Method for Automatic Configuration of a Process Control System and Corresponding Process Control System

• US 20090083465A1
• Filed: 11/26/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Original Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Inventors: Faist, Fridolin, Schaetzle, Ralf
• Application Number:
  US12/323,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083465A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/110
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2228 Master detects and configures slaves
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25296 Identification module, type connected I-O, device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4208 being a system bus, e.g. VME bus, Futurebus, Multibus

Abstract

A process control system and a method for automatic configuration of the system are described. The system includes a master and at least one slave, whereby the master controls the at least one slave, which is connected to and communicates with the master via a bus system, and processes data received from the at least one slave. The master automatically identifies the at least one slave via the bus system, and subsequently automatically generates a slave configuration for setting up the slave according to its identification such that the slave is ready to be operated in the process control system.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A control unit, comprising:

a pool of components,

wherein the control unit identifies an apparatus profile of an apparatus connected to the control unit,

wherein the control unit generate an adequate measurement loop a as function of the apparatus profile, and

wherein, based on the adequate measurement loop, (a) the pool of components is configured and (b) a measuring task in the control unit is solved.

23. A process control system, comprising

a master, and

at least one slave,

wherein the master is adapted to control the slave and to process data received from the slave,

wherein the slave is adapted to be connected to and to communicate with the master via a bus system,

wherein the master is adapted to automatically identify the slave via the bus system, and to subsequently, generate an apparatus configuration for setting up the slave according to its identification such that the slave is ready to be operated in the process control system,

wherein the master is adapted to generate a measurement loop for a specific identified slave, and

wherein the measurement loop comprises at least one input component, at least one output component, and at least one function component.

24. The process control system according to claim 23, wherein the master is an analyzing apparatus and the slave is a field apparatus.

25. The process control system according to claim 23, wherein the master is a control unit and the slave is one of a sensor and an actuator.

26. The process control system according to claim 23, wherein the master comprises allocation tables, which contain a number of predefined apparatus configurations suitable for a number of the field apparatuses.

27. The process control system according to claim 26, wherein the allocation tables are supplementable via an input device.

28. The process control system according to claim 23, wherein the bus system is a HART-bus system.

29. The process control system according to claim 23, wherein the bus system comprises commands for the master for requesting the presence of a slave at the bus system.

30. The process control system according to claim 26, wherein the allocation tables are supplementable by reloadable adapted apparatus profiles.

31. The process control system according to claim 26, wherein the allocation tables comprise fixed measurement loop profiles for each apparatus profile.

32. A method for configuring a control unit including a pool of components, comprising:

identifying an apparatus profile of an apparatus connected to the control unit;

generating an adequate measurement loop based on the apparatus profile; and

based on the adequate measurement loop, configuring the pool of components and solving a measuring task in the control unit.

33. A method for automatic configuration of a process control system comprising a master and at least one slave, comprising:

controlling the at least one slave by means of the master, wherein the at least one slave is connected to and communicates with the master via a bus system, and processing data received from the at least one slave by means of the master;

automatically identifying the at least one slave by means of the master via the bus system, and subsequently automatically generating an apparatus configuration for setting up the slave according to its identification such that the slave is ready to be operated in the process control system; and

generating, by means of the master, a measurement loop comprising an input component, an output component, and a function component for the apparatus configuration.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the master is an analyzing apparatus, in particular a control unit, comprising allocation tables, from which it selects the adequate apparatus configuration for the slave identified.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein the slave is a field apparatus, and in particular one of a sensor and an actuator.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein the identification of the connected slave is carried out by means of the functionality of the master.

37. The method according to claim 33, wherein upon starting the process control system, communication towards the bus system is initiated by the master.

38. The method according to claim 33, wherein for identifying the field apparatus, the master retrieves information concerning manufacturer, type, apparatus TAG by means of standardized commands.

39. The method according to claim 33, wherein the master compares the identification data of the slave to apparatus profiles, contained in the allocation tables, to find the adequate apparatus profile to set up the slave for operation in the process control system.

40. The method according to claim 33, wherein the allocation table is supplemented by reloadable adapted apparatus profiles.

41. The method according to claim 33, wherein automatically generated measurement loop are corrected interactively.

42. The method according to claim 33, wherein during the correction of the measurement loop, the automatic generation of measurement loop is deactivated until new slaves are connected to the master or until the automatic measurement loop generation is reactivated.

43. The method according to claim 33, wherein the automatic adaptation of already present measurement loop is carried out when an already connected slave is replaced by another type of slave.

44. A method for automatic configuration of a process control system, comprising at least one field apparatus, which is connected via a bus system to an analyzing apparatus, comprising:

verifying, upon starting the analyzing apparatus, the presence of the field apparatus at the bus system at a certain bus address by means of the analyzing apparatus;

requesting, upon response of the bus system, for identification of the field apparatus, information concerning manufacturer, type, and apparatus TAG of the field apparatus via the bus system by means of the analyzing apparatus;

comparing, subsequent to the identification, data retrieved during the identification process to field apparatus profiles stored in allocation tables of the analyzing apparatus by means of the analyzing system; and

generating, by means of the analyzing system and upon an coincidence, an apparatus configuration in form of a measurement loop, comprising an input component, a function component, and an output component, by means of which the field apparatus is ready for operation.