System and method for updating firmware across devices in a process facility

• US 9,411,574 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2013
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dresser, LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Dresser Incorporated (Nagano Keiki Company Limited)
• Inventors: Kostadinov, Vladimir Dimitrov, Schoonover, Larry Gene, Podpaly, Anatoly
• Primary Examiner(s): TSAI, SHENG JEN
• Application Number:
  US13/970,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20150052512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 711/103
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Embodiments of a system and method to update firmware across multiple devices in a process facility using a single domain of a FOUNDATION Fieldbus protocol. In one embodiment, the system has a receiving device that couples with a pair of target devices, e.g., a first target device and a second target device. The receiving device includes operating instructions that can process an input and generate an output. The input comprises data comprising a first firmware component and a second firmware component for, respectively, the first target device and the second target device. The receiving device can direct the firmware component to the appropriate target device; generating a first output and a second output that distribute the firmware components to complete the upgrade process.

Claims

1. A method for executing a firmware update across multiple devices, said method comprising:

at a first valve positioner having a processor with access to memory;

receiving, at the processor, an update input configured in a first networking protocol, the update input comprising a download package with data comprising a first download component identifying content of the download package and a second download component comprising a first firmware component and a second firmware component;

utilizing the processor, identifying from the data, a second valve positioner and a third valve positioner that is different from the first valve positioner; and

utilizing the processor, generating a first output and a second output, each configured in a second networking protocol that is different from the first networking protocol, the first output and the second output for use by, respectively, the second valve positioner and the third valve positioner, the first output comprising the first firmware component and the second output comprising the second firmware component,

wherein the first networking protocol uses a first digital automation protocol and the second networking protocol uses a second digital automation protocol, which is different from the first digital automation protocol, to communicate among the first valve positioner, the second valve positioner, and the third valve positioner for factory automation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first firmware component is different from the second firmware component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second valve positioner and the third valve positioner form a device family.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an activation input; and

generating an output, in response to the activation input, that is configured to instruct the second valve positioner and the third valve positioner to install, respectively, the first firmware component and the second firmware component.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a verification input comprising data about a status of one or more of the second valve positioner and the third valve positioner; and

generating an output, in response to the verification input, that is configured to convey information that indicates the second valve positioner and the third valve positioner are ready to install, respectively, the first firmware component and the second firmware component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first firmware component and the second firmware component comprise a secondary download package.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing a value for a parameter in a first header component to a previously stored value for the parameter; and

generating an output that is configured to convey information about the relation between the value and the previously stored value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first firmware component and the second firmware component comprises executable instructions to update a sub-component of firmware that is running on the second valve positioner and the third valve positioner.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the parameters comprise a domain parameter defined by the first networking protocol.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising;

comparing a value for a parameter in a second header component that is different from the first header component to a listing have a previously stored value for the parameter that identifies the one or more of the second valve positioner and the third valve positioner.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the value of the parameter in the second firmware component describes a version value for the first firmware component and the second firmware component and the previously stored valve for the parameters describes the version value for firmware found on the second valve positioner and the third valve positioner.

12. A system for executing a process, said system comprising:

a receiving device comprising a first valve positioner; and

a plurality of target devices coupled with the receiving device, the plurality of target devices comprising a first target device and a second target device that is different from the first target device, each having a second valve positioner and a third valve positioner, respectively,

wherein the first valve positioner comprises a first processing unit having access to executable instructions that are configured to be execute by the first processing unit, the executable instructions comprising one or more executable instructions for;

receiving an update input configured in a first networking protocol, the update input comprising a download package with data comprising a first download component identifying content of the download package and a second download component comprising a first firmware component and a second firmware component;

identifying, from the data, the first target device and the second target device; and

generating a first output and a second output, each configured in a second networking protocol that is different from the first networking protocol, the first output and the second output for use by, respectively, the second valve positioner and the third valve positioner, the first output comprising the first firmware component and the second output comprising the second firmware component,

wherein the first networking protocol uses a first digital automation protocol and the second networking protocol uses a second digital automation protocol, which is different from the first digital automation protocol, to communicate among the first valve positioner, the second valve positioner, and the third valve positioner for factory automation.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a host device coupled with the receiving device, wherein the host device distributes the update input to the first valve positioner of the receiving device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first target device and the second target device are remote from the receiving device.

15. A valve positioner, comprising:

a processing unit having access to executable instruction stored on memory and that are configured to be executed by the processing unit, the executable instruction comprising instructions for;

receiving an update input configured in a first networking protocol, the update input comprising a download package with data comprising a first download component identifying content of the download package and a second download component comprising a first firmware component and a second firmware component;

identifying, from the data, the first target device and the second target device; and

generating a first output and a second output, each configured in a second networking protocol that is different from the first networking protocol, the first output and the second output for use by, respectively, the first target device and the second target device, the first output comprising the first firmware component and the second output comprising the second firmware component,

wherein the first networking protocol uses a first digital automation protocol and the second networking protocol uses a second digital automation protocol, which is different from the first digital automation protocol, to communicate with a second valve positioner and a third valve positioner on, respectively, of the first target device and the second target device for factory automation.

16. The valve positioner of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving an activation input; and

generating an output, in response to the activation input, that is configured to instruct the second valve positioner and the third valve positioner to install, respectively, the first firmware component and the second firmware component.

17. The valve positioner of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a verification input comprising data about a status of one or more of the first target device and the second target device; and

generating an output, in response to the verification input, that is configured to convey information that indicates the second valve positioner and the third valve positioner are ready to install, respectively, the first firmware component and the second firmware component.