Integration of Multiple Communication Physical Layers and Protocols in Process Control Input / Output Devices

Abstract

A process control input / output (I / O) device provides traditional I / O support using a direct physical layer or interface associated with traditional process control communication protocols, while also supporting advanced physical layers or other IP-based physical layers and the communication protocols running on top of them. Additionally, when protocols such as security protocols require additional handshakes, acknowledgments, etc., the new I / O device can nest protocols within other protocols for use. Further, the new I / O device includes hardware configurable capabilities that enable easy configuration of process control systems using multiple different physical layers (including those used by traditional process control communication protocols such as HART and FOUNDATION Fieldbus protocols) and more advanced physical layers (including those used by IP-based, Ethernet-based, packet-based, and other types of advanced communication protocols).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application generally relates to process control systems and, more particularly, to a process control system for communicatively coupling field devices to a process controller in a process control system using multiple physical layers that support different communication protocols. Background Art

[0002] Distributed process control systems, such as those used in chemical, petroleum, industrial, or other process plants for manufacturing, refining, converting, generating, or producing physical materials or products, typically include one or more process controllers communicatively coupled to one or more field devices via a physical layer, which can be an analog, digital, or combined analog / digital bus, or can include one or more wireless communication links or networks. Field devices, which can be, for example, valves, valve positioners, switches, and transmitters (e.g., temperature, pressure, level, and flow rate sensors), are located within the process environment and typically perform physical process control functions, such as opening or closing valves, measuring process and / or environmental parameters (e.g., flow, temperature, or pressure, etc.), to control one or more processes being performed within the process plant or system. Intelligent field devices (such as field devices compliant with well-known Fieldbus protocols) can also perform control calculations, alarm functions, and other control functions typically implemented within a controller. Process controllers, which are also typically located within the plant environment, receive signals indicative of process measurements made by the field devices and / or other information related to the field devices, and execute a controller application that runs, for example, to make process control decisions, generate process control signals based on the received information, and communicate with field devices (such as field devices, wireless field devices, and The control module or block executed in a fieldbus field device coordinates to generate a process control signal. To perform such communication, the control module in the process controller sends the control signal to various different input / output (I / O) devices, and then these input / output devices send these control signals to the actual field device through a communication line or link (communication physical layer), thereby controlling the operation of at least a part of the process plant or system. For example, to control at least a part of one or more industrial processes running or executed within the plant or system. The I / O devices, which are also usually located in the plant environment, are typically arranged between the process controller and one or more field devices, and communicate therebetween, for example, by converting an electrical signal into a digital value and converting a digital value into an electrical signal. Different I / O devices are provided to support field devices using different communication protocols. Specifically, different I / O devices are provided between the process controller and each field device among the field devices using a specific communication protocol, such that a first I / O device is used to support HART field devices, a second I / O device is used to support Fieldbus field devices, a third I / O device is used to support Profibus field devices, etc. As used herein, field devices, controllers, and I / O devices are generally referred to as "process control devices" and are typically located, arranged, or installed in the field environment of a process control system or plant.

[0003] Furthermore, information from field devices and process controllers is generally available via a data highway or communication network to one or more other hardware devices, such as operator workstations, personal computers or computing devices, data historians, report generators, centralized databases, or other centralized management computing devices, which are typically placed in a control room or other locations away from the harsher field environment of the plant, for example, in the back-end environment of the process plant. Each of these hardware devices is generally centralized over the entire process plant or a part of the process plant. These hardware devices run applications that can, for example, enable an operator to perform functions regarding controlling the process and / or operating the process plant, such as changing the settings of process control routines, modifying the operation of control modules within the controller or field device, viewing the current state of the process, viewing alarms generated by field devices and controllers, simulating the operation of the process for the purpose of training personnel or testing process control software, maintaining and updating a configuration database, etc. The data highway used by the hardware devices and the process controller can include a wired communication path, a wireless communication path, or a combination of wired and wireless communication paths, and typically uses packet-based communication protocols and non-time-sensitive communication protocols, such as Ethernet or IP protocols.

