JP3127943B2 - Distributed control device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a decentralized system comprising a monitoring device for operating and monitoring a process, and a control device of a duplex configuration connected to the monitoring device via a communication line and for controlling and calculating the process. More specifically, if any abnormality occurs in one of the control devices in a redundant configuration that is in charge of process control operation, the type of the control device is distributed so that the cause can be easily clarified on the monitoring device side. The present invention relates to a shape control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a control device applied to a distributed control device for performing a process control, this portion has a double structure in order to enhance reliability, and the other control device is prepared in case of failure of one control device. Those that are made to wait are widely put to practical use. Such a distributed control device having a dual control device is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-57-8696.
No. 8, JP-A-57-86971, and JP-A-Heisei 2
-264353.

[0003]

In a distributed control apparatus having such a control apparatus in a duplex configuration, when an abnormality occurs in one of the control apparatuses, the control is performed by the other control apparatus which has been in a standby state until then. Rights have shifted and process control has continued without interruption. in this case,
On the monitoring device side, it is possible to know that one of the redundantly configured control devices has an abnormality, but it is not possible to know what the cause was. The reason is that, after the abnormality has been detected, the CPU of the other control device
This is because it becomes impossible to access from.

Therefore, in order to find out the cause of the occurrence of the abnormality in the control device on the side where the abnormality is detected, a procedure such as saving and analyzing the contents of the memory using a special tool is required. There was a problem that it took time and effort. The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and when an abnormality is detected in one of the redundantly configured control devices, a distributed control that enables the monitoring device to know the cause of the abnormality occurrence. It is intended to provide a device.

[0005]

According to the present invention to achieve the above object, a monitoring device for operating and monitoring a process and a control device for controlling the process which is connected to the monitoring device via a communication line are provided. A distributed control device comprising first and second control devices that can be executed independently, wherein the first and second control devices determine the self-diagnosis results of their own control devices and their factor information. The memory area to be stored and the CPU register area are also arranged in the physical memory space of each other's control device. The self-diagnosis of the own software is performed, and the diagnosis result and the factor information are stored in the own memory area. party stores and <br/> self diagnosis means to be set in the memory area of the counterpart-side control unit, and a result of the diagnosis and the factor information performs self-diagnosis of its processor in its own CPU registers while Set in the CPU register area of the control device
A CPU abnormality detecting means for the self-diagnosis means or C
When an abnormality is detected by the PU abnormality detection means, the control right is switched to the control device on the side where no abnormality is detected, and stored in the memory area for the partner control apparatus and the CPU register area arranged in its own memory space. Bei and abnormality processing means for transmitting via a communication line to the monitoring device side to have the abnormality detection result and read and the cause information is
For example, the monitoring device is configured to transmit the information transmitted from the abnormality processing unit.
The error detection result and its cause information are used as an alarm message.
A distributed control device comprising a display means for displaying the data.

[0006]

The first and second control devices are operated with one being the control side and the other being the standby side. During such an operating state,
The self-diagnosis unit and the CPU abnormality detection unit need to detect various kinds of signals generated in the control device, start a diagnosis program, and detect abnormality of hardware, software, CPU, etc. in each control device. , Or at regular intervals.

The results of the diagnosis and the cause information are stored in its own memory and CPU register, and are also reflected in the contents of the memory area and the CPU register area arranged in the memory of the partner device. When an abnormality is detected,
The abnormality processing means switches the control right, and the abnormality detection means on the side of the control device to which the control right has been transferred is stored in the memory area for the partner control apparatus and the CPU register area arranged in its own memory space. The stored abnormality detection result and its factor information are read out and transmitted to the monitoring device via a communication line.

Thus, the monitoring apparatus can display the abnormality detection result transmitted via the communication line and its cause information as an alarm message.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing basic functions of the device according to the present invention. In the figure, an OPS is a monitoring device (operator station) that is in charge of operation and monitoring of a process, and includes a display unit such as a CRT and data input units such as a keyboard, a touch screen, and a mouse.

[0010] FC1 and FC2 are the first and second redundant configuration.
Is connected to the monitoring device OPS via the communication line BS. These first and second control devices FC1,
FC2 is in charge of the control operation of the process, each of which can execute the control operation by itself, one of which is a control side to access the process, and the other is a standby side to access the process. It is configured not to do so.

