Intelligent industrial local area network module for use in a distributed control system

Claim 2

An intelligent industrial local area network module for use in a distributed control system, said distributed control system comprising a host controller and at least two industrial controllers each having a said module, said industrial controllers communicating with each other and the host controller through a communications network, said modules managing all network communications for their respective industrial controller on said communicating network, each of said module comprising: transceiver means for supporting all communication between the module and the communications network in a first data format; parallel interface means for supporting all communication between the module and one of the industrial controllers in a second data format; microcontroller means for (i) controlling the orderly flow of messages between the module and the communications network through the transceiver means, and (ii) controlling the orderly flow of messages between the module and the one industrial controller through the parallel interface means; and memory means for storing program instructions to be retrieved by the microcontroller means and then executed by the microcontroller means to control the orderly flow of messages between the module and the communications network through the transceiver means and to control orderly flow of messages between the module and the one industrial controller through the parallel interface means.

Claim 3

An intelligent industrial local area network module according to claim 1 wherein said transceiver means includes a single shielded twisted pair of wire cables which connects with the communications network.

Claim 4

An intelligent industrial local area network module according to claim 1 wherein said parallel interface means includes a connector which is an iSBX parallel bus interface.

Claim 5

An intelligent industrial local area network module according to claim 1 wherein said parallel interface means includes a connector which is an IBM PC/AT bus interface.

Claim 6

An intelligent industrial local area network module according to claim 1 wherein said microcontroller means includes an eight bit microcontroller with a global serial channel which can accommodate CSMA/CD, SDLC, and any other user-defined protocol.

Claim 7

An intelligent industrial local area network module according to claim 1 wherein said memory means comprises (i) a latch, (ii) an EPROM, (iii) RAM including a receive buffer and a transmit buffer, and (iv) a number of control lines interconnecting the latch, the EPROM, and the RAM including the receive buffer and the transmit buffer.

Claim 8

A distributed control system comprising: a host controller including means for transmitting and receiving data in a first data format; a plurality of industrial controllers for controlling respective devices, each of the industrial controllers including means for transmitting and receiving data in a second data format; a communications network coupled to the host controller and for enabling messages containing data in the first data format to be transmitted and received thereon; a first intelligent industrial LAN-module coupled between the communications network and one of the industrial controllers; and a second intelligent industrial LAN-module coupled between the communication network and another one of the industrial controllers; said intelligent industrial LAN-modules managing all communications on said network between said one of the industrial controllers and said another one of the industrial controllers; each of the intelligent industrial LAN-modules comprising: (1) transceiver means for supporting all communication between the respective intelligent industrial LAN-module and the communications network; (2) parallel interface means for supporting all communication between the respective intelligent industrial LAN-module and the respective industrial controller; (3) microcontroller means for (i) controlling the orderly flow of messages between the respective intelligent industrial LAN-module and the communications network through the transceiver means, and (ii) controlling the orderly flow of messages between the respective intelligent industrial LAN-module and the respective industrial controller through the parallel interface means; and (4) memory means for storing program instructions to be retrieved by the microcontroller means and then executed by the microcontroller means to control the orderly flow of messages between the respective intelligent industrial LAN-module and the communications network through the transceiver means and to control the orderly flow of messages between the respective intelligent industrial LAN-module and the respective industrial controller through the parallel interface means.

Claim 9

A distributed control system comprising: a host controller including means for transmitting and receiving data in a first data format; a plurality of industrial controllers for controlling respective devices, each of the industrial controllers including means for transmitting and receiving data in a second data format; a communications network coupled to the host controller and for enabling messages containing data in the first data format to be transmitted and received thereon; a first intelligent industrial LAN-module coupled between the communications network and one of the industrial controllers; and a second intelligent industrial LAN-module coupled between the communication network and another one of the industrial controllers; said intelligent industrial LAN-modules managing all communications on said network between said one of the industrial controllers and said another one of the industrial controllers; each of the intelligent industrial LAN-modules comprising: (1) transceiver means for supporting all communication between the respective intelligent industrial LAN-module and the communications network; (2) parallel interface means for supporting all communication between the respective intelligent industrial LAN-module and the respective industrial controller; (3) microcontroller means for (i) controlling the orderly flow of messages between the respective intelligent industrial LAN-module and the communications network through the transceiver means, and (ii) controlling the orderly flow of messages between the respective intelligent industrial LAN-module and the respective industrial controller through the parallel interface means; and (4) memory means for storing program instructions to be retrieved by the microcontroller means and then executed by the microcontroller means to control the orderly flow of messages between the respective intelligent industrial LAN-module and the communications network through the transceiver means and to control the orderly flow of messages between the respective intelligent industrial LAN-module and the respective industrial controller through the parallel interface means.

Claim 10

A distributed control system according to claim 7 wherein said transceiver means includes a single shielded twisted pair of wire cables which connects with the communications network.

Claim 11

A distributed control system according to claim 7 wherein said parallel interface means includes a connector which is an iSBX parallel bus interface.

Claim 12

A distributed control system according to claim 7 wherein said parallel interface means includes a connector which is an IBM PC/AT bus interface.

