Wireless process communication adapter for handheld field maintenance tool

A handheld field maintenance system comprising:

• a handheld field maintenance tool having a keypad, a display, and a plurality of lead terminals;
• and
• a wireless process communication adapter having
• a plurality of plugs coupled to respective lead terminals of the handheld field maintenance tool;
• a loop communication module operably coupled to the plurality of plugs, the loop communication module being configured to communicate digitally in accordance with a process loop communication standard protocol;
• a controller coupled to the loop communication module, the controller configured to transform at least one message received from the loop communication module to at least one corresponding wireless protocol packet;
• and
• a wireless communication module coupled to the controller and configured to receive the at least one corresponding wireless protocol packet and generate a wireless signal based upon the at least one wireless protocol packet.

A method of operating a handheld field maintenance tool, the method comprising:

• causing a wireless process communication adapter connected to the handheld field maintenance tool to scan for wireless field devices within range of the wireless process communication adapter;
• displaying on the handheld field maintenance tool at least one wireless device identified during the scan to a technician;
• receiving a technician indication indicative of a selected field device among all field devices identified during the scan;
• and
• creating a link with the process communication adapter from a wired port of the handheld field maintenance tool to the selected wireless field device.