| Title of Invention | ELECTRIC AUTOMATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING THE FUNCTIONS OF THE ELECTRIC AUTOMATION DEVICE. |
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| Abstract | The invention relates to an electric automation device comprising a control unit that is controlled by a computer. In order to create an automation device that can be set to predefined functions in a particularly flexible manner while requiring less testing, a computer hardware component (2) is provided with control software comprising a basic functional area which includes an operating system (3), a device driver (4), and communication modules (5) so as to form a basic automation device (1) while the basic automation device (1) is complemented with any application modules (7a, 7b, 7c, 8, 9) that can be connected to the basic functional area via a software interface (6) in order to obtain the automation device. The invention also relates to a method for producing or adjusting the functions of such an electric automation device. |
| Full Text | Description Electric automation device and method for adjusting the functions of the electric automation device The invention relates to an electric automation device with a control unit that is controlled by a computer. Electric automation devices, such as for example electric protection devices or bay controllers of substation automation technology, usually have computer-controlled control units. With the aid of software installed in the control unit, the respective functions of such an automation device can be defined and performed. The software is usually completely embedded in the control unit of the electric automation device and with it forms what is known as an "embedded system". A further example of known automation devices of the aforementioned type are software-controlled production robots. If an electric protection device is taken as an example of an electric automation device, specifically a distance protection device, it is possible for example for instructions with respect to the di'stance protection functions of the automatior. device and communication instructions to be contained in the software. The precise definition of the functions of the automation device is already provided by the user cf the automation device at the time of ordering the automation device from its manufacturer. Previous electric automation devices, in particular in tr.e area of protection devices and bay controllers, have been developed by the manufacturer in their entirety with a device-related software package and must be fully tested for the correctness and reliability of all functions. Such a procedure involves considerable cost and time. Starting out from an electric automation device of the type just described, the invention is based on the object of providing an electric automation device which can be adapted to predefined functions flexibly and with reduced testing!. To achieve this object, it is proposed in the case of an electric automation device of the aforementioned type that a computer hardware component is provided with a control software component which has a basic functional area comprising an operating system, device drivers and communication modules, so as to form a basic automation device, and that the basic automation device is completed with any application modules that can be connected to the basic functional area via a software interface to obtain the/automation device. The main advantage of the automation device according to the invention is that identical basic automation devices, provided with components that are common to all automation devices (for example the operating system, device drivers, application modules) are produced as a series and can be adapted as desired - that is to say flexibly - to required functions by using various application modules By this adaptation, the respective basic automation device is in each case completed to form the actual automation device. Regarded as device drivers in this connection are programs for the software-instigated activation of further electronic devices of the respective electric automation device; communication modules control, for. example, the internal device communication between the basic functional area of the control software and any application modules that can be connected to the basic functional area via the software interface. The application modules may in this case be incorporated in a modular manner in the control software via the software interface. The final functions of the automation device are determined by the selection of these application modules. The entire basic automation device remains largely unchanged when producing any desired automation devices; therefore - if tried-and-tested basic automation devices are used - no further functional tests have to be carried out with respect to the components of the basic automation device, which significantly reduces the testing for the respective automation device. According to an advantageous embodiment of the automation device according to the invention, for the various functions of the automation device there are correspondingly various application modules. According to this embodiment, the application modules advantageously represent self-contained functional units which in each case undertake a function (for example external communication, protective functions, timing operations) of the electric automation device. Since, moreover, tried-and-tested application modules can be used as application modules, the testing for the final automation device is further reduced significantly by this embodiment. The electric automation device may be, for example, an electric protection device or bay controller. Such devices comprise a large number of extremely varied functions, so that a configuration according to the invention with flexible functional adaptation is of great interest here. It is also an object of the invention to provide a method with which an electric automation device can be produced flexibly with respect to predefined functions. To achieve this object, a method for adjusting the functions of an electric automation device with a control unit having a computer, the following steps being carried out: transfer of at least one application module, which has been modified using a starting application module, to a basic automation device, which is provided with a computer hardware component and a software component, which has a basic functional area comprising, an operating system, device drivers and communication modules, and performance of adjusting instructions of the at