Actuating drive and method for servicing and/or commissioning an actuating drive

Abstract

In an actuating drive (1), an electronic controller (2) and a data bus interface (5) are configured in such a way that, as an alternative to supply via a power supply connection (4), the electronic controller (2) can be supplied via a data bus interface (5) if the power supply connection (4) is voltage-free.

Claims

1. An electric actuating drive (1), by means of which valves in processing plants are operable in at least one of an automatized or remotely controlled manner comprising an electronic controller (2) configured to process or change at least one of: parameters, state variables; or parameters and state variables of the actuating drive (1), wherein parameters are at least one of: end positions of the valve, adjustment travel, adjustment speeds, torques at the end positions, variables of a switched state or a switching behavior of the connected valve, the electronic controller (2) is supplied with electrical energy during operation via a power supply connection (4) of the actuating drive (1), a data bus interface (5) is connected to the electronic controller (2), and the electronic controller (2) is additionally supplied with electrical energy via the data bus interface (5) and wherein at least one of: the electronic controller (2) is supplied via a data bus interface (8) of a further actuating drive (14) having its own electronic controller (15): or a data bus interface (8) is supplied with electrical energy by a portable computer (7); or the electronic controller (2) is removed from the actuating drive (1) before at least one servicing step and wherein the servicing step comprises at least one of reading out or describing a parameter value or a state variable of the actuating drive (1), and at least one of installing software or carrying out an activation process of an activator of the actuating drive (1), in each case via the data bus interface (5).

2. The actuating drive (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one of the parameters or state variables of the actuating drive are transmitted via the data bus interface (5); or the electronic controller (2) is configured to actuate an activator of the actuating drive (1).

3. The actuating drive (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data bus interface (5) is embodied as a USB interface or as an Ethernet interface; or the electronic controller (2) is arranged in a removable fashion on the actuating drive (1).

4. The actuating drive (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a switching device (13) configured to perform switching of the system connection, from supplying the electronic controller (2) via the power supply connection (4) to supplying the electronic controller (2) via the data bus interface (5).

5. The actuating drive (1) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the switching device (13) is configured to perform switching of the system connection in the event of a failure or switching off from supplying the electronic controller (2) via the power supply connection (4) to supplying the electronic controller (2) via the data bus interface (5).

6. A method for at least one of servicing or commissioning an actuating drive (1), by means of which valves in processing plants are operable in at least one of an automatized or remotely controlled manner, comprising supplying an electronic controller (2) of the actuating drive (1), with electrical energy, in a normal operating mode via a power supply connection (4) of the actuating drive (1), at least one of processing or changing parameters, state variables or parameters and state variables of the actuating drive (1), wherein parameters are at least one of: end positions of the valve, adjustment travel, adjustment speeds, torques at the end positions, variables of a switched state or a switching behavior of the connected valve, in the electronic controller (2), triggering at least one servicing step by a data bus interface (5), and supplying the electronic controller (2) with electrical energy via the data bus interface (5) at least during execution of the at least one servicing step, and wherein at least one of: the electronic controller (2) is supplied via a data bus interface (8) of a further actuating drive (14) having its own electronic controller (15) or a data bus interface (8) is supplied with electrical energy by a portable computer (7) or the electronic controller (2) is removed from the actuating drive (1) before at least one servicing step and wherein the servicing step comprises at least one of reading out or describing a parameter value or a state variable of the actuating drive (1), and at least one of installing software or carrying out an activation process of an activator of the actuating drive (1), in each case via the data bus interface (5).

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising disconnecting the electronic controller (2) from the power supply connection (4) during the servicing step.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising supplying the electronic controller (2) from a communication participant (12) which is connected to the data bus interface (5), wherein the communication participant (12) is fed from an accumulator (17).

9. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising monitoring the power supply connection (4) for at least one of switching off or failure of a power supply voltage, and in the event of switching off or the failure, activating the supply of the electronic controller (2) via the data bus interface (5).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings, in a highly schematic illustration:

(2) FIG. 1 shows servicing or commissioning of an actuating drive according to the prior art,

(3) FIG. 2 shows inventive servicing or commissioning of an actuating drive with a computer, and

(4) FIG. 3 shows inventive servicing or commissioning of an actuating drive with a further actuating drive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(5) FIG. 1 shows a servicing or commissioning of an actuating drive which is denoted in its entirety by 1. The actuating drive 1 has an electronic controller 2 which is embodied and configured in a manner known per se to actuate an activator (not illustrated further), to which a valve is connected.

(6) In order to supply the electronic controller 2 and the activator, the actuating drive 1 has a power supply unit 3, which is fed from a power supply connection 4.

(7) The electronic controller 2 can be parameterized by parameters in order to adjust the actuating drive 1, during commissioning or servicing, to the respectively present activator, for example, an electric motor, and/or to the respectively connected valve or the respectively connected actuating device.

(8) For this purpose, a data bus interface 5, by means of which the parameters can be read out and/or set, is constructed on the actuating drive 1.

