Systems and methods for health monitoring and upgrade of a distributed controller

1. A system comprising:

a high-level controller;

a low-level controller in communication with the high-level controller via a network through a network connection, the low-level controller being configured to:

receive high-level control references from the high-level controller via the network connection;

generate low-level control references for a hardware asset based at least in part on the high-level control references;

facilitate control of the hardware asset in response to an error in the network connection; and

receive a series of heartbeat signals, wherein the error in the network connection is based at least in part on receipt of the series of heartbeat signals;

a prioritization module, the prioritization module being configured to:

prioritize one or more communications between the high-level controller and the low-level controller based at least in part on relative priorities of the one or more communications; and

allocate a network bandwidth among the one or more communications based on the prioritization of the one or more communications;

a counter communicated between the high-level controller and the low-level controller, the counter representing a number in the series of heartbeat signals; and

a health monitoring module configured to:

monitor the network connection;

detect the error in the network connection;

in response to the detection of the error in the network connection, transfer a control of the hardware asset to the low-level controller;

determine time between the series of heartbeat signals;

determine that the network connection has been restored; and

in response to the determination that the network connection has been restored, transfer the control of the hardware asset to the high-level controller.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an installation module configured to:

interrupt communications in the network connection to temporarily transfer the control of the hardware asset to the low-level controller;

install software on the high-level controller while the low-level controller is in control of the hardware asset; and

restore the network connection, thereby causing a transfer of the control of the hardware asset back to the high-level controller.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the health monitoring module is configured to monitor the network connection by periodically sending at least one signal between the high-level controller and the low-level controller, wherein a lack of acknowledgment of receipt of the at least one signal is indicative of the error in the network connection.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the low-level controller is configured to operate in a fail-safe self-contained loop mode during a loss of communications.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware asset includes a power generating asset.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the low-level controller is configured to control the hardware asset by providing the low-level control references to sensors and actuators associated with the hardware asset.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the prioritization module is further configured to:

prioritize one or more applications associated with the high-level controller and the low-level controller based on respective relative priorities of the one or more applications; and

allocate a central processing unit (CPU) clock time among the one or more applications based on the prioritization of the one or more applications.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the prioritization module is configured to allocate the CPU clock time for the one or more applications by defining a maximum execution duration for each allocated unit based on the relative priorities of the one or more applications.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the prioritization module is configured to allocate the network bandwidth for the one or more communications by defining a maximum bandwidth segment for each allocated unit based on the relative priorities of the one or more communications.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the health monitoring module is configured to transfer the control of the hardware asset by switching the control between the low-level controller and the high-level controller.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, via a network connection, by a low-level controller from a high-level controller, high-level control references;

generating, by the low-level controller, low-level control references for a hardware asset based at least in part on the high-level control references;

receiving, by the low-level controller, a series of heartbeat signals;

monitoring, by a health monitoring module, the network connection;

prioritizing one or more communications between the high-level controller and the low-level controller based at least in part on relative priorities of the one or more communications; and

allocating a network bandwidth among the one or more communications based on the prioritization of the one or more communications;

communicating a counter between the high-level controller and the low-level controller, the counter representing a number in a series of heartbeat signals;

detecting, by the health monitoring module, an error in the network connection, wherein the error in the network connection is based at least in part on receipt of the series of heartbeat signals;

in response to the detection of the error in the network connection, transferring, by the health monitoring module, a control of the hardware asset to the low-level controller;

determining, by the health monitoring module, that the network connection has been restored; and

in response to the determination that the network connection has been restored, transferring, by the health monitoring module, the control of the hardware asset to the high-level controller.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the monitoring the network connection includes periodically sending, by the health monitoring module, at least one signal between the high-level controller and the low-level controller, wherein a lack of acknowledgment of receipt of the at least one signal is indicative of the error in the network connection.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

forcing, by an installation module, the error in the network connection to temporarily transfer the control of the hardware asset to the low-level controller;

installing, by the installation module, software on the high-level controller while the low-level controller is in control of the hardware asset; and

restoring, by an installation module, the network connection, thereby causing a transfer of the control of the hardware asset back to the high-level controller.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

prioritizing, by the prioritization module, one or more applications associated with the high-level controller and the low-level controller based on relative priorities of the one or more applications; and

allocating, by the prioritization module, a central processing unit (CPU) clock time among the one or more applications based on the prioritization of the one or more applications.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the prioritizing of the one or more applications includes allocating, by the prioritization module, the CPU clock time for the one or more applications by defining a maximum execution duration for each allocated unit based on the relative priorities of the one or more applications.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the prioritizing of the one or more communications includes allocating, by the prioritization module, the network bandwidth for the one or more communications by defining a maximum bandwidth segment for each allocated unit based on the relative priorities of the one or more communications.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the transferring control of the hardware asset includes gradually shifting, by an installation module, the control between the low-level controller and the high-level controller.

18. A system comprising:

a high-level controller;

a low-level controller in communication with the high-level controller via a network through a network connection, the low-level controller being configured to:

receive high-level control references from the high-level controller via the network connection;

generate low-level control references for a hardware asset based at least in part on the high-level control references; facilitate control of the hardware asset in response to an error in the network connection;

communicating a counter between the high-level controller and the low-level controller, the counter representing a number in a series of heartbeat signals; and

receive the series of heartbeat signals, wherein the error in the network connection based at least in part on receipt of the series of heartbeat signals;

a prioritization module configured to:

prioritize one or more applications associated with the high-level controller and the low-level controller based on relative priorities of the one or more applications;

prioritize one or more communications between associated with the high-level controller and the low-level controller based on relative priorities of the one or more communications;

allocate a central processing unit (CPU) clock time among the one or more applications based on the prioritization of the one or more applications; and

allocate a network bandwidth among the one or more communications based on the prioritization of the one or more communications; and

a health monitoring module configured to:

monitor the network connection, the monitoring including periodically sending at least one heartbeat signal between the high-level controller and the low-level controller, wherein a lack of acknowledgment of receipt of the at least one heartbeat signal is indicative of the error in the network connection;

detect the error in the network connection;

in response to the detection of the error in the network connection, transfer control of the hardware asset to the low-level controller while the hardware asset is operating;

detect a restoration of the network connection; and

in response to the restoration of the network connection, transfer the control of the hardware asset back to the high-level controller; and

an installation module configured to:

interrupt communications in the network connection;

install software on the high-level controller while the low-level controller is controlling the hardware asset; and

facilitate access of the high-level controller to the network, thereby restoring the network connection between the high-level controller and the low-level controller.