Patent Application
20120166609
The invention relates to a method for providing device-specific information of a field device of automation technology and/or to a method for servicing a field device.
In process- as well as in manufacturing-automation technology, field devices are often applied, which serve for registering and/or influencing process variables. Serving for registering process variables are measuring devices, such as, for example, fill level measuring devices, flow measuring devices, pressure- and temperature measuring devices, pH-measuring devices, conductivity measuring devices, etc., which register the corresponding process variables, fill level, flow, pressure, temperature, pH-value, or conductivity. Used for influencing process variables are actuators, such as valves or pumps, via which e.g. the flow of a liquid in a pipeline or the fill level of a medium in a container is changed. Thus, in connection with the invention, the term ‘field devices’ refers to all types of measuring devices and actuators.
In connection with the invention, the term ‘field devices’ thus refers to all devices, which are applied near to the process and which deliver, or process, process relevant information. Besides the earlier named measuring devices/sensors and actuators, also referred to as field devices are generally any units, which are connected directly to a fieldbus and which serve for communication with the superordinated unit. Thus, units such as remote I/Os, gateways, linking devices and wireless adapter, or radio adapters are also field devices. A large number of such field devices are available from the Endress Hauser group of companies.
The integration of field devices in configuration- or management systems and, respectively, operating tools occurs via device descriptions, which enable that the superordinated control units or servicing devices can detect and interpret the data delivered from the field devices. Device descriptions for each field device type, or for each field device type in different applications, are, as a rule, provided by the respective device manufacturer. In order that the field devices can be integrated in different communication systems, different device descriptions must be created for the different data bus systems.
Besides fieldbus systems, which are designed for the special needs of automation technology, especially process automation technology, in increasing measure, TCP/IP protocols are being applied for servicing field devices. Becoming ever more important in automation technology is the industrial Ethernet. Examples for industrial Ethernet are: HSE, ControlNet, Industrial IP, Profi-Net, HART UDP/TCP, . . . . Field devices, which are connected with a superordinated control unit via industrial Ethernet, make use of a web server. The web server enables online servicing of a field device by means of a Web browser connected with the bus system. The terminology, servicing field devices, means, in connection with the invention to be described below, especially the parametering and/or configuration of field devices. Servicing includes, however, also performing a diagnosis of the field device or in the simplest case the representation, on a display, of information delivered from the field device.
An object of the invention is to have available, for the purpose of servicing a field device, in each case, the current version the device description of the field device.
The object is achieved by a method having method steps as follows:
The solution of the invention permits the servicing of the field devices by means of usual Web technologies, thus by means of standard Web technologies. The solution is distinguished by the following advantages:
An advantageous further development of the method of the invention provides that interpretation in the web browser occurs by means of a plug-in based technology, such as Flash, Java or Silverlight.
Preferably, the interpretation in the web browser occurs by means of a proprietary plug-in (a plug-in developed by the manufacturer of the field device), which uses an SDC-625 core. The SDC-625 core is a software component, which can interpret an electronic device description. This software component is installed into an existing software component, in order, therewith, to be able to on access components of an electronic device description, especially menus, variables, etc.
Furthermore, an advantageous embodiment of the method of the invention provides that the respectively required plug-in is stored in the field device and subsequently is provided by the field device.
Especially advantageously is the following embodiment of the method of the invention, which is characterized by method steps as follows:
Moreover, it is provided that, for the case in which the field device is integrated in a network composed of a plurality of field devices connected with one another via a data bus, the field devices integrated in the network are displayed on the start page, so that one of the field devices provided for information display or servicing can be selected by the the operating personnel.
As already presented above, the field device is preferably parametered or configured via the servicing process. Alternatively, a diagnosis is performed on the field device via the servicing process. An option, moreover, is the representation of device-specific information concerning the field device. Of course, the definitions set-forth in the introduction of the description regarding the solution of the invention and its advantageous embodiments likewise hold.
The method of the invention for providing device-specific information of a field device F1 of automation technology and/or for servicing a field device F1 will now be explained in greater detail based on
The interpretation, or the compiling, occurs in the web browser WB by means of a plug-in based technology, such as Flash, Java or Silverlight. Alternatively, the interpretation, or the compiling, occurs in the web browser by means of a proprietary plug-in, which uses an SDC-625 core. The SDC-625 core is a software component, which can interpret an electronic device description EDD. This software component is installed in an existing software component, in order to be able to access therewith an electronic device description EDD, especially menus, variables, etc. In the illustrated case, the required plug-in is stored in the field device F1 and provided by the field device F1.
At program point 1, in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2010 063.854.4 | Dec 2010 | DE | national |
