# US 11,956,093 B2 · Field device adapter for wireless data transfer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,956,093 B2 - Document ID: US11956093B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/905,459 - Filed: 2021-03-01 - Published: 2023-04-20 - Granted: 2024-04-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-03 - Assignees: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG - Applicants: Endress+Hauser SE+Co. KG - Inventors: Harald Schäuble; Dirk Lill; Ralph Stib; Matthias Studer; Markus Döbeli - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11956093B2 ## CPC - G05B 19/0423: {Input/output} - H04L 12/2801: {Broadband local area networks} - H02H 9/02: responsive to excess current {(current limitation for voltage regulators G05F1/573; disconnection after limiting H02H3/025)} - H02H 9/04: responsive to excess voltage (lightning arrestors H01C7/12, H01C8/04, H01G9/18, H01T) - G05B 2219/21061: Adapter bus connected to centronics - G05B 2219/25428: Field device - Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A field device adapter for wireless data transfer, comprises at least: an adapter housing; an adapter electronics unit arranged in the adapter housing, the adapter electronics unit comprising a first supply circuit, which is introduced into the first connection line, for providing a first supply voltage from a loop current flowing in the first connection line, and a second supply circuit, which is introduced into the second connection line, for providing a second supply voltage from the loop current flowing in the second connection line, wherein the adapter electronics unit further comprises a HART modem and a wireless module with an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving, and the adapter electronics unit is configured such that the first supply circuit supplies the HART modem with the first supply voltage, and the second supply circuit supplies the wireless module with the second supply voltage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A field device adapter for wireless data transfer, the field device adapter comprising: an adapter housing having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has a first connection element and a second connection element for electrically connecting to a field device electronics unit of a field device, and the second end has a third connection element and a fourth connection element for electrically connecting a two-wire line; and an adapter electronics unit arranged in the adapter housing, the adapter electronics unit including: a first electrical connection line connecting the first connection element to the third connection element; a second electrical connection line connecting the second connection element to the fourth connection element; a first supply circuit installed in the first electrical connection line for providing a first supply voltage from a loop current flowing in the first electrical connection line; a second supply circuit installed in the second electrical connection line for providing a second supply voltage from the loop current flowing in the second electrical connection line; a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) modem based upon a HART standard, wherein the HART modem is connected to the second electrical connection line via a tapping point arranged in the second electrical connection line and wherein the HART modem is configured to: tap a first two-wire signal modulated on the loop current and convert the first two-wire signal into a first universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) signal; convert a supplied second UART signal into a second two-wire signal; and, via the tapping point, modulate the converted second two-wire signal onto the loop current; and a wireless module with an antenna for transmitting and receiving, wherein the wireless module is configured to: transmit as a first wireless signal the converted first UART signal supplied by the HART modem; receive a second wireless signal that is to be converted into the second two-wire signal by the HART modem; and supply the received second wireless signal as the second UART signal to the HART modem, wherein, in the adapter electronics unit, the first supply circuit is configured to supply the HART modem with the first supply voltage, the second supply circuit is configured to supply the wireless module with the second supply voltage, and the first supply circuit and the second supply circuit are configured to operate independently of each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The field device adapter according to claim 1, wherein the adapter electronics unit further includes a galvanic separation that galvanically separates the HART modem from the wireless module, and the HART modem and the wireless module communicate at least the UART signal via the galvanic separation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The field device adapter according to claim 2, wherein the adapter electronics unit further includes at least one communications resistor installed in the first electrical connection line between the first supply circuit and the third connection element. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The field device adapter according to claim 2, wherein the adapter electronics unit further includes at least one communications resistor installed in the second electrical connection line between the second supply circuit and the fourth connection element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The field device adapter according to claim 1, wherein the HART modem is configured as a primary or secondary master according to the HART standard. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The field device adapter according to claim 1, wherein the wireless module is further configured to send the first wireless signal and receive the second wireless signal according to one of the following wireless standards: a Bluetooth standard or a variant derived therefrom, an Internet Protocol version 6 over Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Networks (6LoWPAN) standard, a WirelessHART standard, and an Internet Protocol version 6 over Time Slotted Channel Hopping (6TiSCH) standard. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The field device adapter according to claim 1, wherein the adapter electronics unit further includes electro-magnetic compatibility (EMC) measures designed to protect at least the first and second supply circuits against EMC interference. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The field device adapter according to claim 7, wherein the adapter electronics unit further includes explosion-protection measures, wherein the explosion-protection measures include current-limiting explosion-protection measures and/or voltage limiting measures. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The field device adapter according to claim 8, wherein the voltage-limiting measures include at least one higher-current shunt regulator connected in parallel with the first and/or the second supply circuits. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The field device adapter according to claim 8, wherein the current-limiting measures include at least one resistor connected between the first supply circuit and the HART modem and/or between the second supply circuit and the wireless module. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The field device adapter according to claim 1, wherein the first end of the adapter housing is further designed such that the first end is a closed end, so that the field device adapter and the field device form two mechanical units separate from each other. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The field device adapter according to claim 1, wherein the first end of the adapter housing is further designed to mechanically connect the field device adapter to a cable gland connection of the field device so that the field device adapter and the field device form a mechanically connected unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The field device adapter according to claim 1, wherein the first and second supply circuits in each case have at least one current shunt regulator or at least one diode each which is designed to have a fixed value for the first or second supply voltage. ### Claim 14 A system of automation technology for capturing and/or setting a process variable, the system comprising: a first two-wire line for transferring a loop current with a modulated two-wire signal; a field device of automation technology with a field device housing which has at least one housing opening, wherein the field device further comprises a field device electronics unit arranged within the field device housing, the field device electronics unit being designed to communicate data in the form of two-wire signals based upon a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) standard; and a field device adapter for wireless data transfer, the field device adapter including: an adapter housing having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has a first connection element and a second connection element for electrically connecting to the field device electronics unit of the field device, and the second end has a third connection element and a fourth connection element for electrically connecting a two-wire line; and an adapter electronics unit arranged in the adapter housing, the adapter electronics unit including: a first electrical connection line connecting the first connection element to the third connection element; a second electrical connection line connecting the second connection element to the fourth connection element; a first supply circuit installed in the first electrical connection line for providing a first supply voltage from a loop current flowing in the first electrical connection line; a second supply circuit installed in the second electrical connection line for providing a second supply voltage from the loop current flowing in the second electrical connection line; a HART modem based upon the HART standard, wherein the HART modem is connected to the second electrical connection line via a tapping point arranged in the second electrical connection line and wherein the HART modem is configured to: tap a first two-wire signal modulated on the loop current and convert the first two-wire signal into a first universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) signal; convert a supplied second UART signal into a second two-wire signal; and, via the tapping point, modulate the converted second two-wire signal onto the loop current; and a wireless module with an antenna for transmitting and receiving, wherein the wireless module is configured to: transmit as a first wireless signal the converted first UART signal supplied by the HART modem; receive a second wireless signal that is to be converted into the second two-wire signal by the HART modem; and supply the received second wireless signal as the second UART signal to the HART modem, wherein, in the adapter electronics unit, the first supply circuit is configured to supply the HART modem with the first supply voltage, the second supply circuit is configured to supply the wireless module with the second supply voltage, and the first supply circuit and the second supply circuit are configured to operate independently of each other.