Handheld field maintenance bus monitor

• US 20080075012A1
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• 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., Franchuk, Brian A., Ferguson, Anthony D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,774,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/42 Loop networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40221 Profibus

Abstract

A handheld field maintenance bus monitor is provided. The handheld field maintenance bus monitor is coupleable to at least one process communication loop, and is configured to capture and store a selected quantity of digital communication observed on the process communication loop during a capture period. Optionally, the handheld field maintenance bus monitor may be configured to couple to and interact with process communication loops of at least two different process communication protocols, such as HART® and FOUNDATION™. A method of analyzing captured and stored communication data is also provided.

Claims

1. A handheld field maintenance bus monitor comprising:

a plurality of terminals coupleable to a process communication loop;

at least one media access unit coupled to the plurality of terminals and configured to translate between signals on the process communication loop and digital data;

a controller coupled to the at least one media access unit and configured to receive digital information from the at least one media access unit based on the signals on the process communication loop;

memory coupled to the controller to store digital information received during a capture period; and

a user interface configured to allow a user to define the capture period.

2. The handheld field maintenance bus monitor of claim 1, and further comprising a display module configured to provide stored digital information through a display.

3. The field maintenance bus monitor of claim 1, and further comprising a wireless data access port operably coupled to the controller and configured to provide stored digital information.

4. The handheld field maintenance bus monitor of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to process the stored digital information.

5. The handheld field maintenance bus monitor of claim 4, wherein the processing includes grouping the stored digital information.

6. The handheld field maintenance bus monitor of claim 1, wherein the at least one media access unit comprises a plurality of media access units, each configured to communicate in accordance with a different process communication standard protocol.

7. The handheld field maintenance bus monitor of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of media access units is configured to communicate in accordance with the Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) protocol.

8. The handheld field maintenance bus monitor of claim 7, wherein another of the plurality of media access units is configured to communicate in accordance with the FOUNDATION Fieldbus protocol.

9. The handheld field maintenance bus monitor of claim 1, wherein another of the plurality of media access units is configured to communicate in accordance with the FOUNDATION Fieldbus protocol.

10. The handheld field maintenance bus monitor of claim 1, and further comprising a memory module having software embodied thereon, which software, when executed by the controller, causes the handheld field maintenance bus monitor to provide bus monitoring functions.

11. The handheld field maintenance bus monitor of claim 10, wherein the memory module is an expansion memory module coupled to a main board of the handheld field maintenance bus monitor.

12. The handheld field maintenance bus monitor of claim 1, wherein the memory includes a removable memory module.

13. The handheld field maintenance bus monitor of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes at least one button to start the capture period.

14. A method of capturing digital information on a process communication loop, the method comprising:

coupling a handheld field maintenance bus monitor to the loop;

satisfying a capture start condition;

capturing storing digital information observed on the loop in the handheld field maintenance bus monitor until a capture end condition occurs; and

providing the stored digital information.

15. The method of claim 14, and further comprising processing the stored digital information with the handheld field maintenance bus monitor.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the stored digital information includes displaying the stored digital information on the handheld field maintenance bus monitor.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the stored digital information includes transmitting the stored digital information through a wireless data access port.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the stored digital information includes transmitting the stored digital information over the process communication loop.

19. A memory module of a handheld field maintenance bus monitor, the memory module storing therein software instructions, which when executed by the handheld field maintenance bus monitor provide the following:

a user interface allowing a technician to define a capture start condition;

storage of digital process communications from the process communication loop during the capture period; and

an output of the stored digital process communication.