least one modified application module, so as to complete the electric automation device, the at least one modified application module being incorporated into the control software so as to adjust at least one function of the automation device. In this way, an automation device can be flexibly adapted to predefined functions by using modular modified application modules respectively describing a single function of the automation device. Furthermore, in this way it is advantageously possible, if there is a single modified application module, to produce an entire series of identical automation devices; for this purpose, the modified application module (or in each case a copy thereof) only has to be transferred to all the basic automation devices of this series. To produce the modified application module, at least one starting application module, having configuration and adjustment instructions, may advantageously be loaded into a memory area of a data-processing unit simulating the basic automation device, and the configuration instructions of the at least one starting application module may be performed by means of the data-processing unit so as to form the modified application module while defining the functions of the electric automation device. By performing configuration instructions already contained in the starting application module on a data-processing unit which simulates a basic automation device, all th.e ihain adjustments with respect to the various functions - formed by the respective application modules - of the automation device to be produced can advantageously be performed already -outside the basic automation device. This is so because a data-processing unit usually offers an environment which is significantly more convenient and powerful with respect to its functionality than the basic automation devices. Furthermore, it may advantageously be provided that the XML format is used for the at least one starting application module. In the XML format, it is possible in a simple way to produce structured data and instructions for the control software. A further solution achieving the object with respect to the method is provided by a method for adjusting the functions of an electric automation device with a control unit having a computer, the following steps being carried out: loading of at least one starting application module, having configuration and adjustment instructions, into a memory area of the control unit, which interacts with a control software component of a basic automation device containing a computer hardware component, the control software component having a basic functional area comprising an operating system, device drivers and communication modules, performance of the configuration instructions of the at least one starting application module by means of the control unit so as to form a modified application module while defining the functions of the electric automation device and performance of the adjustment instructions of the at least one modified application module so as to complete the electric automation device, the at least one modified application module being incorporated in the control software component so as to adjust at least one function of the automation device. In this way, in particular those basic automation devices whicr. have similarly powerful operator-control possibilities and functionalities as a customary data-processing unit can be advantageously completed with respect to their functions tc obtain an automation device. For further explanation of the invention, Figure 1 schematically shows the construction of an exemplary embodiment of the electric automation device according to the invention, Figure 2 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the invention for adjusting the functions of an electric automation device and Figure 3 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a further method according to the invention for adjusting the functions of an electric automation device. Figure 1 schematically shows the construction of an electric automation device. Here, what is known as a basic automation device- 1 comprises a computer hardware component 2, which is provided with a control software component with a basic functional area, comprising an operating system 3, device drivers 4 and communication modules 5. In this case, both a single computing module, such as for example a microprocessor, and a system comprising a number of circuit modules, such as for example various processors and coprocessors, may act as the computer hardware component 2. The control software component also has a software interface 6. However, such a basic automation device 1 does not yet have any specific functions for the actual automation device; instead, it represents a kind of basic device for automation devices. To realize specific functions, the software interface 6 can be used to connect individual application modules. 7a, 7b, 7c, 8 and 9 to the basic functional area of the control software. This is to be explained in more detail on the basis of the following example. An electric protection device for the protection and monitoring of electrical equipment such as electric power supply lines or electrical machines will be assumed as the electric automation device. The electric protection device is initially in the form of a basic automation device 1. Such a basic automation device 1 does not yet have any specific functions for an electric protection device. Rather, it represents a basic device, which forms a flexible basis for a protection device that can be adapted as desired with regard to its functions. So it is possible for example for a manufacturer of electric protection devices to provide an (already existing) electric basic automation device 1 with a range of functions desired by a customer in a comparatively uncomplicated way. In order to complete the basic automation device 1 to obtain a protection device with its respective specific functions, it can in fact be provided with various types of application, modules 7a, 7b, 7c, 8, 9, which in themselves respectively represent an individual function of the electric protection device. These application modules 7a, 7b, 1c, 8, 9 can be connected to the basic functional area of the control software via the software interface 6. Such software interfaces (also known as "API" = "application program interface") are known per se to a person skilled in the art; they may be formed either by a single central software interface or else for example by various distributed software subinterfaces. In the case of the protection device, it is possible for example for the