(9) For the purpose of commissioning and/or servicing, the data bus interface 5 is connected via a connecting cable 6 to a portable computer 7 which has a corresponding data bus interface 8.

(10) In the described case, the data bus interface 5 is embodied as a USB interface.

(11) The portable computer 7 has communication electronics 9 which are supplied by means of a power supply unit 10 from a power supply connection 11.

(12) The communication electronics 9 organizes the exchange of data via the connecting cable 6 in order to parameterize the electronic controller 2.

(13) FIG. 2 shows inventive servicing or commissioning or servicing of an actuating drive 1.

(14) The actuating drive 1 has, as described above, an electronic controller 2, a power supply unit 3 and a data bus interface 5, shown here for example as a USB interface. In further exemplary embodiments, the data bus interface 5 is embodied as an Ethernet interface.

(15) In contrast to the actuating drive 1 according to FIG. 1, the electronic controller 2 of the actuating drive 1 according to FIG. 2 can be supplied not only by the power supply unit 3 but also by means of the data bus interface 5. Therefore, FIG. 2 also shows that the power supply unit 3 is disconnected from the power supply connection.

(16) The actuating drive 1 is connected via a connecting cable 6 to a communication participant 12. The communication participant 12 is shown here, for example, as a portable computer 7.

(17) The connecting cable 6 forms here an electrical connection between the data bus interface 5 of the actuating drive 1 and a corresponding data bus interface 8. The actuating drive 1 and the communication participant 12 exchange via this electrical connection. The data bus interfaces 5, 8, which are embodied, for example, as USB interfaces, are able also to make available and transmit electrical energy in addition to the data. In the case of an embodiment as a USB interface, this is achieved, for example, by voltage pins.

(18) The actuating drive 1 is equipped with a switching device 13 with which it is possible to switch between supplying of the electronic controller 2 from a power supply connection 4 connected to the power supply unit 3 (cf. FIG. 1) and supplying the electronic controller 2 via the data bus interface 5. For this purpose, the switching device 13 monitors whether a power supply voltage is present at the power supply unit 3, and switches 2 supply via the data bus interface 5 if this is not the case.

(19) In the case of servicing or commissioning, the actuating drive 1 can therefore be disconnected from the power supply connection 4, since the electronic controller 2 can be supplied via the data bus interface 2.

(20) The servicing steps, for example reading out or describing parameters and/or state variables and/or storing software options and/or firmware updates can therefore be executed in the electronic controller 2 via the data bus interface 5 when the power supply connection 4 is voltageless.

(21) The communication participant 12 is supplied here by means of its power supply unit 10 from a power supply connection 11. Alternatively, the communication participant 12 has, in a manner known per se, an energy store 17, for example an accumulator, from which the electronic controller 2 of the actuating drive 1 can be supplied via the connecting cable 6. A power supply connection can be completely dispensed with in this case.

(22) FIG. 3 shows a further exemplary embodiment according to the invention. Components and functional units which are functionally and/or structurally of the same type or identical to those in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference symbols and are not described once more separately. Statements relating to FIG. 2 therefore apply with respect to FIG. 3.

(23) The exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3 differs from the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2 in that the communication participant 12 is a further actuating drive 14. The further actuating drive 14 has an electronic controller 15 and a switching device 16 which are embodied, like the electronic controller 2 and the switching device 13, to form the actuating drive 1.

(24) The actuating drive 1 is, as already described with respect to FIG. 2, voltage-free at its power supply unit 3. The electronic controller 2 is therefore supplied via the data bus interface 5 with the electrical energy which is necessary for its operation.

(25) This energy is made available at the data bus interface 8 of the further actuating drive 14, said data bus interface 8 being actuated by the electronic controller 15.

(26) The actuating drives 1, 14 can therefore each be operated not only as a USB devicelike the actuating drive 1 herebut additionally as a USB hostlike the actuating drive 14 herein order to make available the supply energy.

(27) The further actuating drive 14 is supplied here by means of its power supply unit 10 from a power supply connection 11.

(28) In order to avoid long connecting cable 6, the electronic controller 2 can be removed from the actuating drive 1 and brought to the further actuating drive 14. For this purpose, the electronic controller 2 can be arranged in a control head (not illustrated further).

(29) After the servicing step or the commissioning, the parameterized, read-out and/or updated electronic controller 2 can be used again in the actuating drive 1. The normal operating mode of the actuating drive 1 can now occur.

(30) In the case of an actuating drive 1 it is proposed to configure an electronic controller 2 and a data bus interface 5 in such a way that the electronic controller 2 can, as an alternative to supplying via a power supply connection 4, be supplied via a data bus interface 5, if the power supply connection 4 is voltage-free.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(31) 1 actuating drive 2 electronic controller 3 power supply unit 4 power supply connection 5 data bus interface 6 connecting cable 7 portable computer 8 corresponding data bus interface 9 communication electronics 10 power supply unit 11 power supply connection 12 communication participant 13 switching device 14 further actuating drive 15 electronic controller 16 switching device 17 energy store