Patent Application
20160161934
The invention relates to a system for use in automation technology.
Field devices for recording and/or modifying process variables are frequently used in process automation technology as well as in manufacture automation technology. Measuring devices or sensors, such as level measuring devices, flow meters, pressure and temperature measuring devices, pH-redox potential meters, conductivity meters etc., are used for recording the respective process variables such as fill level, flow, pressure, temperature, pH level and conductivity. Actuators, such as e.g. valves or pumps, are used to influence process variables. Thus, the flow rate of a fluid in a pipeline section or a filling level in a container can be altered by means of actuators.
Field devices in general refer to all devices which are process-oriented and which provide or edit process-relevant information. In addition to the aforementioned measuring devices/sensors and actuators, units that are directly connected to a field bus and used for communication with superordinate units, such as e.g. remote I/Os, gateways, linking devices and wireless adapters, are also generally referred to as field devices.
The company group Endress+Hauser offers and distributes a large variety of such field devices.
In modern industrial plants, field devices are usually connected with superordinate units via field bus systems, such as e.g. Profibus®, Foundation Fieldbus®, HART®, etc. Usually, the superordinate units are control systems or control units, such as e.g. a SPC (Stored Program Control) or a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). The superordinate units are used, among other things, for process control, process visualization, process monitoring as well as commissioning of the field devices. The values recorded by field devices, sensors in particular, are transmitted via the connected bus system to one or possibly even multiple superordinate unit(s). In addition to that, data transfer from the superordinate unit to the field devices via the bus system is required; in particular, it serves the purpose of configuration and parameterization of field devices as well as diagnostics. In general terms, the field device is operated via the bus system from the superordinate unit.
In addition to the wired data transfer between the field devices and the superordinate unit, there is likewise a possibility for wireless data transmission. In the bus systems Profibus®, Foundation Fieldbus® and HART® in particular, a wireless radio-based data transfer is specified. Moreover, radio networks for sensors are specified in the standard IEEE 802.15.4 in more detail. The IEEE standard only describes the two lower layers (PHY and MAC) in the ISO-OSI model for WPANs (Wireless Personal Area Networks). The higher protocol layers are regulated by other organizations. This enables universal use of the IEEE 802.15.4 base layer. A multitude of different technologies are using this base layer while extending the protocol stack only on the higher layers. Thus, a basis for IP based sensor networks was created by means of the IETF standard 6LoWPAN, for example.
To enable wireless data transfer, current field devices have multiple radio interfaces, such as e.g. WLAN, Bluetooth, and/or near field communication (NFC). These interfaces can be used to establish a connection to the respective field device, in order to enable access to its process data and/or field device data or parameters.
For this kind of data transfer, typically operating devices, preferably mobile operating devices, are used, which are also fitted with multiple radio interfaces. Such operating devices can be e.g. proprietary devices as well as newer devices such as, for example, smartphones, notebooks or iPads. Depending on the radio interface, different wireless standards and technologies using different protocols are used with these devices.
Depending on the interface type and the protocol used, the operators need to know how to use these different connection and communication technologies in order to get connected. Especially when it comes to direct on-site operations, different field devices with different interfaces have to be operated within a very short period of time. This results in the operators having to bring respective hardware and software equipment along with them, having to have a great amount of expertise on how to use the technology-specific interfaces for access and having to spend much time for the set-up of the different connections.
To make things more complicated, with wireless connections it is optically not clearly visible for the operator, which wireless protocol (e. g. WLAN, Bluetooth, 6LoWPan) is available for certain field devices. This complicates the operation, poses possible error sources and results in significant loss of time for the operator, when it comes to practically using such field devices and operator devices.
The invention is based on the goal of creating increased ease of operation for field units with different radio interfaces by means of an operator device.
The goal is achieved according to the invention by a system for use in automation technology, comprising:
A life-list in this context is a list comprising all field devices that are connected to a server, e.g. via a field bus, and thus accessible.
