Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Generic control system – apparatus or process – Having preparation of program
Patent
1997-12-30
2000-03-28
Gordon, Paul P.
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Generic control system, apparatus or process
Having preparation of program
700 2, 700 11, 700 52, 700 88, 709102, 709201, 710260, 710261, G05B 1942
Patent
active
060443057
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to process control networks and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for use in debugging and tuning a process control network having distributed control functions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Large processes such as chemical, petroleum and other manufacturing and refining processes include numerous field devices disposed at various locations to measure and control process parameters to thereby effect control of the process. These field devices may be, for example, sensors such as temperature, pressure, and flow rate sensors as well as control elements such as valves and switches. Historically, the process control industry used manual operations like manually reading level and pressure gauges, turning valve wheels, etc., to operate the measurement and control field devices within a process. Beginning in the 20th century, the process control industry began using local pneumatic control, in which local pneumatic controllers, transmitters, and valve positioners were placed at various locations within a process plant to effect control of certain plant elements. With the emergence of the microprocessor-based distributed control system (DCS) in the 1970's, distributed electronic process control became prevalent in the process control industry.
As is known, a DCS includes an analog or a digital computer, such as a programmable logic controller, connected to numerous electronic monitoring and control devices, such as electronic sensors, transmitters, current-to-pressure transducers, valve positioners, etc. located throughout a process. The DCS computer stores and implements a centralized and, frequently, complex control scheme to effect measurement and control of process parameters according to some overall control scheme. Usually, however, the control scheme implemented by a DCS is proprietary to the DCS manufacturer which, in turn, makes the DCS difficult and expensive to expand, upgrade, reprogram, and service because the DCS provider must become involved in an integral way to perform any of these activities. Furthermore, the equipment that can be used by or connected to any particular DCS may be limited due to the proprietary nature of DCS and the fact that a DCS provider may not support certain devices or functions of devices manufactured by other vendors.
To overcome some of the problems inherent in the use of proprietary DCSs, the process control industry has developed a number of standard, open communication protocols including, for example, the HART.RTM., PROFIBUS.RTM., WORLDFIP.RTM., LONWORKS.RTM., Device-Net.RTM., and CAN protocols, which enable field devices made by different manufacturers to be used together within the same process control loop. In fact, any field device that conforms to one of these protocols can be used within a process to communicate with and to be controlled by a DCS or other controller that supports the protocol, even if that field device is made by a different manufacturer than the DCS controller manufacturer.
Moreover, there is now a move within the process control industry to decentralize process control and, thereby, simplify DCS controllers or eliminate the need for DCS controllers to a large extent. Decentralized control is obtained by having process control devices, such as valve positioners, transmitters, etc. perform one or more process control functions and by then communicating data across a bus structure for use by other process control devices. To implement control functions, each process control device includes a microprocessor having the capability to perform one or more basic control functions as well as the ability to communicate with other process control devices using a standard and open communication protocol. In this manner, field devices made by different manufacturers can be interconnected within a process control loop to communicate with one another and to perform one or more process control functions or control loops without the intervention of a DCS. The all digital, two-wire
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Brown Larry K.
Burns Harry A.
Larson Brent H.
Fisher Controls International Inc.
Gordon Paul P.
Patel Ramesh
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