application modules 7a, 7b and 7c (cf. Figure 1) to comprise individual protection algorithms and methods of protection of the electric protection device, such as for example a time overcurrent protection. A further application module 8 may be a recording module for recording selected voltage or current variations; in turn, a further application module 9 may comprise communication modalities with an external device, for example a measuring transducer. The selection of corresponding application modules allows the range of functions of an electric protection device to be created, extended or adapted as desired in the same way as in a modular system. Apart from the modular and flexible construction, the reduced testing for the electric protection device or the electric automation device is of special advantage in particular. This is - so because, while in the case of an automation device •according to the prior art, which is specifically provided with a complete software package specifically developed for it according to the application, a test run of all the functions and components (nardware and software) of the automation device must be carried out, in the case of the automation device according to the invention it is possible for example for the basic automation device 1 already to be available in a trice and-tested form, so that there is consequently no need for testing for this area including the computer hardware 2, operating system 3, device drivers 4 and commutation modules 4. Furthermore, it is also possible to have the individual application modules 7a, 7b, 7c, 8, 9 already in a prefabricated and tested form, so that only after the basic automation device 1 has been completed by the corresponding application modules 7a, 7b, 7c, 8, 9 to obtain the automation device does a functional test of the specific device functions have to be carried out. This allows costly and time- consuming test runs to be significantly reduced. The information content of the application modules may, for example, be in a form based on the XML format. In the XLM format, data and information can be given in a structured manner in a form that is independent of the device. The "translation" of the XML format can be ensured for example by the communication modules 5 or the operating system 2 of the basic functional area of the control software. In a particularly advantageous way, the described construction of an electric automation device can be used whenever manufacturers and users of such automation devices have agreed to a uniform standard for the representation and modeling of data and information and also their communication between individual devices. This is expected to be accomplished with the standard IEC 61850. Among the aspects regulated by the IEC standard 61850 is the data model of the application area of automation devices, so that, when configurations conforming to the standard are used, it is advantageously ensured that there is compatibility between devices and control software from different manufacturers. Figure 2 schematically shows a method for producing and adjusting the specific functions of an electric automation device. The method is to be explained by way of example for the application module 7a according to Figure 1. A starting (software) application module 10 that is initially available is assumed to contain configuration instructions 12 and adjustment instructions 14. This starting applicaticr. module 10 is loaded into a memory area of a data processing unit 12 in a loading operation indicated by a dashed arrow 11. The data processing unit 12, which may for example be a correspondingly set-up PC, additionally simulates a basic automation device 1 (cf. Figure 1) with a computer hardware component 2, an operating system 3, device drivers 4 and communication modules 5. In a configuration step which then follows, the configuration instructions 13 of the starting application module 10 are performed, which is indicated by a further arrow 15. The performance of the configuration instructions 13 has the effect of incorporating the starting application module 10 in the control software of the simulated basic automation device via the software interface 6. At the same time, adjustments are carried out, for example with respect to the activation of the starting application module 10, its operator display and important parameters. Currently, such a procedure takes place at the premises of the manufacturer of an electric automation device. Since, within the framework of the simulated basic automation device, the starting application module 10 is in this way connected to the basic functional area of the control software, it represents a modified application module. This is transferred in the format it then has to an (actual, basic automation device 1 (cf. Figure 1) (see arrow 16) . There, the modified application module 7a can be connected in a simple way to the basic functional area of the control software via the software interface 6. What is particularly advantageous about this is that the adjustments once made on the data processing unit 12 do not have to be repeated again on the basic automation device 1. The modified application module 7a is taken over into the basic automation device 1 in the form it has taken after performance of the configuration instructions 13 on the data processing unit 12. Subsequently, the adjustment instructions 14 already present in the starting application module 10 and also in the modified application module 7a can be performed, in order to make final adjustments. The user of an automation device usually has access to these adjustment instructions 14, in order for example to adapt a specific function to external conditions. The user can also change such adjustments again later, so that for example it is possible in this way to adapt an electric protection device to changed conducting conditions of a power transmission line that is to be monitored, such as for example a change in the length of line or the resistance of the power transmission line. After performing these final adjustment instructions 14, the basic automation device has been completed to obtain the actual automation device with its required range of functions. To produce a number of identical automation devices from identical basic automation devices 1, the procedure described can be repeated several times with new basic automation devices on each occasion. However, it is particularly advantageous to produce a modified application module (for example 7a) a single time, as described above, and transfer it to a number cf basic automation devices 1. In this way it is