JP6833043B2 - Control devices, equipment, equipment management systems, control methods, and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to control devices, equipment, equipment management systems, control methods, and programs.

The development of technology for evaluating communication quality in equipment management systems that manage multiple equipment is underway. For example, Patent Document 1 provides an abnormality detection device that monitors a signal flowing through a transmission line, analyzes the distortion of the voltage waveform of the signal when a communication abnormality is detected, and estimates the cause of the abnormality. It is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-318471

The distortion of the voltage waveform is caused by deterioration of the communication system such as the communication line, the communication circuit, and the connector, and a defect such as poor contact, and may be caused by the collision of signals on the communication line. Therefore, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is not possible to determine whether the distortion of the voltage waveform is caused by a malfunction of the communication system or a signal collision, and the communication quality is efficiently evaluated. Is difficult.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to efficiently evaluate communication quality.

In order to achieve the above object, the control device according to the present invention is a control device that controls equipment connected via a communication line, and includes transmission means, frame interval setting means, and transmission control means. The transmission means transmits a control frame for controlling the operation of the equipment and a test frame for causing the equipment to perform the communication quality evaluation to the equipment via the communication line. The frame interval setting means sets the frame transmission interval to either the control frame interval time, which is the transmission interval time of the control frame, or the test frame interval time, which is the transmission interval time of the test frame and is shorter than the control frame interval time. Set. Transmission control means based on the transmission interval of the frame set by the frame interval setting means, the test frame, to control the transmission means for transmission to the equipment within a period of the control frame interval time.

According to the present invention, the control device transmits a test frame for executing the communication quality evaluation to the equipment within the control frame interval time. Therefore, the test frame can be transmitted to the equipment at a timing that can avoid the signal collision, and the communication quality can be evaluated efficiently.

The figure which shows the structure of the equipment management system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. Block diagram showing the configuration of the control device Block diagram showing the configuration of equipment Diagram for explaining the peak value, pulse width, sag, rise time, and fall time of each pulse of the voltage waveform. Flowchart showing the flow of test frame transmission processing Flowchart showing the flow of communication quality evaluation processing A flowchart showing the flow of the test frame transmission process according to the second embodiment. Diagram for explaining the operation of each device when a signal collision occurs

Hereinafter, the equipment management system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, an equipment management system for managing equipment of equipment will be described as an example.

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIG. 1, the equipment management system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes equipment equipment 200 and a control device 100 for controlling a plurality of equipment equipment 200. The control device 100 and the equipment 200 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via the communication line CL, and the CSMA / CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) winning method, which is an Ethernet (registered trademark) communication control method, is used. Use to perform serial communication. Further, the signal used for communication between the control device 100 and the equipment 200 can be any signal in the birth band system such as NRZ (Non Return to Zero) system, RZ (Return to Zero) system, AMI (Alternate Mark Inversion) system. A coding method can be applied.

Although three equipments 200 are shown in FIG. 1, the number of equipments 200 included in the equipment management system 1 is not limited to this, and any number of equipments 200 can be applied. Further, in the following, a plurality of equipments and devices may be collectively referred to as "equipment equipments 200" or one of the equipments and devices included in the equipment management system 1.

In the normal CSMA / CD method, each device on the communication line constantly monitors whether a signal is flowing on the communication line, and after confirming that the no-signal state in which no signal is flowing continues for a predetermined period of time. , Start sending data. Further, the device that transmits data collates the transmitted data with the communication data on the transmission path bit by bit, and detects a collision when the collation results are different. When a collision of signals on the communication line is detected, data transmission is stopped and a jam signal is transmitted to notify other devices that a collision has occurred. As a result, the device that has received the jam signal can reliably discard the data in which the collision has occurred. The device that detects the collision and stops the transmission starts retransmitting the data after the lapse of the waiting time randomly determined from the plurality of candidates.

In the winning method, among multiple devices that started data transmission at almost the same time, the device that detected the collision stops the data transmission, while the device that did not detect the collision continues without stopping the data transmission and transfers the data. Send to the end.

