FIELD DEVICE FOR CHECKING THE QUALITY OF A NETWORK CONNECTION

Abstract

A field device of automation technology having a function for checking quality of a network connection includes an operating electronics and at least one communication interface for connecting to a communication network having one or more network participants and for building a communication connection, wherein a communication stack and a PHY are associated with the communication interface, wherein the communication stack and the PHY are embodied continually to gain and to store communication information regarding the communication connection, wherein the operating electronics is embodied to read out communication information from the communication stack and from the PHY, and by means of an algorithm to subject the communication information to computation and based on the result of the computation to classify a communication state.

Claims

1-7. (canceled)

8. A field device of automation technology having a function for checking quality of a network connection, the field device comprising: an operating electronics; and at least one communication interface for connecting to a communication network having one or more network participants and for building a communication connection, wherein a communication stack and a PHY are associated with the communication interface and the communication stack and the PHY are embodied continually to gain and to store communication information regarding the communication connection, wherein the operating electronics is embodied to read out communication information from the communication stack and from the PHY, and via an algorithm to subject the communication information to computation and based on the result of the computation to classify a communication state.

9. The field device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the field device is embodied to provide the communication state by communication interface to one or more of the network participants.

10. The field device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: a display unit, wherein the field device is embodied to output the communication state via the display unit.

11. The field device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the communication network is an Ethernet based network, including ModBus TCP, PROFINET or EtherNet/IP.

12. The field device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the communication information includes the following: status concerning whether a communication connection via the communication interface has been established or not; status concerning whether a ring connection has been established; number of bytes received from the communication interface; number of byte reception errors; number of bytes transmitted or emitted from the communication interface; number of byte transmission errors; number of active TCP connections; number of TCP frames received; number of TCP frame reception errors; number of TCP packets transmitted; number of TCP frame transmission errors; number of UDP ports available; number of UDP packets received; number of reception errors of UDP packets; number of UDP packets transmitted; number of transmission errors of UDP packets; application relation status; information regarding approximate network load of incoming data, or packets; information regarding approximate network load of outgoing data, or packets; information regarding a signal level; and/or information regarding a signal-to-noise ratio.

13. The field device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the result of the computation is a numerical value, and the operating electronics is embodied to classify the communication state based on at least one cut-off value in one of at least three states.

14. The field device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the operating electronics is further embodied to perform a reliability testing based on further information, wherein the reliability testing provides information concerning extent to which the classified communication state is trustworthy information.

Description

[0051] The invention will now be explained in greater detail based on the appended drawing. The sole FIGURE of the drawing shows as follows

[0052] FIG. 1 an example of an embodiment of the field device of the invention, which is integrated into a communication network.

[0053] FIG. 1 shows a field device FD. Such serves, for example, for registering a flow velocity of a fluid medium in a pipeline. Field device FD can, however, be any other desired type of field device, such as indicated by way of example in the introductory part of the description.

[0054] Field device FD is connected into a communication network via two connection lines L1, L2. Connection lines L1, L2 form, in such case, a ring topology. The later computed communication state KS enables, for example, determining whether the ring topology is broken or the network system is functionng correctly.

[0055] For connecting the field device FD into the network, just one of the two connection lines L1, L2 is sufficient. It can, consequently, alternatively be provided that the field device is connected by only one of the two connection lines L1, L2. In the present example, the field device uses the protocol PROFINET. The connection lines L1, L2 are connected with the communication interface of the field device FD. Depending on network type, the field device FD is supplied with the electrical energy required for its operation via the connection lines L1, L2, or via a separate means of power supply PS.

[0056] Other network participants besides the field device are connected to a superordinated unit SU, in this case, a PLC, which queries measured values of the field device FD, as well as to a switch SW, which as infrastructure component connects other, not shown segments of the communication network.

[0057] During operation, the communication interface of the field device FD continually gains communication information, which permits an evaluation of the connecting performance of the field device FD in the communication network. For this, there is associated with the communication interface a communication stack and a PHY, which perform these tasks. In regular intervals, or upon initiative of a user, or upon query by one of the network participants NP, the operating electronics of the field device FD accesses the communication stack and the PHY, in order to read out communication information stored there. Associated with the operating electronics is an algorithm, which subjects the read-out communication information to computation and calculates a communication state KS.

[0058] The computation of the communication state KS occurs via the algorithm. The algorithm applies a mathematical formula, in order to subject the individual pieces of communication information to computation. For this, there are various options:

[0059] 1). The average value over all communication information is formed. In such case, all pieces of communication information have the same weighting factor.

[0060] 2.) A weighted formula is used, in the case of which the individual pieces of communication information receive individualized weighting factors. For example, UDP-specific pieces of communication information receive high weighting factors, since these concern cyclic telegrams and, consequently, are important, in order to assure a correctly functioning operation.

[0061] Additionally or alternatively to 1.) or 2.), limit values for individual pieces of communication information can be established. If these are, depending on type, sub- or exceeded, then the worst possible status is selected, independently of the values of the other pieces of communication information. An example concerns the communication information “status, whether a communication connection has been established via the communication interface or not”. If is no communication connection has been established, then the worst possible status is selected by way of default.

[0062] 3.) The algorithm is based on an Al model, for example, a deep learning model or a neural network, which has been trained earlier by means of training data to the three states S1, S2, S3 and can sometimes notice small nuances in the communication information, in order to identify the correct state S1, S2, S3. The algorithm can, in such case, have a feedback-function: If, for example, the worst possible state S3 is calculated, yet the connection is functioning without problem, then such can be told to the algorithm by feedback. The algorithm learns from these experiences and improves over the operating time.

[0063] The calculated communication state KS exists as a numerical value. Depending on the size of the communication state KS, such is classified as one of three states S1, S2, S3. The cut-off values marking the beginning and ending of states are stored as default values in the field device FD. They can, however, be changed by a user. State S1 is the best possible case and means “communication in order—good”. State S2 means “communication degraded—maintenance required”. State S3 is the worst possible state and means “communication disturbed—maintenance absolutely necessary”.

[0064] The communication state KS, i.e. the particular state S1, S2, S3, can be read via the display unit DU of the field device FD. For example, a special menu is presented, via which the current communication state can be learned. It can also be provided to make the communication state KS available to the network participants SU, SW via communication interface, or to additional devices, for example, service devices, which utilize the “SmartBlue” app developed by the applicant, via a further communication interface, for example, a radio interface.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0065] DU display unit

[0066] EI external influence

[0067] FD field device

[0068] KS communication state

[0069] L1, L2 connection lines

[0070] PS power supply

[0071] SW switch, network participant

[0072] SU superordinated unit, network participant

[0073] S1, S2, S3 states