[0004] As an example, DeltaV sold by Emerson Automation SolutionsTM The control system includes multiple applications that are stored in and executed by different devices located at different positions within a process plant. A configuration application residing in one or more workstations or computing devices in the back-end environment of the process control system or plant enables a user to create or change process control modules and download these process control modules to dedicated distributed controllers via a data highway. Typically, these control modules are composed of communicatively interconnected function blocks, which are objects in an object-oriented programming protocol, that execute functions within a control scheme based on inputs thereto and provide outputs to other function blocks within the control scheme. The configuration application may also allow a configuration designer to create or change an operator interface, which is used by a viewing application to display data to an operator and enable the operator to change settings within a process control routine, such as setpoints. Each dedicated controller (and in some cases, one or more field devices) stores and executes its respective controller application, which runs the control modules that are allocated and downloaded to the dedicated controller to implement actual process control functions. A viewing application, which may be executed on one or more operator workstations (or on one or more remote computing devices communicatively connected to the operator workstations and the data highway), receives data from the controller application via the data highway and displays the data to a process control system designer, operator, or user using a user interface, and may provide any of a plurality of different views, such as an operator view, an engineer view, a technician view, a maintenance view, etc. A data historian application is typically stored in and executed by a data historian device, which collects and stores some or all of the data provided via the data highway, and a configuration database application may run in another computer attached to the data highway to store the current process control routine configuration and associated data. Alternatively, the configuration database may be located in the same workstation as the configuration application.

[0005] As described above, a process control system can include a plurality of field devices that provide many different functional capabilities within a factory, and these field devices are communicatively coupled to a process controller using one of a variety of different types of physical interfaces or the physical layer of a communication interface. For example, a general process control communication physical interface uses a two-wire interface that is established in a point-to-point wiring connection arrangement (e.g., only one field device is communicatively coupled to a particular wire interface) or in a multi-drop wiring connection arrangement (e.g., multiple field devices are communicatively coupled to a wire interface). However, some field devices can be connected to the controller using a wireless communication physical layer that can include a wireless gateway and a transmitter / receiver device. Further still, field devices are typically configured to communicate with a process controller using one of a variety of different communication protocols. These communication protocols are generally digital signal protocols, but can also be analog protocols (e.g., 4-20ma protocol) or a combined digital and analog protocol (e.g., HART protocol). Some of these protocols operate using relatively simple commands and / or communications (e.g., ON and OFF commands used in the CAN protocol), while other protocols are more complex as they require more commands and / or more communication information, and these other protocols may or may not include simple commands. For example, a more complex protocol can use, for example, a high-speed addressable remote sensor communication protocol to transmit an analog value with digital communication superimposed on the analog value. Other field devices can use a fully digital communication that provides many types of communication (e.g., Fieldbus communication protocol). Other process control communication protocols include the PROFIBUS communication protocol, although other process control communication protocols have been developed and are also being used. Each of these communication protocols requires or needs to be supported by a particular physical layer, which can include physical layers such as two-wire, four-wire, etc., specific switches, etc. In addition, the physical layer can specify a maximum or minimum wire length, wire thickness, wire type, termination type, other electrical characteristics, etc.

[0006] Due to the development of these different field device communication protocols, each of these field device communication protocols typically uses different communication wiring (physical layer) and signaling formats. Various different field devices (e.g., field devices using different protocols) are communicatively connected to a process controller via different input / output devices (I / O devices), where each different I / O device conforms to a different protocol in the process control protocol and supports a specific type of physical layer. That is, a typical plant can have a controller coupled to multiple different I / O devices, including Fieldbus I / O devices (which are in turn coupled to one or more FOUNDATION Fieldbus field devices via a two-wire or four-wire bus conforming to FOUNDATION Fieldbus), HART I / O devices coupled to each of one or more HART-compliant field devices via a separate two-wire or four-wire single-branch connection, CAN I / O devices coupled to one or more CAN-compliant field devices via a CAN-compliant wiring connection, and so on.

[0007] Additionally, coupling the communication port of a field device to a terminal block of an I / O device and ultimately to a process controller in a process plant is typically a complex process. The field device must be coupled to an I / O card that converts the signals received from the field device into signals that can be processed by the process controller and converts the signals received from the controller into signals that can be processed by the field device. Thus, each channel of each I / O card corresponding to a specific field device must be associated with the appropriate signal type (so that the I / O card can process the signals appropriately), and the I / O card must be communicatively coupled to a controller or multiple controllers that will ultimately receive signals from and / or send signals to the field device coupled to that I / O card.

[0008] As described above, each field device is coupled to an I / O device via a terminal block on the I / O device using a specific communication medium or physical layer (e.g., two-wire cable, wireless link, or fiber optic), and also uses one of the above or other dedicated process control communication protocols (HART, CAN, WirelessHART, FOUNDATION Fieldbus, PROFIBUS, etc.) developed in the process control industry. Further, the I / O devices are typically individually connected to a process controller via another bus or wired connection. The use of these different input / output devices means that the physical and logical connections between different field devices must be precisely mapped so that the controllers connected to different I / O devices can keep track of which field devices are connected to which ports of each I / O device in order to route signals to that field device via the correct "path". This problem is particularly troublesome in the HART protocol, in which each field device is connected to a different output port of a HART-compliant I / O device.

