Apparatus for use in an industrial process and plant including such apparatuses as well as method for simulating operation of such a plant
AssigneeEndress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
InventorsKlaus-Peter Lindner, Erich Georg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Memorized in an apparatus (10, 12, 14) for use in an industrial process, connectable to a central control unit (18) via a bus (16) for communicating data and control signals, is a software apparatus model (20, 22, 24) which contains a comprehensive mimic image of the apparatus including its parameters, functionality and sequence programs.
Claims10
In an industrial process including a central control unit, a bus and a plurality of field devices connected to the central control unit via the bus, a simulation arrangement including:
- a software apparatus model associated with at least one of the field devices, said software apparatus model being a mimic image of the field device with which said software apparatus model is associated, including parameters, functionalities and programs of the field device with which said software apparatus model is associated, wherein:
- said software apparatus model is stored in the field device with which said software apparatus model is associated,
- said software apparatus model is loadable via the bus in the central control unit, and
- the central control unit being provided with the parameters, functionalities and programs of the field device with which said software apparatus model is associated, so that the field device with which said software apparatus model is associated can be simulated in the central control unit.
A plant including:
- a central control unit, a bus and a plurality of apparatuses connected to the central control unit via the bus;
- and
- a simulation arrangement having an apparatus model associated with each apparatus, said apparatus model having memorized software which is a specification of the apparatus containing a mimic image including parameters, functionalities and programs of the apparatus, wherein:
- the software of each apparatus being loadable into said central control unit so that the operation of the plant can be simulated by testing all parameters and functionalities in said software.
A method of simulation the operation of a plant including a central control unit, a buss and at least one apparatus having memorized software which is a specification of the apparatus containing a mimic image of the apparatus, the mimic image including parameters, functionalities and programs of the apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- loading the software of the apparatuses to be employed in the plant into the central control unit;
- and
- simulating the operation of the plant by including all parameters and functionalities contained in the software by means of a software program sequence in the control unit.
A control unit used in an industrial process connected via a bus to at least one apparatus of the industrial process, comprising:
- means memorizing a software, said software being a specification of said at least one apparatus containing a mimic image of said at least one apparatus including parameters, functionalities and programs of said at least one apparatus, said software providing said control unit with said specification of said at least one apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.