Here, the communication line BS has a duplex configuration, but may have a single configuration. In each of the first and second control devices FC1 and FC2, reference numeral 1 denotes a self-diagnosis unit that performs self-diagnosis of its own software and stores the diagnosis result and factor information in its own memory area ME. The self-diagnosis means 1 has, for example, a function of monitoring signals on a data bus or an address bus, a read / write signal, and performing a parity check thereof, a function of collating various status signals, and the like. It is possible to detect an error in reading / writing data from / to the device, an error in the communication control function, and the like.

2 performs a self-diagnosis of its own processor and stores its diagnosis result and factor information in its own CPU register area R.
E is a CPU abnormality detection means stored in E. The CPU abnormality detecting means 2 includes, for example, a CPU ready signal output from a processor (CPU), various watches,
It has a function of monitoring a timeout signal from a dog timer, a power supply stop signal from a power supply circuit or a power switch, a CPU error check signal, and the like.

When an abnormality is detected by the self-diagnosis means 1 or the CPU abnormality detection means 3, the control right is switched to a control device on the side where no abnormality is detected, according to the degree of the abnormality. The result of the abnormality detection in the counterpart control device and the factor information stored in the CPU register area RE are transmitted to the monitoring device OPS by the communication line BS.
This is an abnormality processing means transmitted through the.

In the monitoring device OPS, reference numeral 4 denotes a message display means, which has a function of displaying on a display screen the abnormality detection result and its factor information sent from the abnormality processing means 3 of the control device FC. As the message display means, for example, a message is displayed in a comment display column in a display screen of the monitoring device, or an error that has occurred on the control device side and its cause information are displayed as an alarm message in a window format. Configuration is used.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a physical memory space of a control device having a redundant configuration. In the device of the present invention,
Memory area ME for storing self-diagnosis results and factor information
And the CPU register area RE are also arranged in the physical memory space of each other's control device. That is, in FIG. 2, for example, a part M1 and M2 of the space of the physical memory ME in one control device FC1 on the standby side.
, A memory area and a CPU register area in the control device FC2 on the control side are arranged. Similarly,
In a part M3, M4 of the space of the physical memory area ME in the control device FC2 on the control side, a memory area and a CPU register area in the control device FC1 on the standby side are arranged.

With such a configuration, the contents written in its own memory area and CPU register area are also reflected in the memory area and CPU register area of the other party's control device. The status of the device can also be known by the other control device. The operation of the device having the above-described configuration will be described below.

The first and second control devices FC1 and FC2 are:
At the start of the operation, one is on the control side and the other is on the standby side. Which control device is on the control side and which is on the standby side is determined in advance by hardware, or is determined by whether the CPU is initially in an operating state (a ready signal is output first). .
When the operations of the two control devices (CPUs) are normally performed in synchronization with each other, the control side and the standby side perform exactly the same control calculation processing, and the control side and the standby side are distinguished from each other by:
The difference is whether the control device on the control side actually accesses the process side.

As described above, the control operation data is actually outputted to the process side only from the processor device on the control side, but the input / output data to / from the process side is transmitted to the control device on the standby side. Is necessary (because it is necessary to perform the same control operation as the control side), and therefore, the input / output data is copied from the control side to the standby side by an equalizing means (not shown).

Self-diagnosis means 1 in the first and second control devices
For example, it monitors signals on the data bus and address bus, read / write signals, etc., and performs a parity check on the signals, thereby diagnosing malfunctions of various software or hardware executed in the control device. ing. The CPU abnormality detecting means 2 monitors a time-up signal of various watch dog timers, a CPU ready signal, or the like, or activates a self-diagnosis program at regular intervals, so that various functions of the CPU operate normally. Make a diagnosis.

If any abnormality is detected as a result of these diagnoses, the information is stored in the memory area M of its own memory.
E and are set in the CPU register area RE, respectively. Here, the memory area and the CPU register area are both arranged in the physical memory space of the counterpart control device, so that the same information is stored in the memory of both the first and second control devices. Area and the CPU register area.

