Method for start-up and/or reconfiguration of a programmable field-device

• US 20080288933A1
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endress + Hauser Messtechnik GmbH + Company KG
• Original Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Inventors: Budmiger, Thomas, Drahm, Wolfgang, Kirst, Michael, Stingelin, Simon
• Granted Patent: US 8,819,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8431 electronic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/10 of flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21092 At start up, autoconfigure module for proper I-O execution, bootstrap
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23307 Initial program loader, ipl, bootstrap loader
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23336 Identification of program, application, device to be controlled
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25014 Fieldbus general name of bus connected to machines, detectors, actuators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device

Abstract

An installed hardware of a measuring field device includes at least one transducer reacting during operation to a chemical and/or physical, measured variable of a pourable and/or flowable medium, especially a pourable or flowable bulk good, liquid, gas or the like, as well as a microcomputer communicating during operation with the transducer. The field device is first installed by means of the transducer on, and/or in a process vessel serving for conveying and/or holding pourable and/or flowable media for forming a process measuring point. Thereafter, the microcomputer is booted and a basic software held in a memory provided within the field device for providing, at least in part, basic functionalities of the field device is activated in such a manner that the basic software is executable by means of the microcomputer so that, in the interaction of basic software and hardware installed in the field device, the basic functionalities of the field device are available. Additionally, at least one initial identification parameter set held at least temporarily in the field device and at least approximately identifying the process measuring point is transferred, with application of basic software executed in the microcomputer, to a data processing system superordinated externally of the field device, and at least one upgrade software providing custom functionalities for the field measuring device going beyond the basic functionalities and held in a second memory, is selected from an ensemble of software products, taking into consideration the at least one, initial identification parameter set. A selected upgrade software fitted to the process measuring point is then transferred into a third memory provided within the field measuring device and then activated in such a manner that it is executable by means of the microcomputer, so that, in interaction of upgrade software and hardware installed in the field device, custom functionalities of the field measuring device are available.

Claims

1. A method for start-up and/or reconfiguration of a programmable, measuring field-device, whose installed hardware includes at least one measuring transducer reacting during operation to a chemical and/or physical, measured variable of a pourable and/or flowable medium, especially a pourable and/or flowable bulk good, liquid, gas or the like, as well as a microcomputer communicating therewith during operation, which method comprises the steps of:

installing the field device by means of the measuring transducer on, and/or in a process vessel, especially a process vessel in the form of a pipeline, a gutter, a tank, a basin or the like, for conveying and/or holding pourable and/or flowable media, especially pourable and/or flowable bulk goods, liquids, gases or the like, for forming a process measuring point;

booting the microcomputer and activating basic software, especially an at least partially hardware-near software, held in a first memory, especially a non-volatile first memory, provided within the field device and at least partially providing basic functionalities of the field device, in such a manner, that the basic software is executable by means of the microcomputer, so that the basic functionalities of the field device are available on the basis of interaction of basic software and hardware installed in the field device;

transferring to a superordinated, electronic data processing system external to the field device, especially one remote and/or spatially distributed with respect thereto, at least one initial identification parameter set, especially an initial identification parameter set determined by application of basic software executed in the microcomputer, wherein the at least one initial identification parameter set at least approximately identifies, especially also specifies, the process measuring point, especially also an instantaneous installation situation of the field device and/or a medium located in the process vessel, and wherein the initial identification parameter set is held at least temporarily in the field device;

selecting from an ensemble of software products, especially fixedly preprogrammed software products or, instead, revisable software products, taking into consideration the at least one, initial identification parameter set, especially an initial parameter set already embodied as an order code for software, at least one upgrade software providing custom functionalities for the field device going beyond the basic functionalities, especially an upgrade software providing field device specific and/or application specific, custom functionalities, wherein the upgrade software is held in a second memory, especially a second memory located externally of the field device and remote from same and/or a second memory located internally of the data processing system;

transferring selected upgrade software, matched to the process measuring point, especially the installation situation of the field device and/or the medium present in the process vessel, into a third memory, especially a non-volatile, third memory, provided within the field device; and

activating upgrade software, especially persistently and/or permanently stored upgrade software, in such a manner that at least the transferred upgrade software, especially transferred upgrade software which is at least partially hardware-near, is executable by means of the microcomputer, so that, with interaction of the upgrade software and hardware installed in the field device, custom functionalities of the field device are available.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the second memory, especially a non-volatile second memory, holding the upgrade software is arranged externally of the field measuring device, especially remotely therefrom and/or internally of the data processing system.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

