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Figure 15 – Architecture of Diagnosis

In the Diagnosis Use-Case a diagnosis tool is connected to a PLC, Edge gateway or the OPC UA Server of the device itself. The integrated OPC UA Server represents the subordinate PROFINET system or devices and their diagnosis state. There are differences in the available diagnosis information in IO controllers, Edge gateways or devices, which must be considered:

  • IO controllerAn IO controller may form an OPC UA object model which is based on the expected configuration given by the engineering system. If there is no PROFINET connection (IOAR) between the controller and the device, the controller knows the reason (e.g. Device not found, duplicated names in the network, etc.). IO controllers are informed from the devices with a diagnosis alarm, if anything in the diagnosis ASE has been changed and may determine a time accurate diagnosis state.
  • Edge gateways:An Edge gateway may show IO controllers and IO devices which can be discovered during the scanning process. An Edge gateway may determine the expected configuration of the devices with a normative record. The reason for an e.g. unreachable device can be different from an IO controller. Supervisors like Edge Gateways are not informed with an alarm if something in the diagnosis ASE of the devices has been changed. They can be as time accurate as the scanning time is configured.
  • Devices:The IO device represents the diagnosis state of the included modules and submodules. In addition it knows if there is a running AR to the IO controller.