[0009] To mitigate such configuration issues, hardware configurable I / O devices have been developed for use with, for example, HART field devices and the HART physical layer. The hardware configurable I / O device includes a hardware configurable platform that connects various different HART field devices (and / or 4-20 mA devices using the same physical layer as HART devices) to a controller. The hardware configurable I / O device includes a removable front-end processor that communicates with one or more process controllers via a first external bus and communicates with a plurality of different configurable I / O slots via a second internal bus, each of which is connected to and associated with a different terminal port (terminal block) of the I / O device. Additionally, each output port or terminal block is configured to be connected to a different field device via a communication line or physical layer compliant with, for example, two-wire or four-wire HART. The hardware configurable I / O device may also include a power supply that powers each of the I / O slots via the same internal bus or via the second internal bus (for HART compliant devices). Importantly, each I / O slot is adapted to receive a hardware module (referred to herein as an electronic marshalling component (EMC)), which, when inserted into the slot, connects the module on one side (input side) to the front-end processor (via an internal communication bus within the I / O device) and the power supply (if present), and connects the module on the other side (output side) to one of the output ports or terminal blocks of the I / O device to which a HART compliant field device may be connected. The hardware module or EMC placed in each particular slot of the I / O device includes a processor and a memory that communicates with a HART compliant field device connected via the output port using the HART communication protocol, and the module operates to obtain configuration information and other information from the connected HART field device. The processor of the hardware module also transmits information about the detected HART compliant field device to the front-end processor of the I / O device, which uses this information to associate a particular hardware slot of the I / O device with the detected field device. In this way, the insertion of the hardware module (along with the operation of its internal processor) enables any HART compliant field device to be coupled to any of the input / output ports of the I / O device and to be automatically detected and configured without the process controller knowing which specific hardware slot / output port of the field device is connected to before the connection actually occurs. Various examples of the hardware configurable I / O device are described in detail in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,684,875; 8,332,567; 8,762,618; 8,977,851; 9,083,548 and 9,495,313, each of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

[0010] It is also well-known to use general IP or other packet-based communication protocols to perform communication between certain other devices within a process plant. For example, packet-based or general IP protocols are typically used over an Ethernet bus that communicatively connects one or more distributed process controllers to one or more user interfaces, databases (e.g., configuration databases and history databases), servers, etc. within a backend plant environment. Thus, Ethernet, which serves as the physical layer and partly as the data link layer, is an important communication platform for automation systems. Importantly, although process control communication protocols such as HART, 4-20ma, FOUNDATION Fieldbus, CAN, and PROFIBUS are currently used by most installed bases to perform communication at the field device level, communication technologies leveraging Ethernet are now emerging as a possible way to enable field device communication. Importantly, Ethernet enables flexibility, scalability, and performance in ways not seen before in automation. To help support the adoption of Ethernet in automation, an Advanced Physical Layer (APL) specification is being designed to support the connection of field devices in remote and hazardous locations. Following APL is the IEEE P802.3cg project, which focuses on the development of enhancements to the existing IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard (IEEE 802.3) for Ethernet over twisted pair cabling (10BASE-T1L). This development is important because there is a long list of automation protocols developed for various purposes that can run on top of the Ethernet physical layer.

[0011] To support the development of this emerging Ethernet-based communication in process control, the FielComm Group has standardized HART-IP as part of the HART7 release. Although HART-IP was initially designed to allow hosts to communicate efficiently with gateways, it has now emerged as a method for devices to communicate directly with I / O servers and hosts. HART-IP is now used in supervisory control applications, diagnostic applications, and condition monitoring applications. Since HART-IP already has a complete description of the devices available to it, it is a good protocol to layer on top of APL. Additionally, another protocol that has wide support at the device level is OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA). Although OPC UA itself does not understand device communication and types, significant efforts are being made in this regard to provide some level of support. Although HART-IP and OPC UA may be adopted by the market relatively quickly, they will not be standalone in their use. Other protocols such as EthernetIP and PROFINET are already available over Ethernet and will be able to run on APL when it is available. Additionally, IT-driven protocols such as MQTT and AMQP will emerge as important protocols as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) gains acceptance.