In the CPU register area RE shown in FIG.
NSR1 is a register unit for storing information on its own side, such as status relating to redundant control, information on power supply monitoring signals from a power supply circuit, and status signals such as I / O control signals, and NSR2 stores information on the partner control device side. 1 shows a register section to be executed. Also, the NSR 3 causes the start and stop of the CPU (whether the NSR 3 has stopped due to the detection of an error or the self-stop of the program,
A register unit for storing information such as whether it has been started or stopped based on a signal transmitted via the communication line BS, ERRSTS
Reference numeral 1 denotes a register unit on the own side in which detailed information of the error is set when the own error is set in the register NSR3, and ERRSTS2 denotes a register unit on the other side in which detailed information of the error of the other side is set. I have.

The abnormality processing means 3 includes self-diagnosis means 1, CP
When an abnormality is detected by the U abnormality detecting means 2, if the own device has the control right, the control right is switched to the control device side which has been on the standby side, and the control operation is performed in a single configuration. Here, the control operation performed by the control device that has newly become the control side has performed the same control operation in synchronization with the control side when it was on the standby side, so that the continuity of control is maintained. The access to the process can be continuously performed. Furthermore, the abnormality processing means 3 of the control device on the side to which the control right has been newly transferred includes the memory area of the partner control device and the CPU located in its own physical memory space.
The abnormality detection result and its factor information stored in the register area are read out and transmitted to the monitoring device OPS via the communication line BS.

Message display means 4 of monitoring device OPS
Displays the abnormality detection result and its cause information transmitted from the abnormality processing means 3 of the control device FC as an alarm message on a display screen. This alarm message display
For example, it is displayed in a comment field on the display screen of the monitoring device, or is displayed in a window format. FIG.
It is a figure showing an example of a diagnostic result sent to a monitoring device side, and its factor information (alarm message).

Here, the data of the alarm message includes an 8-digit character portion 41 and a 16-digit code portion 42.
It is composed of The contents of the message to be displayed in the remarks column are shown. An abnormal result and an abnormal factor can be recognized based on each of these pieces of information. Therefore, when one of the control devices is stopped during the operation and monitoring of the process and the control right is transferred to the standby control device, the operator starts the message displayed by the message display means 4. The result of the abnormality detection and its factor can be immediately known, and the next measure to be taken can be quickly determined.

[0025]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, in a control device having a redundant configuration, a memory and a CPU register for storing a diagnosis result of a partner device and information on its factor are mutually stored in their own physical memory space. Even if an abnormality occurs in one of the control devices and the control right of the standby control device is transferred, the stop factor of the control device that stopped the control is determined by the other control device. Can also be known by the control device. Therefore, by transmitting and displaying detailed information on the cause of stoppage of the control device as an alarm message to the monitoring device, it is possible to provide a distributed control device that can easily perform system maintenance and the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing basic functions of an apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration conceptual diagram of a physical memory space of each control device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a diagnosis result and its cause information (alarm message) sent to the monitoring device side.

[Explanation of symbols]

 OPS monitoring device (operator station) FC1, FC2 control device BS communication line 1 self-diagnosis means 2 CPU abnormality detection means 3 abnormality processing means 4 message display means ME memory area RE CPU register area

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A monitoring device which is in charge of operation and monitoring of a process, and first and second control devices which are connected to the monitoring device via a communication line and which are capable of executing solely control operations of the process. A distributed control device configured, wherein the first and second control devices are configured such that a memory area for storing a self-diagnosis result of its own control apparatus and its factor information and a CPU register area are mutually associated with each other. in the physical memory space is configured to be placed, performs self-diagnosis of its software counterpart system stores the result of the diagnosis and the factor information in its memory area
Self diagnosis means for setting a memory area of the control device performs a self-diagnosis of its processor mating stores the result of the diagnosis and the factor information in its own CPU registers
A CPU abnormality detecting means to be set in a CPU register area of the control device, and when an abnormality is detected by the self-diagnosis means or the CPU abnormality detecting means, the control right is switched to a control device on which no abnormality is detected, and a memory of its own is provided. Abnormality processing means for reading an abnormality detection result and its factor information stored in a memory area for a counterpart control apparatus and a CPU register area arranged in a space and transmitting the result to the monitoring apparatus via a communication line; with the door, said monitoring apparatus, abnormality transmitted from said abnormality processing unit
Detection results and their cause information as alarm messages
A distributed control device comprising a display means for displaying .