An industrial simulation system exchanges data between a virtualized industrial system and an industrial controller at high frequencies and accuracies without the need for additional network emulation hardware. Rather than timing the sending of emulated device data packets from the simulation to the industrial controller using an operating system clock, the simulation system uses the arrival event of a data packet received from the industrial controller as the clock signal that drives the sending of data packets from the virtual system to the controller. Using the arrival time of data packets from the industrial controller as the clock signal rather than the system clock of the operating system can yield high accuracy, low jitter data exchanges during simulation.

An intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool includes a controller, a process communication module, and a display. The process communication module is configured to communicate with a field device using a process communication protocol. The display is coupled to the controller. A user interface module is also coupled to the controller and is configured to receive user input. The controller is configured to detect a user input help request and provide a video output on the display in response to the user input help request.

A process control system includes an engineering system for planning automation components into the project for a technical plant, a simulation framework for modeling the process behavior of field devices, a simulation unit for virtualizing the communication behavior of the real field devices and also includes a plant planning tool for planning the process engineering components of the plant into the project by which the commissioning of field-related components and a secure commissioning of a process engineering plant are made possible.

A handheld field maintenance tool includes a training mode. The handheld field maintenance tool has a process communication module operably coupleable to a field device, a user interface, and a controller coupled to the process communication module and the user interface. The controller is configured to interact with a user through the user interface, and is configured to provide a simulation function where at least one characteristic of the field device, indicated through the user interface, is generated by the controller instead of the field device.

A process control system includes an engineering system for planning automation components into the project for a technical plant, a simulation framework for modeling the process behavior of field devices, a simulation unit for virtualizing the communication behavior of the real field devices and also includes a plant planning tool for planning the process engineering components of the plant into the project by which the commissioning of field-related components and a secure commissioning of a process engineering plant are made possible.

An intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool is provided. The tool includes a process communication module configured to communicate with a field device in accordance with a process industry communication protocol. A controller is coupled to the process communication module and is configured to provide at least one function related to maintenance of the field device. Program instructions embodied on a computer readable medium coupled to the controller, the program instructions causing the controller, when executed by the controller, to provide operator rounds functionality, CMMS/EAM functionality and/or ERP functionality.

A handheld field maintenance tool with improved diagnostic functions is provided. The tool includes a process communication module configured to interact with a field device. A controller is coupled to the process communication module. The controller is configured to execute a number of improved diagnostic functions relative to the field device. The controller may obtain contextual information relative to a current field maintenance operation and preload at least one resource relative to a next field operation step. The controller may obtain process alarm information through a wireless communication module, and field device alert information through the process communication module and provide an indication on a display relative to both process alarm information and field device alert information. The controller may execute a sequence of field device maintenance operations on the field device in response to a signal from a user input device. The controller may obtain snapshot information in response to a signal from a user input device.

A handheld field maintenance tool is provided. The handheld field maintenance tool includes a process communication module configured to communicate with a field device. The handheld field maintenance tool also includes a display and a user input device. A controller is coupled to the process communication module, the user input device and the display and is configured to generate a listing of task-based field maintenance operations on the display and receive a user input selecting a task-based field maintenance operation. The controller is configured to automatically traverse a menu of the field device using a fast-key sequence relative to the selected task. A method of creating a task-based field maintenance operation is provided. A method of interacting with a field device menu is also provided.

An intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool includes a controller, a process communication module, and a display. The process communication module is configured to communicate with a field device using a process communication protocol. The display is coupled to the controller. A user interface module is also coupled to the controller and is configured to receive user input. The controller is configured to detect a user input help request and provide a video output on the display in response to the user input help request.