Connection check in field maintenance tool

• US 10,481,627 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2016
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Butikofer, Christian R., Ferguson, Anthony, Kantzes, Christopher P., Westbrock, Jon, Le, Thinh D., Russell, III, Alden C., Dewey, Alan R., Dalal, Mehul Rajeshbhai, Toepke, Todd M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US15/381,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20180024582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 700 17, 700129, 700 19, 702183, 702118, 702184, 702 57
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/625 wherein it is irrelevant whether the variable actually regulated is ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/189 Power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

Multi-functional field maintenance (FM) tools that connect to process control devices, such as FOUNDATION Fieldbus and Highway Addressable Remote Transducer devices, can automatically detect and simultaneously identify communications, troubleshoot connections, and supply power in a process control plant. Simplifying the troubleshooting process, by guiding a user of a multi-functional FM tool through recommended troubleshooting steps, while simultaneously detecting and correcting issues reduces the number of tools required to maintain process control devices, reduces the risk of damage, and improves efficiency by minimizing production downtime.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computer processor, comprising:

detecting the presence of a communicatively coupled path between the processor and a process control device;

measuring an electrical characteristic of the communicatively coupled path;

retrieving an electrical requirement of a communication protocol of the process control device from a memory device;

calculating a deficiency in the presence of the communicatively coupled path, and between the electrical characteristic and the electrical requirement;

retrieving an electrical mitigation that reduces the deficiency from the memory device; and

rendering the electrical mitigation on a display device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical characteristic comprises a voltage on the communicatively coupled path, and wherein the electrical requirement comprises a voltage required within the process control device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the deficiency comprises an electrical potential insufficient to properly operate the process control device, and wherein the electrical mitigation comprises supplying a voltage to the process control device that meets the electrical requirement.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the deficiency comprises a power supply capacity has been exceeded, and wherein the electrical mitigation comprises reducing the number of devices sources from the power supply or removing a current limitation of the power supply.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the deficiency comprises a wire in the communicatively coupled path is shorted, and wherein the electrical mitigation comprises replacing a wire in the communicatively coupled path.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the electrical mitigation further comprises modifying a wiring configuration in the communicatively coupled path, and wherein the processor renders wiring instructions on the display device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the wiring instructions comprise an illustration of proper wiring connections on a process control device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical characteristic comprises a resistance associated with the communicatively coupled path.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the deficiency comprises an resistance associated with the communicatively coupled path insufficient to support communication between the processor and the process control device, and wherein the electrical mitigation comprises modifying a resistance in the communicatively coupled path to allow communication between the processor and the process control device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrical mitigation comprises modifying an electrical current associated with the communicatively coupled path to:

(i) enable an actuator device to function and communicate or to (ii) move an actuator device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the processor renders an option to modify the resistance associated with the communicatively coupled path on the display device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is contained within a field maintenance tool compliant with a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer protocol, and wherein the field maintenance tool is configured to detect FOUNDATION Fieldbus communications using a Fast Fourier Transform.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting a lack of analog or digital communications on a communications loop, and wherein the electrical mitigation comprises polling for devices on a communications loop.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the electrical mitigation comprises at least one of adding 167 ohms of resistance to the communicatively coupled path, adding 250 ohms of resistance to the communicatively coupled path, and adding 500 ohms of resistance to the communicatively coupled path.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is contained within a field maintenance tool compliant with a FOUNDATION Fieldbus protocol.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing a voltage from the field maintenance tool to the process control device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the deficiency comprises a voltage above a threshold set by the electrical requirement, and wherein the process control device is compliant with a FOUNDATION Fieldbus protocol.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the electrical mitigation comprises disabling an attempt to provide a voltage from the field maintenance tool to the process control device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the deficiency comprises at least one of (i) a voltage of opposite polarity set by the electrical requirement, (ii) no device detected, (iii) short circuit detected, and (iv) power supply capacity exceeded.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the electrical mitigation comprises at least one of reversing the polarity of a voltage provided by the field maintenance tool, or the processor rendering an illustration on the display device to modify the wiring providing voltage from the field maintenance tool to the process control device.

21. A field maintenance tool comprising:

a computer processor;

a memory device;

a display device;

an electrical measurement sensor; and

a communication connector;

wherein the processor is configured to;

detect the presence of a communicatively coupled path between the processor, the communication connector, and a process control device;

measure, with the electrical measurement sensor, an electrical characteristic of the communicatively coupled path;

retrieve, from the memory device, an electrical requirement of a communication protocol of the process control device;

calculate a deficiency between the electrical characteristic and the electrical requirement;

retrieve an electrical mitigation that reduces the deficiency from the memory device; and

render the electrical mitigation on a display device.

22. The tool of claim 21, wherein the electrical characteristic comprises a voltage on the communicatively coupled path, and wherein the electrical requirement comprises a voltage required within the process control device.

23. The tool of claim 22, wherein the deficiency comprises an electrical potential insufficient to properly operate the process control device, and wherein the electrical mitigation comprises supplying a voltage to the process control device that meets the electrical requirement.

24. The tool of claim 23, wherein the electrical mitigation further comprises modifying a wiring configuration in the communicatively coupled path, and wherein the processor renders wiring instructions on the display device.

25. The tool of claim 24, wherein the wiring instructions comprise an illustration of proper wiring connections on a process control device.

