Interface for managing process

• US 6,330,517 B1
• Filed: 09/17/1999
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Westbrock, Jon, Dobrowski, Partick, Holladay, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US09/397,942
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 702/85, 702/104, 702/109, 702/121-122, 702/186, 709/230, 709/232, 709/316, 709/321, 709/327, 710/5, 710/8, 710/11, 710/15, 710/20-21, 710/104-106
• US Class Current: 702/104
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

An improved interface is established between a field management system and a calibrator for calibrating a process device to provide increased efficiency. The interface includes a communication module for communicating with the calibrator in accordance with a calibrator-specific protocol and a translation module for translating calibration information between an FMS-compatible format and a common data format. The interface allowing calibration information to flow between the calibrator and the FMS.

Claims

1. A calibrator management system module of a field management system (FMS), the calibrator management system module comprising:

a translation module configured to use a map file to transfer calibration information in a field management system-compatible (FMS-compatible) format into a common data format; and

a communication module coupleable to a calibrator, the communication module configured to transfer the calibration information in the common data format to the calibrator in accordance with a calibrator-specific protocol.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein the calibration information includes testing data.

3. The calibrator management system module of claim 1, wherein:

the communication module is further configured to receive calibration information from the calibrator in accordance with the calibrator-specific protocol and to transfer the calibration information to the translation module in the common data format; and

the translation module is further configured to, using the map file, translate the calibration information in the common data into the FMS-compatible format, the calibration information received from the calibrator can be recognized by the FMS.

4. The module of claim 3, wherein the calibration information includes test results.

5. The module of claim 1, wherein the calibration information is defined by a test definition.

6. The module of claim 1, wherein:

the calibration information in the FMS-compatible format is stored in device data elements of a device description record (DDR), the device data elements identified by device data fields; and

the calibration information in the common data format is stored in calibrator data elements of a calibrator compatible record (CCR), the calibrator data elements identified by calibrator data fields which have corresponding device data fields of the DDR;

wherein the map file contains instructions for locating the calibrator data fields of the CCR corresponding to the device data fields of the DDR.

7. The module of claim 6, wherein the calibration information is defined by a test definition containing a list of at least one of the calibrator data fields and the device data fields.

8. The module of claim 1, wherein the calibrator specific protocol is defined by a calibrator driver.

9. An apparatus for establishing a data interface between a field management system (FMS) and a calibrator used to calibrate a field device, the apparatus comprising:

a device description record (DDR) defined in accordance with a field management system-compatible (FMS-compatible) format, the DDR including device-specific information relating to the field device including calibration information;

a translation module configured to use the map file to transfer calibration information from the DDR to a calibrator compatible record (CCR) defined in accordance with a common data format;

a map file defining a relationship between the common data format and the FMS-compatible format; and

a communication module configured to communicate with the calibrator and to transfer the calibration information in the common data format to the calibrator in accordance with a calibrator-specific protocol.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the device description language stores the calibration information in device data elements that are identified by device data fields, and wherein the common data format stores information in calibrator data elements that are identified by calibrator data fields; and

the map file provides instructions for mapping the calibrator data fields to corresponding device data fields;

the translation module transfers the calibration information in the device data elements to the corresponding calibrator data elements of the calibrator compatible record using the map file.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the calibration information is defined by a test definition.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the translation module is further configured to transfer calibration information contained in a CCR to a DDR using the map file.

13. A method for translating data in a field management system-compatible (FMS-compatible) format into a common data format, the method comprising:

reading a test definition comprising a list of calibrator data fields defining calibration information;

reading a device description record (DDR) in the FMS-compatible format containing the calibration information in device data elements which are identified by device data fields;

reading a map file containing instructions for locating the device data fields corresponding to the list of calibrator data fields of the test definition; and

transferring the calibration information, using the map file, from the device data elements identified by the device data fields corresponding to the list of calibrator data fields to a calibrator compatible record (CCR) defined in accordance with the common data format.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising transferring the calibration information in the CCR to a calibrator for calibrating a field device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transferring of the calibration information in the CCR to the calibrator is conducted in accordance with a calibrator-specific protocol.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the calibration information is defined by a test definition.

17. A method for translating calibration information in a common data format into a field management system-compatible (FMS-compatible) format, the method comprising:

reading a calibrator compatible record (CCR) in the common data format containing the calibration information in calibrator data elements which are identified by calibrator data fields;

reading a device description record (DDR) in the FMS-compatible format comprising device data elements identified by device data fields;

reading a map file containing instructions for locating the device data fields corresponding to the calibrator data fields, the device data elements corresponding to the calibrator data elements can be determined; and

transferring the calibration information, using the map file, from the calibrator data elements of the CCR to the corresponding device data elements of the DDR.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the CCR is received from a calibrator, and wherein the calibration information contains test results.

19. A calibrator management system module of a field management system (FMS), the calibrator management system module comprising:

means for translating calibration information, using a map file, in a field management system-compatible (FMS-compatible) format into a common data format; and

means for transferring the calibration information in the common data format to a calibrator in accordance with a calibrator-specific protocol.

20. The calibrator management system module of claim 19, wherein the means for translating is further configured for translating calibration information in the common data format into the FMS-compatible format, using the map file.

21. A computer readable medium having stored instructions executable by a processor capable of translating calibration information in a field management system-compatible (FMS-compatible) format into a common data format, the instructions comprising:

instructions for reading a test definition comprising a list of calibrator data fields defining calibration information;

instructions for reading a device description record in the FMS-compatible format containing calibration information in device data elements which are identified by device data fields;

instructions for reading a map file containing instructions for locating the device data fields corresponding to the list of calibrator data fields of the test definition;

instructions for transferring the calibration information, using the map file, from the device data elements identified by the device data fields corresponding to the list of calibrator data fields to a calibrator compatible record defined in accordance with a common data format.

22. A computer readable medium having stored instructions executable by a processor for translating calibration information in a common data format into a field management system-compatible (FMS-compatible) format, the instructions comprising:

instructions for reading a calibrator compatible record in the common data format containing the calibration information in calibrator data elements which are identified by calibrator data fields;

instructions for reading a device description record in the FMS-compatible format comprising device data elements identified by device data fields;

instructions for reading a map file containing instructions for locating the device data fields corresponding to the calibrator data fields, the device data elements corresponding to the calibrator data elements can be determined; and

instructions for transferring the calibration information, using the map file, from the calibrator data elements of the calibrator compatible record to the corresponding device data elements of the device description record.