Endress + Hauser Process Solutions Ag

Michael Mayer

Axel Pöschmann

Ingomar Sotriffer

Werner Luber

Michael Maneval

Jan Pflug

Jürg Bünzli Wurzer

Karl Büttner

Wolfgang Höferlin

Mike Sutter

Dirk Hamann

Norbert Cornelsen

Stefan Müller Osolin

Andreas Büchin

Disclosed is a field detection device designed to be connected to at least one access point of a fieldbus network via at least one interface. The field detection device is designed to initiate or execute, for each of at least two connection protocols, an associated query in at least one fieldbus segment of the fieldbus network and to detect which field devices and fieldbus components in said at least one fieldbus segment can be accessed via the connection protocol in question. Furthermore, the field detection device is designed to provide a connection directory in which at least one connection protocol is specified for each field device and for each fieldbus component of a set of field devices and fieldbus components of the at least one fieldbus segment, by means of which connection protocol the field device in question or the fieldbus component in question can be accessed.

Field detection device for a fieldbus network

An aggregator is designed to form first data connections to field access devices. The field access devices are connected to different network segments of a field bus system. The aggregator forms a second data connection to a host computer. The aggregator receive first data traffic from the host computer via the second data connections and to forward the first data traffic, via the first data connections to a field access device of that network segment in which the particular field bus component, to which the first data traffic is directed, is situated. The aggregator is also designed to receive second data traffic from a field bus component in one of the network segments via at least one of the first data connections and to forward the second data traffic to at least one of the host computers via at least one of the second data connections.

Aggregator apparatus for standardized access to a plurality of network segments of a field bus system

The present disclosure resides in a method for monitoring an automated plant, which has a fieldbus access unit connected with a first communication network, wherein the first communication network has a plurality of field devices and network nodes, wherein a communication driver, which runs in a first frame application, which is implemented in a client computer connected with the fieldbus access unit via a second communication network, queries structure data of network nodes and field devices present in the first communication network, wherein the structure data are generated by the fieldbus access unit in the context of the query by scanning the address space of the network level and determining the network nodes and field devices present in the address space. The present disclosure further resides in a fieldbus access unit and an arrangement, comprising a client computer and a fieldbus access unit.

Arrangement, fieldbus access unit, and method for monitoring an automation technology system

The invention comprises a method for analyzing malfunctions and/or changes of device statuses in a system of automation technology, wherein the system has a plurality of field devices communicating with one another directly via a communication network and being designed to issue an appropriate diagnostic notice depending on a malfunction or a change of a device status in the system. The diagnostic notices are transmitted to a data bank and stored in same. The method comprises: reading the diagnostic notices from the data bank; filtering the read diagnostic notices using at least one selection criterion; linking the filtered diagnostic notices using time stamps; defining time intervals; grouping the diagnostic notices linked using the time stamps into the defined time intervals which correspond to their respective time stamps; and evaluating the grouped diagnostic notices with regard to defined abnormalities.

Method for analyzing malfunctions in a system of process automation

The present disclosure relates to automation technology. A first gateway is connected via a first communication network to a field device&#x2014;and a second gateway is connected to the field device via a second communication network. The first and the second gateway are connected to a control unit. The first communication network and the second communication network are connected to a control room. The control room switches over to the other communication network and establishes a communication connection therewith if a problem is detected in the previous communication connection. Communication access to the first gateway is implemented in the control unit, and communication access to the second gateway is implemented in the control unit via a second driver. The control unit continuously analyses the first communication network and the second communication network and in the event of a control room switchover, switches over to the gateway of that network.

Method for operating an automation technology facility

The invention includes a method for monitoring an automated plant having at least one field device, wherein a first cloud-capable database, having a first data configuration and containing field device related data including measured values, parameter values, identification data, and diagnostic status of the field device, wherein a second cloud-capable database having a second data configuration incompatible with the first data configuration, and wherein the first and the second data configurations define file formats of the data, the method comprises: retrieving at least a part of the data contained in the first database by means of a data conversion unit, especially an edge device or a gateway; converting the retrieved data into a format conforming to the second data configuration; and storing the converted data in the second database. The invention further includes a data conversion unit, which is embodied for executing the method of the invention.

Method and data conversion unit for monitoring an automation system

Described is an interface apparatus for performing data interchange, or exchange, between a fieldbus network and a cloud. The interface apparatus includes a first interface, via which the interface apparatus is connectable with at least one fieldbus component of the fieldbus network, and a second interface, via which the interface apparatus is connectable with the cloud. The first interface is embodied as an interface corresponding to the application programming interface of the cloud, wherein an interface definition of the first interface agrees with an interface definition of the application programming interface of the cloud. The interface apparatus is embodied to convert a request for a cloud service received via the first interface from a fieldbus component of the fieldbus network into a request addressed to the cloud for a cloud service and to transfer such via the second interface to the cloud.

