In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to use with irrigation devices connected to a multi-wire path in an irrigation system. In some embodiments, there is provided a system for use with irrigation devices including a modulator configured to provide an output power signal modulated with data; a multi-wire interface coupled to the modulator and configured to electrically couple to the multi-wire path extending into a landscape and to which the irrigation devices are connected; and a control circuit configured to execute an automated device discovery process configured to cause the modulator to modulate data comprising a discovery message on the output power signal, the discovery message indicating a portion of an address to match and prompting a response from one or more of the irrigation devices in which a corresponding portion of the unique address matches the portion of the address to match.

Disclosed is a system for collecting data from an automated plant having a field device connected for communication and for exchanging telegrams with a superordinate unit by means of a communication loop using a first protocol. The system includes a hat rail; and a terminal module mounted on the hat rail and embodied to monitor telegrams transmitted from the field device to the superordinate unit via the communication loop. The terminal module is further embodied to convert monitored telegrams into a second protocol and to output the converted telegrams. The system further includes a head module mounted on the hat rail and connected with the terminal module. The electronics unit of the head module is embodied to convert telegrams output from the terminal module into a third protocol to output them via the first network interface.

A method includes determining, by a field instrument in an industrial process and control system, a Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) mode of the field instrument. The method also includes, upon a determination, by the field instrument, that the HART mode is a HART On Demand mode, listening for a HART data signal from a HART master device; when the HART data signal is detected, communicating with the HART master device according to a HART protocol; and when the HART data signal is not detected, diverting a current supply allocated for HART communication to a BLUETOOTH Low Energy (BLE) transceiver for use in BLE communication, and communicating according to a BLE protocol.

An output module for an industrial controller provides electrical isolation between each of the output terminals in the module. The output module receives control signals from the industrial controller indicating a desired output state for each of the output terminals and selectively connects power from the output of the electrical isolation to the output terminal. During normal operation, a switching device connects the power to the output terminal responsive to the control signal. A current sensor monitors the current conducted at the output terminal. If the current exceeds a predefined threshold, a current limit circuit clamps the current being output at the terminal. A control circuit may allow the output terminal to ride through a temporary spike in current or disable the output terminal if a fault condition is detected.

The present invention teaches a solenoid-valve actuator that is battery-powered and communicates remotely and wirelessly (e.g., via LoRaWAN) to a gateway that communicates with the internet, thereby enabling a user to remotely control fluid flow through a solenoid valve. The end device interfaces to a range of latching solenoid operated valves, e.g., for the control of water flow in irrigation systems.

I/O network modules connect field devices to a process control network. Each I/O network module includes a set of electrical connectors for connecting a field device to the module and an I/O channel extending from the set of electrical connectors to a network port. The I/O channel includes a conversion circuit that converts between an I/O signal and network-compatible signals. Each I/O channel connected to the process control network through an I/O network module is associated with its own unique network address. This enables controllers and field devices on the process control network to communicate essentially directly with one another through the network.

A system and method for visualizing process information in industrial process applications, wherein the process information is comprised in data objects related to process elements and data objects are represented as visualized data objects according to pre-defined visualization styles, and wherein a data object is representable by a plurality of different visualization styles, includes running a visualization application for visualizing the process information, selecting a visualization style for a data object during run time of the visualization application, and applying the visualization style according to the selection during run time of the visualization application.

A method for configuring and parameterizing field bus subscribers interconnected via a field bus, wherein a first field bus subscriber provides and/or receives process data and a second field bus subscriber allows a user program to run, where a topology is determined by a configuration tool with configuration parameters of the field bus subscribers in a configuration file, the first field bus subscriber is parameterized for subsequent communication via the field bus with a configuration data set including a first part of the configuration file, from the configuration file and further code portions from a program library, an object-orientated class is generated with elements and functions for communication between the first and second field bus subscribers, and the class is instanced in the user program of the second field bus subscriber, the functions being used for communication during execution of the user program to permit access to the process data.

A communication module (100) for monitoring a machine (200) includes a serial interface (110) connectable to a serial interface of the machine (200); a telecommunications interface (120) connectable to a telecommunications network; and a control unit (130) configured to transmit data received via the serial interface (110) to a monitoring server (300) via the telecommunications interface (120). The module (100) provides network connectivity to industrial machinery, thereby providing a means of remotely monitoring such machines, including legacy machines which may not otherwise support network connectivity.

An I/O interface configuration device for configuring I/O interfaces comprises an input interface, an output interface, a storage unit, a detecting pin, a converting unit and a computing unit. The input interface electrically connects to a controlling port of a controlling circuit to receive a data type. The output interface electrically connects to a controlled port of a controlled device to output another data type. The storage unit stores a plurality of configuration files, one of the configuration files corresponds to a circuit type of the controlling circuit. The detecting pin is adapted to retrieve the circuit type. The converting unit converts the data type to said another data type and selectively outputs said another data type from the output interface. The computing unit loads the configuration file corresponding to the circuit type and control the converting unit to configure the I/O interface according to the configuration file.