Endress + Hauser Process Solutions Ag

Werner Luber

Michael Mayer

Ingomar Sotriffer

Jan Pflug

Jürg Bünzli Wurzer

Wolfgang Höferlin

Mike Sutter

Stefan Müller Osolin

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

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

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.

Device access software with changeable display mode

A method for automatically registering a topology of a fieldbus network from a device access software. The device access software is installed in a host, which is in data connection with the fieldbus network, and the fieldbus network includes a plurality of field devices and gateway devices. The method includes scanning an address space of a field access device or a predetermined gateway device of the fieldbus network and determining gateway devices and field devices present in this address space. For each found gateway device, the method includes scanning an additional address space provided by the found gateway device and determining additional gateway devices and field devices present in the additional address space. The method is repeated until all gateway devices present in the fieldbus network in the region below the field access device or the predetermined gateway device are found or until a break condition is fulfilled.

Automated topology scan

The application relates to a data transmission system for a data exchange between a field bus system that includes at least one field device and device access software installed on a host. The data transmission system includes a coupler device connected to the field bus system and a generic communication driver integrated in the device access software. The data transmission system further includes a central data transmission path between the generic communication driver and the coupler device. The generic communication driver is configured to exchange data with device drivers integrated in the device access software and to transmit data received from the device drivers to the coupler device, and to forward data received from the coupler device to the respective device driver. The coupler device is configured to convert data traffic from a first format to a second format and from the second format to the first format.

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Allschwil, Switzerland

Werner Luber