The maturity level of Internet Protocol (IP) and the emergence of standard Ethernet interfaces of Hydrocarbon Process Automation Application (HPAA) present a real opportunity to combine independent industrial applications onto an integrated IP based network platform. Quality of Service (QoS) for IP over Ethernet has the strength to regulate traffic mix and support timely delivery. The combinations of these technologies lend themselves to provide a platform to support HPAA applications across Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) networks. HPAA systems are composed of sensors, actuators, and logic solvers networked together to form independent control system network platforms. They support hydrocarbon plants operating under critical conditions that — if not controlled — could become dangerous to people, assets and the environment. This demands high speed networking which is triggered by the need to capture data with higher frequency rate at a finer granularity. Nevertheless, existing HPAA network infrastructure is based on unique autonomous systems, which has resulted in multiple, parallel and separate networks with limited interconnectivity supporting different functions. This created increased complexity in integrating various applications and resulted higher costs in the technology life cycle total ownership. To date, the concept of consolidating HPAA into a converged IP network over standard Ethernet has not yet been explored. This research aims to explore and develop the HPAA Process Control Systems (PCS) in a Converged Internet Protocol (CIP) using experimental and simulated networks case studies. Results from experimental and simulation work showed encouraging outcomes and provided a good argument for supporting the co-existence of HPAA and non-HPAA applications taking into consideration timeliness and reliability requirements. This was achieved by invoking priority based scheduling with the highest priority being awarded to PCS among other supported services such as voice, multimedia streams and other applications. HPAA can benefit from utilizing CIP over Ethernet by reducing the number of interdependent HPAA PCS networks to a single uniform and standard network. In addition, this integrated infrastructure offers a platform for additional support services such as multimedia streaming, voice, and data. This network‐based model manifests itself to be integrated with remote control system platform capabilities at the end user's desktop independent of space and time resulting in the concept of plant virtualization.

This research focused on the design and implementation of an Intelligent Modular Controller (IMC) architecture designed to be reconfigurable over a robust network. The design incorporates novel communication, hardware, and software architectures. This was motivated by current industrial needs for distributed control systems due to growing demand for less complexity, more processing power, flexibility, and greater fault tolerance. To this end, three main contributions were made. <p>Most distributed control architectures depend on multi-tier heterogeneous communication networks requiring linking devices and/or complex middleware. In this study, first, a communication architecture was proposed and implemented with a homogenous network employing the ubiquitous Ethernet for both real-time and non real-time communication. This was achieved by a producer-consumer coordination model for real-time data communication over a segmented network, and a client-server model for point-to-point transactions. The protocols deployed use a Time-Triggered (TT) approach to schedule real-time tasks on the network. Unlike other TT approaches, the scheduling mechanism does not need to be configured explicitly when controller nodes are added or removed. An implicit clock synchronization technique was also developed to complement the architecture. Second, a reconfigurable mechanism based on an auto-configuration protocol was developed. Modules on the network use this protocol to automatically detect themselves, establish communication, and negotiate for a desired configuration. Third, the research demonstrated hardware/software co-design as a contribution to the growing discipline of mechatronics. The IMC consists of a motion controller board designed and prototyped in-house, and a Java microcontroller. An IMC is mapped to each machine/robot axis, and an additional IMC can be configured to serve as a real-time coordinator. The entire architecture was implemented in Java, thus reinforcing uniformity, simplicity, modularity, and openness. Evaluation results showed the potential of the flexible controller to meet medium to high performance machining requirements.

This research focused on the design and implementation of an Intelligent Modular Controller (IMC) architecture designed to be reconfigurable over a robust network. The design incorporates novel communication, hardware, and software architectures. This was motivated by current industrial needs for distributed control systems due to growing demand for less complexity, more processing power, flexibility, and greater fault tolerance. To this end, three main contributions were made. <p>Most distributed control architectures depend on multi-tier heterogeneous communication networks requiring linking devices and/or complex middleware. In this study, first, a communication architecture was proposed and implemented with a homogenous network employing the ubiquitous Ethernet for both real-time and non real-time communication. This was achieved by a producer-consumer coordination model for real-time data communication over a segmented network, and a client-server model for point-to-point transactions. The protocols deployed use a Time-Triggered (TT) approach to schedule real-time tasks on the network. Unlike other TT approaches, the scheduling mechanism does not need to be configured explicitly when controller nodes are added or removed. An implicit clock synchronization technique was also developed to complement the architecture. Second, a reconfigurable mechanism based on an auto-configuration protocol was developed. Modules on the network use this protocol to automatically detect themselves, establish communication, and negotiate for a desired configuration. Third, the research demonstrated hardware/software co-design as a contribution to the growing discipline of mechatronics. The IMC consists of a motion controller board designed and prototyped in-house, and a Java microcontroller. An IMC is mapped to each machine/robot axis, and an additional IMC can be configured to serve as a real-time coordinator. The entire architecture was implemented in Java, thus reinforcing uniformity, simplicity, modularity, and openness. Evaluation results showed the potential of the flexible controller to meet medium to high performance machining requirements.

