SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THIRD-PARTY FOUNDATION FIELDBUS INFORMATION

• US 20120310383A1
• Filed: 05/31/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Karaffa, John Michael, Downor, Johnny Stephen, Smith, Steven William, McMillan, David Evans, Harshfield, James Daniel, Pettigrew, William Robert
• Application Number:
  US13/149,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20120310383A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/80
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31135 Fieldbus
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31369 Translation, conversion of protocol between two layers, networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

An industrial process control system is provided that includes one or more fieldbus devices configured to communicate alarm or alert information representative of alarms and alerts using a first format. The industrial process control system also includes a linking device connected to the one or more fieldbus devices that is configured to publish the alarm or alert information from the fieldbus devices to one or more computers of the industrial process control system. A controller is also included that is configured to receive the alarm or alert information from the linking device. The controller is configured to interpret the alarm or alert information and create a list of the alarms and alerts in a second format interpretable by an alarm server of the industrial process control system, wherein the alarm server cannot interpret the first format.

Claims

1. An industrial process control system comprising:

one or more fieldbus devices configured to communicate alarm or alert information representative of alarms and alerts using a first format;

a linking device connected to the one or more fieldbus devices, wherein the linking device is configured to publish the alarm or alert information from the fieldbus devices to one or more computers of the industrial process control system;

a controller configured to receive the alarm or alert information from the linking device, wherein the controller is configured to interpret the alarm or alert information and create a list of the alarms and alerts in a second format interpretable by an alarm server of the industrial process control system, wherein the alarm server cannot interpret the first format.

2. The industrial process control system of claim 1, wherein each fieldbus devices comprises a Foundation Fieldbus device and the first format comprises a Foundation Fieldbus format.

3. The industrial process control system of claim 1, wherein the second format comprises alarms and alerts for each of the one or more fieldbus devices.

4. The industrial process control system of claim 1, comprising the alarm server, wherein the alarm server is configured to receive the list of the alarms and alerts, and the alarm server is configured to publish at least a portion of the list to alarm server clients.

5. The industrial process control system of claim 4, comprising serial data interface (SDI) clients that are configured to selectively request the alarms and alerts for a specific fieldbus device or all of the one or more fieldbus devices, and the alarm server is configured to publish at least the portion of the list based upon the request from the alarm server clients.

6. The industrial process control system of claim 4, comprising one or more alarm server clients that are configured to selectively subscribe to an alarm and alert notification service, wherein the alarm server is configured to publish at least the portion of the list to the alarm server clients that are selectively subscribed to the alarm and alert notification service.

7. The industrial process control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to selectively remove all of the alarms and alerts from the list of alarms and alerts based upon a request from a client.

8. The industrial process control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to selectively remove all of the alarms and alerts for a specific fieldbus device from the list of alarms and alerts based upon a request from a client.

9. The industrial process control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to maintain a history of the alarms and alerts.

10. The industrial process control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive, over SDI, a dump command request to provide a complete list of all active alarms and alerts, and/or a reset command request to remove all non-active alarms from the list of alarms and alerts.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, at a controller, device information for a field device comprising alarm or alert information in a first format;

translating, using the controller, the device information in the first format into a second format interpretable by an alarm server, wherein the alarm server cannot interpret the first format;

creating, using the controller, a list of the device information in the second format; and

providing to the alarm server, from the controller, at least a portion of the list in the second format to the alarm server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the field device is a Foundation Fieldbus device, and the first format comprises a Foundation Fieldbus format.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising receiving, at the controller, a request to reset alarms or alerts for a specific linking device, and removing the alarms or alerts for the specific linking device from the list.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising receiving a request, from the client, for an entire list of alarms and alerts, and providing to the client the list of device information.

15. The method of claim 11, comprising receiving a request, from a client, for a specific portion of the list, and providing to the client only the specific portion of the list requested by the client.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the request from the client indicates the specific portion of the list based upon a specific fieldbus device.

17. A non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium comprising executable code, the code comprising instructions for:

receiving device information for one or more field devices, the device information comprising alarm or alert information in a first format;

translating the device information from the first format into a second format interpretable by an alarm server of an industrial process control system, wherein the alarm server cannot interpret the first format;

creating a list of the translated device information in the second format; and

providing at least a portion of the list to the alarm server of the industrial process control system.

18. The non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the field device comprises a Foundation Fieldbus device, and the first format comprises a Foundation Fieldbus format.

19. The non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium of claim 17, the code comprising instructions for:

receiving a request for a portion of the list, and

providing the portion of the list in response to the request.

20. The non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium of claim 17, the code comprising instructions for:

receiving one or more user behavior commands, and

carrying out the one or more user behavior operation commands.