Interface apparatus for a data interchange between a field bus network and a cloud

The present disclosure resides in a method for operating, installed in an automated plant, a field device, which is connected for communication with a field access unit by means of a first communication network, especially by means of a fieldbus of automation technology, comprising: invoking a link of the field device in a client computer, wherein the link is composed at least of a protocol field and a parameter field, wherein the invoking of the link initiates steps as follows: starting a first frame application associated with the protocol field of the link; transferring the link to the first frame application and extracting information contained in the parameter field by the first frame application; configuring a communication path between the client computer and the field device via the field access unit with application of the information; opening a device driver or a device description in the first frame application.

Method for operating a field device

A method for storing data for at least one of a device state, device diagnosis and calibration of a field device in a cloud, with the field device having a self-monitoring functionality. The method includes device-internal registering of first data for at least one of a device state, device diagnosis and calibration by the field device and transfer of the device-internally registered first data from the field device to the cloud. Moreover, the method includes registering second data for at least one of a device state, device diagnosis and calibration of the field device using an external service computer and transferring the second data from the external service computer to the cloud. Both the first data as well as also the second data are stored in the cloud.

Storage of device-related data relating to field devices in a cloud

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for determining or monitoring a process variable having a higher-level unit and a plurality of field devices. The field devices generate data and are connected to one another for communication, and the higher-level unit and the field devices are nodes corresponding to a distributed ledger or blockchain technology comprising transaction creation units. Each field device is assigned a transaction creation unit for creating transactions. A created transaction contains data from the field devices assigned to the transaction creation units. A block creation unit processes a created transaction to form a data block. Validation units check the data block and/or transactions for validity. The data block is valid if at least one predefined number of validation units validates the data block, wherein each node is assigned one of the validation units. The valid data block is stored in a distributed database.

System and method for determining or monitoring a process variable in an automation plant

A fieldbus component of the present disclosure is configured to transfer data either in a first data transfer mode to a public cloud or in a second data transfer mode to a private cloud. The fieldbus component includes a setting element, which is selectively settable to a first setting or to a second setting. The fieldbus component is configured to transfer data in the first data transfer mode to the public cloud when the setting element is set to the first setting and to transfer data in the second data transfer mode to the private cloud when the setting element is set to the second setting.

Fieldbus component with a setting element for configuring data transfer to a cloud

The present disclosure resides in a method for monitoring an automated facility, wherein a plurality of field devices are integrated in the facility, comprising: connecting a cloud gateway with a first communication network of the facility; ascertaining field devices connected to the first communication network; testing whether device descriptions corresponding to the field devices are present in a server connected with the cloud gateway via a second communication network; downloading from the server device descriptions corresponding to the field devices and installing the device descriptions in the cloud gateway; creating a configuration plan, wherein the configuration plan defines at least one field device to be queried, the type of queried data, and the frequency of the querying; transmitting the configuration plan to the cloud gateway; querying data from the queried field devices according to the configuration plan; transmitting queried data to the server; and collecting and evaluating transmitted data.

Method and cloud gateway for monitoring an automated facility

A fieldbus network is described, which has at least one device as well as a connecting apparatus, wherein the connecting apparatus is designed to transfer data from the fieldbus network into a cloud. Installed in at least one of the devices is a derived class, which is derived from a predetermined head class, wherein head attributes are established by the predetermined head class and additional device specific attributes are established by the derived class, wherein the at least one of the devices is designed based on the derived class to produce a data object for the data transfer to the cloud. The connecting apparatus is designed to receive the data object of the device, to convert at least a part of the data contained in the data object into a format of an interface of the cloud and to write the data into the cloud.

Data structure for the transfer of data from a fieldbus network into a cloud

A device access apparatus for a client-server system is described, wherein the device access apparatus is used to access components of a field bus network. The device access apparatus includes a general application that is installable on a server and configured to interchange data with the components of the field bus network. The device access apparatus also includes a device driver that is installable on a client and a communication proxy that is installable on the server that are configured to set up a data connection between the server and the client. The data connection is used to transmit data between the device driver and one of the components of the field bus network that is associated with the device driver. The communication proxy is configured to monitor data traffic on the data connection between the client and the server and detect errors in the data transmission.

Monitoring of the data transmission in a client/server-based device access system

Described is a method for changing the display mode of a device access software with which components of a fieldbus system can be accessed. The device access software includes a frame application and at least one software component integrated into the frame application, wherein between the frame application and the at least one software component an interface is provided. The method includes switching the frame application from a first display mode into a second display mode different from the first display mode and changing at least one parameter in the software components via the relevant interface, wherein the change of the at least one parameter effects a switching of the display mode from the first display mode into the second display mode.

Growing community of inventors

Oberwil, Switzerland

Michael Mayer