[0012] However, in process plants that already include an installed base that heavily relies on more traditional field devices (such as HART or FOUNDATION Fieldbus field devices), supporting Ethernet or other advanced physical layers, such as those associated with packet-based or general IP communication protocols, is difficult and not straightforward because these various communication protocols will need to be synthesized or merged at some point in the process control network via one or more electronic marshalling cabinets or devices. It is not currently clear how to integrate these advanced protocols in a typical process plant architecture to operate in a reliable and robust manner. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A new I / O device provides traditional I / O support using a direct physical layer or interface associated with traditional or proprietary process control communication protocols (such as 4 - 20 mA, 1 - 5 v, HART, FOUNDATION Fieldbus, etc.), while at the same time supporting APL - based or other Ethernet or general IP - based physical layers and the communication protocols running on top of them. Additionally, when protocols such as security protocols require additional handshakes, acknowledgments, etc., the new I / O device is capable of nesting protocols within other protocols for use. Further still, the new I / O device includes hardware - configurable capabilities that enable easy configuration of process control systems using multiple different physical layers (including those used by traditional process control communication protocols) and more advanced physical layers (including those used by general IP communication systems) to perform communication at the field device level (e.g., between a process controller and a field device).

[0014] More specifically, the I / O device described herein supports multiple I / O types, including packet - based, IP - based, or other advanced protocols such as HART - IP, OPC UA, Ethernet, etc. The I / O device includes a hybrid physical layer and multi - protocol support, which can be used to implement control at the I / O device in a way that results in improved control. Additionally, the I / O device described herein is capable of supporting request / response, publish / subscribe, event - based communication, and streaming communication, which will greatly assist in supporting combinations of control and industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications (collectively also referred to herein as monitoring systems) that are interested in measurement and actuator data, their capabilities, their diagnostics, and information that can be determined from combinations of these measurements, capabilities, and diagnostics. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary process plant, at least a portion of which implements a hybrid physical layer and communication protocol I / O architecture.

[0016] Figure 2 Depicts a schematic diagram of an exemplary high - level physical layer network connected to an Ethernet bus of a factory Figure 1 and used to support direct IP - based communication with field devices.

[0017] Figure 3 Depicts a hardware - configurable I / O or marshalling device that supports communication with field devices using multiple different physical layers and communication protocols.

[0018] Figure 4 Depicts Figure 3 a partial electrical schematic of a hardware - configurable marshalling device.

[0019] Figure 5 Depicts Figure 3 a marshalling device configured to support both the HART physical layer and the APL physical layer and a device connected thereto using a separate power supply and a field switch in the APL layer.

[0020] Figure 6 Depicts Figure 3 a marshalling device configured to support both the HART physical layer and the APL physical layer and a device connected thereto using a combined APL power supply and a field switch in the APL layer.

[0021] Figure 7 Depicts Figure 3 a marshalling device configured to tunnel a traditional process control communication protocol in another general IP communication protocol via an advanced physical layer communication network to support communication networks of multiple different types of field devices via the APL physical layer.

[0022] Figure 8 Depicts the packet configuration of Fieldbus messages tunneled into IP packets of the HART - IP communication protocol.

[0023] Figure 9 Depicts Figure 3 a marshalling device configured to support wireless device communication using an advanced physical layer network via one or more wireless protocols.

[0024] Figure 10 Depicts Figure 3 a marshalling device configured to support high - security applications using an advanced physical layer network via wireless device communication.

[0025] Figure 11 Depicts Figure 3 a marshalling device configured to support high - security applications using an advanced physical layer via wired device communication. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Figure 1 FIG. depicts a schematic diagram of an exemplary process plant, process control system, or process control environment 5 that may use a hardware-configurable marshalling or I / O device that supports multiple different physical layers and uses these different physical layers to provide communication with field devices in the plant. Generally speaking, Figure 1 The exemplary process plant 5 includes one or more process controllers that receive signals indicative of process measurements made by field devices, process this information to implement control routines, and generate control signals that are sent via a wired or wireless process control communication link (physical layer) to other field devices to control process operations in the plant 5. Typically, each of the field devices performs a physical function (e.g., opening or closing a valve, raising or lowering a temperature, making a measurement, sensing a condition, etc.) to control the operation of the process. Generally, the field devices communicate with the process controllers using I / O devices, and the process controllers, field devices, and I / O devices may be wired or wireless. Additionally, any number and combination of wired and wireless process controllers, field devices, and I / O devices may be included in the process plant environment 5.

