Automated field device
阅读说明:本技术 自动化现场设备 (Automated field device ) 是由 哈拉尔德·朔伊布勒 西蒙·格尔维希 托比亚斯·保罗 帕特里克·盖布 于 2018-05-08 设计创作,主要内容包括:本发明涉及一种自动化现场设备(1),其包括:壳体(2);布置在壳体内的现场设备电子设备(3),通过双线线路(4)向电子设备提供最大功率;用于存储数据的存储器元件(5),其电连接到现场设备电子设备(3),以交换数据和/或提供能量,并且至少在存储数据时需要至少有时高于通过双线线路(4)提供的最大功率;第一NFC天线(6a),其被配置为无线地接收辅助能量并将其提供给现场设备电子设备(3);第二天线(7a),其被配置为与现场设备电子设备(3)无线地进行数据通信并交换数据,其中现场设备电子设备(3)被配置为向存储器元件(5)提供辅助能量。(The invention relates to an automated field device (1), comprising: a housing (2); field device electronics (3) disposed within the housing, the electronics being supplied with maximum power via a two-wire line (4); a memory element (5) for storing data, which is electrically connected to the field device electronics (3) for exchanging data and/or supplying energy and which, at least when storing data, needs to be at least at times higher than the maximum power supplied via the two-wire line (4); a first NFC antenna (6a) configured to wirelessly receive and provide auxiliary energy to field device electronics (3); a second antenna (7a) configured to wirelessly communicate data with and exchange data with the field device electronics (3), wherein the field device electronics (3) is configured to provide auxiliary energy to the memory element (5).)
1. An automated field device (1) comprising:
-a housing (2);
-field device electronics (3) disposed within the housing, the field device electronics being capable of providing maximum power to the field device electronics over a two-wire line (4) or a four-wire line;
-a memory element (5), preferably arranged within the housing (2), for storing data, wherein the memory element (5) for exchanging data and/or for supplying energy is electrically connected or connectable with the field device electronics (3) and, at least in the case of storing data, requires at least sometimes more power than the maximum power available via the two-wire line (4) or the four-wire line;
-a first NFC antenna (6a) adapted to wirelessly receive auxiliary energy and provide the auxiliary energy to the field device electronics (3);
-a second antenna (7a) adapted to wirelessly communicate data with and exchange data with the field device electronics (3);
wherein the field device electronics (3) is further adapted to provide auxiliary energy to the memory element (5) at least when data shall be received via the second antenna (7) and stored in the memory element (5).
2. The field device of claim 1, wherein the second antenna (7) and/or the field device electronics (3) are further adapted to wirelessly transmit data according to the bluetooth standard or a variant based on the bluetooth standard, e.g. bluetooth 4.0 or higher.
3. The field device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the memory element (5) can be inserted into a plug located on the housing (2), so that by insertion into the plug the memory element (5) is electrically connected with the field device electronics (3).
4. The field device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said memory element (5) comprises a serial flash memory.
5. The field device as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the first NFC antenna (6) is further dedicated to wirelessly receiving auxiliary energy, in particular not receiving data, so that the auxiliary energy is only provided to the field device electronics via the first NFC antenna (6).
6. Method for servicing an automated field device (1) by means of a mobile service device (8), in particular a field device according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the field device (1) is supplied with maximum power by a two-wire line (4) or a four-wire line (4), wherein the method comprises the following steps:
-arranging a mobile service device within radio range of a first NFC antenna of the field device (S100);
-providing auxiliary energy via a first NFC antenna of the field device by a mobile service device arranged within radio range of the first NFC antenna (S101a), wherein the auxiliary energy is fed to the field device electronics through the first NFC antenna for energy supply of the memory element, thereby providing at least the memory element with sufficient power for storing and/or reading data;
-transmitting data between a second antenna of the field device and the mobile service device while feeding the auxiliary energy (S101 b);
-storing the data into or reading out data from the memory element (S102), wherein the memory element is provided with auxiliary energy transferred via the first NFC antenna for storing or reading out the data.
7. The method of the preceding claim, wherein the mobile service device writes or stores at least one firmware or part thereof in the memory element by transmitting data between the second antenna and the mobile service device.
