Field device with display

#This invention relates to a field device with a display for on-site visualization of conditions of an automated process.

#The control and monitoring of automated processes in the chemical, pharmaceutical, process, and other industries is increasingly being effected from control rooms, to which large amounts of process data generated within the respective plant are transmitted, e.e., via field buses.

#To generate such process data, use is commonly made of a large number of field devices installed at or in the immediate vicinity of the process, such as measuring instruments, control equipment, and/or data storage devices, which can supply the corresponding measured and/or control variables in the form of standardized analog or digital signals.

#FIG. 1 shows schematically a field device for processing at least two process data signals;

#FIG. 2 shows schematically components of the field device of FIG. 1; and

#FIG. 3 shows schematically an application of the field device of FIG. 1.

#Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a field device F1 which, according to the invention, serves to visualize conditions of a process PZ, particularly of an automated process, on site. Field device F1, as indicated in FIG. 1, may be a device which is installed in a plant implementing the process PZ and which senses at least a first physical or chemical process variable PV1, such as a level meter, a mass flowmeter, a pH meter, a pressure gage, or a limit detector. However, field device F1 may also be a data recording device installed on site, i.e., in the plant, or an actuator acting on the process PZ, such as a valve or a pump.

#Preferably, field device F1 is connected to a field bus FB, particularly a serial field bus, via which it communicates with a stored-program control located close to the field, with a control room, or with other field devices. Therefore, field device F1 includes a communications interface COM which serves to couple the device to field bus FB and is adapted to the respective communications protocol used.

#For on-site visualization of process conditions, field device F1 comprises a display AV with a display element AE of variable optical appearance and with a display controller AS for display element AE.