Claim 13

A distributed control system according to claim 7 wherein said microcontroller means includes an eight bit microcontroller with a global serial channel which can accommodate CSMA/CD, SDLC, and any other user-defined protocol.

Claim 14

A distributed control system according to claim 7 wherein said memory means comprises (i) a latch, (ii) an EPROM, (iii) RAM including a receive buffer and a transmit buffer, and (iv) a number of control lines interconnecting the latch, the EPROM, and the RAM including the receive buffer and the transmit buffer.

Claim 15

A distributed control system according to claim 7 further comprising a third intelligent industrial module coupled between the host controller and the communications network and cooperating with the host controller to monitor the communications network.

Claim 16

A distributed control system according to claim 13 wherein the host controller is a personal computer.

Claim 17

A distributed control system according to claim 7 further comprising (i) a personal computer, and (ii) a third intelligent industrial module coupled between the personal computer and the communications network and cooperating with the personal computer to monitor the communications network.

Claim 18

A distributed printing press color control system for controlling a number of ink key actuators, said system comprising: a host controller; at least one printing unit including a plurality of ink fountain assemblies and a number of embedded controllers equal to the number of ink fountain assemblies; a communications network which daisy chains from ink fountain assembly to ink fountain assembly and from printing unit to printing unit to interlink the embedded controllers and the host controller; input/output means interconnected with the embedded controllers and the ink key actuators to enable the embedded controllers to monitor and control the ink key actuators; an industrial local area network module associated with each embedded controller for enabling the embedded controller to communicate with the host controller and other embedded controllers for controlling ink key actuators associated with the particular embedded controller, said local area network modules managing all network communications for their respective interlinked embedded controller coupled to said communications network; the industrial local area network module comprising: (1) transceiver means for supporting all communication between the module and the communications network in a first data format; (2) parallel interface means for supporting all communication between the module and the respective embedded controller in a second data format; (3) microcontroller means for (i) controlling the orderly flow of messages between the module and the communications network through the transceiver means, and (ii) controlling the orderly flow of messages between the module and the embedded controller through the parallel interface means; and (4) memory means for storing program instructions to be retrieved by the microcontroller means and then executed by the microcontroller means to control the orderly flow of messages between the module and the communications network through the transceiver means and to control orderly flow of messages between the module and the embedded controller through the parallel interface means.

Claim 19

A distributed printing press color control system for controlling a number of ink key actuators, said system comprising: a host controller; at least one printing unit including a plurality of ink fountain assemblies and a number of embedded controllers equal to the number of ink fountain assemblies; a communications network which daisy chains from ink fountain assembly to ink fountain assembly and from printing unit to printing unit to interlink the embedded controllers and the host controller; input/output means interconnected with the embedded controllers and the ink key actuators to enable the embedded controllers to monitor and control the ink key actuators; an industrial local area network module associated with each embedded controller for enabling the embedded controller to communicate with the host controller and other embedded controllers for controlling ink key actuators associated with the particular embedded controller, said local area network modules managing all network communications for their respective interlinked embedded controller coupled to said communications network; the industrial local area network module comprising: (1) transceiver means for supporting all communication between the module and the communications network in a first data format; (2) parallel interface means for supporting all communication between the module and the respective embedded controller in a second data format; (3) microcontroller means for (i) controlling the orderly flow of messages between the module and the communications network through the transceiver means, and (ii) controlling the orderly flow of messages between the module and the embedded controller through the parallel interface means; and (4) memory means for storing program instructions to be retrieved by the microcontroller means and then executed by the microcontroller means to control the orderly flow of messages between the module and the communications network through the transceiver means and to control orderly flow of messages between the module and the embedded controller through the parallel interface means.

Claim 20

A distributed printing press color control system according to claim 16 wherein said transceiver means includes a single shielded twisted pair of wire cables which connects with the communications network.

Claim 21

A distributed printing press color control system according to claim 16 wherein said parallel interface means includes a connector which is an iSBX parallel bus interface.

Claim 22

A distributed printing press color control system according to claim 16 wherein said parallel interface means includes a connector which is an IBM PC/AT bus interface.

Claim 23

A distributed printing press color control system according to claim 16 wherein said microcontroller means includes an eight bit microcontroller with a global serial channel which can accommodate CSMA/CD, SDLC, and any other user-defined protocol.

Claim 24

A distributed printing press color control system according to claim 16 wherein said memory means comprises (i) a latch, (ii) an EPROM, (iii) RAM including a receive buffer and a transmit buffer, and (iv) a number of control lines interconnecting the latch, the EPROM, and the RAM including the receive buffer and the transmit buffer.

Claim 25

A distributed printing press color control system according to claim 16 further comprising an industrial local area network module associated with the industrial controller and cooperating with the industrial controller to monitor the communications network, the industrial local area network module associated with the industrial controller having the same structure as the industrial local area network module associated with each embedded controller.

Claim 26

A distributed printing press color control system according to claim 22 wherein the industrial controller is a personal computer.

Claim 27

A distributed printing press color control system according to claim 16 further comprising (i) a personal computer, and (ii) an industrial local area network module associated with the personal computer and cooperating with the personal computer to monitor the communications network, the industrial local area network module associated with the personal computer having the same structure as the industrial local area network module associated with each embedded controller.