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

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 inserted into a first one of the slots, the terminal block associated with the first one of the slots accepts the first type of physical layer and wherein when the second one of the marshalling units is inserted into a second one of the slots, the terminal block associated with the second one of the slots accepts the second type of physical layer.

A process control system for use in controlling a process plant, comprising:

• a process controller;
• a plurality of field devices for performing control functions with the process plant, wherein a first one of the plurality of field devices uses a first communication protocol that uses a first type of physical layer and a second one of the plurality of field devices uses a second communication protocol that uses a second type of physical layer, wherein the first type of physical layer and the second type of physical layer are different types of physical layers and wherein the first communication protocol is different than the second communication protocol;
• an input/output device coupled between the process controller and each of the plurality of field devices, the input/output device including,
• a base;
• a head-end unit disposed on the base, the head-end unit including one or more input/output processor modules;
• a first bus disposed on the base and communicatively coupled between the one or more input/output processor modules and the process controller;
• a plurality of slots disposed on the base;
• a plurality of terminal blocks disposed on the base, 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 plurality of field devices;
• a second bus disposed on the base that communicatively couples the one or more input/output processor modules to each of the plurality of slots;
• and
• a plurality of marshalling units, wherein each of the plurality of marshalling units includes a memory and a processor for performing communications and wherein each of the plurality of marshalling units is insertable into one 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 the first one of the field devices using the first type of physical layer and a second one of the marshalling units is associated with and performs communications with the second one of the field devices using the second 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 inserted into a first one of the slots, the terminal block associated with the first one of the slots accepts the first type of physical layer and wherein when the second one of the marshalling units is inserted into a second one of the slots, the terminal block associated with the second one of the slots accepts the second type of physical layer.

A process control system for use in controlling a process plant, comprising:

• a process controller;
• a plurality of field devices for performing control functions within the process plant, wherein a first set of the plurality of field devices uses a first communication protocol that uses a first type of physical layer and a second set of the plurality of field devices uses a second communication protocol that uses a second type of physical layer, wherein the first type of physical layer and the second type of physical layer are different types of physical layers and wherein the first communication protocol is different than the second communication protocol;
• an input/output device coupled between the process controller and each of the plurality of field devices, the input/output device including,
• a base;
• a head-end unit disposed on the base, the head-end unit including one or more input/output processor modules;
• a first bus disposed on the base and communicatively coupled to the one or more input/output processor modules, the first bus communicatively coupled to the process controller;
• a second bus and a third bus disposed on the base, the second bus and the third bus being communicatively coupled to the one or more input/output processor modules and to each of a plurality of slots on the base;
• a plurality of marshaling units disposed within the slots on the base, wherein each of the plurality of marshalling units includes a memory and a processor for performing communications and wherein each of the plurality of marshalling unit is communicatively coupled to the one or more input/output processor modules via either the second bus or the third bus;
• and
• a plurality of terminal blocks disposed on the base, each terminal block being communicatively coupled to a different one of the plurality of marshalling units and wherein each terminal block accepts wiring to be used to communicatively couple the terminal block to one or more of the plurality of field devices;
• wherein a first one of the marshalling units is associated with and performs communications with at least one of the first set of field devices using the first type of physical layer and a second one of the marshalling units is associated with and performs communications with at least one of the second set of field devices using the second 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.

An input/output device for use in providing communications between an external device and a plurality of field devices, comprising:

• a base;
• a head-end unit disposed on the base, the head-end unit including a processor module;
• a first bus disposed on the base and communicatively coupled to the processor module, the first bus connected to an external connector on the base that is adapted to communicatively couple the first bus to the external device;
• 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 processor module to each of the plurality of slots;
• and
• a plurality of marshalling units, wherein each of the plurality of marshalling units 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 performs communications with a set of one or more of the field devices via one of the terminal blocks using a first type of physical layer that supports a general purpose IP communication protocol and a second one of the marshalling units performs communications with a different set of one or more of the field devices via a different one of the terminal blocks using another physical layer that supports a general purpose IP communication protocol.

A field device access system for use in communicating with one or more field devices in a process plant, the field devices being coupled to a process controller, comprising:

• a plurality of field devices for performing control functions with the process plant, wherein a first one of the plurality of field devices uses a first communication protocol that uses a first type of physical layer and a second one of the plurality of field devices uses a second communication protocol that uses a second type of physical layer, wherein the first type of physical layer and the second type of physical layer are different types of physical layers and wherein the first communication protocol is different than the second communication protocol;
• an input/output device coupled between the process controller and each of the plurality of field devices, the input/output device including,
• a base;
• a head-end unit disposed on the base, the head-end unit including one or more input/output processor modules;
• a first bus disposed on the base and communicatively coupled between the one or more input/output processor modules and an external device;
• a plurality of slots disposed on the base;
• a plurality of terminal blocks disposed on the base, 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 plurality of field devices;
• a second bus disposed on the base that communicatively couples the one or more input/output processor modules to each of the plurality of slots;
• and
• a plurality of marshalling units, wherein each of the plurality of marshalling units includes a memory and a processor for performing communications and wherein each of the plurality of marshalling units is insertable into one 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 the first one of the field devices using the first type of physical layer and a second one of the marshalling units is associated with and performs communications with the second one of the field devices using the second type of physical layer while the first one of the marshalling units performs communications with the first one of the field devices using the first type of physical layer, and wherein when the first one of the marshalling units is inserted into a first one of the slots, the terminal block associated with the first one of the slots accepts the first type of physical layer and wherein when the second one of the marshalling units is inserted into a second one of the slots, the terminal block associated with the second one of the slots accepts the second type of physical layer.

A field device access system for use in communicating with one or more field devices in a process plant, the field devices being coupled to a process controller and configured to perform control functions with the process plant, comprising:

• an input/output device coupled between the process controller and each of the plurality of field devices, the input/output device including,
• a base;
• a head-end unit disposed on the base, the head-end unit including one or more input/output processor modules;
• a first bus disposed on the base and communicatively coupled between the one or more input/output processor modules and an external device;
• a plurality of slots disposed on the base;
• a plurality of terminal blocks disposed on the base, 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 plurality of field devices;
• a second bus disposed on the base that communicatively couples the one or more input/output processor modules to each of the plurality of slots;
• and
• a plurality of marshalling units, wherein each of the plurality of marshalling units includes a memory and a processor for performing communications and wherein each of the plurality of marshalling units is insertable into one 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 each of the marshalling units performs communications with one or more field devices, via one of the terminal blocks, using a physical layer that supports general purpose internet protocol (IP) communications and performs communications with the one or more field devices using an IP communication protocol.