SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACCESSING AND CONFIGURING FIELD DEVICES IN A PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM USING DISTRIBUTED CONTROL COMPONENTS

• US 20090292524A1
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Anne, Gowtham, Maranat, Prashant
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/25
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31132 FDT interfacing profibus field device drivers DTM with engineering tool
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system includes a client and an interface component. The client includes (i) a device manager associated with a field device in a process control system and (ii) a first emulator configured to emulate a communication manager. The device manager defines a user interface associated with the field device. The interface component includes (i) a second emulator configured to emulate the device manager and (ii) the communication manager. The communication manager is configured to communicate with the field device over a communication link using a specified protocol. The client is physically separated from the interface component. The communication manager could represent a communication Device Type Manager (DTM), and the device manager could represent a device DTM. Also, the first emulator could emulate at least some functions of the communication DTM, and the second emulator could emulate at least some functions of the device DTM.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a request associated with a field device in a process control system at a device manager associated with at least the field device;

providing the request to a first emulator, the first emulator emulating a communication manager associated with at least the field device;

providing the request to a second emulator, the second emulator emulating the device manager; and

providing the request from the second emulator to the communication manager, the communication manager configured to communicate the request to the field device over a communication link using a specified protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the communication manager comprises a communication Device Type Manager (DTM);

the device manager comprises a device DTM;

the first emulator emulates at least some functions of the communication DTM; and

the second emulator emulates at least some functions of the device DTM.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the request to the second emulator comprises:

providing the request from the first emulator to a server; and

providing the request from the server to the second emulator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a first device comprising the device manager and the first emulator is physically remote from a second device comprising the second emulator and the communication manager.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

instantiating the device manager at the first device and linking the device manager and the first emulator; and

instantiating the communication manager at the second device and linking the communication manager and the second emulator.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a user interface for a user, the user interface based on the device manager;

wherein the request is generated based on user input received through the user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first emulator emulates multiple communication managers associated with multiple field devices; and

the second emulator emulates multiple device managers associated with the multiple field devices.

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

a sensor and an actuator.

9. A system comprising:

a client comprising (i) a device manager associated with a field device in a process control system and (ii) a first emulator configured to emulate a communication manager, the device manager defining a user interface associated with the field device; and

an interface component comprising (i) a second emulator configured to emulate the device manager and (ii) the communication manager, the communication manager configured to communicate with the field device over a communication link using a specified protocol;

wherein the client is physically separated from the interface component.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the communication manager comprises a communication Device Type Manager (DTM);

the device manager comprises a device DTM;

the first emulator emulates at least some functions of the communication DTM; and

the second emulator emulates at least some functions of the device DTM.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a server configured to receive a request associated with the field device from the first emulator and to provide the request to the second emulator.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the request is generated by the device manager based on user input received through the user interface.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the request comprises one of:

a request to configure the field device and a request for information from the field device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the client is configured to establish an active link between the device manager and the first emulator; and

the interface component is configured to establish an active link between the second emulator and the communication manager.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the client comprises multiple device managers associated with multiple field devices;

the system comprises multiple interface components that include multiple second emulators and multiple communication managers, the multiple communication managers configured to communicate with the multiple field devices; and

the client is physically separated from the multiple interface components and at least some of the interface components are physically separated from each other.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a device manager associated with a field device in a process control system, the device manager defining a user interface associated with the field device; and

a first emulator configured to emulate a communication manager associated with at least the field device;

wherein the apparatus forms at least part of a first physical device; and

wherein the first emulator is configured to receive a request associated with the field device from the device manager and to provide the request to a second emulator forming at least part of a second physical device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second emulator is configured to emulate the device manager and to communicate with the communication manager.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first emulator is configured to communicate with the second emulator through a server.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the request is generated by the device manager based on user input received through the user interface.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second physical device'"'"'s location is physically remote from the first physical device'"'"'s location.