Presentation of a new Local Area Network for C.I.M.
applications
A. Kalogeras, K. Efstathiou, G. Zapantes, S. Koubias, G. Papadopoulos
Applied Electronics Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Patras, Patras 26500, Greece
Abstract- Computer Integrated Manuf'acturiug may solve a lot
of problems modern industry faces, by integrating the
computer in all manufkctnrlng processes This paper presents
an industrial Local Area Network that has being developed
under the h.amewor% of the European STRIDE LIGHT
project placing greater emphasis on the network management
that has been implemented.
I. INTRODUCTION
Computer Integrated Manufacturing has brought a
revolution in the way we think about industrial applications
and their architecture. While the traditional architecture of
an industrial application is based on parallel channels
(buses)which interconnect clusters of censors and actuators,
C.I.M. proposes an architecture using a multi-point
industrial network. This results in major improvements, not
the least important among which are the significant cuts in
cabling, design, installation and adjustment costs, the ease
in maintenance and modification, a very important increase
in the system reliability, the easier and wider accessibility to
variables, the ability to have a central database that means
ability to have various reports as well as visualise a given
application and finally the ability to have advanced control
on system data.
All these improvements have resulted in making the
installation of a local area network in an industrial
application a requirement rather than a characteristic of
C.I.M. The general idea of a local area network for an
industrial application is that of a spatially distributed data
base, which data have to be transferred via the network in
regular intervals. The data transfer that takes place is based
on a master slave scheme. Several fieldbus networks may.
be used like MINIMAP, FIP, PROFIBUS, Intel BITBUS,
e.t.a. [l], [2], [3], [4], [5]. This paper describes a system
based on the Intel BITBUS network.
The Intel BITBUS is defined with respect to a protocol
implementing only three of the seven layers of the OS1
Reference Model with a vertical network management layer.
The three layers are the Physical (Layer 1), the Data Link
(Layer 2) and the Application Layer (Layer 7). [6] The
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Intel BITBUS is a hierarchical centralised network
consisting of one master and multiple slaves. The objective
of the BITBUS interconnect is to provide an interface
between master and slave node tasks. This interface is
accomplished via an order and reply message protocol. At
the same time the BITBUS Application Layer provides a
subset of the Manufacturing Message Specification ( M M S )
171.
The paper at frrst presents the idea of the industrial
network used and then analyses the management structure
that has been implemented. It must be mentioned that the
whole system was developed under the auspices of the
European STRIDE LIGHT project [8]. It must be also
noted that the presented system has been installed and is
working successfully in five collaborating big Greek
industries.
11. STRUCTUREOF THEINDUSTRIAL NETWORKTHATHAS
BEEN IMPLEMENTED
As mentioned in the introduction, Intel BITBUS (IEEE
std. 1118) is a centralised hierarchical local area industrial
network. There is one master node and several slave nodes.
The transfer of data via the network takes place using an
order and reply message protocol. In addition a subset of
the Manufacturing Message Specification is provided.
Each slave node is based on an industrial controller
which was built round the powerful 8344 Intel
Microcontroller [9]. This microcontroller encompasses the
8051 Intel microcontroller and a Serial Interface Unit (SIU)
which provides network facilities according to the IBM
SDLC format. Both the Physical and the Data Link Layer
of the OS1 Reference Model are implemented by hardware
on the chip. Fwthermore a real time operating environment
named iDCX is adopted in order to use the optimum of the
computing capacities of the chip [lo].
The selection of a powerful microcontroller like the
Intel 8344 as the microcontroller to support the industrial
controller is a successful one because this chip has to
execute in parallel both the sufficient and reliable exchange
of data and the execution of preprocessings on the
 Fig.1. Global Memory Access Scheme
controller. These preprocessings are about tasks that reside
on the network node and serve the needs of the given
application.
Specific blocks of code reside on the industrial
controller in order to perform certain functions. These
functions may be divided into three major categories: the
functions that sampled values from the sensors of the node,
the functions that drive the actuators of the node and the
functions that perform certain processing on specific
values. A sequence of functions called one after another
forms a task. Tasks also reside on nodes.
