Field device with second auxiliary interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10422684-B2
Application number	US-201715608188-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2017
Priority date	May 30, 2017
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to a field device adapted to determine a process parameter value related to a tank, the field device comprising a terminal block with: a first interface configured to connect to two wires of a loop; a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor for connecting the first interface with field device electronics, the second electrical conductor having a voltage drop generating element; a first power supply conductor connected to said second electrical conductor upstream of the voltage drop generating element and a second power supply conductor connected to said second electrical conductor downstream of the voltage drop generating element; and a second, auxiliary interface adapted for wired connection to an external device and configured at least for communication with said external device, wherein the second auxiliary interface comprises a communications connector which is galvanically isolated from the field device electronics.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A field device adapted to determine a process parameter value related to a tank, the field device comprising:
a housing having an opening closed by a removable cover;
a terminal block located in the housing and accessible via said opening; and
field device electronics located in the housing,
wherein the terminal block comprises:
a first interface configured to connect to two wires of a loop for power supply to and signal output from the field device;
a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor for connecting the first interface with the field device electronics, the second electrical conductor having a voltage drop generating element;
a first power supply conductor connected to said second electrical conductor upstream of the voltage drop generating element and a second power supply conductor connected to said second electrical conductor downstream of the voltage drop generating element; and
a second, auxiliary interface adapted for wired connection to an external device and configured at least for communication with said external device, wherein the second auxiliary interface comprises a communications connector which is galvanically isolated from the field device electronics.

2. A field device according to claim 1 , wherein the second auxiliary interface is further configured to power the external device using a lift-off voltage taken from the loop.

3. A field device according to claim 1 , wherein the second auxiliary interface further comprises first and second power supply connectors, the first power supply connector being connected to said first power supply conductor and the second power supply connector being connected to said second power supply conductor.

4. A field device according to claim 3 , wherein the terminal block further comprises an intrinsic safety barrier between said second electrical conductor and the power supply connectors of the second auxiliary interface.

5. A field device according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal block further comprises sensor electronics connected to the communications connector of the second auxiliary interface and to said first and second power supply conductors, and wherein the sensor electronics are configured to determine an auxiliary process parameter value.

6. A field device according to claim 5 , wherein the sensor electronics are adapted to convert signals from the external device connected to the communications connector of the second auxiliary interface to digital signals.

7. A field device according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage drop generating element comprises at least one diode.

8. A field device according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage drop generating element is a configurable voltage drop generating element.

9. A field device according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a first compartment accommodating the terminal block, and a second compartment accommodating the field device electronics.

10. A field device according to claim 1 , further comprising an opto-isolator connected between the communications connector and the field device electronics.

11. A field device according to claims 9 and 10 , wherein the opto-isolator comprises a light source on the terminal block and a photodetector in the second compartment, and wherein the light source and the photodetector are interconnected by an optical fibre.

12. A field device according to claim 1 , wherein the field device is a radar level gauge adapted to determine a filling level of a product contained in the tank, wherein the radar level gauge further comprises a propagation device, and wherein the field device electronics include:
a transceiver connected to the propagation device and adapted to generate, transmit and receive electromagnetic signals, wherein the propagation device is arranged to propagate a transmitted electromagnetic signal towards said product inside the tank, and to return a surface echo signal resulting from reflection of the transmitted electromagnetic signal at a surface of the product contained in the tank back to said transceiver; and
processing circuitry connected to the transceiver and configured to determine said filling level based on said surface echo signal.

13. A tank gauging system, comprising:
a field device adapted to determine a process parameter value related to a tank;
a power supply;
a process control loop comprising two wires connected to the power supply; and
an external device,
wherein the field device comprises a housing having an opening closed by a removable cover, a terminal block located in the housing and accessible via said opening, and field device electronics located in the housing, the terminal block comprising:
a first interface to which the two wires are connected for power supply to and signal output from the field device;
a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor for connecting the first interface with the field device electronics, the second electrical conductor having a voltage drop generating element;
a first power supply conductor connected to said second electrical conductor upstream of the voltage drop generating element and a second power supply conductor connected to said second electrical conductor downstream of the voltage drop generating element; and
a second, auxiliary interface to which the external device is connected, wherein the second auxiliary interface is configured at least for communication with said external device, and wherein the second auxiliary interface comprises a communications connector which is galvanically isolated from the field device electronics.

14. A terminal block for a field device adapted to determine a process parameter value related to a tank, wherein the terminal block comprises:
a first interface configured to connect to two wires of a loop for power supply to and signal output from the field device;
a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor for connecting the first interface to field device electronics of the field device, the second electrical conductor having a voltage drop generating element;
a first power supply conductor connected to said second electrical conductor upstream of the voltage drop generating element and a second power supply conductor connected to said second electrical conductor downstream of the voltage drop generating element; and
a second, auxiliary interface adapted for wired connection to an external device and configured at least for communication with said external device, wherein the second auxiliary interface comprises a communications connector;
wherein the communications connector is galvanically isolated from the field device electronics.

15. A method for connecting an external device to a field device, which field device is adapted to determine a process parameter value related to a tank and comprises a housing having an opening closed by a removable cover and field device electronics located in the housing, which method comprises:
providing a terminal block in the housing, wherein the terminal block comprises: a first interface configured to connect to two wires of a loop for power supply to and signal output from the field device; a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor for connecting the first interface with the field device electronics, the second electrical conductor having a voltage drop generating element; a first power supply conductor connected to said second electrical conductor upstream of the voltage drop generating element and a second power supply conductor connected to said second electrical conductor downstream of t

Assignees

• Rosemount Tank Radar Ab

Inventors

• Nilsson Leif
• Fredriksson Håkan
• Nyberg Håkan

Classifications

• G01S13/88

  Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications (electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00) · CPC title

• G01F23/284 Primary

  Electromagnetic waves · CPC title

• G01D11/245 Primary

  Housings for sensors · CPC title

• G01F23/2927 Primary

  for several discrete levels, e.g. with more than one light-conducting sensing element · CPC title

• G01S2007/027

  Physics · mapped topic