two types of signals, and each of the areas can display status information related to the signal output to the device or the signal received from the device . The information display lamp can emit light in a plurality of colors ,
The certain cable connector is arranged in a plurality of parts along the first side surface,
the remaining cable connectors are arranged in a plurality along the second side surface,
2. The slave device according to claim 1 , wherein the cable connector along the first side surface and the cable connector along the second side surface are arranged side by side in a direction of a short side of the front panel .

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