Dans cette thèse, nous analysons les réseaux des systèmes temps-réel distribués et plus particulièrement ceux des domaines de l’avionique et de l’automobile. Nous nous sommes focalisés sur deux protocoles : « Avionic Full DupleX Switched Ethernet » (AFDX), « Audio Vidéo Bridging Ethernet » (AVB). Dans ces domaines critiques, le déterminisme du réseau doit être garanti. Il consiste, notamment, en la détermination d’une borne garantie du délai de bout en bout de traversée du réseau pour chaque trame ; et un dimensionnement des files d’attente des trames suffisamment grand pour garantir qu’aucune d’entre elle ne débordera et ainsi, éviter toute perte de trame.Il existe plusieurs méthodes pour l’évaluation des délais et nous avons, principalement, travaillé sur la méthode « Forward end-to-end delay Analysis » (FA). FA avait déjà été définie avec la politique d’ordonnancement « First-In-First-Out » dans le contexte de l’AFDX. Nous sommes repartis de cette approche, nous l’avons reformulé et généralisé à n’importe quel réseau Ethernet commuté. Nous l’avons aussi étendu aux priorités statiques et au protocole AVB et sa politique de service « Credit Based Shaper ». Pour chaque contribution, des démonstrations formelles ont été présentées et une expérimentation incluant une comparaison de FA avec les principales approches d’évaluation sur un exemple industriel. Finalement, nous avons développé et démontré formellement une approche pour le dimensionnement des files d’attente en termes de nombre de trames. Cette approche a été expérimentée également sur une configuration industrielle. / In this thesis, we analyze networks in the context of distributed real-time systems, especially in the fields of avionics, with “Avionics Full DupleX Switched Ethernet” (AFDX), and automobile, with “Audio Video Bridging Ethernet” (AVB). For such applications, network determinism needs to be guaranteed. It involves, in particular, assessing a guaranteed bound on the end-to-end traversal time across the network fr each frame; and dimensioning the buffers in order to avoid any loss of frame because of a buffer overflow.There are several methods for worst-case delay analysis, and we have mainly worked on the “Forward end-to-end Delay Analysis” (FA) method. FA had already been developed for “First-In-First-Out” scheduling policy in the AFDX context, so we generalized it to any Switched Ethernet network. We have also extended it to handle static priorities and the AVB protocol, shaping policy named “Credit Based Shaper” (CBS). Each contribution has been formaly proved and experiments have been led on industrial configurations. For our experimentations, we have compared our results with the results of competing approaches. Finally, we have developed and formally demonstrated an approach for buffer dimensioning in terms of number of frames. This approach has also been tested on an industrial configuration and has produced tight bounds.

The field buses, and particularly the ‘PROFIBUS’, are currently widely used in automation systems, with the intention to automate industrial applications. It is of the utmost importance that one should understand how these systems operate, because failure to understand may result in improper applications, which can ultimately lead to intense network problems and, consequently, lead to potential catastrophic failures in industrial equipment, as well as compromising the health and safety of the people. This research was the performance evaluation of SAMANCOR PROFIBUS network that controls the chrome manufacturing plant. The problem with the network was that it was failing intermittently. These network failures resulted in loss of production, loss of throughput, compromised quality, downtime due to reworks, high costs in energy used to rework, and equipment damage or failure. One of the OBJECTIVES of the research was to carry out a performance evaluation of the PROFIBUS network in terms of the possible electromagnetic interference (EMI) within the plant’s PLC network. This topic emanated from the network service providers that kept insisting that the network was unstable, due to possible electromagnetic interference caused by possible high voltage cables running next to the plant network cables. This assumption was without fact, and hence the research was conducted. The QUANTITATIVE research method was used to conduct the research, where simulation of the plant network, using external parameters, were used to carry out the research. Furthermore, experiments were conducted and the physical measurements were performed on the network, where parameters derived from these measurements were used to compare the two networks. In essence, the network was tested under known configurations. The manner in which the network was simulated was that of stepping up the electrical current from the external device, and recording the response of the network. A stand-alone network rig was built and used to carry out the tests, and the results were compared with those obtained from the plant network. / Electrical and Mining Engineering / M. Tech. (Electrical Engineering)