8. The method of one of claims 6 and/or 7, wherein between the second antenna and the mobile service device at least one device description file is transferred from the memory element to the mobile service device, so that after the transfer the device description file is available in the mobile service unit and the field device can be served by the mobile service device with the aid of the device description file.
9. The method of the preceding claim, wherein the field device is parameterized by the mobile service device and the device description file sent to the mobile service device is used for parameterization.
10. Method according to at least one of claims 6-9, wherein the supply of auxiliary energy via the first NFC antenna and the transmission of the data via the second antenna are performed in parallel, in particular in time.
Technical Field
The invention relates to an automation field device and a method for servicing such an automation field device.
Background
In process automation technology and manufacturing automation technology, field devices are used to record and/or influence process variables. For recording process variables are measuring devices with sensors, such as fill level measuring devices, flow measuring devices, pressure and temperature measuring devices, pH-redox potential measuring devices, conductivity measuring devices, etc., which record the respective process variable, fill level, flow, pressure, temperature, pH value and conductivity. For influencing the process variable, actuators, such as valves or pumps, are used, by means of which the flow of liquid in a pipe, pipe section or the fill level in a container can be varied.
A large number of such field devices are manufactured and sold by the Endress + Hauser group company.
Furthermore, it is known that field devices are constructed and connected to one another using the so-called two-conductor technology (in the given case even four-wire technology), so that the energy supply and the communication of the process variable can take place via a pair of lines (two-wire line). To this end, field devices typically have an analog current or voltage output, such as a 4 to 20mA current output.
It is also known to determine the mode of operation of a field device by means of parameters which are written into a module provided for this purpose or into a specific memory location of the field device. Storing the appropriate parameter values in a particular module or memory location determines the manner in which the field device operates. For this reason, mobile service devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, and the like are increasingly used. This process is called "parameterization". The setting of the parameters is performed by the customer, for example. By selecting appropriate parameter values, the customer can tailor the field device to its particular application. For example, in the case of a level measuring device for measuring the level of a medium in a tank, such parameters include the height or even the diameter of the tank.
In order for the mobile service unit to know which parameters can be set in the field device, a so-called device description file is required. The device description file includes available parameters and value ranges that may be set in a particular field device. These device description files have to be made available, for example stored in the mobile service unit, and installed in a special parameterization software before the actual parameterization.
In order to make the necessary device description files available for parameterization, it is possible to call up in advance in the mobile service unit and thus to precede the actual parameterization and to remove the field device to be parameterized. A disadvantage in this solution is that, since there are a large number of different field devices and device description files, there is no guarantee that the device description file appropriate for the field device is actually called out in advance. To avoid this problem, it is also known to download the device description file from a server via the mobile internet in the field (i.e. in the vicinity of the field device) before the parameterization of the field device by the mobile service unit. For example, a suitable device description file can be found from the serial number of the field device to be parameterized, and this file can then be downloaded if an internet connection can be established.
A disadvantage of this solution is that it requires an existing internet connection or mobile internet. This is particularly disadvantageous in view of the fact that field devices are usually located in large automation plants, on the one hand they hinder the establishment of wireless internet connections, and on the other hand they are usually located in geographical areas where no or only very limited mobile internet networks are present. In addition, in this different case, it is disadvantageous that the downloading takes a lot of time due to the size of the device description file.
Disclosure of Invention
It is therefore an object of the present invention to simplify the servicing, in particular the parameterization, of an automation field device.
This object is achieved by an automation field device as claimed in
The invention provides an automated field device, comprising:
-a housing;
-field device electronics disposed within the housing, the electronics being capable of providing maximum power through the two-wire line or the four-wire line;
a memory element, preferably arranged in the housing, for storing and/or reading data, wherein the memory element for exchanging data and/or for supplying energy is electrically connected or connectable to the field device electronics, and wherein, at least in the case of data storage, a power is required which is at least at times higher than the maximum power available via the two-wire line or the four-wire line
-a first NFC antenna adapted to wirelessly receive auxiliary energy and provide the auxiliary energy to field device electronics;
-a second antenna adapted for wirelessly data communication and data exchange with field device electronics;
wherein the field device electronics is further adapted to provide auxiliary energy to the memory element at least when data shall be received via the second antenna and stored in the memory element.
