PORTABLE DEVICE MAINTENANCE SUPPORT APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD

• US 20140056173A1
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: NAKAMURA, Masafumi, ISHIKAWA, Ikuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,288,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25151 Check appropriate protocol voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31129 Universal interface for different fieldbus protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36159 Detachable or portable programming unit, display, pc, pda
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0213 Modular or universal configuration of the monitoring system, e.g. monitoring system having modules that may be combined to build monitoring program; monitoring system that can be applied to legacy systems; adaptable monitoring system; using different communication protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A portable device maintenance support apparatus includes one set of terminals configured to connect to a hybrid communication network performed based on any one of a plurality of protocols, by a compound signal in which an analog signal is superimposed with a digital signal including at least device information, the hybrid communication network being performed between the portable device maintenance support apparatus and a field device, the one set of terminals being common to the plurality of protocols.

Claims

1. A portable device maintenance support apparatus comprising

one set of terminals configured to connect to a hybrid communication network performed based on any one of a plurality of protocols, by a compound signal in which an analog signal is superimposed with a digital signal including at least device information, the hybrid communication network being performed between the portable device maintenance support apparatus and a field device, the one set of terminals being common to the plurality of protocols.

2. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of protocols include at least two of Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus, HART, and MODBUS.

3. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a barrier circuit that is connected to the one set of terminals and that is configured to limit an input or output energy via the one set of terminals so as not to reach an ignition energy.

4. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a signal processing unit configured to perform frequency analysis of the compound signal and, based on the analysis result, to judge the standard type of the plurality of protocols.

5. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first communication modem configured to communicate using a first protocol, which is one of the plurality of protocols;

a second communication modem configured to communicate using a second protocol, which is one of the plurality of protocols differing the first protocol; and

a selector configured to connect the one set of terminals to one of the first communication modem and the second communication modem.

6. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the barrier circuit comprises:

first and second resistances connected in series with one of the one set of terminals;

third and fourth resistances connected in series with another of the one set of terminals; and

first and second diodes connected in parallel, with mutually opposite orientations, between the first and second resistances and the third and fourth resistances.

7. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the signal processing unit is configured so that, from the plurality of protocols, when a first network protocol that is initially connected is used, the signal processing unit controls an input or output current via the one set of terminals to be smaller than that of the case in which a protocol other than the first network protocol is used.

8. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the signal processing unit is configured to perform the frequency analysis for a certain period of time and calculate a communication frequency having a spectral density higher than a prescribed value and, based on the calculation result, to judge the standard type of the plurality of protocols.

9. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising

a control unit configured to control the portable device maintenance support apparatus, wherein

the signal processing unit is configured to judge whether or not a first communication amplitude calculated from a maximum value and a minimum value of an input voltage to the one set of terminals is within a range of a second communication amplitude established by the standard type judged by the frequency analysis, and wherein

the control unit is configured so that, if the first communication amplitude is within a range of the second communication amplitude, communication is established with the network connected to the one set of terminals.

10. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the signal processing unit is configured to judge whether or not a fluctuation of a signal input or output from the one set of terminals is larger than a prescribed value, and

the signal processing unit is configured to notify the control unit of the judgment result, if the fluctuation is larger than the prescribed value.

11. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the signal processing unit is configured to remove a noise component included in a signal input to the signal processing unit, to wave-shape the signal, and to output the signal to the control unit if the fluctuation is larger than the prescribed value.

12. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising

a manual switch that manually switches the connection of the one set of terminals to one of the first communication modem and the second communication modem.

13. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising

a measurement unit configured to detect whether or not a frame is input or output via the one set of terminals.

14. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 13, comprising

a control unit configured to judge, based on the frequency analysis result, whether or not a communication speed of the frame is larger than a prescribed value when the measurement unit detects input or output of the frame.

15. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the control unit is configured to select a protocol accommodating high-speed communication from the plurality of protocols when the control unit judges that the frame communication speed is greater than the prescribed value, so that communication is performed using the selected protocol via the one set of terminals.

16. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the control unit is configured to select a protocol accommodating low-speed communication from the plurality of protocols when the control unit judges that the frame communication speed is smaller than the prescribed value, so that communication is performed using the selected protocol via the one set of terminals.

17. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the control unit is configured to select a protocol accommodating low-speed communication from the plurality of protocols, so that communication is performed using the selected protocol via the one set of terminals, when the measurement unit does not detect the input or output of the frame.

18. The portable device maintenance support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an input/output block connected to the one set of terminals,

wherein the input/output block comprises a resistance connected only to the one set of terminals.

19. A portable device maintenance support system, comprising:

a field device detecting a physical quantity; and

a portable device maintenance support apparatus that comprises one set of terminals configured to connect to a hybrid communication network performed based on any one of a plurality of protocols, by a compound signal in which an analog signal is superimposed with a digital signal including at least device information, the hybrid communication network being performed between the portable device maintenance support apparatus and the field device, the one set of terminals being common to the plurality of protocols.

20. A portable device maintenance support method comprising

providing one set of terminals configured to connect to a hybrid communication network performed based on any one of a plurality of protocols, by a compound signal in which an analog signal is superimposed with a digital signal including at least device information, the one set of terminals being provided in a portable device maintenance support apparatus, the hybrid communication network being performed between the portable device maintenance support apparatus and a field device, the one set of terminals being common to the plurality of protocols,

whereby maintenance and inspection of the field device are performed, via the hybrid communication network, the maintenance and inspection being made using the one set of terminals.