A method for exchanging data between several field devices includes: implementing an exchange of data between a requesting field device and a responding field device using a publish-subscribe principle; subscribing the responding field device to request messages whose message titles include a specification of a field device identifier of the responding field device; subscribing the requesting field device to response messages whose message titles include a request identifier known to the requesting field device; the requesting field device publishing a request message to a data broker, the message title of the request message including the request identifier and the specification; the responding field device receiving the request message, evaluating the request message, and publishing a corresponding response message to the data broker, the message title of the response message including the request identifier; and the requesting field device receiving the response message based on the subscription to the response message.

A field device (10) includes a sensor (11) that measures a physical quantity and outputs a measurement signal indicating a measured value, converters (12, 15, 16) that perform a predetermined conversion process on the measurement signal, and a processor (17) that outputs an output signal corresponding to the measurement signal subjected to the conversion process. The processor (17) starts verifying operational soundness of the converters (12, 15, 16) when the measurement signal subjected to the conversion process satisfies a predetermined condition, and outputs, while the operational soundness of the converters (12, 15, 16) is being verified, a signal corresponding to the measurement signal subjected to the conversion process and acquired immediately before the operational soundness of the converters (12, 15, 16) is verified, or a signal corresponding to the measurement signal indicating a predetermined measured value of the sensor (11), as the output signal.

A field device energy management unit for a field device with an energy store for temporarily storing energy for a load of the field device includes a first current path connected or connectable to the energy store on the input side and in which a first diode is arranged on the output side, at least one second current path connected or connectable to a voltage supply of the field device on the input side, and in which a second diode is arranged on the output side, where the first and the second diode are operable such that, when the energy consumption of the load is low, the first diode is connected in the reverse direction and the second diode is connected in the forward direction and, when the energy consumption of the load is high, the first diode is connected in the forward direction

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.

A method for operating a flowmeter having at least one diagnostic unit, a counter unit and a storage unit with at least one memory for carrying out a plurality of time-limited measuring operations during which the counter unit determines at least the overall volume of a fluid passing through the flowmeter during one measuring operation. The counter unit is operated for the duration of a time-limited measuring operation, and the diagnostic unit recognizes at least one erroneous or error-free state of the flowmeter. The method ensures a particularly high reliability of the measured values determined during an individual measuring operation by the diagnostic unit generating at least one status message based on the state that is transmitted to the storage unit and stored in the memory, and by several status messages being transmitted and cumulatively stored in the memory at least for the duration of the measuring operation.

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.

Devices, systems, and methods for controller programming migration automation are described herein. One device includes instructions executable to receive controller programming information associated with a first controller of a building system, wherein the received controller programming information is of a first information type, convert the received controller programming information to a second information type associated with a second controller of the building system, based, at least in part, on a set of conversion rules particular to the first controller and the second controller, and generate a report including information associated with the conversion.

A computer-implemented method for configuring a plurality of field devices is provided. The method includes defining a configuration template and mapping the configuration template to a plurality of field devices. The defined configuration template is automatically applied to the plurality of field devices. A method of verifying field device configuration information is also provided.

A method for configuring a target field device in an industrial plant by way of at least one mobile device including receiving configuration data characterizing the behavior of a source field device in the industrial plant from the source field device through the mobile device by way of a radio interface of the mobile device, which is also supported by the source field device, receiving at least one identification feature characterizing a target field device and/or function of the target field device in the industrial plant by a mobile device by way of a radio interface of the mobile device, which is also supported by the target field device checking by way of the mobile device, using the identification feature, whether the configuration data are suitable and/or intended for the configuration of the target field device, and in response to the configuration data being suitable and/or provided for the configuration of the target field device, transmitting at least a subset of the configuration data from the mobile device to the target field device by way of a radio interface of the mobile device which is also supported by the target field device.

The invention relates to a method for the distributed calculation of calculation tasks by means of field devices of an industrial plant, wherein a plurality of field devices are coupled to a task distribution unit by means of a data link, the field devices effect a control of the industrial plant in an operating state in each case, at least one of the field devices receives a calculation task from the task distribution unit in an idle state and changes to a calculation state in which the calculation task is processed.