Described herein are several embodiments relating to irrigation controllers. In many implementations, the irrigation controllers include a housing and a removable plug-in device. The housing includes a control portion comprising a first microcontroller configured to execute stored irrigation programs. The housing includes an interface connector port and driver circuitry configured to actuate irrigation valves based on control signals received from the first microcontroller. The removable plug-in device removably coupled to the interface connector port and comprising a second microcontroller and a wireless modem configured to communicate with a wireless network. The second microcontroller configured to send and receive data communications to and from the first microcontroller, such that the first microcontroller and the second microcontroller function together during use of the irrigation controller, wherein the removable plug-in device does not include any driver circuitry configured to actuate any irrigation valves based on any control signals received from the first microcontroller.

According to an aspect, there is provided method for analyzing movement. Initially, information on one or more desired movement properties for a moving element of a mechanical system powered by an electrical machine which is controlled by a drive is maintained in a memory of a wireless sensing device. The wireless sensing device including one or more sensors is detachably fixed to the moving element of the mechanical system. The one or more sensors include one or more kinematic sensors. The wireless sensing device acquire results of a plurality of measurements performed by the wireless sensing device while the moving element is in motion. During the acquiring, the wireless sensing device compares results of the plurality of measurements with the one or more desired movement properties and communicates with the drive to adjust one or more drive parameters based on the comparing.

Methods and systems to commission building environmental sensors are disclosed. The system include a device that will move about the environment of a building (inside and/or outside) and detect building environmental sensor devices that are installed in the environment. For each of the sensor devices, in response to detecting the sensor device, the system will retrieve an identifier for the sensor device, and it will determine whether the sensor device is registered with a control system. If the sensor device is registered with the control system, the system will not automatically implement a commissioning process with the sensor device. If the sensor device is not registered with the control system, the system will automatically implement the commissioning process with the sensor device.

The disclosure relates to an automation device of a group of automation devices, comprising: a communication interface configured to communicate with a second automation device of the group of automation devices via a communication network; wherein the communication interface is configured to receive a status message of the second automation device that indicates a state or a change in state of the second automation device; and a light source configured to emit a light signal indicating the state or the change in state of the second automation device in response to the receiving of the status message.

An industrial service device fleet management system implements an organized and easy to use methodology to manage the digital content stored on each of a plurality of portable or stationary devices used in a plant, such as portable maintenance devices, to assure that each of the portable devices receives or implements only the content that it is supposed to have and is upgraded at the appropriate time to include new content, features, etc. The fleet management system includes a memory for storing information related to the fleet of portable or stationary devices including device identifications, device descriptions, end user names and privileges, the current content of each of the portable devices, and templates defining configuration parameters for the portable or stationary devices. The system also includes a content downloader that obtains, stores, and downloads content (such as software and firmware upgrades, additional features, applications, drivers, knowledge articles, etc.) for execution or display in various ones of the portable or stationary devices, includes a content decider module that analyzes when and if various ones of the portable or stationary devices should be provided additional or new content, and includes a notification system that notifies users of the portable or stationary devices of the need to upgrade or provide new content to the portable or stationary devices.

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 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 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.

An industrial service device fleet management system implements an organized and easy to use methodology to manage the digital content stored on each of a plurality of portable or stationary devices used in a plant, such as portable maintenance devices, to assure that each of the portable devices receives or implements only the content that it is supposed to have and is upgraded at the appropriate time to include new content, features, etc. The fleet management system includes a memory for storing information related to the fleet of portable or stationary devices including device identifications, device descriptions, end user names and privileges, the current content of each of the portable devices, and templates defining configuration parameters for the portable or stationary devices. The system also includes a content downloader that obtains, stores, and downloads content (such as software and firmware upgrades, additional features, applications, drivers, knowledge articles, etc.) for execution or display in various ones of the portable or stationary devices, includes a content decider module that analyzes when and if various ones of the portable or stationary devices should be provided additional or new content, and includes a notification system that notifies users of the portable or stationary devices of the need to upgrade or provide new content to the portable or stationary devices.

A method for parametering a field device of automation technology by means of a service device. The field device includes at least a battery, a radio module and a non-volatile memory. The battery supplies the radio module and the non-volatile memory, in which parameters of the field device are stored, with energy. The method comprises the steps of: establishing a wireless connection between the servicing device and the battery operated radio module of the field device, wherein the field device is operated offline; reading and/or writing parameters of the field device stored in the non-volatile memory; terminating the wireless connection between the servicing device and the battery operated radio module of the field device; connecting the field device to a two-wire line for energy supply of the field device; and parametering the field device after connecting to the two-wire line, wherein, for parametering, at least parameters stored in the non-volatile memory are accessed.