Fisher-rosemount Systems, Inc

Klaus Erni

Mark J Nixon

Gary Keith Law

Kent Allan Burr

Doyle Eugene Broom

Methods and apparatus to communicatively couple on/off valves to controllers in a process control system are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a first interface to receive a command signal from a termination module to be communicatively coupled to a controller in a process control system. The command signal is directed to an on/off valve in the process control system. The first interface transmits a feedback signal to the termination module in response to the command signal. The example apparatus also includes a second interface to receive position information from proximity sensors in a switch box monitoring a state of the on/off valve. The feedback signal is based on the position information. The example apparatus further includes a communication processor to be communicatively coupled to the first and the second interfaces to process the command signal and the feedback signal.

Methods and apparatus to communicatively couple on/off valves to controllers in a process control system

Example apparatus to communicatively couple three-wire field devices to controllers in a process control system are disclosed. An example terminal block is disclosed that includes a first interface including termination points to couple with a field device, a second interface to couple with a shared bus of a termination panel, wherein the shared bus is to remain coupled to a controller when the terminal block is removed, a third interface to couple with a power bus of the termination panel, and a fuse disposed between the first interface and the third interface.

Apparatus to communicatively couple three-wire field devices to controllers in a process control system

Example apparatus to communicatively couple three-wire field devices to controllers in a process control system are disclosed. An example terminal block is disclosed that includes a first interface having three termination points to terminate each of three wires from a three-wire field device. The example, terminal block further includes a second interface to removably receive a first termination module that is to communicate with the three-wire field device using a first communication protocol and to communicate with a controller via a shared bus of a termination panel using a second communication protocol different than the first communication protocol.

A disclosed example apparatus includes a first interface to be communicatively coupled to one of a first field device or a second field device. The first interface communicates using a first fieldbus communication protocol when coupled to the first field device and communicates using a second fieldbus communication protocol when coupled to the second field device. The example apparatus includes a communication processor to encode first information received from the one of the first field device or the second field device for communication via a bus using a third communication protocol. The example apparatus includes a second interface communicatively coupled to the communication processor and the bus to communicate the first information to a controller in the process control system. The bus is to use the third communication protocol to communicate second information received from the other one of the first field device or the second field device.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Klaus Erni