Industrial controller with I/O mapping table for linking software addresses to physical network addresses

Claim 1

A method of operating an industrial controller having a central processor executing a stored control program to exchange data with a plurality of input/output modules distributed over a network at physical network addresses to provide an electrical interface at control points to a controlled process, the method comprising the steps of: (a) entering the control program into the controller, the program having steps where data is exchanged with a particular control point in the controlled process designated by a software address in the control program and not dependent on a physical address; (b) entering an I/O map table into the controller linking the software address to a physical network address of a particular input/output module serving as the electrical interface with the control point; (c) operating the controller to exchange data with the control point through the particular I/O module at the physical network address linked to the software address by the I/O map table; and (d) transmitting the programming information to the input/output module to program the input output module; wherein the input/output module includes a programmable electronic computer and wherein the I/O map table also relates the software address to programming information for the programmable electronic computer of the particular input/output module.

Claim 2

A method of operating an industrial controller having a central processor executing a stored control program to exchange data with a plurality of input/output modules distributed over a network at physical network addresses to provide an electrical interface at control points to a controlled process, the method comprising the steps of: (a) entering the control program into the controller, the program having steps where data is exchanged with a particular control point in the controlled process designated by a software address in the control program and not dependent on a physical address; (b) entering an I/O map table into the controller linking the software address to a physical network address of a particular input/output module serving as the electrical interface with the control point; (c) operating the controller to exchange data with the control point through the particular I/O module at the physical network address linked to the software address by the I/O map table; and (d) transmitting the programming information to the input/output module to program the input output module; wherein the input/output module includes a programmable electronic computer and wherein the I/O map table also relates the software address to programming information for the programmable electronic computer of the particular input/output module.

Claim 4

A method of operating an industrial controller having a central processor executing a stored control program to exchange data with a plurality of input/output modules distributed over a network at physical network addresses to provide an electrical interface at control points to a controlled process, the method comprising the steps of: (a) entering the control program into the controller, the program having steps where data is exchanged with a particular control point in the controlled process designated by a software address in the control program; (b) entering an I/O map table into the controller linking the software address to a physical network address of a particular input/output module serving as the electrical interface with the control point; and (c) operating the controller to exchange data with the control point through the particular I/O module at the physical network address linked to the software address by the I/O map table; wherein the controller operates to exchange data with the control point at step (c) by: (i) replacing a software address in the control program with an address in a data table stored in the controller; and (ii) exchanging data between the particular I/O module and the address of the data table using the physical address contained in the I/O map table and linked to the replaced software address; (d) wherein the exchange of data between the particular I/O module and the data table is accomplished by: I. assigning a message from the particular I/O module to a connection identification number; II. generating a connection record in the controller from the I/O map table, the connection record linking the connection identification number to the address in the data table; III. upon receipt of the message for the particular I/O module, looking up the connection identification number in the connection record to find the address in the data table to receive the message from the particular I/O module; and IV. writing the message to the address of the data table indicated by the connection record.

Claim 5

A method of operating an industrial controller having a central processor executing a stored control program to exchange data with a plurality of input/output modules distributed over a network at physical network addresses to provide an electrical interface at control points to a controlled process, the method comprising the steps of: (a) entering the control program into the controller, the program having steps where data is exchanged with a particular control point in the controlled process designated by a software address in the control program; (b) entering an I/O map table into the controller linking the software address to a physical network address of a particular input/output module serving as the electrical interface with the control point; and (c) operating the controller to exchange data with the control point through the particular I/O module at the physical network address linked to the software address by the I/O map table; wherein the controller operates to exchange data with the control point at step (c) by: (i) replacing a software address in the control program with an address in a data table stored in the controller; and (ii) exchanging data between the particular I/O module and the address of the data table using the physical address contained in the I/O map table and linked to the replaced software address; (d) wherein the exchange of data between the particular I/O module and the data table is accomplished by: I. assigning a message from the particular I/O module to a connection identification number; II. generating a connection record in the controller from the I/O map table, the connection record linking the connection identification number to the address in the data table; III. upon receipt of the message for the particular I/O module, looking up the connection identification number in the connection record to find the address in the data table to receive the message from the particular I/O module; and IV. writing the message to the address of the data table indicated by the connection record.

Claim 6

A method of operating an industrial controller having a central processor executing a stored control program to exchange data with a plurality of input/output modules distributed over a network at physical network addresses to provide an electrical interface at control points to a controlled process, the method comprising the steps of: (a) entering the control program into the controller, the program having steps where data is exchanged with a particular control point in the controlled process designated by a software address in the control program and not dependent on a physical address; (b) entering an I/O map table into the controller linking the software address to a physical network address of a particular input/output module serving as the electrical interface with the control point; (c) operating the controller to exchange data with the control point through the particular I/O module at the physical network address linked to the software address by the I/O map table; (d) entering into the I/O map table the second software address linked to the physical network addresses of the second industrial controller; and (e) operating the controller to exchange data with the second industrial controller at the physical network address linked to the second software address by the I/O map table; wherein the industrial controller also executes the stored control program to exchange data with a second industrial controller, the second industrial controller having a physical network address, wherein at step (a) the control program entered into the controller has steps where data is exchanged with the second industrial controller designated by a second software address in the control program.