With reference to FIG. 8, the operation of each device when a collision between the transmission signals of the devices A and the device B occurs on the communication line will be described. In the following description, the NRZ method is adopted, the signal of the potential E indicates “1”, and the signal of the potential 0 indicates “0”. Further, the data on the communication line appears as "0" when one or more devices transmit "0", and as "1" when all the devices transmit "1". As shown in FIG. 8, although the device A transmits "1" in the 5th bit, it is "0" on the communication line. Therefore, the device A detects a collision and stops the transmission after the next bit. To do. On the other hand, since the transmission data and the data on the communication line match, the device B survives and continues the transmission of the data.

In the above example, the device B continues data transmission without detecting the collision even if it occurs, but the voltage waveform of the data transmitted by the device B may be distorted due to the collision. .. Therefore, it is difficult for the devices other than the device A that has received the transmission data of the device B to distinguish whether the distortion of the voltage waveform is due to a signal collision or a malfunction of the communication system.

Next, each configuration of the control device 100 and the equipment equipment 200 included in the equipment management system 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 100 includes a control unit 110 that collectively controls the control device 100, a storage unit 120 that stores various programs and data, a display unit 130 that displays images, and an input unit that accepts user input. It includes 140, a communication unit 150 that performs data communication with the equipment 200, and a signal detection unit 160 that detects a signal flowing through the communication line CL. Each of these parts is electrically connected to each other via a bus line BL.

The control unit 110 includes a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. The control unit 110 controls each component of the control device 100 by having the CPU read various operation programs stored in the ROM and execute them on the RAM. The RAM functions as a buffer for temporarily storing, for example, frame interval information indicating the minimum time of the transmission interval of each frame, transmission state information indicating the transmission processing state of the communication unit 150, and the like.

The control unit 110 functionally includes a frame interval setting unit 111, a no-signal time measurement unit 112, a transmission state management unit 113, a transmission control unit 114, and a display control unit 115.

The frame interval setting unit 111 sets the frame interval time according to the type of the command to be transmitted, and stores the set frame interval time in the RAM as frame interval information. The frame interval setting unit 111 normally sets the frame interval time to the control frame interval time, which is the transmission interval time of the control frame. Further, when the operation signal instructing the communication quality evaluation is input from the user via the input unit 140, the frame interval setting unit 111 sets the frame interval time so as to transmit the test frame at an interval shorter than the control frame interval time. , Set to the test frame interval time, which is the test frame transmission interval time. In the present embodiment, the control frame interval time is 20 milliseconds and the test frame interval time is 10 milliseconds.

Here, in the present embodiment, the control frame is a frame in which control commands for controlling the operation of the equipment 200 are stored. The test frame is a frame in which a test command for instructing the equipment 200 to execute the communication quality evaluation is stored. The test frame contains information on the frame type and frame length to distinguish it from the control frame. The data length of the test frame is preferably short in order to complete the transmission of the entire frame in a short time. Further, the test frame may be transmitted to each equipment 200 based on a transmission schedule preset by the user, in addition to being transmitted according to the operation of the user.

The non-signal time measuring unit 112 measures the non-signal time, which is the duration of the non-signal state in which no signal is flowing on the communication line CL. The non-signal time measurement unit 112 measures the non-signal time based on the detection signal input from the signal detection unit 160, for example, using a counter built in the CPU.

The transmission state management unit 113 manages the transmission processing state of the communication unit 150. The transmission state management unit 113 may include, for example, "non-transmission" in which the communication unit 150 does not execute frame transmission processing, "control frame transmission in progress" in which control frame transmission processing is being executed, and test frame transmission processing. Is stored in the RAM as transmission status information in which state of "test frame transmission" is being executed. The transmission state management unit 113 appropriately updates the transmission state information based on the transmission request output from the transmission control unit 114 to the communication unit 150, the transmission result notification input from the communication unit 150, and the like.

The transmission control unit 114 controls the communication unit 150 to transmit a frame to the equipment device 200. The transmission control unit 114 generates a frame in which transmission data is stored, and when the non-signal time measured by the non-signal time measurement unit 112 reaches the time set in the frame interval information stored in the RAM, the communication unit 150 By outputting a transmission request to the communication unit 150, the communication unit 150 is started to transmit the frame.

The display control unit 115 controls the display unit 130 to display, for example, the communication quality evaluation information received from the equipment 200.

