Program Flow Control Monitoring Routines, Related Methods And Systems (Fisher Controls International)

CATEGORY: PROCESS CONTROL
PATENT
Program Flow Control Monitoring Routines, Related Methods And Systems (Fisher Controls International)
United States Patent Application 20130145219
Inventors:
Dalal, Mehul (Maharashtra, IN)
Application Number:
13/685463
Publication Date:
06/06/2013
Assignee:
Fisher Controls International LLC (Marshalltown, IA, US)
Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to program flow control monitoring routines. In one embodiment, a process control apparatus is provided with a plurality of modules associated with control and/or monitoring of a given plant. Program flow control monitoring routines are provided to monitor the various modules.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to program flow control for monitoring of software applications (referred to as “modules” herein) that are executed by various devices utilized throughout modern process and manufacturing plants. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to program flow control monitoring routines for use with the various modules to detect module errors and to take appropriate plant specific action.
BACKGROUND
Modern day processing and manufacturing plants utilize computer systems and microprocessor based monitoring and control systems in almost every facet of plant operations. The individual computer systems and microprocessor based monitoring and control systems store various modules that, when executed effectuate operation of various aspects of the plant. The specific function of any given module ranges from monitoring and controlling of individual plant field devices to facilitating operations and maintenance activity, to providing data for management reports.
Field devices that incorporate microprocessor based control routines have become commonplace. Often times, any given field device processor will sequentially execute several modules. The individual field devices often incorporate embedded systems. Any given embedded system stores and executes a variety of modules associated with specific plant monitoring and/or control functionality. For example, a given digital device controller may be configured to control a level in a tank. The controller may have an input from a tank level sensor and an output to a valve controller. The digital device controller executes a module, or modules, that control the output to open or close the valve as the level in the tank fluctuates above or below, respectively, a desired level. Any given field device, whether a sensor (i.e. level sensor) or an actuator (i.e. valve controller), may itself be a digital device designed to execute a module, or modules, that convert analog data to digital data, for example. Modules related to functions ranging from communications routines between the processor and an I/O port to routines for converting an analog value to a digital representation of the value are often times executed by any given field device processor.
Plant operations and maintenance computer systems often execute a plethora of modules as well. When operations and maintenance routines are executed on a corresponding processor, plant personnel are provided the ability to interact with individual plant devices. Additionally, plant management computer systems often execute a variety of modules. When management computer system routines are executed on a corresponding processor, plant personnel are provided operations data and related reports.
Known program flow control monitoring routines require up to an additional 2 MBytes of memory to store all the associated data. The required memory size depends on complete embedded firmware size and the number of modules that need to be monitored by the program flow control, in addition to the size of the program flow control module itself. The program flow control monitoring routines are module specific. Often times, memory is limited in embedded systems. Typically, program flow control modules decide the number of modules that need to be monitored before the corresponding starts execution. Once the number of modules to be monitored is determined, the corresponding memory allocation is set. Therefore, it has become desirable to provide a program flow control monitoring routine that requires little memory and that will monitor multiple modules.
SUMMARY
In one embodiment, a process plant monitoring and/or control apparatus includes a controller configured to receive at least one input and to generate at least one output. The process plant monitoring and/or control apparatus also includes a computer readable medium for storing at least one module. The program flow control monitoring routine of the present disclosure dynamically determines the number of modules to be monitored during run time and the corresponding memory allocation is increased or decreased accordingly. The controller is further configured to execute the module to effectuate monitoring and/or control functionality within a process. The process plant monitoring and/or control apparatus also includes a program flow control monitoring routine stored on the computer readable medium that, when executed detects any error related to the module and provides a time-stamp indication of when any error is detected. The program flow control monitoring routine includes an interface routine that is executed when any module error is detected and initiates a plant specific alert and/or action.
In another embodiment, a method of detecting errors in a module associated with process plant monitoring and/or control includes, providing a controller configured to receive at least one input and to generate at least one output. The method also includes providing a computer readable medium and storing at least one module and at least one program flow control monitoring routine. The method also includes executing the module to effectuate monitoring and/or control functionality within a process and executing the program flow control monitoring routine to detect any error related to execution of the module. The method also includes providing a time-stamp indication of when any module error is detected along with the amount of time the error related to any given module introduced and executing an interface routine when any module error is detected to initiate a plant specific alert and/or action.
In yet another embodiment, a computer readable medium for use in process plant monitoring and/or control includes at least one module associated with monitoring and/or control of a process stored on the computer readable medium and at least one program flow control monitoring routine stored on the computer readable medium. The program flow control monitoring routine is executed to detect any error related to the module and provides a time-stamp indication of when the error was detected. The computer readable medium also stores at least one interface routine that is executed when any module error is detected to initiate a plant specific alert and/or action.
Free Full Text Source: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2013/0145219.html