Integration of multiple communication physical layers and protocols in a process control input/output device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11734213-B2
Application number	US-201916573380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2019
Priority date	Sep 17, 2019
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A process control input/output (I/O) device provides traditional I/O support with direct physical layers or interfaces associated with traditional process control communication protocols while at the same time supporting an advanced physical layer or other IP based physical layer and the communication protocols that run on top of them. In addition, the new I/O device is able to nest protocols inside of other protocols for use when protocols, such as safety protocols, require additional handshaking, confirmations, etc. Still further, the new I/O device includes hardware configurable capabilities that enable easy configuration of a process control system that uses multiple different physical layers, including those used by traditional process control protocols such as HART and FOUNDATION Fieldbus protocols, and more advanced physical layers, including those that are used by IP-based, Ethernet based, packet based and other types of advanced communication protocols.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An input/output device for use in a process control system to communicatively couple a plurality of field devices to a process controller, the input/output device comprising:
a head-end unit including a first base unit and one or more processor modules disposed on the first base unit;
a first bus disposed in the first base unit and communicatively coupled to the one or more processor modules, the first bus connected to an external connector adapted to be communicatively coupled to the process controller;
a second base unit communicatively coupled to the first base unit, the second base unit including:
a plurality of marshalling units disposed in slots thereon, each marshalling unit including a memory and a processor for performing communications; and
a different terminal block associated with each of the marshalling units, wherein each terminal block accepts wiring to be used to communicatively couple the terminal block to one or more of the field devices; and

second and third busses disposed on the first and second base units, wherein each of the second and third busses communicatively couple the one or more processor modules to each of the slots in which the plurality of marshalling units are disposed;
wherein a first one of the marshalling units is associated with and performs communications with a set of one or more field devices using a first type of physical layer and a second one of the marshalling units is associated with and performs communications with a different set of one or more field devices using a second type of physical layer different than the first type of physical layer while the first one of the marshalling units performs communications with the set of one or more field devices using the first type of physical layer, and wherein the terminal block associated with the first marshalling unit accepts the first type of physical layer and the terminal block associated with the second marshalling unit accepts the second type of physical layer.

2. The input/output device of claim 1 , wherein the first marshalling unit supports communications using a first communication protocol via the first type of physical layer and the second marshalling unit supports communications using a second communication protocol via the second type of physical layer, the second communication protocol being different than the first communication protocol.

3. The input/output device of claim 2 , wherein the first communication protocol is a general purpose IP communication protocol and the second communication protocol is a process control communication protocol.

4. The input/output device of claim 3 , wherein the first communication protocol is an Ethernet communication protocol and the second communication protocol is a HART communication protocol.

5. The input/output device of claim 3 , wherein the first communication protocol is a HART-IP communication protocol or an OPC UA communication protocol.

6. The input/output device of claim 1 , wherein the second bus supports communications between the first marshalling unit and the processor module using the first physical layer and the third bus supports communications between the second marshalling unit and the processor module using the second physical layer.

7. The input/output device of claim 1 , wherein the head-end unit includes a power supply for providing power for field devices that use a first communication protocol via the first physical layer.

8. The input/output device of claim 1 , wherein the head-end unit includes a first power supply for providing power for field devices that use a first communication protocol via the first physical layer, and includes a second power supply for providing power for field devices that use a second communication protocol via the second physical layer.

9. The input/output device of claim 1 , wherein the head-end unit includes a first switch conforming to the first physical layer and the marshalling unit includes a second switch conforming to the first physical layer.

10. The input/output device of claim 1 , wherein the head-end unit includes a power supply and a switch conforming to the first physical layer.

11. The input/output device of claim 1 , wherein the marshalling units are insertable and removable from the second base unit, and wherein each of the marshalling units communicatively couple to one and only one of the second or third busses and to an associated terminal block when inserted into the second base unit.

12. The input/output device of claim 11 , wherein the removable marshalling units can be inserted into and removed from the slots.

13. The input/output device of claim 1 , wherein the processor module supports communications on both the second and third busses using different communication protocols.

14. The input/output device of claim 1 , wherein the processor module includes a first processor unit to communicate with field devices via the second bus and one or more marshalling units coupled to the second bus and a second processor unit to communicate with field devices via the third bus and one or more marshalling units coupled to the third bus.

15. The input/output device of claim 1 , wherein the processor module includes a first processor unit to communicate with field devices via the second bus and one or more marshalling units coupled to the second bus using a first communication protocol and a second processor unit to communicate with field devices via the third bus and one or more marshalling units coupled to the third bus using a second communication protocol that is different than the first communication protocol.

16. An input/output device for use in a process control system to communicatively couple a plurality of field devices to a process controller, the input/output device comprising:
a base;
a head-end unit disposed on the base, the head-end unit including one or more processor modules;
a first bus disposed on the base and communicatively coupled to the one or more processor modules, the first bus connected to an external connector on the base that is adapted to communicatively couple the first bus to the process controller;
a plurality of slots disposed on the base;
a plurality of terminal blocks, with each terminal block being communicatively coupled to a different one of the plurality of slots and wherein each terminal block accepts wiring to be used to communicatively couple the terminal block to one or more of the field devices;
a second bus disposed on the base that communicatively couples the one or more processor modules to each of the plurality of slots; and
a plurality of marshalling units, wherein each of the plurality of marshalling unit includes a memory and a processor for performing communications and wherein each of the plurality of marshalling units is insertable into any of the slots, such that, when inserted into one of the slots, a marshalling unit communicatively couples to one of the terminal blocks and to the second bus;
wherein a first one of the marshalling units is associated with and performs communications with a set of one or more of the field devices using a first type of physical layer and a second one of the marshalling units is associated with and performs communications with a different set of one or more of the field devices using a second type of physical layer that is different than the first type of physical layer while the first one of the marshalling units performs communications with the set of one or more field devices using the first type of physical layer, and wherein when the first one of the marshalling units is

Assignees

• Fisher Rosemount Systems Inc

Inventors

• Nixon Mark J
• Law Gary K
• Diaz Sergio
• Fayad Claudio

Classifications

• H04L69/08

  Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion · CPC title

• H04L67/125

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · CPC title

• G06F13/4027 Primary

  using bus bridges (G06F13/4022 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05B19/4186 Primary

  by protocol, e.g. MAP, TOP · CPC title

• G06F1/26

  Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) · CPC title