[0027] By way of example only, Figure 1 FIG. shows a process controller 11 that is communicatively connected to wired field devices 15 - 22 via standard or traditional process control protocol input / output (I / O) cards 26 and 28, and is communicatively connected to wired field devices 23 and 24 via an advanced or multi-protocol I / O card 29 (which will be referred to herein as a hybrid or multi-protocol I / O card or device, or a hybrid or multi-physical layer I / O device). In this case, the controller 11 is communicatively coupled to the I / O devices 26, 28, and 29 via a backplane bus (not shown) that may implement any desired communication protocol, including any proprietary protocol. The controller 11 is also communicatively connected to wireless field devices 40 - 46 in a wireless network 70 via a wireless gateway 35 and a process control data highway or backbone 10. The process control data highway 10, which may be implemented as an Ethernet communication fabric, may include one or more wired and / or wireless communication links and may be implemented using any desired or suitable general IP communication protocol (e.g., the Ethernet protocol). In some configurations (not shown), the controller 11 may be communicatively connected to the wireless gateway 35 using one or more communication networks different from the backbone 10, such as via any number of other wired or wireless communication links that support one or more communication protocols, such as Wi-Fi or other IEEE 802.11-compliant wireless local area network protocols, mobile communication protocols (e.g., WiMAX, LTE, or other ITU-R-compliant protocols), Profibus, Fieldbus, etc. Further, the controller 11 can be coupled to the field devices 82 via an additional field device network 80 that uses the Advanced Physical Layer (APL) or other physical layers that support more traditional Internet or packet-based communication protocols.

[0028] The controller 11 (which can be, for example, a DeltaV TM controller sold by Emerson Automation Solutions) can operate to implement batch processing or continuous processing using at least some of the field devices 15-24, 40-46, and 82. In addition to being communicatively connected to the process control data highway 10, the controller 11 uses any desired hardware and software associated with various different communication protocols (such as 4-20 mA, Fieldbus protocol, protocol, protocol, etc.) to communicatively connect to at least some of the field devices 15-24, 40-46, and 82 via the I / O cards 26, 28, and 29. In Figure 1 this example, the controller 11, the field devices 15-24 and 82, and the I / O cards 26, 28, and 29 are wired devices, while the field devices 40-46 are wireless field devices. As will be understood, the wired field devices 15-24 and 82 and the wireless field devices 40-46 can conform to any standard or available communication protocol, such as any wired or wireless protocol, including any standard or protocol developed in the future.

[0029] Generally speaking, Figure 1 the process controller 11 includes a processor 30 that implements or monitors one or more process control routines 38 (e.g., stored in the memory 32). The processor 30 is configured to communicate with the field devices 15-24, 82, and 40-46 and other nodes communicatively connected to the controller 11. The control routines 38 can be implemented in any desired software format, such as using object-oriented programming, ladder logic, sequential function charts, functional block diagrams, or using any other software programming language or design paradigm. The control routines 38 can be stored in any desired type of memory 32, such as random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM). Similarly, the control routines 38 can be hard-coded into, for example, one or more EPROMs, EEPROMs, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other hardware or firmware elements. Thus, the controller 11 can be configured to implement control strategies or control routines in any desired manner.

[0030] In one example, the controller 11 implements control strategies using what are commonly referred to as function blocks, where each function block is an object or other part of an overall control routine (such as a subroutine), and operates in conjunction with other function blocks (via communication referred to as links) to implement process control loops within the process control system 5. Function blocks based on control typically perform one of the following: an input function (such as an input function associated with a transmitter, sensor, or other process parameter measurement device), a control function (such as a control function associated with a control routine that performs control such as PID, fuzzy logic, etc.), or an output function (which controls the operation of some device such as a valve to perform some physical function within the process control system 5). Of course, there are hybrid and other types of function blocks. The function blocks can be stored in and executed by the controller 11, which is typically the case when these function blocks are used with standard 4-20 mA devices and some types of intelligent field devices such as certain types of intelligent field devices, or associated therewith, or the function blocks can be stored in and implemented by the field device itself, which can be the case for Fieldbus devices. The controller 11 can thus include one or more control routines 38 that can implement one or more control loops, which are executed by performing one or more of the function blocks.

[0031] The wired field devices 15 - 24, 82 can be any type of device, such as sensors, valves, transmitters, positioners, etc., and the I / O cards 26 and 28 can be any known type of I / O device that conforms to any desired communication or controller protocol. In Figure 1 the figure, the field devices 15 - 18 are shown as standard 4-20 mA devices or devices that communicate with the I / O card 26 via an analog line or a combined analog and digital line (HART or 4-20 physical layer), while the field devices 19 - 22 are intelligent devices, such as Fieldbus field devices, which use the Fieldbus communication protocol and physical layer to communicate with the I / O card 28 via a digital bus. However, in some embodiments, at least some of the wired field devices 15, 16, and 18 - 22 and / or at least some of the I / O cards 26, 28 can alternatively communicate with the controller 11 using other suitable control system protocols (such as Profibus, DeviceNet, Foundation Fieldbus, ControlNet, Modbus, HART, etc.).

