The present disclosure resides in a method for monitoring an automated plant, which has a fieldbus access unit connected with a first communication network, wherein the first communication network has a plurality of field devices and network nodes, wherein a communication driver, which runs in a first frame application, which is implemented in a client computer connected with the fieldbus access unit via a second communication network, queries structure data of network nodes and field devices present in the first communication network, wherein the structure data are generated by the fieldbus access unit in the context of the query by scanning the address space of the network level and determining the network nodes and field devices present in the address space. The present disclosure further resides in a fieldbus access unit and an arrangement, comprising a client computer and a fieldbus access unit.

Described herein are several embodiments relating to modular irrigation controllers. In many implementations, the irrigation controllers are modular in that various functional components of the irrigation controller are implemented in removable modules that when inserted into position within the controller, expand the capabilities of the controller. Also described are various different types of expansion modules that may be coupled to the modular controller, having as variety of functions and features, as well as related methods of use and configuration of these modules in the controller. In one implementation, an expansion module is provided that includes a microcontroller capable of sending and receiving data communications to and from a main microcontroller of the controller that executed irrigation programs, the data communications relating to an irrigation program.

A portable field maintenance tool system for performing a plurality of different functional tasks on one or more equipment assets in a plant includes a handheld base and a plurality of functional modules for attachment to the handheld base. Each functional module, when operatively attached to the handheld base, interacts with computer circuits on the handheld base to perform a pre-defined one or more of the functional tasks. A portable handheld field maintenance tool for performing one or more pre-selected ones of the functional tasks on an equipment asset in a plant is formed by operatively mounting any one of the functional modules to the handheld base.

The present disclosure relates to troubleshooting errors in a system of automation technology. For each of a plurality of field devices a current status and location information is stored in a database. The method also includes steps of providing a list of field devices and their location information for which a service status or diagnostic status has been recorded due to an error, and selecting one of the field devices in the list using the operating unit. The method also includes gathering a current location position of an operator using the operating unit, and locating the selected field device using a current location position of the operating unit and the location information of the selected field device using the operating unit. The method also includes connecting the selected field device to the operating unit and operating the selected field device using the operating unit in order to troubleshoot the error.

A system and method is disclosed for configuring a group of mobile field devices using a configuration device (an HMI) is provided. In particular, the HMI is programmed to configure identically programmed field devices that are arbitrarily arranged in an application-dependent formation by defining and providing configuration parameters to the devices via wired and/or wireless communication. In particular, the HMI assigns a unique identifier to respective robots as a function of the position of the robot within the formation or the layout of the environment. Accordingly each robot can be efficiently configured by the HMI to operate independently yet as a coordinated member of the group and without requiring the robots to be placed in specific positions during the initial deployment. This obviates the need for constant independent control commands for each robot by a central controller or providing a customized control program to each robot during deployment.

A device maintenance apparatus, includes: a communication control part configured to control a communication with a device; a device information acquisition part configured to acquire device information of the device via the communication; a storage configured to store maintenance process information, the maintenance process information including device specifying information for specifying a maintenance target device and process specifying information for specifying details of a maintenance process; and an information processing part configured to compare the acquired device information to the stored maintenance process information, and to execute a maintenance process on the device based on the result of the comparison.

A portable field maintenance tool may perform one or more tasks, such as communicating with a field device, powering a field device, diagnosing a field device, or diagnosing a communication link in a plant environment to which a field device is connected. The portable field maintenance tool may interact with field devices configured according to a number of different communication protocols, such as the HART protocol and the Fieldbus protocol. The portable field maintenance tool may be energy limited and fault tolerant, and may operate in compliance with Intrinsic Safety standards, enabling use of the portable field maintenance tool in hazardous areas.

A field device for process automation, comprising a short-range wireless communication circuit having a mobile communication device and a control circuit for controlling the communication circuit. The control circuit selects data stored in the field device, instructs the communication circuit to transmit the selected data in a publicly available broadcast mode, establishes a short-range communication connection with the mobile communication device, and uses configuration data that the mobile communication device has sent to the field device after establishing the short-range communication connection in order to change the selection of data sent out in the publicly available broadcast mode or to stop the broadcast mode.

The invention relates to a method for operating a processing device (2) that comprises a control unit (4) and at least one field device (8, 10, 12) connected to said control unit (4) for the purpose of exchanging data via a data exchange connection (6), in which a field device (10) to be exchanged is replaced by another field device (12) to be inserted, and which comprises the steps of: generating an exchange signal (AS) using an exchange signal generator (14), and transmitting said exchange signal (AS) to the control unit (4). The invention also relates to a corresponding processing device and a control unit, field device, and exchange signal generator, as well as a computer program.

The present disclosure relates to a method for starting up or servicing a field device: reading unique identification information assigned to the field device via a static code by means of a reading and/or operating tool; optically reading diagnostic information stored in the field device and which relates to at least one current and/or past event assigned to the field device, via a dynamic code generated by the field device by means of the reading and/or operating tool; transmitting the identification and diagnostic information from the reading and/or operating tool to a cloud-based service platform, transmitting device and/or application-specific information for remedying the event characterized by the diagnostic information from the cloud-based service platform to the reading and/or operating tool, and eliminating the event or effects of the event using the transmitted device-specific and/or application-specific information.