The frame interval setting unit 111, the no-signal time measurement unit 112, the transmission state management unit 113, the transmission control unit 114, and the display control unit 115 may be realized by one computer, or each may be realized by a separate computer. May be done.

The storage unit 120 includes a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive, and the like whose stored contents can be rewritten. The storage unit 120 stores various data such as various programs, input data, and transmission / reception data used for processing of the control unit 110.

The display unit 130 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescent) display, and displays and outputs various information output from the control unit 110. Under the control of the control unit 110, the display unit 130 displays, for example, communication quality evaluation information received from the equipment 200.

The input unit 140 includes a touch panel, operation buttons, etc., receives data input, operation, etc. by the user, and outputs a signal corresponding to the received input to the control unit 110. The input unit 140 receives, for example, an operation instructing the user to evaluate the communication quality, and outputs the operation to the control unit 110. The touch panel may include a display screen of the display unit 130 and a touch sensor provided on the display screen.

The communication unit 150 is a communication interface for communicating with the equipment device 200, and under the control of the control unit 110, transmits data to the equipment device 200 and receives data from the equipment device 200. When the transmission process is executed in response to the transmission request of the control unit 110, the communication unit 150 outputs a transmission result notification indicating transmission completion or transmission error to the control unit 110. Further, when the reception process is executed, the communication unit 150 outputs a reception result notification indicating reception completion or reception error to the control unit 110. If the received frame is not addressed to the own device, the communication unit 150 discards the frame without notifying the control unit 110.

The signal detection unit 160 detects whether or not a signal is flowing on the communication line CL. The signal detection unit 160 includes, for example, a voltage sensor, constantly monitors the voltage of the communication line CL, and outputs the presence / absence of signal detection to the control unit 110.

As shown in FIG. 3, the equipment 200 includes a control unit 210 that comprehensively controls the equipment 200, a storage unit 220 that stores various programs and data, a control device 100, and a communication unit that performs data communication with the equipment 200. 230, a voltage acquisition unit 240 for acquiring the voltage value of the communication line CL is provided. Each of these parts is electrically connected to each other via a bus line BL.

The control unit 210 includes a computer having a CPU, RAM, ROM, and the like. The control unit 210 controls each component of the equipment 200 by reading various operation programs stored in the ROM and executing them on the RAM.

Functionally, the control unit 210 has a frame interval setting unit 211, a no-signal time measurement unit 212, a transmission state management unit 213, a transmission control unit 214, an actual measurement waveform acquisition unit 215, a theoretical waveform acquisition unit 216, and a communication quality evaluation unit. It has 217.

The frame interval setting unit 211 sets the frame interval time, and stores the set frame interval time in the RAM as frame interval information. Unlike the frame interval setting unit 111 of the control device 100, the frame interval setting unit 211 once sets the frame interval time to the control frame interval time at the time of initial setting when the power of the equipment 200 is turned off. Does not change. That is, the equipment 200 always transmits the control frame to the outside based on the control frame interval time.

The no-signal time measuring unit 212 measures the no-signal time, which is the duration of the no-signal state in which no signal is flowing on the communication line CL. The non-signal time measuring unit 212 measures the non-signal time based on the voltage detection signal input from the voltage acquisition unit 240, for example, using a counter built in the CPU.

The transmission state management unit 213 manages the transmission processing state of the communication unit 230. In the transmission state management unit 213, for example, the communication unit 230 does not execute the frame transmission process "non-transmission", the control frame transmission process is executing "control frame transmission", and the test frame transmission process. Is stored in the RAM as transmission status information in which state of "test frame transmission" is being executed. The transmission state management unit 213 appropriately updates the transmission state information based on the transmission request output from the transmission control unit 214 to the communication unit 230, the transmission result notification input from the communication unit 230, and the like.

The transmission control unit 214 controls the communication unit 230 to transmit a frame to the outside. The transmission control unit 214 generates a frame in which transmission data is stored, and the communication unit 230 arrives at the timing when the non-signal time measured by the non-signal time measurement unit 212 reaches the time set in the frame interval information stored in the RAM. By outputting a transmission request to the communication unit 230, the communication unit 230 is started to transmit the frame.

