Fisher-rosemount Systems, Inc

Dan Dean Christensen

Ken D Krivoshein

Mark J Nixon

Larry Oscar Jundt

Dennis L Stevenson

Ram Ramachandran

Vasiliki Tzovla

Steve Dienstbier

Steve Bonwell

Gary Keith Law

Kent Allan Burr

Neil J Peterson

Brian Alan Franchuk

Deji Chen

John R Shepard

Duncan Schleiss

Craig R Tielens

Steven Lee Dienstbier

Stephen Anthony Zielinski

Rusty Shepard

DeAnn DelGuzzi

A digital control system with a predetermined configuration automatically senses the connection to a network of a digital device that is not included in the predetermined configuration. The digital device is assigned temporary address information and placed in a temporary state, called a standby state, in which the digital device supplies information to the digital control system allowing a user to access the digital device including access of device information and configuration parameters. Using the device information and configuration parameters, a user selectively commissions the digital device by assigning a physical device tag, a device address, and a device identification, and installing a control strategy to the digital device, thereby placing the digital device in an operational state in communication with the digital control system. In the standby state, a user interrogates to determine the type of device that is attached, determines the role of the device in the context of the digital control system, assigns a physical device tag that assigns the determined role to the device, and verifies connection of the device to the network. Also in the standby state, the user initiates other applications applied to the device, including calibration of the device and configuring the device within the overall control scheme of the digital control system.

Process control system including automatic sensing and automatic configuration of devices

A process control routine may include a first internal function block for executing a control operation based on an input signal and an information conduit communicatively connected to the first internal function block. The information conduit may have an output adapted to provide the input signal to the first internal function block. The process control routine may further include an external function block communicatively connected to the information conduit and adapted to generate the input signal such that the output signal is directly provided to the information conduit prior to the execution of the control operation.

Shadow function block interface for use in a process control network

A network identification system for use in a process control system creates and stores a unique network identification tag for input/output networks in the process control system. During the configuration process, each process controller is assigned a unique controller identification tag. In addition, each input/output device installed on each process controller is assigned a device identification tag. The network identification system creates a network identification tag for an input/output network by concatenating and combining the unique controller identification tag and the device identification tag. The network identification system may be configured to periodically transmit the network identification tag or to provide the network identification tag is response to a request for identification.

Method and apparatus for identifying an I/O network in a process control system

A versatile controller that can be used as either a stand-alone controller in a relatively small process plant or as one of numerous controllers in a distributed process control system depending on the needs of the process plant includes a processor adapted to be programmed to execute one or more programming routines and a memory, such as a non-volatile memory, coupled to the processor and adapted to store the one or more programming routines to be executed on the processor. The versatile controller also includes a plurality of field device input/output ports communicatively connected to the processor, a configuration communication port connected to the processor and to the memory to enable the controller to be configured with the programming routines and a second communication port which enables a user interface to be intermittently connected to the controller to view information stored within the controller memory. When used in a distributed process control system, the controller platform may be used as a remote input/output device and the ports of this remote input/output device may be logically mapped to controllers within the distributed process control system in a manner that is different than the physical connection between such controllers and the remote input/output device.

Highly versatile process control system controller

A dual mode configurator operates in an off-line mode to configure Fieldbus devices and/or segments in a typical manner and operates in an on-line mode to reconfigure or set certain parameters of a device when the device is connected to a segment controlled by a different host, without interfering with the on-line operation of the segment. The dual mode configurator can be used to configure an entire segment by configuring both network settings and device settings and, alternatively, can be used to configure device settings without effecting or interfering with the on-line system configuration information such as the network settings of a segment when, for example, a different host device or configuration device is connected to the segment to implement process control activities or to make segment changes.

Two-mode foundation fieldbus device configurator

A hand-held communication control device which, when coupled to a process control system communication bus, controls communication occurring on the bus using a communication schedule that dictates when each of the devices coupled to the bus will be permitted to communicate on the bus. The hand-held communication control device further uses a probing algorithm to detect devices, including other communication control devices, that are coupled to the bus. The probing algorithm causes the hand-held communication control device to select an address from one of a set of three address lists to which a probe node message is then transmitted to detect the presence of a device at that address. One of the address lists is reserved for communication control devices and uses only a limited number of maximum possible addresses. The probe addresses are selected from each of the three address lists in a sequential manner and from among the three address lists in an alternating manner so that, when the communication control device takes control of a bus formerly controlled by another communication control device, the hand-held communication control device detects the presence of the other communication control device and relinquishes control of the bus to the other communication control device in a timely manner.

Probing algorithm for foundation fieldbus protocol

A method of and a device for implementing redundancy in a process control network using a pair of redundant devices, such as redundant I/O devices, communicatively connected to a segment of the bus in parallel to each other and in series between the controller and field devices on the segment. The redundant devices are assigned a virtual publishing address, which may be the unique address of one of the redundant devices, that is used in communicating over the bus. At all times, one of the redundant devices is operating in an active mode and communicating with the devices in process control network, and the other redundant device is operating in a backup mode wherein the redundant device maintains a communication connection with the devices and listens for messages transmitted by the devices and intended for the redundant devices, but does not respond to messages from the other devices until the device switches to the active mode.

Redundant devices in a process control system

A process controller that is communicatively coupled to an external field device via a communication network uses a shadow function block disposed within a process controller to enable implementation of a control routine that uses both an internal function block disposed within the process controller and an external function block disposed within the external field device. The shadow function block includes a communication port that communicates with the external function block via the communication network to thereby receive data pertaining to the external function block, a memory that stores the received data according to a configuration protocol of the internal function block and an output that provides the stored external function block data to the internal function block according to the configuration protocol of the internal function block. The communication port of the interface function block may include an output that sends data generated by the controller or the internal function block to the external function block using the communication protocol associated with the external function block.

A digital control system automatically senses when a new controller is attached to a network and determines the number and types of I/O Ports that are attached to the new controller. The digital control system formats and displays the I/O Port information upon request by a user. The digital control system program also includes an automatic configuration program that responds to sensing of a new controller by automatically configuring the input/output (I/O) subsystem. The user adds a new controller without setting any physical switches or nodes. A user optionally supplies configuration information for a device into a database, prior to connection of a device. Upon connection of the device, the device is automatically sensed and configured using the database configuration information, without setting of physical switches or node address information on the devices.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Dan Dean Christensen