[0032] In addition, as Figure 1As generally shown in [FIGURE], the wired field devices 23 and 24 are communicatively coupled to the I / O device 29 via various different communication lines or buses. Specifically, as will be described in more detail herein, the I / O device 29 includes a plurality of output ports, pin connectors, or terminal blocks, each of which may be adapted to receive physical layer hardware (communication lines) associated with different physical layers (e.g., two-wire, three-wire, four-wire, etc. physical layers) that support different field device communication protocols. Additionally, the I / O device 29 supports communicating with different devices connected to its terminal block using different communication protocols. In one example, the I / O device 29 may support and be connected to a HART-compliant physical layer (which may be used to communicate with HART-compliant field devices 23 using the HART communication protocol), and may also support and be connected to one or more other field devices 24 via one or more advanced physical layers (such as an Ethernet bus or line group, APL physical layer, etc.), and may use a packet-based protocol (e.g., IP protocol, Ethernet protocol, etc.) to communicate with the field devices 24, for example, via the advanced physical layer hardware. Of course, the field devices 23 and 24 can also be any type of device, including sensors, valves, transmitters, locators, etc., and can communicate with the I / O device or I / O card 29 using analog and / or digital signals and using wired or wireless physical layers.

[0033] Although the I / O device 29 is communicatively connected to the controller 11 via a backplane bus ( Figure 1 not shown in [FIGURE]), as indicated by the dashed line 10a in Figure 1 [FIGURE], and thus enables the controller 11 to communicate with the field devices connected to the I / O device 29, the I / O device 29 may alternatively or also be directly connected to a bus or Ethernet connection 10 and communicate directly with applications and other devices on the bus 10 (even devices outside or external to the factory 5) to provide direct access to the field devices 23, 24 connected to the I / O card 29. As will be described in more detail herein, since some of the field devices 23, 24 connected to the I / O card 29 may include IP addresses and thus may be addressable via the IP protocol (i.e., these field devices may be part of an IIoT system or other monitoring system, or may be reachable via the IP communication protocol), the I / O card 29 can also act as a direct gateway within an asset management system or IIoT system to the field devices 23, 24, such that these systems do not need to communicate through a controller (such as the controller 11) to obtain information from field devices that support the IP communication protocol.

[0034] In Figure 1 the exemplary factory 5 depicted in [FIGURE], the wireless field devices 40 - 46 use wireless protocols (such as Protocol), and communicate via a wireless process control communication network 70. Such wireless field devices 40-46 can communicate directly with one or more other devices or nodes of the wireless network 70, and the other devices or nodes are also configured to communicate wirelessly (e.g., using the same wireless protocol or another wireless protocol). To communicate with one or more other nodes that are not configured for wireless communication, the wireless field devices 40-46 can utilize a wireless gateway 35 connected to the process control data highway 10 or another process control communication network. The wireless gateway 35 provides access to the various wireless devices 40-58 of the wireless communication network 70. In particular, the wireless gateway 35 provides a communication coupling between the wireless devices 40-58, the wired devices 11-29, and / or other nodes or devices of the process control plant 5. For example, the wireless gateway 35 can provide the communication coupling by using the process control data highway 10 and / or by using one or more other communication networks of the process plant 5.

[0035] Similar to the wired field devices 15-24, the wireless field devices 40-46 of the wireless network 70 perform physical control functions within the process plant 5, e.g., opening or closing a valve, or making a measurement of a process parameter. However, the wireless field devices 40-46 are configured to communicate using the wireless protocol of the network 70. Thus, the wireless field devices 40-46, the wireless gateway 35, and the other wireless nodes 52-58 of the wireless network 70 are producers and consumers of wireless communication packets.

[0036] In some configurations of the process plant 5, the wireless network 70 includes non-wireless devices. For example, in Figure 1 In, Figure 1 the field device 48 is an old-fashioned 4-20 mA device, and the field device 50 is a wired device. To communicate within the network 70, the field devices 48 and 50 can be connected to the wireless communication network 70 via wireless adapters 52a, 52b. The wireless adapters 52a, 52b support wireless protocols such as WirelessHART, and can also support one or more other communication protocols such as Fieldbus, PROFIBUS, DeviceNet, etc. In addition, in some configurations, the wireless network 70 can include one or more network access points 55a, 55b, which can be separate physical devices that communicate wired with the wireless gateway 35, or can be provided together with the wireless gateway 35 as an integrated device. The wireless network 70 can also include one or more routers 58 to forward packets from one wireless device to another wireless device within the wireless communication network 70. In Figure 1In this case, the wireless devices 40-46 and 52-58 communicate with each other and communicate with the wireless gateway 35 via the wireless links 60 of the wireless communication network 70 and / or via the process control data highway 10.