The actual measurement waveform acquisition unit 215 identifies the voltage waveform corresponding to the test frame received via the communication unit 230 from the voltage value of the communication line CL for a certain period input from the voltage acquisition unit 240, and actually measures the specified voltage waveform. It is stored in the storage unit 220 as waveform information.

The theoretical waveform acquisition unit 216 reads out the theoretical waveform information stored in advance in the storage unit 220, and acquires a theoretical waveform showing an ideal voltage waveform of the test frame.

The communication quality evaluation unit 217 compares the measured waveform of the test frame indicated by the measured waveform information stored in the storage unit 220 with the theoretical waveform of the test frame acquired by the theoretical waveform acquisition unit 216, and in each pulse of both waveforms. It is evaluated whether or not the difference between the peak value, the sag, the pulse width, the rise time, and the fall time is within a predetermined allowable range.

Here, the peak value, pulse width, sag, rise time, and fall time of each pulse of the voltage waveform are defined as shown in FIG. 4, for example. The peak value is the maximum value of the voltage of the pulse. The pulse width is the time from the time when the voltage rises to 50% of the peak value to the time when the voltage drops to 50% of the peak value. The sag is the voltage drop at the top of the pulse from after it rises to before it falls. The size of the sag is expressed as a ratio of the decrease in voltage value to the peak value. The rise time is the time required for the voltage to increase from 10% to 90% of the peak value. The fall time is the time required for the voltage to decrease from 90% to 10% of the peak value.

Further, the communication quality evaluation unit 217 determines whether or not there is a problem in the communication system between the control device 100 and the own device, for example, according to the ratio of the number of bits whose difference exceeds the permissible range to the total number of bits. To judge. Then, the communication quality evaluation information indicating the determination result is transmitted to the control device 100 via the communication unit 230.

The theoretical waveform of the test frame is derived from the theoretical value of the voltage applied to the communication line CL according to each bit when the control device 100 transmits the test frame.

The frame interval setting unit 211, the no-signal time measurement unit 212, the transmission state management unit 213, the transmission control unit 214, the actual measurement waveform acquisition unit 215, the theoretical waveform acquisition unit 216, and the communication quality evaluation unit 217 are realized by one computer. It may be done, or each may be realized by a separate computer.

The storage unit 220 includes a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive, and the like whose stored contents can be rewritten. The storage unit 220 stores various data such as various programs, input data, and transmission / reception data used for processing of the control unit 210.

Further, the storage unit 220 includes theoretical waveform information indicating the theoretical waveform of the test frame transmitted from the control device 100, allowable range information indicating the allowable range of the difference between the measured waveform and the evaluation element of the theoretical waveform, and the measured waveform of the test frame. The measured waveform information indicating is stored.

The communication unit 230 is a communication interface for communicating with the control device 100, and under the control of the control unit 210, transmits data to the control device 100 and receives data from the control device 100.

The voltage acquisition unit 240 acquires the voltage value of the signal transmitted to and from the control device 100 via the communication line CL. The voltage acquisition unit 240 includes, for example, a voltage sensor and an AD (Analog to Digital) converter, samples the voltage value of the communication line CL at regular intervals, converts it into a digital value, and outputs the voltage value to the control unit 210.

Next, the test frame transmission process executed by the control unit 110 of the control device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The test frame transmission process is a process of transmitting a test frame for signal analysis while transmitting each frame to the equipment 200. The control unit 110 starts the test frame transmission process in response to receiving, for example, an operation instructing the user to evaluate the communication quality via the input unit 140.

When the control unit 110 starts the test frame transmission process, it first generates a test frame addressed to the equipment 200, which is the target of the communication quality evaluation (step S101).

Subsequently, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the transmission state of the communication unit 150 is “non-transmission” (step S102). The control unit 110 refers to the transmission state information stored in the RAM to determine whether or not it is “non-transmission”, and confirms whether or not the transmission of the control frame executed in advance is completed. When it is determined that the transmission state is not "non-transmission" (step S102; NO), the control unit 110 repeats the process of step S102 and waits until the transmission state becomes "non-transmission".

On the other hand, when it is determined that the transmission state is "non-transmission" (step S102; YES), the control unit 110 sets the transmission state of the communication unit 150 to "test frame transmission in progress" (step S103). Specifically, the transmission state management unit 113 of the control unit 110 changes the transmission state information stored in the RAM to "test frame transmission in progress".