connecting the field device to the superordinated electronic data processing system in such a manner that data are communicable between field device and the electronics data processing system, especially by wire and/or wirelessly by radio.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

establishing a communications connection between the field device and the electronic data processing system for transmission, especially by wire and/or wirelessly, of the at least one initial identification parameter set and/or the upgrade software.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

the communications connection is formed, at least sectionally, by means of a digital data line, especially one embodied as a two-wire line also feeding the field device electrical energy or power, and/or, at least sectionally, by means of a radio connection.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the second memory holding the upgrade software is provided in a host computer provided in the electronic data processing system, especially a host computer located in a control room.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the second memory holding the upgrade software is formed by means of a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a diskette, a DVD, a magnetic tape or another form of mass storage.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the microcomputer is formed by means of at least one microprocessor and/or by means of a signal processor.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the microcomputer has at least one volatile memory, especially a memory serving as working memory for a microprocessor and/or a signal processor provided in the microcomputer.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first memory for basic software provided in the field device is formed as a non-volatile, especially persistent, memory.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the third memory for custom software provided in the field device is embodied as volatile memory.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the step of activating the basic software includes a step of loading at least parts of the basic software into the volatile working memory and/or wherein said step of activating the upgrade software includes a step of loading at least parts of the upgrade software into the volatile working memory.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

inputting a start command, which initiates, at least mediately, especially near in time, said transferring of the at least one initial identification parameter set to the data processing system, especially to a host computer provided therein.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

producing at least one measurement signal by means of the measuring transducer.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

determining the initial identification parameter set, wherein basic software is applied therefor by execution of the basic software in the microcomputer, especially wherein also the at least one measurement signal is applied therefor and/or taking into consideration application parameters input by a user in dialog with the field device by means of a human-machine interface, especially a human-machine interface provided directly in the field device.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

the initial identification parameter set is determined in such a manner that it represents instantaneously, at least in part;

an installation situation of the field device, especially its installed position, its proximity to a disturber, such as a valve, a pump, a stirrer or the like; and

/or a medium present in the process vessel, especially its type of flow, its composition or the like.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the upgrade software delivers at least one data set of setting parameters to be changed in the field device, especially for;

a signal input stage conditioning at least one measurement signal produced by means of the transducer; and

/or for an evaluation algorithm executed by means of the microcomputer for numerically calculating the at least one measurement value; and

/or for a signal output stage delivering at least one driver signal for the transducer.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

the setting parameters to be changed have been generated at least in part by means of calibration measurements performed earlier on said field device and/or on a field device of equal type.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

determining, with application of upgrade software and/or basic software executed in the microcomputer, at least one refined identification parameter set, which represents instantaneously, especially more accurately than the initial identification parameter set, the process measuring point formed by interaction of the field device and process vessel, especially also an instantaneous installation situation of the field device and/or a medium present in the process vessel.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a step of:

transferring, with application of upgrade software and/or basic software, the at least one refined identification parameter set to the superordinated data processing system.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising a step of:

selecting from a plurality of software products stored in the data processing system, with application of the at least one transferred, refined identification parameter set, at least one upgrade software, which goes beyond the basic functionalities of the field device and provides custom functionalities for the field device supplementing or replacing custom functionalities currently available in the field device.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising a step of:

transferring the selected, especially hardware near, upgrade software into the third memory provided within the field device and/or into a fourth memory, especially a non-volatile memory, provided within the field device.

23. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein:

the refined identification parameter set is determined also with application of the at least one measurement signal and/or the initial parameter set.

24. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a step of:

applying the measurement signal for producing a start command, which initiates, especially mediately, especially near in time, the step of determining the at least one refined identification parameter set.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a step of:

applying the measurement signal for producing a start command, which initiates, at least mediately, especially near in time, the step of transferring the at least one refined identification parameter set to the data processing system.

26. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a step of:

producing a start command, which initiates, at least mediately, especially near in time, the step of determining the at least one refined identification parameter set.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising a step of:

applying, especially in dialog with the field device, a human-machine interface communicating with the field device, especially a human-machine interface connected electrically thereto and/or provided therein, for producing the start command.

28. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising a step of:

producing a start command, which initiates, at least mediately, especially near in time and/or real time, the transferring of the at least one initial identification parameter to the host computer.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising a step of:

applying, especially in dialog with the field device, a human-machine interface communicating with the field device, especially a human-machine interface connected electrically thereto and/or provided therein, for producing the start command.