[0037] Further, as will be described in more detail below, the process plant 5 includes an advanced physical layer network 80 that directly connects field devices 82 to the network bus or backbone 10 using a packet-based or IP communication protocol. Specifically, the network 80 includes an APL power switch 84 coupled to a plurality of APL field switches 86 via an APL communication bus or line 88. Generally speaking, the APL power switch 84 includes a power supply that powers the APL field switches 86 via the line or bus 88, which can be established in a backbone configuration as shown by solid lines or in a ring configuration shown by solid and dashed lines in the network 80. The field devices 82 communicate with the APL field switches 86 using any desired protocol supported by the APL physical layer, which can be, for example, an Ethernet physical layer or any other physical layer that supports packet-based communication, including non-time-sensitive or time-sensitive networks. Additionally, the field switches 86 communicate with the switch 84 via the line 88 using the same protocol and physical layer, and the switch operates as a gateway to the backbone 10. Additionally, the field switches 86 are directly connected to one or more field devices 82 via spur lines (as defined by the APL physical layer) and communicate with the field devices 82 using the same communication protocol used on the backbone 88. The power switch 84 and the field switches 86 operate to transfer packets between the backbone 10 and the field devices 82 via the line 88. Of course, if needed, the power switch 84 can be directly coupled to the process controller or can be indirectly coupled to the process controller via the backbone network 10, such as the process controller 11.

[0038] In addition, as Figure 1 shown, the process control system 5 includes one or more operator and / or maintenance workstations 71 communicatively connected to the data highway 10. Using the operator or maintenance workstation 71, an operator or maintenance personnel can view and monitor the runtime operations, equipment conditions, and status information, etc., of the process plant 5, and can take any diagnostic, corrective, maintenance, and / or other operations that may be required. At least some of the operator or maintenance workstations 71 can be located in various protected areas within or near the plant 5, and in some cases, at least some of the operator or maintenance workstations 71 can be located remotely but still communicatively connected to the plant 5. The operator and maintenance workstations 71 can be wired or wireless computing devices.

[0039] Exemplary process control system 5 is also shown as including a configuration application 72a and a configuration database 72b, each of which is also communicatively coupled to data highway 10. Various instances of configuration application 72a may be executed on one or more computing devices (not shown) to enable a user to create or change process control modules and download these modules to controller 11 via data highway 10, and to enable a user to create or change an operator interface through which an operator can view data and change data settings within process control routines. Configuration database 72b stores the created (e.g., configured) modules and / or operator interfaces. Generally, configuration application 72a and configuration database 72b are centralized and have a single logical appearance to process control system 5, although multiple instances of configuration application 72a may be executed simultaneously within process control system 5 and configuration database 72b may be implemented on multiple physical data storage devices. Thus, configuration application 72a, configuration database 72b, and the user interface thereto (not shown) comprise a configuration or development system 72 for controlling and / or displaying modules. Generally but not necessarily, the user interface of configuration system 72 is different from operator workstation 71 because the user interface of configuration system 72 is utilized by configuration and development engineers regardless of whether plant 5 is operating in real time, while operators and maintenance personnel utilize operator and maintenance workstation 71 during the real-time operation of process plant 5 (also interchangeably referred to herein as the "run-time" operation of process plant 5). Additionally, process control system 5 may include an asset management system 77, which may collect and process field device and controller data in order to perform maintenance on process control system 5 in a known manner. Asset management system 77 may include one or more databases for storing and processing the collected data, and / or may use databases 72b and 73b and other databases within the plant. Asset management system 77 may also communicate directly with devices such as controller 11, input / output device 29, gateway 35, power switch 84, etc.

[0040] Exemplary process control system 5 also includes a data historian application 73a and a data historian database 73b, each of which is also communicatively coupled to data highway 10. Data historian application 73a operates to collect some or all of the data provided through data highway 10 and to historicize or store the data in historian database 73b for long-term storage. Similar to configuration application 72a and configuration database 72b, data historian application 73a and historian database 73b are centralized and have a single logical appearance to process control system 5, although multiple instances of data historian application 73a may be executed simultaneously within process control system 5 and data historian 73b may be implemented on multiple physical data storage devices.