When the transmission state becomes "non-transmission", there is no signal flowing on the communication line CL, and the control device 100 and the equipment 200 normally wait for frame transmission until the control frame interval time elapses. To do. The control unit 110 sets the transmission state to "test frame transmission in progress" and executes the following processing in order to transmit the test frame while waiting for the frame transmission of the equipment device 200.

The control unit 110 sets the frame interval time to the test frame interval time (step S104). Specifically, the frame interval setting unit 111 of the control unit 110 changes the frame interval information stored in the RAM to the test frame interval time. The test frame interval time is shorter than the normal control frame interval time, for example, 10 milliseconds.

Next, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the no-signal time has reached the test frame interval time (step S105). The control unit 110 determines by referring to the no-signal time measured by the no-signal time measurement unit 112, that is, the count value of the built-in counter. When it is determined that the no-signal time has not reached the test frame interval time (step S105; NO), the control unit 110 repeats the process of step S105 and waits until the no-signal time reaches the test frame interval time. ..

On the other hand, when it is determined that the no-signal time has reached the test frame interval time (step S105; YES), the control unit 110 outputs a test frame transmission request to the communication unit 150 (step S106). The communication unit 150 that has input the test frame transmission request transmits the test frame.

After outputting the transmission request of the test frame to the communication unit 150, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the transmission result notification has been input from the communication unit 150 (step S107). If it is determined that the transmission result notification has not been input (step S107; NO), the control unit 110 repeats the process of step S107 and waits until the transmission result notification is input.

When it is determined that the transmission result notification has been input (step S107; YES), the control unit 110 sets the frame interval time to the control frame interval time (step S108). Then, the control unit 110 sets the transmission state to "non-transmission" (step S109), and ends the test frame transmission process.

Next, the communication quality evaluation process executed by the control unit 210 of the equipment 200 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The communication quality evaluation process is a process for evaluating the communication quality between the control device 100 and the equipment 200 by comparing the measured waveform of the test frame with the theoretical waveform. The control unit 210 executes the communication quality evaluation process in response to receiving the test frame from the control device 100.

When the control unit 210 starts the communication quality evaluation process, it first acquires the measured waveform of the test frame (step S201). Specifically, the measured waveform acquisition unit 215 of the control unit 210 refers to the measured waveform information stored in the storage unit 220 and acquires the measured waveform of the test frame.

Next, the control unit 210 acquires the theoretical waveform of the test frame (step S202). Specifically, the theoretical waveform acquisition unit 216 of the control unit 210 reads out the theoretical waveform of the test frame indicated by the theoretical waveform information stored in the storage unit 220 from the storage unit 220 and acquires it.

After acquiring the measured waveform and the theoretical waveform of the test frame, the communication quality evaluation unit 217 compares the measured waveform with the theoretical waveform and evaluates the communication quality between the own machine and the control device 100 (step S203). .. The communication quality evaluation unit 217 stores the allowable range information stored in the storage unit 220 as the difference between the peak value, sag, pulse width, rise time, and fall time of each bit of the measured waveform and the theoretical waveform of the test frame. Judge whether it is within the allowable range shown. Then, the communication quality evaluation unit 217 evaluates whether or not the communication quality is appropriate, for example, according to the ratio of the number of bits whose difference exceeds the permissible range to the total number of bits.

After executing the process of step S203, the control unit 210 controls the communication unit 230 to transmit the communication quality evaluation information indicating the communication quality evaluation result to the control device 100 (step S204), and performs the communication quality evaluation process. finish.

As described above, in the equipment management system 1 according to the present embodiment, the control device 100 transmits the test frame to the equipment 200 within the period of the control frame interval time set as the transmission interval of the control frame. In this way, since the control device 100 transmits the test frame instructing the execution of the communication quality evaluation to the equipment equipment 200 during the standby time for frame transmission of the equipment equipment 200, the equipment equipment 200 transmits the voltage waveform of the received test frame. If the distortion exceeds the permissible range, it can be easily determined that a communication system defect has occurred, and the communication quality can be evaluated efficiently.

