Diagnostics in a process control system

• US 6,557,118 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2001
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Blevins, Terrence L., Schleiss, Trevor D., Wojsznis, Wilhelm K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E.
• Application Number:
  US09/801,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20020010562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 714/37, 714/25, 714/46, 714/38, 714/47, 702/183, 702/185, 700/52, 700/73, 700/79
• US Class Current: 714/37
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0227 Qualitative history assessment, whereby the type of data acted upon, e.g. waveforms, images or patterns, is not relevant, e.g. rule based assessment; if-then decisions
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/027 Alarm generation, e.g. communication protocol; Forms of alarm

Abstract

A diagnostic tool automatically collects and stores data indicative of a variability parameter, a mode parameter, a status parameter and a limit parameter associated with each of the different devices, loops or function blocks within a process control system, processes the collected data to determine which devices, loops or function blocks have problems that result in reduced performance of the process control system, displays a list of detected problems to an operator and then suggests the use of other, more specific diagnostic tools to further pinpoint or correct the problems. When the diagnostic tool recommends and executes a data intensive application as the further diagnostic tool, it automatically configures a controller of the process control network to collect the data needed for such a tool.

Claims

1. A diagnostic tool for use in a process control system having a multiplicity of function blocks adapted to control a process device during operation of a process, the diagnostic tool comprising:

a data collection unit configured to communicate with each of the multiplicity of function blocks to receive, on a regular basis during operation of the process control system, data pertaining to a function block operating parameter for each of the multiplicity of function blocks wherein the data is associated with an operating condition of each of the multiplicity of function blocks;

a data analyzer that determines a value for the function block operating parameter for each of the number of times during operation of the process control system based on the received function block operating parameter data;

a detector that detects a problem within the process control system based on the determined values of the function block operating parameter data; and

an output generator that creates a report indicating the detected problem.

2. The diagnostic tool of claim 1, wherein the detector detects the problem based on a current value of the function block operating parameter for one of the multiplicity of function block.

3. The diagnostic tool of claim 1, wherein the detector detects the problem based on a plurality of past values for the function block operating parameter for one of the function blocks.

4. A diagnostic tool for use in a process control system that includes a processor and that uses a multiplicity of function blocks to control a process, the diagnostic tool comprising:

a computer readable memory; and

a routine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be implemented on the processor, wherein the routine;

collects data pertaining to a function block operating parameter for each of the multiplicity of function blocks on a regular basis during operation of the process wherein the data is associated with an operating condition of each of the multiplicity of function blocks;

determines a value for the function block operating parameter for each of a number of times during the operation of the process control system based on the collected function block operating parameter data;

detects a problem within the process control system based on the determined values of the function block operating parameter; and

produces a report that lists the detected problem.

5. The diagnostic tool of claim 4, wherein the routine detects the problem based on a multiplicity of historical values of the function block operating parameter for one of the multiplicity of function blocks.

6. A method of diagnosing problems in a process control system that uses a multiplicity of function blocks to control the operation of a process, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting data pertaining to a function block operating parameter from each of the multiplicity of function blocks during operation of the process control system wherein the data is associated with an operating condition of each of the multiplicity of function blocks;

determining a value for the function block operating parameter for each of a number of times during operation of the process control system based on the received function block operating parameter data;

detecting a problem within the process control system based on the determined function block operating parameter values; and

reporting the detected problem to a user.

7. A function block adapted to control a process in a process control system and for execution by a processor in a process control environment, comprising:

a computer readable memory;

a first routine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to implement a process operation, wherein a first function block signal is associated with an operation of the first routine; and

a second routine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to determine a variability indication based on the first function block signal.