A self-diagnostic circuit includes an electrical conductor configured to multiplex, a first switch interposing the electrical conductor, and a first module crossing the first switch. The first module includes a first receptor antenna associated with the conductor on one side of the first switch, a first emitter antenna associated with the conductor on an opposite side of the first switch, and a first interfacing microprocessor. The first interfacing microprocessor is configured to receive no signal from the first receptor antenna when the first switch is open thus generating a first open signal and a first address signal indicative of the first module and outputting the first open signal and the first address signal to the conductor via the first emitter antenna. The first interfacing microprocessor is further configured to receive a first induced frequency signal from the first receptor antenna when the first switch is closed thus generating a first closed signal and the first address signal indicative of the first module and outputting the first closed signal and the first address signal to the conductor via the first emitter antenna.

The invention relates to a safety sensor (1) for monitoring the operational safety of a system (2), comprising at least one safety signal input (11, 12) and at least one safety signal output (15, 16) for receiving and outputting safety signals, respectively. A first signal state of the safety signal signals a safe operating state of the system and is represented by a signal value from a first value range assigned to the first signal state, and a second signal state signals an unsafe operating state of the system and is represented by a signal value from a second value range which is assigned to the second signal state and which differs from the first value range. The safety sensor has a control unit (13) which is designed to detect the operating state of the system and output an output safety signal at the at least one safety signal output, the signal state of the safety signal signaling the detected operating state. The control unit is additionally designed to imprint the output safety signal with additional data, wherein the signal value of the output safety signal is changed within the limits of the value range assigned to the presently output signal state of the output safety signal depending on the additional data of the signal value of the output safety signal, and/or the control unit is designed to imprint the received input safety signal with additional data, wherein the signal value of the received input safety signal is changed within the limits of the value range assigned to the presently received signal state of the input safety signal depending on the additional data of the signal value of the received input safety signal.

A field device includes a controller and a process communication module. The controller is configured to perform at least one operation related to process control and is also configured to perform at least one self-recovery operation relative to the field device. The process communication module is coupled to the controller and is configured to couple to a process communication segment and communicate in accordance with a process communication protocol. The controller is configured to detect an erroneous condition and selectively apply the at least one self-recovery operation in response to the detected erroneous condition.

An electronic device is configured to check soundness of the electronic device on the basis of device specific information of the electronic device. The electronic device includes a module configured to automatically set and input at least one of the device specific information upon factory shipment of the electronic device and the device specific information upon mounting of the electronic device, into the electronic device.

A field device, which measures a physical quantity in a plant or processes the physical quantity, includes: an instruction unit configured to output a verification execution instruction signal for instructing execution of verification of the field device; an operation verifying unit configured to verify an operation of at least one element of the field device in response to the verification execution instruction signal and to verify an operation of the field device based on the verification result; and an output unit configured to output the verification result which is a result of verification of the operation by the operation verifying unit.

Described is a method for verifying the functional integrity of a safety controller that provides safety functions for one or more machines and has a central evaluation and control unit for operating the safety controller. The method comprises: powering on the safety controller; verifying a stored machine-readable instruction as to whether a commissioning test is to be executed; if verified, displaying information indicating that the commissioning test is to be executed; initiating a verification routine executable by the safety controller, the evaluation and control unit automatically verifying via the verification routine whether a user has successfully verified each of the safety functions; if all of the safety functions are successfully verified, deleting the machine-readable instruction that the commissioning test is to be executed; and if not all of the safety functions are successfully verified, storing the machine-readable instruction, indicating that the commissioning test is to be executed anew.