Further, the control device 100 includes a no-signal time measuring unit 112 for measuring the no-signal time when no signal is flowing through the communication line CL, and the timing when the no-signal time reaches the test frame interval time shorter than the control frame interval time. Then, the test frame is transmitted to the equipment 200. As a result, a test frame in which no signal collision has occurred can be reliably transmitted to the equipment 200 during the waiting time for frame transmission of the equipment 200, and the communication quality can be evaluated efficiently.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the control device 100 transmits the test frame to the equipment 200 at a timing at which signal collision within the transmission interval of the control frame is unlikely to occur, but the transmission timing of the test frame is not limited to this. .. In this embodiment, an example of improving the accuracy of communication quality evaluation by transmitting a test frame at a timing at which a signal collision is less likely to occur will be described.

Since the configuration of the equipment management system according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, the second embodiment will be described using the reference numerals used in the first embodiment, and the detailed description thereof will be described. Omit.

The test frame transmission process executed by the control unit 110 of the control device 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The test frame transmission process according to the second embodiment is a process of transmitting a dummy frame and a test frame. The dummy frame is a frame in which a dummy command that does not cause the equipment device 200 to execute effective processing is stored, and is transmitted to the equipment device 200 prior to the transmission of the test frame. That is, the control device 100 transmits a dummy frame before transmitting the test frame to secure a waiting time for frame transmission of the equipment device 200, and then transmits the test frame to the equipment device 200 within this period. Two frames, a dummy frame and a test frame, are transmitted within the control frame interval time. The control unit 110 starts the test frame transmission process in response to receiving, for example, an operation instructing the user to start the communication evaluation via the input unit 140.

When the control unit 110 starts the test frame transmission process, the control unit 110 first generates a dummy frame and a test frame addressed to the equipment 200 to be evaluated for communication quality (step S301).

Subsequently, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the transmission state of the communication unit 150 is “non-transmission” (step S302). The control unit 110 refers to the transmission state information stored in the RAM to determine whether or not it is “non-transmission”, and confirms whether or not the transmission of the control frame executed in advance is completed. When it is determined that the transmission state is not "non-transmission" (step S302; NO), the control unit 110 repeats the process of step S302 and waits until the transmission state becomes "non-transmission".

On the other hand, when it is determined that the transmission state is "non-transmission" (step S302; YES), the control unit 110 sets the transmission state of the communication unit 150 to "test frame transmission in progress" (step S303). The transmission state management unit 113 sets the transmission state information stored in the RAM to “test frame transmission in progress”.

The control unit 110 sets the frame interval time to the dummy frame interval time (step S304). The transmission state management unit 113 sets the frame interval information stored in the RAM to the dummy frame interval time. The dummy frame interval time is a time sufficiently shorter than the normal control frame interval time, for example, 5 milliseconds.

Next, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the no-signal time has reached the dummy frame interval time (step S305). When it is determined that the no-signal time has not reached the dummy frame interval time (step S305; NO), the control unit 110 repeats the process of step S305 and waits until the no-signal time reaches the dummy frame interval time. ..

On the other hand, when it is determined that the no-signal time has reached the dummy frame interval time (step S305; YES), the control unit 110 outputs a dummy frame transmission request to the communication unit 150 (step S306). The communication unit 150 that has input the dummy frame transmission request transmits the dummy frame. The equipment 200 that has received the dummy frame, including the equipment 200 that is the destination of the dummy frame, discards the dummy frame without executing any special processing.

After outputting the dummy frame transmission request to the communication unit 150, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the transmission result notification has been input from the communication unit 150 (step S307). If it is determined that the transmission result notification has not been input (step S307; NO), the control unit 110 repeats the process of step S307 and waits until the transmission result notification is input.

When it is determined that the transmission result notification has been input (step S307; YES), the control unit 110 sets the frame interval time to the test frame interval time (step S308). Specifically, the frame interval setting unit 111 of the control unit 110 sets the frame interval information stored in the RAM to the test frame interval time. Further, the non-signal time measurement unit 112 of the control unit 110 restarts the measurement of the non-signal time when the communication unit 150 completes the transmission of the dummy frame.

