Industrial process control loop monitor

• US 7,953,501 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Zielinski, Stephen A., Bell, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ramesh B
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEVENS, THOMAS H
• Application Number:
  US11/526,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20080126861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 700/21, 700/3, 700/9, 700/20, 700/28, 700/83, 700/18, 700/19, 700/26, 700/27, 702/127, 710/305
• US Class Current: 700/21
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31121 Fielddevice, field controller, interface connected to fieldbus
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31124 Interface between communication network and process control, store, exchange data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31131 Field device with gateway functions for communication with pc and other field devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A process control loop monitor includes a housing configured to mount in the field of an industrial process. A loop interface circuit couples to a process control loop and receives data from the process control loop. A memory stores data received by the loop interface circuit from the process control loop.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing operation of a process control loop used in a process control or monitor system of an industrial process, comprising:

(a) coupling loop interface circuitry in a field mounted loop monitor to the process control loop at a field location of the industrial process.

(b) receiving communication data in the field mounted loop monitor from the process control loop, from the communication data transmitted from a field device to a central control room on the industrial process control loop;

(c) logging the received communication data in a memory in the field mounted loop monitor;

(d) repeating steps (b) and (c);

(e) retrieving the logged communication data from the field mounted loop monitor with an external device; and

(f) diagnosing operations of the process control loop based upon the logged communication data with the external device whereby the logged communication data is logged within the field mounted loop monitor and subsequently provided to an external diagnostic device.

2. The method of claim 1 including diagnosing the process control loop based upon the retrieved logged communication data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the process control loop comprises a two wire process control loop.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the process control loop carries communication data in accordance with a Fieldbus communication standard.

5. The method of claim 1 including removing the memory from the field mounted loop monitor.

6. The method of claim 1 including time stamping the logged communication data.

7. The method of claim 1 including mounting the field mounted loop monitor to a standardized coupling in process control and monitor systems.

8. The method of claim 1 including logging communication data in the memory in response to a trigger.

9. The method of claim 1 including filtering the communication data received from the process control loop prior to logging the communication data in the memory.