On-demand device templates for integrating devices in a processing facility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9618910-B2
Application number	US-201314074071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2013
Priority date	Jun 14, 2013
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A method ( 100 ) of generating on-demand device templates for integrating a controller controllable (CC) device with a process controller in a processing plant. A device description for the CC device is obtained ( 101 ) including a list of device parameters, connection details for communications including assembly structures, and a mapping of the device parameters into the assembly structures or the device description. Using a device template generating algorithm a custom device template is generated ( 102 ) for the CC device (i) by modifying an existing device template to include at least one modification or (ii) from the device description.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of generating device templates for integrating a controller controllable (CC) device with a process controller in a processing plant, comprising:
obtaining an existing device template having a device description for said CC device including a list of its device parameters, its type of said CC device, its communication protocol, and its data format being either serial data or parallel data, connection details for communications including assembly structures being a block of data for reading parameter values received from said CC device and writing parameter values to said CC device, and a mapping of said device parameters into said assembly structures or said device description, and
using a processor implementing a device template generating algorithm, generating a custom device template for said CC device (i) by modifying said existing device template to include at least one modification or (ii) generating said custom device template anew from said device description,
wherein said custom device template provides all information needed by said process controller to communicate with said CC device and understand said data format.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said device description is provided from a device description file for said CC device, and said generating said custom device template is automatic.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said custom device template is created manually from said device description.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding at least one additional parameter to said custom device template.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said additional parameter is specific to a plant application at said processing plant.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said custom device template includes status definition information for said CC device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
automatically creating a device instance from said custom device template using said device description, wherein said device instance stores values representing said CC device including said list of device parameters and said connection details for said CC device,
said process controller using information from said device instance to configure a communication driver;
setting up a connection between said process controller and said CC device, and
reading and/or writing values of said device parameters between said process controller and said CC device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said CC device is an input/output (I/O) module, an industrial drive, an electronic relay, or a smart field device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said process controller has a generic device template that excludes hard-coded device specific parameters or structures, further comprising loading said custom device template to said process controller upon a first instance of said CC device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said custom device template provides specific features and parameters of said CC device that customizes a generic definition of said CC device in said generic device template.

11. A process controller combination, comprising:
a process controller including a first processor and first memory;
a configuration tool coupled to said process controller comprising a second processor implementing a device template generating algorithm stored in a second memory, said device template generating algorithm implementing:
generating a custom device template for a controller controllable (CC) device (i) by modifying an existing device template having a device description for said CC device including a list of its device parameters, its type of said CC device, its communication protocol, and its data format being either serial data or parallel data, connection details for communications including assembly structures being a block of data for reading parameter values received from said CC device and writing parameter values to said CC device, and a mapping of said device parameters into said assembly structures to include at least one modification or (ii) generating said custom device template anew from said device description;
wherein said custom device template provides all information needed by said process controller to communicate with said CC device and understand said data format;
automatically creating a device instance from said custom device template, wherein said device instance stores values representing said CC device including said list of device parameters and said connection details for said CC device, and
downloading said device instance to the process controller;

wherein said process controller is programmed to use information from said device instance to configure a communication driver, and set up a connection between said process controller and said CC device for enabling reading and/or writing values of said device parameters between said process controller and said CC device.

12. The process controller combination of claim 11 , wherein said process controller includes a generic device template that excludes hard-coded device specific parameters or structures, and wherein said custom device template generated in said configuration tool provides specific features and parameters of said CC device that customizes a generic definition of said CC device in said generic device template.

13. The process controller combination of claim 11 , wherein said CC device is an input/output (I/O) module, an industrial drive, an electronic relay, or a smart field device.

14. The process controller combination of claim 11 , wherein said custom device template includes status definition information for said CC device.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Nikhra Abhishek
• Felix Joseph
• Prakash Suraj
• Singh Ashutosh
• Krishnanivas Girish

Classifications

• G05B13/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• G05B19/0423 Primary

  Input/output · CPC title