Fisher-rosemount Systems, Inc

Michael D Apel

Steven Lee Dienstbier

Steve Dienstbier

Ken J Beoughter

William E Bennett

Marina Sokolova

A process control system is provided having a plurality of I/O devices in communication using a bus. A primary redundant I/O device and a secondary redundant I/O device are coupled to the bus, where the secondary redundant I/O device is programmed to detect a primary redundant I/O device fault. The secondary redundant I/O device, upon detecting the primary redundant I/O device fault, publishes a primary redundant I/O device fault message on the bus. The controller may deactivate the primary redundant I/O device and activate the secondary redundant I/O device responsive to the primary redundant I/O device fault message.

Input/output device with configuration, fault isolation and redundant fault assist functionality

An I/O device is provided for use in a process control system having a controller operating under a particular version of communication software. The I/O device has a storage device for storing a plurality of potential versions of I/O communication software. An I/O device processor determines the particular version of I/O communication software utilized by the controller and configures the I/O device to operate using a compatible version of I/O communication software stored in the storage device. Further, an I/O device is provided for use in a process control system including a plurality of I/O devices and a controller in communication using a bus. The I/O device has an interface for communicatively linking the I/O device with the bus, where a device processor, upon detection of a potential I/O device fault, severs the communication link provided by the interface with the bus. Additionally, a process control system is provided having a plurality of I/O devices in communication using a bus. A primary redundant device and a secondary redundant device are coupled to the bus, where the secondary redundant device is programmed to detect a primary redundant device fault. The secondary redundant device, upon detecting the primary redundant device fault, publishes a primary redundant device fault message on the bus. The controller may deactivate the primary redundant device and activate the secondary redundant device responsive to the primary redundant device fault message.

A process control system includes a plurality of input/output (I/O) devices and a controller in communication using a bus. Each I/O device has an interface for communicatively linking the I/O device with the bus, and includes a device processor which, upon detection of a potential I/O device fault, severs the communication link provided by the interface with the bus to thereby remove the I/O device from the bus and to prevent the I/O device from keeping other I/O devices on the bus from communicating over the bus.

A sequence of events detection system for use in a process control system uses sequence of events detection cards to detect and store indications of events and the times at which these events take place within the process control network. The sequence of events reporting system includes a stable master time source that is used to periodically time synchronize secondary clocks within each of the nodes of the process control system. Free running counters are located within each of the sequence of events detection cards at each node and these free running counters are used to mark each event with a counter value when the sequence of events detection card first detects the event. Indications of the event and of the counter value associated with a detected event are sent from each of the sequence1 of events detection cards to a corresponding controller which uses its secondary clock, a further free running counter and the value of the sequence of events counter assigned to the event to ascertain the actual or absolute time that the event was detected at the sequence of events card. The event and the absolute time for that event is then sent to a sequence of events reporting database, where this information is stored to form a system wide sequence of events log.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Michael D Apel