The invention provides improved methods and apparatus for control using field and control devices that provide a virtual machine environment and that communicate via an IP network. By way of non-limiting example, such field device can be an “intelligent” transmitter or actuator that includes a low power processor, along with a random access memory, a read-only memory, FlashRAM, and a sensor interface. The processor can execute a real-time operating system, as well as a Java virtual machine (JVM). Java byte code executes in the JVM to configure the field device to perform typical process control functions, e.g., for proportional integral derivative (PID) control and signal conditioning. Control networks can include a plurality of such field and control devices interconnected by an IP network, such as an Ethernet.

Methods and apparatus for control using control devices that provide a virtual machine environment and that communicate via an ip network

Systems, methods, and devices for a cyberphysical (IoT) software application development platform based upon a model driven architecture and derivative IoT SaaS applications are disclosed herein. The system may include a time-series data component to receive time-series data from time-series data sources. The system may include a relational data component to receive relational data from relational data sources. The system may include a persistence component to store the time-series data in a key-value store and store the relational data in a relational database. The system may include a data services component to extract, transform, and load aggregate data into a multi-dimensional data store; implement a type layer over a plurality of data stores comprising the key-value store, the relational database, and the multi-dimensional data store. The data services component may include definitions for a plurality of types based on the plurality of data stores.

Systems, methods, and devices for an enterprise internet-of-things application development platform

A configuration database includes multiple databases distributed at a plurality of physical locations within a process control system. Each of the databases may store a subset of the configuration data and this subset of configuration data may be accessed by users at any of the sites within the process control system. A database server having a shared cache accesses a database in a manner that enables multiple subscribers to read configuration data from the database with only a minimal number of reads to the database. To prevent the configuration data being viewed by subscribers within the process control system from becoming stale, the database server automatically detects changes to an item within the configuration database and sends notifications of changes made to the item to each of the subscribers of that item so that a user always views the state of the configuration as it actually exists within the configuration database.

Accessing and updating a configuration database from distributed physical locations within a process control system

Operational status information associated with a process entity in a process plant(10) is received. The operational status information is mapped into one of a plurality of status conditions. Then, an alert message associated with the process entity is generated, where the alert message is indicative of the one status condition of the plurality of status conditions.

Integrated alert generation in a process plant

Methods and apparatus for control configuration with versioning, security, composite blocks, edit selection, object swapping, formulaic values and other aspects

A control studio object system is disclosed which allows a process control environment to be easily and quickly configured or modified. The control studio object system includes a stencil portion having stencil items conforming to algorithms and a diagram portion to which the stencil items may be copied via a drag and drop operation. Because the stencil items are objects which contain all of the information required by a diagram portion to create an object that contains all of the information necessary to program the process control environment, the completed diagram portion reflects the actual configuration of the process control environment. Additionally, providing the stencil items as objects allows the diagrammed environment to be installed directly to nodes without requiring the diagram to be compiled or rewritten in a language conforming to the node.

System for configuring a process control environment

An alarm display and interface tool for use in a process control system receives and displays different categories of alarms, including for example, device alarms and hardware alarms as well as traditional process alarms, on a single display to enable an operator or other user to view and have access to these different categories of alarms. The display and interface tool may be used to filter the alarms that are displayed according to any number of categories, including the category of the alarm, the priority of the alarm, the status of the alarm, etc. so as to alternatively segregate or combine the tasks typically associated with operator, maintenance and engineer personnel. The tool may also be used to access each of the displayed alarms to obtain more information about any individual alarm.

Integrated alarm display in a process control network

System and method for specifying a signal analysis function. User input is received specifying a first operation implementing at least a portion of a signal analysis function. Prior operations input by the user are programmatically analyzed to determine and assign an input source for the first operation that provides a first input signal, e.g., based on inputs and their signal or data types required for the first operation, one or more prior operations are determined that provide respective output signals of the respective signal or data types, where the one or more prior operations comprise the input source, and where the respective output signals comprise the first input signal. The first operation is performed on the first input signal, producing an output signal which is then displayed on a display. The programmatically analyzing, performing, and displaying are performed for each of a plurality of first operations input by the user.

Automatic configuration of function blocks in a signal analysis system

System and method for displaying signals. First user input requesting display of a first signal is received, e.g., to a graphical user interface (GUI) comprised in a signal analysis function development environment, and the first signal programmatically analyzed in response to the first user input. A display tool operable to display the first signal is programmatically determined based on said analyzing, and the first signal displayed in the display tool, e.g., a data type of the first signal is determined, e.g., integer, floating point, Boolean, or user-defined data in a time-domain, frequency-domain, or spatial-domain, and the display tool programmatically determined based on the determined data type, e.g., via a loop-up table, where the display tool comprises an indicator operable to display the signal data. The signal comprises signal data, e.g., signal plot data, where the display tool comprises a graph, or tabular data, where the display tool comprises a table.

Automatic graph display

The alarm message containing block identification field, relative identification field and subcode field, is received from field device. A device alarm table is selected using device message containing manufacturer, device type, and revision level information, appended to the received message. The alarm message is mapped to the selected alarm table to identify information fields containing displayable alarm information. An Independent claim is included for alarm processing system.

Alarm processing method for chemical process control system, involves selecting device alarm table using device information appended to alarm message and mapping alarm message to selected table

J. Clint Fletcher

Papers

System for configuring a process control environment

Integrated alarm display in a process control network

Automatic configuration of function blocks in a signal analysis system

Automatic graph display

Alarm processing method for chemical process control system, involves selecting device alarm table using device information appended to alarm message and mapping alarm message to selected table