Apparatus and method for integrating wireless or other field devices in a process control system

• US 7,675,935 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Samudrala, Prasad, Ravindran, Vanathi, Chernoguzov, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo; Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAO, WEI PO ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/444,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20070280287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 370/402, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/400
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31131 Field device with gateway functions for communication with pc and other field devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31369 Translation, conversion of protocol between two layers, networks
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless
• 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 apparatus is provided for facilitating communication between, for example, a configuration tool in a process control system and a wireless field device (such as a wireless sensor or actuator). The configuration tool and the wireless field device use different protocols, and the apparatus converts between the different protocols. The protocol used by the configuration tool could include HART. From the perspective of the wireless field device, the apparatus could appear to support the application protocol of the wireless field device. From the perspective of the configuration tool, the apparatus could simulate a HART multiplexer. This may allow a user to use the configuration tool to configure, commission, and monitor the wireless field device, even when the user does not know or understand the protocol used by the wireless field device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving first information from a configuration tool in a process control system, the configuration tool associated with a first field device protocol, the configuration tool operable to receive input from a user and to configure, commission, or monitor a field device in the process control system;

converting the first information associated with the first field device protocol into second information associated with a second field device protocol using a protocol converter; and

communicating the second information to the field device in the process control system using the second field device protocol;

wherein the second field device protocol comprises a Wireless Network for Secure Industrial Application (WNSIA) protocol;

wherein, under the WNSIA protocol, an object is associated with the field device and one or more objects are associated with one or more transducers of the field device, each transducer associated with a process or output variable, each object comprising one or more parameters describing the associated device or transducer; and

wherein communicating the second information to the field device comprises using a device address associated with the field device, an object identifier identifying one of the objects associated with the identified field device, and a parameter identifier identifying one of the parameters associated with the identified object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

communicating the second information comprises communicating the second information to a wireless gateway operable to communicate wirelessly with the field device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving third information associated with the second field device protocol, the third information originating at the field device;

converting the third information into fourth information associated with the first field device protocol; and

communicating the fourth information to the configuration tool.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

each of the first information and the second information comprises a command; and

each of the third information and the fourth information comprises a response to the command.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first field device protocol comprises a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) protocol; and

the protocol converter comprises a HART multiplexer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein converting the first information into the second information comprises using at least one of:

a first list associating HART manufacturer identifiers and vendor names; and

a second list associating HART device types and vendor model names.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the first information into the second information comprises using at least one of:

a generic device descriptor associated with multiple types of field devices;

a generic device descriptor having one or more device-specific commands associated with multiple types of field devices; and

a device descriptor having one or more device-specific commands associated with a particular type of field device or with a particular field device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the protocol converter comprises a multiplexer supporting the first field device protocol for communications with the configuration tool;

the configuration tool interacts with the field device as if the field device was coupled to the multiplexer using the first field device protocol; and

commands defined by the first field device protocol and contained in the first information that are not used in a multiplexer network are dropped by the protocol converter and not communicated as the second information to the field device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the field device comprises at least one of:

a sensor and an actuator.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one memory operable to store mapping information defining mappings between a first field device protocol and a second field device protocol; and

at least one processor operable to;

receive a first command associated with the first field device protocol from a configuration tool, the configuration tool operable to receive input from a user and to configure, commission, or monitor a field device in a process control system;

convert the first command into a second command associated with the second field device protocol using at least some of the mapping information; and

communicate the second command to the field device in the process control system;

wherein the second field device protocol comprises a Wireless Network for Secure Industrial Application (WNSIA) protocol;

wherein, under the WNSIA protocol, an object is associated with the field device and one or more objects are associated with one or more transducers of the field device, each transducer associated with a process or output variable, each object comprising one or more parameters describing the associated device or transducer; and

wherein the at least one processor is operable to communicate the second command to the field device using a device address associated with the field device, an object identifier identifying one of the objects associated with the identified field device, and a parameter identifier identifying one of the parameters associated with the identified object.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one processor is operable to communicate the second command to a wireless gateway over a network, the wireless gateway operable to communicate wirelessly with the field device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to drop commands defined by the first field device protocol and contained in the first information that are not used in a multiplexer network.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a serial interface operable to receive the first command from the configuration tool; and

an Ethernet interface operable to transmit the second command over a network.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to:

receive a first response to the second command, the first response associated with the second field device protocol;

convert the first response into a second response associated with the first field device protocol using at least some of the mapping information; and

communicate the second response to the configuration tool.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the first field device protocol comprises a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) protocol; and

the apparatus is configured to appear as a HART multiplexer to the configuration tool.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is operable to convert the first command into the second command using at least one of:

a first list associating HART manufacturer identifiers and vendor names; and

a second list associating HART device types and vendor model names.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is operable to convert the first command into the second command using at least one of:

a generic device descriptor associated with multiple types of field devices;

a generic device descriptor having one or more device-specific commands associated with multiple types of field devices; and

a device descriptor having one or more device-specific commands associated with a particular type of field device or with a particular field device.

18. A tangible computer readable medium embodying a computer program, the computer program comprising computer readable program code for:

receiving first information from a source in a process control system, the first information associated with a first field device protocol, the source comprising a configuration tool operable to receive input from a user and to configure, commission, or monitor a target in the process control system;

converting the first information associated with the first field device protocol into second information associated with a wireless second field device protocol; and

communicating the second information to the target in the process control system;

wherein the second field device protocol comprises a Wireless Network for Secure Industrial Application (WNSIA) protocol;

wherein, under the WNSIA protocol, an object is associated with the target and one or more objects are associated with one or more transducers of the target, each transducer associated with a process or output variable, each object comprising one or more parameters describing the associated target or transducer; and

wherein the computer readable program code for communicating the second information to the target uses a device address associated with the target, an object identifier identifying one of the objects associated with the identified field device, and a parameter identifier identifying one of the parameters associated with the identified object.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, further comprising computer readable program code for:

receiving third information associated with the second field device protocol, the third information originating at the target;

converting the third information into fourth information associated with the first field device protocol; and

communicating the fourth information to the source.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein:

the first field device protocol comprises a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) protocol;

the target comprises a wireless field device;

each of the first information and the second information comprises a command; and

each of the third information and the fourth information comprises a response to the command.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the computer readable program code for converting the first information into the second information comprises computer readable program code for using at least one of:

a first list associating HART manufacturer identifiers and vendor names; and

a second list associating HART device types and vendor model names.