FIELD DEVICE WITH SELF DESCRIPTION

• US 20120093242A1
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Peluso, Marcos, Wallace, Thomas Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,745,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/259
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32142 Define device, module description using xml format file
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32144 Define device description using dd files

Abstract

A field device having a self-description is provided. The field device includes loop communication circuitry configured to communicate process information using a process standard communication protocol. A controller is coupled to the loop communication circuitry to communicate with one or more process devices using the loop communication circuitry. The controller is coupled to a non-volatile, writeable, non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of blocks. A first block contains device executable code, which when executed by the controller causes the field device to provide at least one process control function. A second block, at least as large as the first block, contains an electronic device description of the field device.

Claims

1. A field device having a self-description, the field device comprising:

loop communication circuitry configured to communicate process information using a process standard communication protocol; and

a controller coupled to the loop communication circuitry to communicate with one or more process devices using the loop communication circuitry, the controller being coupled to a non-volatile, writeable, non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of blocks, a first block containing device executable code, which when executed by the controller causes the field device to provide at least one process control function, and a second block, at least as large as the first block, the second block containing an electronic device description of the field device and being reserved for writing updated device executable code to the field device.

2. The field device of claim 1, and further comprising a transducer operably coupleable to a process.

3. The field device of claim 1, wherein the transducer is a sensor configured to sense a variable of the process.

4. The field device of claim 1, wherein the transducer is an actuator configured to change a parameter of the process.

5. The field device of claim 1, wherein the communication protocol is a Foundation Fieldbus protocol.

6. The field device of claim 1, wherein the communication protocol is a HART protocol.

7. The field device of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile, writeable, non-transitory computer readable medium is flash memory.

9. The field device of claim 1, and further comprising a power module configured to power the field device with power received from a process communication loop.

8. (canceled)

10. A method of obtaining a device description relative to a field device, the method comprising:

physically accessing the field device;

locally coupling a host to the field device;

downloading the device description from a reserved block of writeable, non-volatile memory in the field device to the host; and

using the device description to subsequently interact with the field device in a device-specific manner.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the host is a handheld communicator.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the host is a personal computer (PC).

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the host is a personal digital assistant.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the host is a cell phone.

15. A method of obtaining a device description relative to a field device coupled to a process communication loop, the method comprising:

invoking a software application on a personal computer that is communicatively coupled to the process communication loop;

downloading the device description with the software application from a reserved block of writeable, non-volatile memory in the field device to the personal computer through the process communication loop; and

using the device description to subsequently interact with the field device in a device-specific manner.