Fisher-rosemount Systems, Inc

Emerson Process Management Limited

Rosemount Inc.

Brian Alan Franchuk

Roger Benson

Anthony Dean Ferguson

Thomas Marvin Bell

Stephen Anthony Zielinski

Todd Mitchell Toepke

Brad N Mathiowetz

Christopher P Kantzes

Donald Robert Lattimer

Kun Yang

Adam E Lund

Dan Dean Christensen

Craig R Tielens

Steve Bonwell

Enhanced communication protocols can improve reliability and efficiency of data transfers between a host device and one or more field devices on an industrial process network. A field device can store a device description that includes a plurality of parameters descriptive of functional attributes of the field device. A host device can upload the device description for use in communications with the field device. The field device can further store a plurality of storable configurations, each storable configuration representing an entire configuration of the field device. The host device can upload the plurality of storable configurations from the field device, such as to transfer the storable configurations to a second field device on the same or different network. The host device can transmit a configuration activation request to cause a field device to operate in accordance with configuration data included in a selected one of the plurality of storable configurations.

Data transfer on an industrial process network

A method of transferring data between a host device and a field device on an industrial process network includes transmitting, by the host device to the field device, a fast data transfer initiate request to request a subsequent data transfer between the host device and the field device via a fast data transfer communication protocol. The method further includes receiving, by the host device from the field device, a fast data transfer confirmation indicating, and transmitting, by the host device to the field device, a generic data transfer initiate request to request the subsequent data transfer with the field device. The method further includes receiving, by the host device from the field device, a generic data transfer initiate confirmation, and executing, responsive to the generic data transfer initiate confirmation, the subsequent data transfer between the host device and the field device via the fast data transfer protocol.

Fast data transfer communication protocol for an industrial process network

A field device can transmit, over an industrial process network, data (e.g., including process data) to a host device configured to send and receive messages with one or more field devices. The field device can transmit the data in response to receiving a communications token that delegates time to the field device to transmit data over the industrial process network. A data monitoring device can monitor the data transmitted over the industrial process network, and can output at least a portion of the data for display at a display device operatively coupled to the data monitoring device.

Automatic process data transmission and monitoring for an industrial process network

An intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool includes a process communication module configured communicatively couple to a field device. A camera is configured to obtain at least one image relative to the field device. A controller is coupled to the process communication module and operably coupled to the camera. The controller is configured to store the at least one image relative to the field device. The handheld field maintenance tool may also include or employ an audio input device to capture audio files.

Intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool with image and/or sound capture

A handheld field maintenance bus monitor is provided. The handheld field maintenance bus monitor is coupleable to at least one process communication loop, and is configured to capture and store a selected quantity of digital communication observed on the process communication loop during a capture period. Optionally, the handheld field maintenance bus monitor may be configured to couple to and interact with process communication loops of at least two different process communication protocols, such as HART&#xae; and FOUNDATION&#x2122;. A method of analyzing captured and stored communication data is also provided.

Handheld field maintenance bus monitor

A handheld field maintenance tool is provided. The tool includes, among other things, a wireless process communication protocol module configured to communicate in accordance with a wireless process communication protocol. The tool also includes a display and an input device. A controller is coupled to the wireless process communication protocol module, the display, and the input device. The controller is configured to generate a map on the display indicating a position of the handheld field maintenance device relative to at least one asset, such as a field device. The controller is further configured to determine a position of the handheld field maintenance device by triangulating using wireless process communication with a number of known, fixed-position wireless field devices.

Handheld field maintenance tool with improved locational awareness functionality

Devices in a process control system communicate by data messages over a communication medium segment. Each device includes a communication controller that includes a data queue and a queue of received message objects. The data queue stores a plurality of messages received on the communication medium. The received message objects contain information about a corresponding message in the data queue.

Low latency data packet reception and processing

Devices in a process control system communicate by data messages over a communication medium segment. Each device includes a communication controller that maintains an order of occurrence of events received from and transmitted to a communication medium. The communication controller includes an order of occurrence identification (OOO_ID) counter and an event queue memory. The event queue memory sequentially stores an event type identifier for each event that is processed by the communication controller. The OOO_ID counter provides an OOO_ID to associate with each event type identifier.

Management of event order of occurrence on a network

Devices in a process control system communicate by data messages over a communication medium segment. Each device includes a communication controller that includes a received data memory and a plurality of received message objects. When a message is received, a received message object is activated, and the initial position of a write pointer in the received data memory is stored in the received message object. During message reception, if a hardware device determines that the message is to be ignored, the received message object is deactivated, thereby preventing further writing of the message to the received data memory. The write pointer is then preferably returned to its initial position as stored in the received message object.

Discarding a partially received message from a data queue

Devices in a process control system communicate by data messages over a communication medium segment. Each device includes a communication controller that automatically time stamps events associated with received and transmitted messages.

Communication controller with automatic time stamping

A signal measured on a network is associated with one of a plurality of communication devices connected to the network. The designation address of an active communication device that is scheduled to communicate next is determined. The next received signal on the network is associated with the designation address of the active communication device if the signal is received within a maximum response time.

Associating a signal measurement with a communication device on a network

A device on a process control network transmits scheduled messages at periodic intervals and unscheduled messages between scheduled message transmissions. A dynamic time remaining value is produced by subtracting a current timer value from a next scheduled event time each time the timer is incremented. If the time required to transmit an unscheduled message is greater than the time remaining value, the message is not transmitted.

Communication controller for coordinating transmission of scheduled and unscheduled messages

A communication controller in a device on a network automatically prevents transmission of data onto the network in response to a transmit request from a CPU of the device if a message is being received or has been received but not read or acknowledged.

System and method for preventing transmission during message reception

A diagnostic tool has a packet based network medium attachment unit, a measurement interface, a network interface, and a microprocessor for reading DLPDUs from a network segment and for taking simultaneous measurements of DLPDUs on the segment. The measurement data is associated with a stored DLPDU if the DLPDU is still active on the network segment when the measurement data is read by the microprocessor. The diagnostic tool utilizes a currently active attribute to determine the status of a DLPDU.

System and method for associating a DLPDU received by an interface chip with a data measurement made by an external circuit

The system has a control center, a time master device and a plurality of distributed, time slave field devices in synchronization with a master clock of the time master device. The time master device periodically transmits a time distribution data unit. Each time slave field device has a timer adjustment element, a fixed rate clock and a variable clock. The timer adjustment element calculates a frequency ratio between the master clock and the fixed rate clock and uses the frequency ratio to calculate adjustment coefficients to adjust a local sense of time for each field device, such that a time stamp of each field device is synchronized to the master clock.

Growing community of inventors

Richfield, MN, United States of America

Brian Alan Franchuk