The tasks that exist on the node may be self-sufficient,
which means that all their inputs are produced on the node,
or they may need values produced in other nodes. In the
former case we have to deal with 'local memory', meaning
the memory area of the node, where the values of the
sensors and actuators of the node that are not needed to
other nodes are stored, while in the latter case we have to
deal with 'global memory' as well, meaning the node
memory area where the values of the sensors and the
actuators of the node that are used by other nodes are
stored.
Finally and in order for the system to be more flexible,
tasks are parametric meaning that such information as for
example the sampling rate of a sampling function is a
parameter of the system. Function parameters are stored in
the so called 'parameter area' of the node.
111. THE NETWORK
MANAGEMENT
A factor indicative of the sophistication of an industrial
application is its relative ability to implement complex
functions that involve processing of values produced in
various spatially distributed nodes, taking into account time
constrains. The more complex the functions required, the
more sophisticated the network management should be, as it
provides the backbone for the transfer of data via the
network.
The main features of the network management that has
been built are:
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It provides the system with the ability to implement
periodical polling of the 'global memory areas' of the
nodes wig.1).
0 It implements error diagnosis and handling.
0 It provides the user with the ability to issue
commands to the network asynchronously via P user
friendly man-machine interface (MMI). Such
commands include the dynamic change of the
parameters of the local tasks residing on nodes and
upload and download facilities that allow monitoring
and debugging of the application.
An interactive and user friendly tool has been built
enabling the elaboration and the evaluation of the
application operating environment.
These feames make the implemented system capable of
handling industrial applications successfully even under
adverse conditions.
Emphasis must be placed on the fact that the end user is
provided with a graphical editor to design the specific
application. Thus the system becomes user friendly as the
only thing the user has to do is just "draw" the specific
application. This drawing is as easy as when drawing an
electronic design. The end user has simply to draw
functional blocks and interconnect them in such a way that
the specific logic of the application is met. The design
should give a complete understanding of both the functions
used and the flow of data. In order to be able to do this the
end user should always bear in mind the way the application
is structured, that is to say the structure based on tasks
residing on nodes, consisting of functions and using the
memory area of the node as the area to store their
parameters and their inputs and outputs either 'global' or
'local'.
The drawing of the application is an off line procedure.
The graphical editor creates all the necessary structures that
can be dubbed as the backbone of the network management
of the system. It also creates the necessary 8344 assembly
language code that has to be downloaded to the nodes of the
system and that represent the specific tasks that must reside
on the nodes and whose execution is fundamental for the
system.
The software structures created by the graphical editor
are continually updated by the network management
program running as a background process. The main goal
of the network management program is the polling of the
'gbbal memory areas' of the nodes and the transmission of
these data to all nodes that this is necessary. This polling is
done periodically and is dependent on the rate the 'global'
data are produced. The transmission of data is done taking
into account user requirements. The transmission rates must
not be greater than the polling periods of the 'global
memory areas' and are detenmined by the 'time window'
during which the user regards that the data must be
tKanSmitted.
A tool is supplied to the user which allows the
monitoring of the functioning of the application. This tool
monitors the situation of the network and gives the user the
capability to watch the various parameters that are
associated with the network functioning at run time. It also
enables the dynamic change of specific elements like the
parameters of the tasks. This tool may serve as a debugger
as well, since it allows the user to issue specific commands
at run time to check certain properties of the network
functioning.
In the case of an error occurring in the network during
the execution of a command, a response containing an error
code that completely specifies the type of the error is
returned by the network. If the error is a recoverable one,
then the BlTBUS manager program broadcasts all necessary
commands to the network so that normal functioning is
restored. If the error cannot be recovered then a message is
shown on the central station screen informing about the
nature of the error and the actions required by the user. An
example of the former type of error is the situation when a
node is not responding properly. Then the network manager
program will inform the user about the situation faced and it
will try to reset the node. If its attempts are successful then
normal functioning of the network resumes automatically.