According to the invention, a life-list is envisaged comprising not only the field devices contained in an automation plant, but also all the specific information that is needed for establishing a connection with one of the field devices listed in the life-list. In particular, the life-list contains all the information needed by the operator device for establishing a data connection with each of the field devices listed in the life-list, without the need for a manual operation by the user (operator), or without the user having to create a manual configuration for the respectively used communication interface.
In an advantageous embodiment of the system according to the invention, the information would comprise not less than one of the following pieces of information:
In an advantageous embodiment of the system according to the invention, it is envisaged that field devices are used that enable a direct connection with the operator device, and wherein the operator device has a second communication interface, which enables the direct connection between operator device and field device to be established, so that a direct data transfer may be realized. In particular, it is envisaged in this embodiment that the operator device performs a scan via the second communication interface detecting all the existing field devices that are within reach and wherein the operator device creates a local life-list comprising all field devices located within reach of the second communication interface of the operator device. In particular, it is likewise envisaged in this embodiment that the operator device combines the life-list contained on the server and the local life-list resulting from the scan into a complete life-list. Furthermore, the embodiment may provide for the second communication interface to be a Bluetooth and/or a near field communication interface.
In this context, it may happen that a field device is listed in the local life-list as well as in the life-list that is held on the server. If a connection is to be established to such a field device, the operator device can now perform an evaluation as a basis for the decision, in which way the connection to the field device should be established. This may happen without further intervention from a user or an operator. One possible evaluation criterion could be, e.g. energy consumption. Thus, a software component contained on the operator device, e.g. a connection manager, can automatically choose a connection type that, for example, requires lower energy consumption.
For the user of the operator device, the life-list is processed on the operator device via a HM-interface (Human-Machine-Interface) in such a way that no time consuming intervention from the user or operator is required in order to choose and respectively configure the communication interface to be used.
In a preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention, it is envisaged for the server to be an access point or a router, and for the field devices to create an IP-based field device network.
In a preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention, it is envisaged for the first communication interface of the operator device to be a LAN interface.
In a preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention, it is envisaged that the field devices connected with the server would be connected via Ethernet or 6LowWPAN.
In this context, 6LowWPan designates a specification based on IEEE 802.15.4 that is designed to enable a more efficient communication of IPv6 data packets via IEEE 802.15.4 networks. The acronym stands for “IPv6 over Low power WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network). The advantages of 6 LowWPan are a better embedded integration than IEEE 802.11 WLAN and simultaneously a 100 times lower energy consumption.
The invention is further illustrated referring to the following drawings. Illustrated are:
In this embodiment example, the gateway 3 does not only function as system interface, but likewise as server 3, on which the life-list 4a with the field devices 2a contained within the host system 13 and the wireless field devices 2b connected via the gateway is held. Thus, the gateway 3 has a double function, serving as system interface as well as server 3.
In addition to this embodiment example, other embodiment examples are possible, in which the gateway 3 would function exclusively as system interface and an additional server 3 is provided, e.g. in the form of a personal computer (PC), wherein on the server 3 or the personal computer, the life-list 4a with all field devices 2 accessible via the Ethernet 12 and the wireless network are managed.
This life-list contains all the information 5 required for establishing connections with the respective field devices. Such information may e.g include:
Three software components 14, 15, 16 run on the operator device 6. A first software component 14, which manages a comprehensive life-list 4 bringing together the local life-list 4b identified by the second software component 15 and the life-list 4a from the server 3 identified by the third software component 16. The second software component 15 performs a scan in order to identify the local life-list 4b, so that all wireless field devices 2b that are within reach of the second communication interface 8 are identified. The third software component 16 that runs on the operator device 6 establishes a connection to the server 3 and retrieves from it the life-list 4a that is held there with information about the otherwise accessible field devices, e.g. the wireless field devices 2b that are accessible via the gateway.
The operator device 6 processes the local life-list 4b for the user and provides the user with the possibility of establishing a connection with the desired field device via the Human-Machine-Interface, without having to enter information about the required communication channels.
Optionally, information about the spatial position of the field devices 2 within the plant may also be kept in the life-list 4. In this way, when choosing the desired field device 2, the user can be provided with exact directions as to where the field device 2 is located.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2014 117 894.7 | Dec 2014 | DE | national |