According to the invention, the field device is equipped with two antennas, wherein the first antenna is an NFC antenna, which is dedicated to the introduction of energy into the field device, and the second antenna is suitable for wireless data communication, i.e. the reception and/or transmission of data. Since energy is introduced into the field device via the first NFC antenna as auxiliary energy, a memory element for storing and/or reading data can be operated in the field device, which cannot be sufficiently supplied with energy without the introduction of auxiliary energy. This offers the advantage, in particular in the case of two-conductor field devices, in which the internal energy budget is very limited, that a memory element can be used, the energy requirement of which is greater than the energy available via the two-wire line. The field device of the invention is therefore operated in such a way that: energy is only introduced through the first NFC antenna and no data is introduced, instead data communication is performed through the second antenna.
A preferred embodiment of the invention defines that the second antenna and/or the field device electronics are further adapted to wirelessly transmit data according to the bluetooth standard or based on a variation of the bluetooth standard (e.g., bluetooth 4.0 or higher).
A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the memory element can be inserted into a plug located on the housing, so that the memory element is electrically connected to the field device electronics by insertion into the plug.
A preferred embodiment of the invention defines that the memory element comprises a serial flash memory. Such serial flash is typically built using NOR flash technology, which is connected through a serial interface such as SPI, I2C, so that more than 8 pins are not required.
A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the first NFC antenna is further dedicated to wirelessly receiving auxiliary energy, in particular not data, so that the auxiliary energy is only supplied to the field device electronics via the first NFC antenna.
Furthermore, in the present invention, a method for servicing an automation field device (in particular an automation field device according to one of the above-described embodiments) by means of a mobile service device is provided, wherein the field device is supplied with maximum power by a two-wire or four-wire line, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
-arranging the mobile service device within radio range of a first NFC antenna of the field device;
-providing auxiliary energy via the first NFC antenna of the field device by means of a mobile service device arranged within radio range of the first NFC antenna, wherein the auxiliary energy is fed to the field device electronics by means of the first NFC antenna for energy supply of the memory element, thereby providing at least the memory element with sufficient power for storing and/or reading data;
-transmitting data between the second antenna of the field device and the mobile service device while feeding the auxiliary energy;
-storing data into or reading data out of the memory element, wherein the memory element is provided with auxiliary energy transmitted via the first NFC antenna for storing or reading out data.
A preferred form of embodiment of the invention defines that the mobile service device writes or stores the at least one firmware or part thereof in the memory element by transferring data between the second antenna and the mobile service device.
A preferred form of embodiment of the invention defines that by transmitting data between the second antenna and the mobile service device, at least one device description file is transmitted from the memory element to the mobile service device, so that after transmission the device description file is available in the mobile service unit and the field device can be serviced by the mobile service device with the aid of the device description file. In particular, the form of this embodiment may define: the field device is parameterized by the mobile service device and the device description file sent to the mobile service device is used for parameterization.
Drawings
The invention will now be explained in more detail on the basis of the accompanying drawings, which are shown below:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an automated field device of the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a schematic of the process of the present invention.
Detailed Description
Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a two-conductor
In order to allow a service technician to communicate with the
In this case, the transmission of the data takes place by means of a mobile service unit 8 (for example a smartphone or a tablet computer). Special software for data exchange, in particular for parameterization, is present in the
The device description file can be stored, for example, in the
Since the main energy supplied via the two-conductor power supply line is not sufficient to power such a
By means of the
In a first step S100, the
Then, in a second step S101a, auxiliary energy is fed by the
Then, in an additional step S102, data may be read from and/or written to the memory element. In parallel with the energy transfer in step S101a, in an additional step S101b, which is performed substantially simultaneously, data is transferred between the
In this way, for example, the device description file stored in the
List of reference numerals
1: automated field device
2: shell body
3: field device electronics
4: two-wire or four-wire line
5: memory element
6a, 6 b: first NFC antenna for energy transfer
7a, 7 b: second antenna for data transmission
8: mobile service equipment
9: connecting terminal