Apparatus and method for converting between device description languages in a process control system

• US 20070282463A1
• 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.
• Inventors: Hodson, William R., Samudrala, Prasad
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/20
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4186 by protocol, e.g. MAP, TOP
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31131 Field device with gateway functions for communication with pc and other field devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31369 Translation, conversion of protocol between two layers, networks
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A device description language (DDL) converter is provided for converting a first DDL file into one or more second DDL files. The DDL files may be associated with wireless field devices that are or could be used in a process control system, such as wireless sensors or wireless actuators. The DDL files may contain information associated with parameters of the field devices, such as tunings, performance statistics, statuses, measurements, and other data of interest. The first DDL file could be associated with a non-standard DDL. The one or more second DDL files could be associated with standard DDLS, such as HART, Foundation Fieldbus, and Profibus DDLs.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving first information associated with one or more parameters of a field device, the field device operable to operate in a process control system, the first information associated with a first device description language;

converting the first information associated with the first device description language into second information associated with a second device description language; and

providing the second information to facilitate interaction with the field device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first information comprises a first device description language source file; and

converting the first information into the second information comprises parsing the first device description language source file into individual components.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein converting the first information into the second information further comprises:

for each individual component from the first device description language source file, identifying a corresponding component compliant with the second device description language; and

generating a second device description language source file comprising the components compliant with the second device description language.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

converting the second device description language source file into a binary file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first information comprises a first device description language binary file; and

converting the first information into the second information comprises converting the first device description language binary file into a second device description language binary file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the field device comprises at least one of:

a wireless sensor and a wireless actuator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device description language comprises one of:

a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer device description language, a Foundation Fieldbus device description language, and a Profibus device description language.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one of:

a tuning associated with the field device, a performance statistic associated with the field device, a status associated with the field device, and a measurement taken by the field device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the second information comprises providing the second information to facilitate interaction between the field device and at least one of:

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

10. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one memory operable to store a first device description language file associated with a field device, the field device operable to operate in a process control system; and

at least one processor operable to;

convert the first device description language file into a second device description language file, the first and second device description language files associated with different device description languages; and

store the second device description language file in the at least one memory.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the first device description language file comprises a first device description language source file; and

the at least one processor is operable to convert the first device description language file into the second device description language file by parsing the first device description language source file into individual components compliant with a first of the device description languages.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is operable to convert the first device description language file into the second device description language file further by:

for each individual component from the first device description language source file, identifying a corresponding component compliant with a second of the device description languages; and

generating a second device description language source file comprising the components compliant with the second device description language.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to:

convert the second device description language source file into a binary file.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the field device comprises a wireless field device.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the device description language associated with the second device description language file comprises one of:

a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer device description language, a Foundation Fieldbus device description language, and a Profibus device description language.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the device description language files comprise information associated with one or more parameters of the field device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one of:

a tuning associated with the field device, a performance statistic associated with the field device, a status associated with the field device, and a measurement made by the field device.

18. 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 associated with one or more parameters of a field device, the field device operable to operate in a process control system, the first information associated with a first device description language;

generating second information associated with a second device description language using the first information; and

outputting the second information to facilitate interaction with the field device.

19. The computer program of claim 18, wherein:

the first information comprises a first device description language source file; and

the computer readable program code for generating the second information comprises computer readable program code for parsing the first device description language source file into individual components.

20. The computer program of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code for generating the second information further comprises computer readable program code for:

mapping the individual components to corresponding components compliant with the second device description language; and

generating a second device description language source file comprising the components compliant with the second device description language.

21. The computer program of claim 20, further comprising computer readable program code for converting the second device description language source file into a binary file.