SENSOR AND METHOD FOR THE SERIAL TRANSMISSION OF DATA OF THE SENSOR

Abstract

A method for the serial transmission of data from a sensor to a safety control device. The sensor has two data processing units which examine and process both the data of the sensor and the request data of the safety control device. The same request data of the safety control device are simultaneously supplied to each data processing unit and the data processing units simultaneously perform a check of the request data after receiving the data. The data processing units operate independently of each other. A sensor unit has a sensor, a safety control device and data processing units. The safety control device is connected to the data processing units via a common serial bus and the data processing units are independent of one another and simultaneously perform the data processing. A system for securing hazardous areas of production facilities with a sensor unit.

Claims

1. A method for the serial transmission sensor data, comprising: transmitting sensor data from a sensor to a safety control device; simultaneously supplying the same sensor data to first and second data processing unit, the first and second data processing units operating independently of each other; and simultaneously performing a verification of the supplied sensor data with the first and second data processing units after receiving the sensor data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplied sensor data is either request data of the safety control device or process data of the sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing with the first and second data processing units results of the first and second data processing units respective verifications to one another and reporting an error to the safety control device if the respective verifications do not match.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising checking data consistency of the received data during the verification.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein response data are simultaneously returned from the first data processing unit to the safety control device and to the second data processing unit and the safety control device and the second data processing unit simultaneously carry out a verification of the response data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second data processing unit and the safety control device compare the results of the verification with each other and assess the response data as faulty when there is no match.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the verification covers both the data consistency and the processing of the data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein communication of the first and second data processing units with the safety control device occurs in compliance with an IO-Link Safety standards, an AS-i bus standards, a CANopen safety standard or a Profisafe standard for Profibus/Profinet.

9. A sensor unit, comprising: a sensor, a safety control device and first and second data processing units associated with the sensor, the safety control device connected to the first and second data processing units via a common serial bus and the data processing units are independent of one another and configured to simultaneously carry out processing of supplied data from the sensor.

10. The sensor unit of claim 9, further comprising a bus configured for bidirectional data transmission.

11. The sensor unit of claim 9, wherein the safety control device is connected to the first and second data processing units via a common serial bus and the second data processing unit and the safety control device are configured to simultaneously check a data consistency and a correct processing of data supplied to them by the first data processing unit.

12. The sensor unit of claim 9, wherein the safety control device and the first and second data processing units are designed to communicate with each other using an IO-Link Safety Standard, an AS-i Bus Standard, a CANopen Safety Standard or a Profisafe Standard for Profibus/Profinet.

13. The sensor unit of claim 9, wherein the sensor comprises an RFID receiver that responds to an approach of an RFID transmitter.

14. The sensor unit of claim 13, wherein process data of the sensor are stored in the RFID transmitter, and the RFID receiver is adapted to read and to process the stored data in its data processing units.

15. A system for securing hazardous areas of manufacturing facilities, comprising: a sensor unit, the sensor unit comprising: a sensor, a safety control device and first and second data processing units associated with the sensor, the safety control device connected to the first and second data processing units via a common serial bus and the data processing units are independent of one another and configured to simultaneously carry out processing of supplied data from the sensor.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a bus configured for bidirectional data transmission.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the safety control device is connected to the first and second data processing units via a common serial bus and the second data processing unit and the safety control device are configured to simultaneously check a data consistency and a correct processing of data supplied to them by the first data processing unit.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the safety control device and the first and second data processing units are designed to communicate with each other using an IO-Link Safety Standard, an AS-i Bus Standard, a CANopen Safety Standard or a Profisafe Standard for Profibus/Profinet.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the sensor comprises an RFID receiver that responds to an approach of an RFID transmitter.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein process data of the sensor are stored in the RFID transmitter, and the RFID receiver is adapted to read and to process the stored data in its data processing units.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a sensor unit with a safety control device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a sensor unit according to the invention with a sensor 1 and a safety control device 2. The sensor 1 has a first and a second data processing unit 3, 4, which are independent of each other. These two data processing units 3, 4 differ in the specific design of their hardware, but are functionally identical in terms of their operation and mode of action. The data processing units 3, 4 are connected to the safety control device 2 via a single bus, which is shown only schematically. Request data or control instructions or commands are sent from the safety control device to the processing units 3, 4 in the transmission direction 5 via the common bus, and response data such as sensor measured values, sensor identification numbers and the like are transmitted in the transmission direction 6.

[0030] The first data processing unit 4 has a first processing unit 8, which checks the plausibility and processes data, that is to say the request data or the response data. The verification or plausibility check of the data can be carried out by means of so-called check sums via known verification methods, such as, for example, the CRC method.

[0031] Upstream of this first processing unit 8 is a first data transfer unit 9, which packs or unpacks the data according to a standard, in particular according to the IO-Link Safety Standard. Before the first data transfer unit 9, a first transmitting and receiving unit 10 is arranged, which encodes or decodes the data packets.

[0032] Accordingly, in the same arrangement, the second data processing unit 3 has a second processing unit 11, a second data transfer unit 12 and a second sending and receiving unit 13. Both data processing units 3 and 4 are connected to one another via a message line, through which exception messages, such as a different verification results are transmitted.

[0033] It should be noted that in the event that the sensor 1 is designed as an RFID receiver, the RFID transmitter unit is not shown in FIG. 1.

[0034] It should be noted that the method described here, the system described here and the sensor described here have always been described in connection with safety doors for machines and production facilities. It goes without saying that the solutions according to the invention for the method, system and sensor can also be used in other fields in which an approach of one component to another must be detected. For example, the invention could be applied to drawers (whether open or closed) or robotic arms (proximity verifications, or tool recognition).