Apparatus, system, and method for integrating a wireless network with wired field devices in a process control system

• US 20070280286A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc., William A. Munck
• Inventors: Chernoguzov, Alexander, Hodson, William R., Samudrala, Prasad, Chen, Yu-Gene T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,889,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system for integrating a wireless network with wired field devices includes a field unit that communicates with the wired field devices using a first wired field device protocol. A gateway wirelessly communicates with the field unit and communicates over a network using one or more second wired field device protocols. The gateway also converts between the first wired field device protocol and the one or more second wired field device protocols. The gateway could further permit access to the wired field devices by a component of the process control system (such as a process controller, asset management tool, or configuration tool) that does not support the first wired field device protocol. At least one of the field unit and the gateway could appear as a multiplexer or linking device to the component of the process control system, such as a HART multiplexer or a Foundation Fieldbus or Profibus linking device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a field unit operable to communicate with a plurality of wired field devices in a process control system using a first wired field device protocol; and

a gateway operable to wirelessly communicate with the field unit, the gateway also operable to communicate over a network using one or more second wired field device protocols, the gateway further operable to convert between the first wired field device protocol and the one or more second wired field device protocols.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway is further operable to permit access to the wired field is devices by a component of the process control system that does not support the first wired field device protocol.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the component of the process control system comprises at least one of:

a process controller, an asset management tool, and a configuration tool.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the field unit and the gateway is operable to appear as a multiplexer or linking device to the component of the process control system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the first wired field device protocol comprises one of;

a Foundation Fieldbus protocol and a Profibus protocol;

the gateway is operable to cause the wired field devices to appear as Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) field devices; and

the component of the process control system comprises a component operable to use a HART protocol to communicate with the gateway.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the first wired field device protocol comprises a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) protocol;

the gateway is operable to cause the wired field devices to appear as one of;

Foundation Fieldbus field devices and Profibus field devices; and

the component of the process control system comprises a component operable to use one of;

a Foundation Fieldbus protocol and a Profibus protocol to communicate with the gateway.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one memory operable to store mapping information mapping a first application model associated with a first wired field device protocol and a second application model associated with a second wired field device protocol; and

at least one processor operable to;

receive first information wirelessly from a field unit operable to communicate with a plurality of wired field devices in a process control system, the first information associated with the first wired field device protocol;

convert the first information associated with the first wired field device protocol into second information associated with the second wired field device protocol using at least some of the mapping information; and

communicate the second information over a network using the second wired field device protocol.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one memory is operable to store mapping information mapping the first application model and a plurality of second application models, the plurality of second application models associated with a plurality of second wired field device protocols.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to:

receive third information associated with the second wired field device protocol over the network;

convert the third information associated with the second wired field device protocol into fourth information associated with the first wired field device protocol using at least some of the mapping information; and

wirelessly communicate the fourth information to the field unit for delivery to one or more of the wired field devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising at least one interface operable to facilitate communication over the network, the at least one interface comprising at least one of:

an Ethernet interface and a serial interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to permit access to the wired field devices by a component of the process control system that does not support the first wired field device protocol.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the component comprises at least one of;

a process controller, an asset management tool, and a configuration tool; and

the wired field devices comprise at least one of;

one or more sensors and one or more actuators.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the first wired field device protocol comprises one of;

a Foundation Fieldbus protocol and a Profibus protocol;

the apparatus is operable to cause the wired field devices to appear as Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) field devices; and

the component of the process control system comprises a component operable to use a HART protocol to communicate with the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the first wired field device protocol comprises a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) protocol;

the apparatus is operable to cause the wired field devices to appear as one of;

Foundation Fieldbus field devices and Profibus field devices; and

the component of the process control system comprises a component operable to use one of;

a Foundation Fieldbus protocol and a Profibus protocol to communicate with the apparatus.

15. A method, comprising:

wirelessly receiving first information from a field unit, the first information provided by a plurality of wired field devices in a process control system, the wired field devices using a first wired field device protocol to communicate with the field unit;

converting the first information associated with the first wired field device protocol into second information associated with the second wired field device protocol; and

communicating the second information over a network using the second wired field device protocol.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising permitting access to the wired field devices by a component of the process control system that does not support the first wired field device protocol.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the component comprises at least one of:

a process controller, an asset management tool, and a configuration tool.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising causing the wired field devices to appear as if the wired field devices are coupled to a multiplexer or linking device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the first wired field device protocol comprises one of;

a Foundation Fieldbus protocol and a Profibus protocol;

causing the wired field devices to appear as if the wired field devices are coupled to a multiplexer or linking device comprises causing the wired field devices to appear as Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) field devices; and

the component of the process control system comprises a component operable to use a HART protocol to communicate with the wired field devices.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the first wired field device protocol comprises a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) protocol;

causing the wired field devices to appear as if the wired field devices are coupled to a multiplexer or linking device comprises causing the wired field devices to appear as one of;

Foundation Fieldbus field devices and Profibus field devices; and

the component of the process control system comprises a component operable to use one of;

a Foundation Fieldbus protocol and a Profibus protocol to communicate with the wired field devices.

21. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium and operable to be executed by a processor, the computer program comprising computer readable program code for:

receiving first information from a plurality of wired field devices in a process control system, the first information associated with a first wired field device protocol; and

wirelessly communicating the first information to a gateway that is operable to convert the first information associated with the first wired field device protocol into second information associated with a second wired field device protocol and to communicate the second information over a network using the second wired field device protocol.

22. The computer program of claim 21, further comprising computer readable program code for:

wirelessly receiving third information from the gateway, the gateway further operable to convert fourth information associated with the second wired field device protocol into the third information associated with the first wired field device protocol; and

providing the third information to one or more of the wired field devices using the first wired field device protocol.

23. The computer program of claim 21, wherein:

the first wired field device protocol comprises one of;

a Foundation Fieldbus protocol and a Profibus protocol;

the gateway is operable to cause the wired field devices to appear as Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) field devices to a component of the process control system; and

the component of the process control system comprises a component operable to use a HART protocol to communicate with the gateway.

24. The computer program of claim 21, wherein:

the first wired field device protocol comprises a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) protocol;

the gateway is operable to cause the wired field devices to appear as one of;

Foundation Fieldbus field devices and Profibus field devices to a component of the process control system; and

the component of the process control system comprises a component operable to use one of;

a Foundation Fieldbus protocol and a Profibus protocol to communicate with the gateway.