possible to dispense with the effort involved in producing a number of identical modified application modules. As an alternative to the adjustment method just explained, it may also be envisaged to load the starting application module 10 directly into the basic automation device 1 and perform both the configuration instructions 13 and the adjustment instructions 14 there. This is represented in Figure 3. Here, the starting application module is loaded into a memory area 22 of the control unit 23 of the basic automation device 1 in a loading operation represented by an arrow 21 that is indicated by dashed lines. In said memory area, the configuration instructions 13 of the starting application module 10 are first performed, as indicated by arrow 24. Here there takes place - as explained in connection with Figure 2 - on the one hand a definition of the range of functions of the automation device by selection of the corresponding starting application modules and incorporation of the respective starting application module in the basic automation device 1. At the same time, adjustments are carried out with respect to the activation of the starting application module 10, its operator display and important parameters. By this procedure, the starting application module becomes the modified application module. After that, the adjustment instructions 14 of the modified application module are performed with the same basic automation device and in this way the adjustments for adaptation to external conditions are made (as also explained in connection with Figure 2), whereby the basic automation device is completed to obtain the actual automation device. Such a procedure is suitable in particular if a basic automation device which can be operated comparatively well is available as the basic automation device. For example, such a basic automation device may be formed by an industrial PC. In this case, automation devices with the desired functions can also be produced on the user side by selection of various starting application modules and their integration in the basic automation device. Here, the user can take the necessary starting application modules for example from special software libraries in the form of standardized application modules. WE CLAIM 1. A method for adjusting the functions of an electric automation device with a control unit having a computer, the following steps being carried out: - transfer of at least one application module (7a), which has been modified using a starting application module (10), to a basic automation device (1), which is provided with a computer hardware component (2) and a software component, which has a basic functional area comprising an operating system (3), device drivers (4) and communication modules (5), and - performance of adjusting instructions (14) of the at least one modified application module (7a) so as to complete the electric automation device, the at least one modified application module (7a) being incorporated into the control software so as to adjust at least one function of the automation device. 2. The method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that, to produce the modified application module (7a), - at least one starting application module (10), having configuration and adjustment instructions (13, 14), is loaded into a memory area of a data- processing unit (12) simulating the basic automation device, and - the configuration instructions (13) of the at least one starting application module (10) are performed by means of the data-processing unit (12) so as to form the modified application module (7a) while defining the functions of the electric automation device. 3. The method as claimed in 4 or 5, characterized In that the XML format is used for the at least one starting application module (10). 4. A method for adjusting the functions of an electric automation device with a control unit having a computer, the following steps being carried out: - loading of at least one starting application module (10), having configuration and adjustment instructions (13, 14), into a memory area (22) of the control unit (23), which interacts with a control software component of a basic automation device (1) containing a computer hardware component (2), the control software component having a basic functional area comprising an operating system (3), device drivers (4) and communication modules (5), - performance of the configuration instructions (13) of the at least one starting application module (10) by means of the control unit (23) so as to form a modified application module while defining the functions of the electric automation device and - performance of the adjustment instructions (13) of the at least one modified application module so as to complete the electric automation device, the at least one modified application module being incorporated in the control software component so as to adjust at least one function of the automation device. The invention relates to an electric automation device comprising a control unit that is controlled by a computer. In order to create an automation device that can be set to predefined functions in a particularly flexible manner while requiring less testing, a computer hardware component (2) is provided with control software comprising a basic functional area which includes an operating system (3), a device driver (4), and communication modules (5) so as to form a basic automation device (1) while the basic automation device (1) is complemented with any application modules (7a, 7b, 7c, 8, 9) that can be connected to the basic functional area via a software interface (6) in order to obtain the automation device. The invention also relates to a method for producing or adjusting the functions of such an electric automation device. |
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| Patent Number | 224722 | ||||||||
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| Indian Patent Application Number | 01527/KOLNP/2005 | ||||||||
| PG Journal Number | 43/2008 | ||||||||
| Publication Date | 24-Oct-2008 | ||||||||
| Grant Date | 22-Oct-2008 | ||||||||
| Date of Filing | 03-Aug-2005 | ||||||||
| Name of Patentee | SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT | ||||||||
| Applicant Address | WITTELSABACHERPLATZ 2, 80333 MINCHEN | ||||||||
Inventors:
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| PCT International Classification Number | G05B 19/05 | ||||||||
| PCT International Application Number | PCT/DE2004/000158 | ||||||||
| PCT International Filing date | 2004-01-27 | ||||||||
PCT Conventions:
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