Claim 7

A method of operating an industrial controller having a central processor executing a stored control program to exchange data with a plurality of input/output modules distributed over a network at physical network addresses to provide an electrical interface at control points to a controlled process, the method comprising the steps of: (a) entering the control program into the controller, the program having steps where data is exchanged with a particular control point in the controlled process designated by a software address in the control program and not dependent on a physical address; (b) entering an I/O map table into the controller linking the software address to a physical network address of a particular input/output module serving as the electrical interface with the control point; (c) operating the controller to exchange data with the control point through the particular I/O module at the physical network address linked to the software address by the I/O map table; (d) entering into the I/O map table the second software address linked to the physical network addresses of the second industrial controller; and (e) operating the controller to exchange data with the second industrial controller at the physical network address linked to the second software address by the I/O map table; wherein the industrial controller also executes the stored control program to exchange data with a second industrial controller, the second industrial controller having a physical network address, wherein at step (a) the control program entered into the controller has steps where data is exchanged with the second industrial controller designated by a second software address in the control program.

Claim 9

A method of operating an industrial controller having a central processor executing a stored control program to exchange data with a plurality of input/output modules distributed over a network at physical network addresses to provide an electrical interface at control points to a controlled process, the method comprising the steps of: (a) entering the control program into the controller, the program having steps where data is exchanged with a particular control point in the controlled process designated by a software address in the control program; (b) entering an I/O map table into the controller linking the software address to a physical network address of a particular input/output module serving as the electrical interface with the control point; and (c) operating the controller to exchange data with the control point through the particular I/O module at the physical network address linked to the software address by the I/O map table; wherein the controller operates to exchange data with the control point at step (c) by: (i) replacing a software address in the control program with an address in a data table stored in the controller; and (ii) exchanging data between the particular I/O module and the address of the data table using the physical address contained in the I/O map table and linked to the replaced software address; wherein the exchange of data between the particular I/O module and the data table is accomplished by: I. collecting a list of data needed to be transmitted to a particular I/O module identified by a connection identification number recognized by the particular I/O module; II. generating a connection record in the controller from the I/O map table linking the connection identification number to the address in location in the data table; III. on a periodic basis, reading the data table at the address and transmitting a message containing the data in the data table at the address to the particular I/O module, the message incorporating the connection identification number; wherein the connection identification number causes the network to route the message to the physical address of the particular I/O module.

Claim 10

A method of operating an industrial controller having a central processor executing a stored control program to exchange data with a plurality of input/output modules distributed over a network at physical network addresses to provide an electrical interface at control points to a controlled process, the method comprising the steps of: (a) entering the control program into the controller, the program having steps where data is exchanged with a particular control point in the controlled process designated by a software address in the control program; (b) entering an I/O map table into the controller linking the software address to a physical network address of a particular input/output module serving as the electrical interface with the control point; and (c) operating the controller to exchange data with the control point through the particular I/O module at the physical network address linked to the software address by the I/O map table; wherein the controller operates to exchange data with the control point at step (c) by: (i) replacing a software address in the control program with an address in a data table stored in the controller; and (ii) exchanging data between the particular I/O module and the address of the data table using the physical address contained in the I/O map table and linked to the replaced software address; wherein the exchange of data between the particular I/O module and the data table is accomplished by: I. collecting a list of data needed to be transmitted to a particular I/O module identified by a connection identification number recognized by the particular I/O module; II. generating a connection record in the controller from the I/O map table linking the connection identification number to the address in location in the data table; III. on a periodic basis, reading the data table at the address and transmitting a message containing the data in the data table at the address to the particular I/O module, the message incorporating the connection identification number; wherein the connection identification number causes the network to route the message to the physical address of the particular I/O module.

Claim 12

A method of operating an industrial controller having a central processor executing a stored control program to exchange data with a plurality of input/output modules distributed over a network at physical network addresses to provide an electrical interface at control points to a controlled process, the method comprising the steps of: (a) entering the control program into the controller, the program having steps where data is exchanged with a particular control point in the controlled process designated by a software address in the control program and not dependent on a physical address; (b) entering an I/O map table into the controller linking the software address to a physical network address of a particular input/output module serving as the electrical interface with the control point; (c) operating the controller to exchange data with the control point through the particular I/O module at the physical network address linked to the software address by the I/O map table; and (d) displaying the network topology as recorded in the I/O mapping table; wherein the network includes branches forming different routes along which data may pass and wherein physical addresses in the I/O map table describes a route through the network.

Claim 13

A method of operating an industrial controller having a central processor executing a stored control program to exchange data with a plurality of input/output modules distributed over a network at physical network addresses to provide an electrical interface at control points to a controlled process, the method comprising the steps of: (a) entering the control program into the controller, the program having steps where data is exchanged with a particular control point in the controlled process designated by a software address in the control program and not dependent on a physical address; (b) entering an I/O map table into the controller linking the software address to a physical network address of a particular input/output module serving as the electrical interface with the control point; (c) operating the controller to exchange data with the control point through the particular I/O module at the physical network address linked to the software address by the I/O map table; and (d) displaying the network topology as recorded in the I/O mapping table; wherein the network includes branches forming different routes along which data may pass and wherein physical addresses in the I/O map table describes a route through the network.