30. The method as claimed in one claim 14, further comprising a step of:

digitizing the at least one measurement signal for producing a digital measurement signal corresponding with the at least one measurement signal.

31. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein:

at least the step of producing the initial identification parameter set further comprises a step of applying the digital measurement signal.

32. The method as claimed in claim 31, further comprising a step of:

producing at least one discrete signal sequence corresponding with sections of the measurement signal, especially a signal sequence held in an internal memory of the field device.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein:

the step of producing the identification parameter set further comprises steps of applying the at least one discrete signal sequence.

34. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein:

the basic functionalities of the field device include calculating routines for comparing discrete signal sequences corresponding with sections of the measurement signal with earlier determined and classified, signal prototypes for different applications, especially for different installation situations and/or for different media.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein:

the step of producing the identification parameter set further includes steps of comparing discrete signal sequences with one or more signal prototypes.

36. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

the basic functionalities of the field device include calculating routines for spectral analysis at least of the measurement signal, especially based on a discrete Fourier transformation of the measurement signal and/or a discrete autocorrelation of the measurement signal.

37. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein:

the basic functionalities of the field device include calculating routines for spectral analysis at least of the measurement signal, and wherein the step of producing the identification parameter set includes steps of determining a discrete amplitude spectrum.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein:

the step of producing the identification parameter set further includes a step of applying at least one spectral amplitude value of the measurement signal, especially one selected at a predetermined signal frequency and/or at a predetermined signal amplitude.

39. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the upgrade software provides setting parameters for installed hardware and/or calculating algorithms representing digital filters, especially adaptive digital filters.

40. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the upgrade software provides an expanded diagnosis function, especially a diagnosis function going beyond a diagnosis function within the basis functionalities and serving for determining at least the at least one, initial, identification parameter set.

41. The method as claimed in claim 19, further including a step of:

determining at least one digital measurement value, which represents instantaneously the at least one measured variable, based on the at least one measurement signal and upgrade software executed in the microcomputer.

42. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a step of:

determining at least one digital, measurement value, which represents instantaneously a measured variable, based on the at least one measurement signal and basic software executed in the microcomputer.

43. The method as claimed in claim 29, further comprising steps of:

determining at least a first digital measurement value representing instantaneously the at least one measured variable based on the at least one measurement signal and basic software executed in the microcomputer; and

determining at least a second digital measurement value representing instantaneously the at least one measured variable based on the at least one measurement signal and upgrade software executed in the microcomputer.

44. The method as claimed in claim 43, wherein:

the first digital measurement value and the second digital measurement value are of equal type in so far as they represent the same measured variable, especially with an equal unit of measurement.

45. The method as claimed in claim 41, further comprising a step of:

establishing a communications connection between the field device and the superordinated electronic data processing system for transmitting the at least digital measurement value, especially for transmission by wire and/or wirelessly.

46. The method as claimed in claim 45, wherein:

the communications connection is formed at least sectionally by means of a digital data line, especially a data line in the form of a two-wire line also providing energy, or power, to the field device, and/or at least sectionally by means of a radio connection.

47. The method as claimed in claim 45, further comprising a step of:

transferring the measurement value to the electronic data processing system.

48. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of:

storing within the superordinated electronic data processing system at least one identification parameter set produced by means of the field device and identifying at least approximately the process measuring point.

49. The method as claimed in claim 48, further comprising a step of:

adding at least one further upgrade software to the ensemble of software products and a step of applying the at least one identification parameter set stored in the data processing system for generating a report, especially a report addressed directly to the field device, signalling the addition of the at least one further upgrade software to the ensemble.

50. The method as claimed in claim 49, wherein:

said step of generating the report is at least performed, when the added upgrade software fits the process measuring point.

51. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the field device includes a measuring transducer housing, in which the transducer is at least partially accommodated, as well as an electronics housing, in which at least the microcomputer is accommodated.

52. The method as claimed in claim 51, wherein:

the transducer housing and electronics housing are connected together, especially essentially rigidly connected together.

53. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a step of:

comparing the at least one refined identification parameter set with a predetermined device parameter, especially such in the form of a device identifying number or a version number, representing the hardware of the field device and/or the software momentarily executable in the field device.

54. The method as claimed in claim 53, further comprising a step of:

generating a report signaling whether the identification parameter set and the device parameter agree.

55. The method as claimed in claim 53, further comprising a step of:

generating a report signalling whether the identification parameter set and the device parameter deviate from one another.