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US 10,698,388 B2Granted
Field device
AssigneeYokogawa Electric Corporation
InventorsIkuhiko Ishikawa, Toru Shimura, Daisuke Harigane, Shinnosuke Yoshida
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A field device, which measures a physical quantity in a plant or processes the physical quantity, includes: an instruction unit configured to output a verification execution instruction signal for instructing execution of verification of the field device; an operation verifying unit configured to verify an operation of at least one element of the field device in response to the verification execution instruction signal and to verify an operation of the field device based on the verification result; and an output unit configured to output the verification result which is a result of verification of the operation by the operation verifying unit.
Claims14
A field device that measures a physical quantity in a plant or processes the physical quantity, comprising:
- an instruction unit configured to output a verification execution instruction signal for instructing execution of verification of the field device;
- an operation verifying unit configured to verify an operation of at least one element of the field device in response to the verification execution instruction signal and to verify an operation of the field device based on the verification result;
- an output unit configured to output the verification result which is a result of verification of the operation by the operation verifying unit;
- a measuring unit configured to measure the physical quantity and to output a measurement signal indicating the measurement result;
- an analog-based circuit comprising:
- a buffer circuit configured to convert impedance of the measurement signal output from the measuring unit;
- an amplification and band limiting circuit configured to convert a signal level or a range of the measurement signal whose impedance has been converted by the buffer circuit to output an analog measurement signal;
- and
- an analog-digital conversion circuit configured to convert the analog measurement signal output from the amplification and band limiting circuit into a digital signal, and configured to output the digital signal;
- a simulated signal generating circuit configured to output a simulated measurement signal which simulates the measurement signal;
- and
- a signal switch configured to connect one of the measuring unit and the simulated signal generating circuit to the analog-based circuit,
- wherein the operation verifying unit is configured to:
- output the simulated measurement signal from the simulated signal generating circuit;
- input the simulated measurement signal into the element included in the analog-based circuit via the signal switch;
- compare a first digital value with a second digital value, the first digital value being indicated by the digital signal output from the element into which the simulated measurement signal has been input, the second digital value being assumed by the simulated measurement signal;
- determine whether the first digital value is in a threshold range determined in advance for the second digital value;
- determine that the element is normal in a case where the first digital value is in the threshold range;
- and
- determine that the element is abnormal in a case where the first digital value is not in the threshold range, and
- wherein the simulated signal generating circuit is configured to adjust a signal level of the simulated measurement signal to a level covering a range in which the element operates under a control of the operation verifying unit.
18 more elements
A method of measuring a physical quantity in a plant or processing the physical quantity by a filed device, comprising:
- an instruction step of outputting a verification execution instruction signal for instructing execution of verification of the field device;
- an operation verifying step of verifying an operation of at least one element of the field device in response to the verification execution instruction signal and to verify an operation of the field device based on the verification result;
- an output step of outputting the verification result which is a result of verification of the operation by the operation verifying step;
- a measuring step of measuring the physical quantity and outputting a measurement signal indicating the measurement result;
- a first converting step of converting, by a buffer circuit, impedance of the measurement signal which has been output;
- a second converting step of converting, by an amplification and band limiting circuit, a signal level or a range of the measurement signal whose impedance has been converted by the buffer circuit to output an analog measurement signal;
- a third converting step of converting, by an analog-digital conversion circuit, the analog measurement signal output from the amplification and band limiting circuit into a digital signal, and outputting the digital signal;
- a simulated signal generating step of outputting, by a simulated signal generating circuit, a simulated measurement signal which simulates the measurement signal;
- and
- a connecting step of connecting, by a signal switch, one of the measuring unit and the simulated signal generating circuit to the analog-based circuit,
- wherein the operation verifying step includes:
- a step of outputting the simulated measurement signal from the simulated signal generating circuit;
- a step of inputting the simulated measurement signal into the element included in the analog-based circuit via the signal switch;
- a step of comparing a first digital value with a second digital value, the first digital value being indicated by the digital signal output from the element into which the simulated measurement signal has been input, the second digital value being assumed by the simulated measurement signal;
- a step of determining whether the first digital value is in a threshold range determined in advance for the second digital value;
- a step of determining that the element is normal in a case where the first digital value is in the threshold range;
- and
- a step of determining that the element is abnormal in a case where the first digital value is not in the threshold range, and
- wherein the method further comprises:
- a step of adjusting, by the simulated signal generating circuit, a signal level of the simulated measurement signal to a level covering a range in which the element operates under a control of the operation verifying step.
17 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.