If the network manager does not succeed in solving the
problem encountered, which means that a hardware problem
of some kind has taken place (for instance in the advent of
physical link damage) the user is informed about the
network problem and the actions required.
Furtheamore the network manager program is
responsible for the collection of statistical data about the
functioning of the network. Such data include the number
of data pachts transmitted and received, the number of
errors occurring and times associated with the transmission
and reception of data. These data can be presented
graphically at run time giving a way to evaluate the network
performance.
Clearly there are four kinds of commands that may be
issued to the network. The first kind is about the regular
polling and writing of the 'global memory areas' of the
nodes. The second is about specific user commands. The
third is associated with the error handling management.
Finally the fourth kind is related to the acquisition of
statistical data. Because of the difference in the relative
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importance of these four kinds of commands certain
priorities should be set for their service. That emphasises
the fact that for instance the commands related to error
handling procedures are the most urgent ones and must be
executed as soon as they are issued. 'Ihe severest priority
thus is reserved for error handling commands. Then
commands related to periodic reading and writing of the
'global memory areas' of the nodes are serviced. User
specific commands are of the third severest priority while
commands about statistics are commands with the lowest
priority.
The mechanism that has been implemented in order to
resolve this priority scheme is one based 011 four software
FIFO buffers. The FIFO buffer mechanism allows dynamic
change of the priority scheme as well, in the case of the
application requiring to do so. This could for instance
happen when the periodic reading and writing commands
consume a percentage of the CPU time that prohibits the
execution of user specific commands. In that case a
temporal change in the priority scheme solves the problem.
The data that the BITBUS manager continually collects
are stored in the global heap area of the master node. From
there on, they can be very easily accessed by any
application that can behave as a Dynamic Data Exchange
(DDE) client. That is so because the BITBUS management
program is implemented in such a way as to behave like a
DDE server. This means that it can be hot linked to any
application that is a DDE client, or in other words whenever
the 'global memory areas' data values that are stored in the
global heap change, all client applications linked with the
BITBUS management server are automatically informed
about the changes and are passed the new data values. This
DDE mechanism allows transmission of only the data that
have changed surpassing this way the useless and time
devouring procedure of transferring a large number of
unchanged data. It must be noted that the client applications
may be anything from a database to a visualisation program
and one can easily understand how important this way of
organisation of the BITBUS management program is.
Sparingly no limitations at all, as of what kind of processing
of the 'global' data values may take place or as of how these
values may be presented to the end user, exist.
None of the above could have been accomplished of
course if it had not been for the usage of the Microsoft
Windows, as the environment under which our application
was developed. Such Microsoft Windows aspects as the
multitasking capabilities and the Dynamic Data Exchange
provide our system with dynamic tools and made possible
the integration that has finally been accomplished [lll. A
factor that has largely contributed to the final result is the
principles of the object oriented programming that the
whole program was based on. This way of building the
program made it more structured and gave it greater
capabilities and efficiency than conventional ways of
programming.

IV.CONCLUSIONS
In this paper a system based on the industrial local area
network Intel BITBUS is presented. The system that has
been implemented :
1. Provides high reliability as it guarantees that the
periodic exchange of data through the network will not
exceed given time intervals.
2. Reduces cabling costs as well as design, installation
and adjustment costs while making maintenance and
modification easier.
3. Permits advanced and remote control.
4. Is based on the idea of managing a spatially
distributed data base with respects .to specific time
constraints.
5. Provides powerful, intelligent nodes.
6. Provides the capability of error diagnosis and
correction.
7. Presents the user with a friendly, easy to use,
graphical way to draw the specific application.
8. Is dynamic as it allows the change of the parameters
of the tasks residing on the network nodes at run time.
9. Is an open system as it does not put any specific
limitations during the design of the application.
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10. Provides the user with an easy, universal way of
acquiring the data needed as it is based on the Dynamic
Data Exchange principles of the Microsoft Windows
environment.
The presented system has been installed and is working
successfully in five big Greek industries contributing to the
modernisation of the Greek industry.
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