Next, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the no-signal time has reached the test frame interval time (step S309). The control unit 110 determines whether or not the measurement time by the non-signal time measurement unit 112 has reached the test frame interval time set in the frame interval information. When it is determined that the no-signal time has not reached the test frame interval time (step S309; NO), the control unit 110 repeats the process of step S309 and waits until the no-signal time reaches the test frame interval time. ..

When it is determined that the no-signal time has reached the test frame interval time (step S309; YES), the control unit 110 outputs a test frame transmission request to the communication unit 150 (step S310). The communication unit 150 that has input the test frame transmission request transmits the test frame.

When the equipment 200, which is the destination of the test frame, receives the test frame, it compares the measured waveform of the test frame with the theoretical waveform and evaluates the communication quality, as in the first embodiment. Then, the equipment 200 transmits the communication quality evaluation information to the control device 100.

After outputting the transmission request of the test frame to the communication unit 150, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the transmission result notification has been input from the communication unit 150 (step S311). If it is determined that the transmission result notification has not been input (step S311; NO), the control unit 110 repeats the process of step S311 and waits until the transmission result notification is input.

When it is determined that the transmission result notification has been input (step S311; YES), the control unit 110 sets the frame interval time to the control frame interval time (step S312), and then sets the transmission state to "non-transmission" (step S312). Step S313), the test frame transmission process is terminated.

As described above, in the equipment management system 1 according to the present embodiment, the control device 100 sequentially transmits dummy frames and test frames to the equipment equipment 200 within the control frame interval time. In this way, by transmitting the dummy frame before transmitting the test frame, the test frame can be transmitted at a timing at which the possibility of signal collision is even lower, and the communication quality can be evaluated more efficiently. it can.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, even if the equipment 200 includes the functions provided by the control device 100 and the control device 100 includes the functions provided by the equipment 200, the control device 100 and the equipment 200 evaluate each other's communication quality. Good. Further, the equipment management system 1 may include an equipment management device for managing the control device 100 and the equipment equipment 200, and for example, the equipment management device may manage communication quality evaluation information between the devices in an integrated manner.

For example, the function of the signal detection unit 160 of the control device 100 is realized by the communication interface provided in the communication unit 150, and the function of the voltage acquisition unit 240 of the equipment device 200 is realized by the communication interface provided in the communication unit 230. Therefore, the signal detection unit 160 and the voltage acquisition unit 240 may be omitted.

In the above embodiment, the operation program executed by the CPU included in the control device 100 and the equipment device 200 is stored in the ROM in advance. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and relates to the above-described embodiment by implementing an operation program for executing the above-mentioned various processes on an existing general-purpose computer, framework, workstation, or the like. It may function as a device corresponding to the control device 100 or the equipment device 200.

The method of providing such a program is arbitrary, and for example, it is stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium (flexible disc, CD (Compact Disc) -ROM, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) -ROM) or the like. Alternatively, the program may be stored in a storage on a network such as the Internet and provided by downloading the program.

Further, when the above processing is executed by the division of the OS (Operating System) and the application program or the cooperation between the OS and the application program, only the application program may be stored in the recording medium or the storage. It is also possible to superimpose a program on a carrier wave and distribute it via a network. For example, the above program may be posted on a bulletin board system (BBS) on the network and distributed via the network. Then, the program may be designed to execute the above processing by starting this program and executing it in the same manner as other application programs under the control of the OS.

The present invention is capable of various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope. Moreover, the above-described embodiment is for explaining the present invention, and does not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is indicated not by the embodiment but by the claims. Then, various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the equivalent meaning of the invention are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

The present invention can be suitably adopted in an equipment management system that manages a plurality of equipments.

1 ... Equipment management system, 100 ... Control device, 110 ... Control unit, 111 ... Frame interval setting unit, 112 ... No signal time measurement unit, 113 ... Transmission status management unit, 114 ... Transmission control unit, 115 ... Display control unit, 120 ... Storage unit, 130 ... Display unit, 140 ... Input unit, 150 ... Communication unit, 160 ... Signal detection unit, 200 ... Equipment, 210 ... Control unit, 211 ... Frame interval setting unit, 212 ... No signal time measurement unit , 213 ... Transmission state management unit, 214 ... Transmission control unit, 215 ... Actual measurement waveform acquisition unit, 216 ... Theoretical waveform acquisition unit, 217 ... Communication quality evaluation unit, 220 ... Storage unit, 230 ... Communication unit, 240 ... Voltage acquisition unit , BL ... Bus line, CL ... Communication line

