Handheld field maintenance tool with simulation of field device for instruction or qualification
First Claim
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1. A training module for a handheld field maintenance tool, the training module comprising:
- a first pair of terminals coupleable to a corresponding pair of terminals of a handheld field maintenance tool;
a second pair of terminals coupleable to a field device of the type which measures and/or controls an industrial process;
a process communication media access unit;
a switch having a first mode, wherein the first and second pair of terminals are coupled together, and a second mode where the first pair of terminals is coupled to the process communication media access unit; and
a controller physically coupled to the switch and the process communication media access unit, the controller being configured to control the switch to selectively simulate the field device, wherein selectively simulating the field device comprises presenting a user of the field device with at least one characteristic generated by the controller and at least one characteristic generated by the field device and communicated through the second pair of terminals when coupled to the field device, wherein the field device-generated characteristic and the controller-generated characteristic are presented to the user such that the user is unaware of which of the at least one characteristics is a simulated characteristic generated by the handheld field maintenance tool.
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Abstract
A handheld field maintenance tool includes a training mode. The handheld field maintenance tool has a process communication module operably coupleable to a field device, a user interface, and a controller coupled to the process communication module and the user interface. The controller is configured to interact with a user through the user interface, and is configured to provide a simulation function where at least one characteristic of the field device, indicated through the user interface, is generated by the controller instead of the field device.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A training module for a handheld field maintenance tool, the training module comprising:
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a first pair of terminals coupleable to a corresponding pair of terminals of a handheld field maintenance tool; a second pair of terminals coupleable to a field device of the type which measures and/or controls an industrial process; a process communication media access unit; a switch having a first mode, wherein the first and second pair of terminals are coupled together, and a second mode where the first pair of terminals is coupled to the process communication media access unit; and a controller physically coupled to the switch and the process communication media access unit, the controller being configured to control the switch to selectively simulate the field device, wherein selectively simulating the field device comprises presenting a user of the field device with at least one characteristic generated by the controller and at least one characteristic generated by the field device and communicated through the second pair of terminals when coupled to the field device, wherein the field device-generated characteristic and the controller-generated characteristic are presented to the user such that the user is unaware of which of the at least one characteristics is a simulated characteristic generated by the handheld field maintenance tool. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification