Local device and process diagnostics in a process control network having distributed control functions
US6026352A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 7, 1998 |
| Grant date | Feb 15, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 7, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P90/80
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A field device for use in a process control network having a plurality of devices communicatively coupled by a two-wire, all-digital communication bus includes a connector that connects the field device to the two-wire, all-digital bus to enable all-digital communication over the bus, a memory that stores a diagnostic test routine having a series of device or process diagnostic test instructions, and a controller that performs the device or process diagnostic test instructions stored in the memory to implement a device or process diagnostic test using the field device. A data collection unit within the field device collects diagnostic data generated during the diagnostic test and a communication unit communicates the collected diagnostic data over the bus to a host device for processing. The controller may include a program language interpreter adapted to interpret the diagnostic test instructions which may be provided to the field device from another one of the devices via the bus.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.