Claims (7)

A control device that controls equipment connected via a communication line.
A transmission means for transmitting a control frame for controlling the operation of the equipment and a test frame for causing the equipment to perform a communication quality evaluation to the equipment via the communication line.
A frame that sets the frame transmission interval to either the control frame interval time, which is the transmission interval time of the control frame, or the test frame interval time, which is the transmission interval time of the test frame and is shorter than the control frame interval time. Interval setting means and
Based on the transmission interval of the frame set by the frame interval setting means, and transmission control means for the test frame, for controlling the transmission means for transmission to the equipment within a period of the control frame interval time, To prepare
Control device. Further provided with a no-signal time measuring means for measuring the duration of a no-signal state in which no signal is flowing through the communication line.
The transmission control means sets the test frame into the equipment when the duration of the no-signal state measured by the no-signal time measuring means reaches a test frame interval time shorter than the control frame interval time. To send to
The control device according to claim 1. The transmission control means controls the transmission means to transmit a dummy frame to the equipment within the period of the control frame interval time prior to the transmission of the test frame.
The control device according to claim 1 or 2. Equipment that is controlled by a control device connected via a communication line.
The communication line transmits a test frame instructing execution of the communication quality evaluation transmitted by the control device within the period of the control frame interval time set as the transmission interval time of the control frame for controlling the operation of the equipment. Receiving means to receive via
An actual measurement waveform acquisition means for acquiring an actual measurement waveform of the test frame,
A theoretical waveform acquisition means for acquiring the theoretical waveform of the test frame, and
Communication quality is evaluated based on whether or not the difference between the peak value, sag, pulse width, rise time, and fall time of each pulse of the measured waveform and the theoretical waveform is within a predetermined allowable range. Equipped with communication quality evaluation means,
Equipment equipment. An equipment management system having a control device and equipment connected via a communication line.
The control device is
A transmission means for transmitting a control frame for controlling the operation of the equipment and a test frame for causing the equipment to perform a communication quality evaluation to the equipment via the communication line.
A frame that sets the frame transmission interval to either the control frame interval time, which is the transmission interval time of the control frame, or the test frame interval time, which is the transmission interval time of the test frame and is shorter than the control frame interval time. Interval setting means and
Based on the transmission interval of the frame set by the frame interval setting means, and transmission control means for the test frame, for controlling the transmission means for transmission to the equipment within a period of the control frame interval time, With
The equipment is
A receiving means for receiving the control frame and the test frame from the control device via the communication line, and
An actual measurement waveform acquisition means for acquiring an actual measurement waveform of the test frame,
A theoretical waveform acquisition means for acquiring the theoretical waveform of the test frame, and
A communication quality evaluation means for evaluating communication quality based on a comparison between the measured waveform and the theoretical waveform is provided.
Equipment management system. It is a control method of a control device that controls equipment connected via a communication line.
A transmission step of transmitting a control frame for controlling the operation of the equipment and a test frame for causing the equipment to perform a communication quality evaluation to the equipment via the communication line.
A frame that sets the frame transmission interval to either the control frame interval time, which is the transmission interval time of the control frame, or the test frame interval time, which is the transmission interval time of the test frame and is shorter than the control frame interval time. Interval setting step and
Based on the transmission interval of the frame set by the frame interval setting step, and a transmission control step of the test frame, for controlling the transmission step for transmission to the equipment within a period of the control frame interval time, Including ,
Control method. A computer of a control device that controls equipment connected via a communication line,
A transmission means for transmitting a control frame for controlling the operation of the equipment and a test frame for causing the equipment to perform a communication quality evaluation via the communication line.
A frame that sets the frame transmission interval to either the control frame interval time, which is the transmission interval time of the control frame, or the test frame interval time, which is the transmission interval time of the test frame and is shorter than the control frame interval time. Interval setting means,
On the basis of the transmission interval of the frame set by the frame interval setting means, transmission control means for the test frame, for controlling the transmission means for transmission to the equipment within a period of the control frame interval time,
A program that functions as.

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