Highly versatile process control system controller
First Claim
1. A method of configuring a distributed process control system having a plurality of controllers, wherein each of the controllers has a field device input/output port associated therewith, the method comprising:
- physically communicatively connecting a first one of the controllers within the distributed process control system;
physically communicatively connecting a second one of the controllers to the first one of the controllers without physically connecting the second one of the controllers to the field device input/output port of the first one of the controllers, the second one of the controllers operating as a remote input/output device;
physically communicatively connecting a field device directly to the field device input/output port of the second one-of the controllers; and
logically communicatively connecting the field device to the first one of the controllers.
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Abstract
A versatile controller that can be used as either a stand-alone controller in a relatively small process plant or as one of numerous controllers in a distributed process control system depending on the needs of the process plant includes a processor adapted to be programmed to execute one or more programming routines and a memory, such as a non-volatile memory, coupled to the processor and adapted to store the one or more programming routines to be executed on the processor. The versatile controller also includes a plurality of field device input/output ports communicatively connected to the processor, a configuration communication port connected to the processor and to the memory to enable the controller to be configured with the programming routines and a second communication port which enables a user interface to be intermittently connected to the controller to view information stored within the controller memory. When used in a distributed process control system, the controller platform may be used as a remote input/output device and the ports of this remote input/output device may be logically mapped to controllers within the distributed process control system in a manner that is different than the physical connection between such controllers and the remote input/output device.
53 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A method of configuring a distributed process control system having a plurality of controllers, wherein each of the controllers has a field device input/output port associated therewith, the method comprising:
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physically communicatively connecting a first one of the controllers within the distributed process control system; physically communicatively connecting a second one of the controllers to the first one of the controllers without physically connecting the second one of the controllers to the field device input/output port of the first one of the controllers, the second one of the controllers operating as a remote input/output device; physically communicatively connecting a field device directly to the field device input/output port of the second one-of the controllers; and logically communicatively connecting the field device to the first one of the controllers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification