Device for controlling and/or monitoring external technical processes

US6877101B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Herbert Barthel · Herzogenaurach, DE
• Georg Haller · Erlangen, DE
• Andreas Schenk · Erlangen, DE
• Hartmut Schuetz · Heroldsbach, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 30, 2001
• Grant date: Apr 5, 2005
• Expiry date: Jan 20, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05B2219/2236
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Device (1) for controlling and/or monitoring external technical processes, in particular a device for use in connection with safety-related controls. The device includes an input functionality, an output functionality and a processing functionality that can be connected with at least one higher-level unit (5) for transfer of process-influencing and/or process-monitoring signals by way of a bus system (4) to and/or from actuators (3) and/or sensors (2) connected to the device. A guaranteed response time over the bus system (4) is determined on one hand by the cycle time of the higher-level unit (5) and on the other by the signal cycle time over the bus system (4) itself. In order to provide a shorter response time than this in appropriate circumstances, the device (1) uses the processing functionality thereof to execute logical links internally. The results are available for process control and/or process monitoring after a time interval that is shorter than the guaranteed response time of the higher-level unit (5) over bus (4).