Efficient addressing in wireless hart protocol

A communication network operating in a process control environment, comprising:

• a plurality of field devices each configured to perform a physical control function within the process control environment and to transmit process control data corresponding to the physical control function;
• a computing device communicatively coupled to a Distributed Control System (DCS) and configured to configure the plurality of field devices;
• a first field device of the plurality of field devices, the first field device being configured by the computing device, having only a wired connection to the Distributed Control System (DCS), and supporting a wired protocol for transferring process control data generated by a respective physical process control function performed by the first field device to a second field device and to the computing device;
• the first device including a unique wired address of the wired protocol for transferring process control data;
• the second field device of the plurality of field devices, the second field device being configured by the computing device, having a wireless connection to the DCS, and supporting a wireless protocol for transferring process control data generated by a respective physical process control function performed by the second field device to the computing device and for transferring the process control data to the first field device or to another field device supporting the wired protocol;
• the second device including a unique wireless address extended from the wired protocol for transferring process control data, wherein:
• the wireless protocol comprises a network layer and a session layer added to the wired protocol,
• the wireless protocol and the wireless protocol share a common application layer including command oriented, predefined data types and application procedures corresponding to the plurality of field devices, and
• a wired addressing scheme of the wired protocol is included in a wireless addressing scheme of the wireless protocol at the network layer of the wireless protocol;
• and
• a routing device transferring data between the first field device and the DCS and between the second field device and the DCS based on the unique wired address of the first device associated with the wired protocol and based on the unique wireless address of the second field device associated with the wired protocol.

A method of providing an efficient addressing in a wireless mesh network operating in a process control environment, the method comprising:

• extending a wired protocol to generate a wireless protocol by adding a network layer and a session layer to the wired protocol, the wireless protocol and the wireless protocol sharing an application layer including command oriented, predefined data types and application procedures corresponding to a plurality of wireless devices participating in the wireless mesh network;
• associating a unique first address including a device identifier and a device type code with each of the plurality of wireless devices participating in the wireless mesh network, the unique first address being consistent with the wired protocol;
• associating a unique second address with the each of the plurality of wireless devices participating in the wireless mesh network, the unique second address having a length shorter than a length of the unique first address, and the unique second address supported by the wireless protocol;
• routing a packet including data between each of the plurality of wireless devices and at least one other of the plurality of wireless devices by using the network layer of the wireless protocol and based on an indication, included in the packet, of whether the unique first address or on the unique second address is included in the packet;
• and
• routing data between each of the plurality of wireless devices and a host operating outside the wireless mesh network based on a global address including the unique first address and a constant value associated with the wireless mesh network.