26. The tool of claim 23, wherein the deficiency comprises a power supply capacity has been exceeded, and wherein the electrical mitigation comprises reducing the number of devices sources from the power supply or removing a current limitation of the power supply.

27. The tool of claim 23, wherein the deficiency comprises a wire in the communicatively coupled path is shorted, and wherein the electrical mitigation comprises replacing a wire in the communicatively coupled path.

28. The tool of claim 21, wherein the electrical characteristic comprises a resistance associated with the communicatively coupled path.

29. The tool of claim 28, wherein the deficiency comprises a resistance associated with the communicatively couple path insufficient to support communication between the processor and the process control device.

30. The tool of claim 29, wherein the electrical mitigation comprises modifying the resistance associated with the communicatively coupled path.

31. The tool of claim 30, wherein the processor renders at least one of:

(i) an option to modify the resistance associated with the communicatively coupled path on the display device, (ii) providing an electrical current for an actuator device to function and communicate, and (iii) electrical current to move an actuator device.

32. The tool of claim 21, wherein the field maintenance tool is compliant with a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer protocol.

33. The tool of claim 32, further comprising detecting a lack of analog or digital communications on a communications loop, and wherein the electrical mitigation comprises polling for devices a communications loop.

34. The tool of claim 33, wherein the electrical mitigation comprises at least one of:

(i) adding 167 ohms of resistance to the communicatively coupled path, (ii) adding 250 ohms of resistance to the communicatively coupled path, and (iii) adding 500 ohms of resistance to the communicatively coupled path.

35. The tool of claim 21, wherein the processor is contained within a field maintenance tool compliant with a FOUNDATION fieldbus protocol.

36. The tool of claim 35, further comprising a voltage source, wherein the voltage source provides a voltage from the field maintenance tool to the process control device.

37. The tool of claim 36, wherein the deficiency comprises a voltage above a threshold set by the electrical requirement, and wherein the process control device is compliant with a FOUNDATION Fieldbus protocol.

38. The tool of claim 37, wherein the electrical mitigation comprises disabling an attempt to provide a voltage from the field maintenance tool to the process control device.

39. The tool of claim 36, wherein the deficiency comprises a voltage of opposite polarity set by the electrical requirement.

40. The tool of claim 39, wherein the electrical mitigation comprises at least one of reversing the polarity of a voltage provided by the field maintenance tool, or the processor rendering an illustration on the display device to modify the wiring providing voltage from the field maintenance tool to the process control device.

41. A method performed by a computer processor, comprising:

detecting the presence of a communicatively coupled path between the processor and a process control device;

measuring an electrical characteristic of the communicatively coupled path;

retrieving an electrical requirement of a communication protocol of the process control device from a memory device;

calculating a deficiency in the presence of the communicatively coupled path, and between the electrical characteristic and the electrical requirement;

retrieving an electrical mitigation that reduces the deficiency from the memory device; and

rendering the electrical mitigation on a display device;

wherein the electrical mitigation further comprises modifying a wiring configuration in the communicatively coupled path, and wherein the processor renders wiring instructions on the display device, and

wherein the wiring instructions comprise an illustration of proper wiring connections on a process control device.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising polling for Highway Addressable Remote Transducer devices, and

wherein the electrical characteristic and electrical requirement comprises at least one of:

(i) a presence of a voltage and the presence of Highway Addressable Remote Transducer communications on the communicatively coupled path,

(ii) a presence of a voltage and no communications on the communicatively coupled path, and

(iii) no voltage and no communications on the communicatively coupled path.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising starting FOUNDATION Fieldbus communications, and

wherein the electrical characteristic and electrical requirement comprises a voltage and the presence of FOUNDATION Fieldbus communications on the communicatively coupled path.

44. The method of claim 41, further comprising detecting the severing of a communicatively coupled path between the processor and a process control device.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the electrical characteristic and electrical requirement comprises communication and a voltage on the communicatively coupled path,

wherein the electrical mitigation comprises modifying a current on the communicatively coupled path, and

wherein the electrical mitigation comprises supplying a voltage to the process control device.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein the electrical requirement comprises a requirement of FOUNDATION Fieldbus communications, and wherein the electrical characteristic comprises Highway Addressable Remote Transducer communications.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein the electrical requirement comprises a requirement of Highway Addressable Remote Transducer communications, and wherein the electrical characteristic comprises FOUNDATION Fieldbus communications.

48. The method of claim 41, wherein the electrical mitigation comprises sourcing current to the process control device, and wherein the process control device is a positioner.

49. The method of claim 41, wherein the electrical mitigation comprises sourcing a higher current to the process control device during diagnostics or software updates.

50. The method of claim 41, wherein the process control device comprises a transmitter, and wherein electrical requirement comprises a positioner control signal.

51. The method of claim 41, wherein the process control device comprises a positioner, and wherein the electrical requirement comprises a transmitter control signal.

52. The method of claim 41, comprising receiving an indication at the processor to cancel the electrical mitigation.

53. The method of claim 41, comprising dynamically updating the rendering of the electrical mitigation on the display device as the electrical characteristic changes.

54. The method of claim 41, comprising attempting communication on the communicatively coupled path in response to a change in the electrical characteristic.

55. The method of claim 41, comprising undoing the electrical mitigation in response to an undo indication from a human-machine interface.

56. The method of claim 41, comprising repeating the electrical mitigation without an indication from a human-machine interface.

57. The method of claim 41, wherein the electrical mitigation comprises preventing an electrical modification to the communicatively coupled path.