Phoenix Contact Development and Manufacturing, Inc.

Jason Alan Norris

Brian John Gillespie

David Nathan Katz

Davis Mathews

Lonnel J Swarr

Scott Michael Frye

Brenton E Helfrick

An APL field switch includes a number of ports that transmit power to APL field devices connected to spurs extending from the ports. The APL Power Class of each port can be dynamically set by a user to enable more efficient allocation of power to the ports to meet the needs of the connected field devices.

APL field switch with dynamic power allocation

Protocol detection circuits for detecting the field device protocol of a field device attached to a channel having a data line are sequentially connected to the data line by a controller that communicates to the field device through the protocol detection circuits. The protocol detection circuits are disconnected from the field device after protocol detection is completed. The channel may be one of a number of channels; the controller may also connect and disconnect the protocol detection circuits from the one channel whereby the protocol detection circuits can be used with any channel. After the protocol of the field device is identified a protocol adapter can be inserted into the channel to enable data conversion between the field device protocol and an another protocol used by the channel for data transmission.

APL field switch with automatic protocol detection

A field device I/O connector includes a base and an I/O module removably mounted on the base for transmitting I/O signals along an I/O channel. A set of electrical connectors mounted on the base connect the base to a field device. The electrical connectors, the base, and the I/O module mounted on the base cooperate to define the I/O channel. The I/O channel includes a conversion circuit to convert between I/O signals and a digital data format output from the field device I/O connector. The base and I/O module also cooperate to define a diagnostic circuit connected to the portion of the I/O channel extending through the I/O module. The diagnostic circuit extends to a diagnostic logic circuit that may be included on the base, in the I/O module, or away from the field device I/O connector.

Growing community of inventors

Stow, OH, United States of America

Jason Alan Norris