Generating of a device description for a measuring device

• US 8,205,022 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Original Assignee: VEGA Grieshaber KG (Grieshaber Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Inventors: Isenmann, Andreas, Auber, Harald, Faist, Fridolin, Gaiser, Martin, Kopp, Manfred, Laun, Robert, Lienhard, Juergen, Metzger, Manfred, Schaetzle, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Khanh
• Application Number:
  US12/605,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 710 8- 12, 710/16, 710/19, 710 33- 35, 710/60, 710/305
• US Class Current: 710/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40006 Architecture of a communication node current supply arrangements H04L12/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play

Abstract

A method for generating a device description for a measuring apparatus in a target field bus protocol is described. The method comprises the reception of a first device description of the apparatus. The first device description of the apparatus comprises at least one variable. The at least one variable is related to a storage cell of the apparatus. The target field bus protocol is selected from a plurality of field bus protocols, and at least one block is formed from the at least one variable. The at least one block has a maximum block size that corresponds to the smallest maximum block size of at least two field bus protocols of the plurality of field bus protocols. The maximum block size can be transmitted via a field bus with a single request when the respective field bus protocol is used. Subsequently, the at least one block is provided as device description for the apparatus in the target field bus protocol.

Claims

1. A method of generating a device description for a measuring apparatus, the device description usable in a plurality of field bus protocols, the method comprising:

receiving a first device description of the apparatus, the first device description including at least one variable, the at least one variable being related to a storage cell of the apparatus;

selecting a target field bus protocol from the plurality of field bus protocols each having a maximum block size, the maximum block size being transmittable via a field bus with a single request when any of the plurality of field bus protocols is used;

forming at least one block from the at least one variable, the at least one block having a maximum block size that corresponds to a smallest maximum block size of at least two field bus protocols of the plurality of field bus protocols; and

providing the at least one block as a second device description of the apparatus in the target field bus protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the target field bus protocol is at least one target field bus protocol that is selected from the group of target field bus protocols consisting of

a HART field bus protocol;

a Profibus field bus protocol;

a Foundation Fieldbus Protocol;

a Modbus protocol;

an IO-Link protocol;

a FDI protocol and

a CAN protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one block is provided in a device description language that is selected from the group of device description languages consisting of

DDL;

EDDL;

DTM, and

FDI.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one block is addressed by an Object-ID.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device description is uniformly addressable in each of the least two field bus protocols of the plurality of field bus protocols.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device description is provided such that different blocks is addressed by at least one of a command number and a transaction number.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device description is provided such that different blocks is addressed using at least one of a slot number and an index.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a measuring apparatus that is selected from the group of measuring apparatuses consisting of a sensor;

a level sensor;

a pressure sensor, and

a limit level sensor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the least one variable corresponds to a value for setting parameter.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

combining at least two blocks into one joint block, the block size of which being smaller or equal to the maximum block size.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device description is an XML file.

12. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a program code which, when it is executed by a processor, generates a device description for a measuring apparatus, the device description being usable in a plurality of field bus protocols by performing the following steps:

receiving a first device description of the apparatus, the first device description including at least one variable, the at least one variable being related to a storage cell of the apparatus;

selecting a target field bus protocol from the plurality of field bus protocols, each having a maximum block size, the maximum block size being transmittable via a field bus with a single request when any of the plurality of field bus protocols is used;

forming at least one block from the at least one variable, the at least one block having a maximum block size that corresponds to a smallest maximum block size of at least two field bus protocols of the plurality of field bus protocols; and

providing the at least one block as a second device description of the apparatus in the target field bus protocol.

13. A device for generating a device description for a measuring apparatus, the device description usable in a plurality of field bus protocols, the device comprising:

a receiving device receiving a first device description of the apparatus, the first device description includes at least one variable, the at least one variable being related to a storage cell of the apparatus;

a selecting device selecting a target field bus protocol from the plurality of field bus protocols for the first device description received by the receiving device, each of the plurality of field bus protocols having a maximum block size, the maximum block size being transmittable via a field bus with a single request when any of the plurality of field bus protocols is used, the selecting device comprising a plurality of selection channels; and

a providing device connected to at least one of the plurality of selection channels forming at least one block from the at least one variable, the at least one block having a maximum block size that corresponds to a smallest maximum block size of at least two field bus protocols of the plurality of field bus protocols, the providing device providing the at least one block as a second device description of the apparatus in the target field bus protocol.

14. A measuring sensor comprising:

at least one storage cell that is related to at least one variable,

wherein a block is formed from the at least one variable, the at least one block having a maximum block size, the maximum block size corresponding to the smallest maximum block size of a plurality of field bus protocols, the maximum block size being transmittable via a field bus with a single request when the respective field bus protocol is used;

wherein the maximum block size of the used field bus protocol is incompletely filled when the used field bus protocol uses a higher maximum block size than the smallest maximum block size, and

wherein several blocks can be transmitted with the single request when a combination of different data structures do not utilize the maximum block size.

15. A method for generating a device description for a measuring apparatus in a target field bus protocol, the device description usable in a plurality of field bus protocols, the method comprising:

receiving a first device description of the apparatus, the first device description including at least one variable, the at least one variable being related to a storage cell of the apparatus;

selecting the target field bus protocol from the plurality of field bus protocols each having a maximum block size, the maximum block size being transmittable via a field bus with a single request when any of the plurality of field bus protocols is used;

forming at least one block from the at least one variable, the at least one block having a maximum block size that corresponds to a smallest maximum block size of at least two field bus protocols of the plurality of field bus protocols, wherein the transmitted block size is less than the maximum block size of the target field bus protocol; and

providing the at least one block as a second device description of the apparatus in the target field bus protocol.