[0041] In some configurations, the process control system 5 includes one or more other wireless access points 74 that communicate with other devices using other wireless protocols (such as Wi-Fi or other IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless local area network protocols, mobile communication protocols (such as WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), or other ITU-R (International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector) compliant protocols), short wavelength radio communication (such as Near Field Communication (NFC) and Bluetooth), or other wireless communication protocols). Typically, such wireless access points 74 allow a handheld or other portable computing device (e.g., the user interface device 75) to communicate over a corresponding wireless process control communication network that is different from the wireless network 70 and supports a different wireless protocol than the wireless network 70. For example, the wireless or portable user interface device 75 can be a mobile workstation or diagnostic test device used by an operator in the process plant 5 (e.g., an instance of one of the operator workstations 71).

[0042] In some configurations, the process control system 5 includes one or more gateways 76, 78 to systems external to the current process control system 5. Typically, such systems are consumers or providers of information generated or operated by the process control system 5. For example, the process control plant 5 can include a gateway node 76 to communicatively connect the current process plant 5 to another process plant. Additionally or alternatively, the process control plant 5 can include a gateway node 78 to communicatively connect the current process plant 5 to an external public or private system (such as a laboratory system (e.g., Laboratory Information Management System or LIMS), an operator tour database, a materials handling system, a maintenance management system, a product inventory control system, a production scheduling system, a weather data system, a shipping and handling system, a packaging system, the Internet, another provider's process control system, or other external systems).

[0043] Note that although Figure 1Only a single controller 11 included in the exemplary process plant 5 is shown, which has a limited number of I / O devices 26, 28, 29, field devices 15 - 24, 40 - 46, and 82, a wireless gateway 35, a wireless adapter 52, an access point 55, a router 58, and a wireless process control communication network 70, but this is only an exemplary and non - limiting embodiment. Any number of controllers 11 may be included in the process control plant or system 5, and any one of the controllers 11 may communicate with any number of wired or wireless devices and networks 15 - 24, 40 - 46, 35, 52, 55, 58, 70, and 82 via any number of I / O devices 26, 28, 29 to control the processes in the plant 5. For example, the process plant 5 may include various physical areas, each physical area having an associated one or more controllers 11 (and associated I / O devices 26, 28, or 29) that communicate with an associated set of field devices and networks 15 - 24, 40 - 46, 35, 52, 55, 58, and 70 in that physical area.

[0044] In addition, note that Figure 1 the process plant or control system 5 includes a field environment 122 (e.g., “process plant site 122”) and a backend environment 125, which are communicatively connected by a data highway 10. As Figure 1 shown, the field environment 122 includes physical components (e.g., process control devices, networks, network elements, etc.) that are set up, installed, and interconnected therein to operate during run - time to control a process. For example, the controller 11, I / O cards 26, 28, and 29, field devices 15 - 24, and other device and network components 40 - 46, 35, 52, 55, 58, and 70 are located in, set up in, or otherwise included in the field environment 122 of the process plant 5. Generally, physical components set up in the field environment 122 of the process plant 5 are used to receive and process raw materials to produce one or more products.

[0045] The backend environment 125 of the process plant 5 includes various components, such as computing devices, operator workstations, databases or data repositories, etc., which are shielded and / or protected from the harsh conditions and materials of the field environment 122. Referring to Figure 1 , the backend environment 125 includes, for example, an operator or maintenance workstation 71, a configuration or development system 72 for control modules and other executable modules, a data historian system 73, and / or other centralized management systems, computing devices, and / or functions that support the run - time operation of the process plant 5. In some configurations, the various computing devices, databases, and other components and devices included in the backend environment 125 of the process plant 5 may be physically located in different physical locations, some of which may be local to the process plant 5 while some may be remote.

[0046] As described above, the factory environment 5 (especially the on-site environment 122 of factory 5) includes support for high-level protocols operating on the high-level physical layer to perform communication between field devices and process controllers. As an example of such support, Figure 2 is depicted in more detail Figure 1 the high-level physical layer (APL) network 80. The APL network 80 uses a packet-based or high-level (e.g., general IP-based) communication protocol to support communication between various field devices 82 and the controller 11. Specifically, the network 80 includes an APL power switch 84, which is connected to a control system (e.g., Figure 1 the controller 11) and / or the cloud or other applications 90 via, for example, Ethernet or other bus 10. The cloud application 90 can be or can include Figure 1 any one or all of the applications and devices 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, and other devices connected to it via an access point (such as access point 74). The cloud application can include simulation applications, control applications, data storage and processing applications, etc. In any case, the APL power switch 84 includes an APL power device that provides power through the APL physical layer, and the APL power switch 84 acts as a gateway to the APL network 80, and specifically, acts as a gateway to various APL field switches 86 connected to the APL power switch 84 via a bus or wired network 88 that complies with the APL physical layer standard. As Figure 1 shown, the bus or network 88 can be a trunk line, or can be a ring connection, as shown by the dashed portion of the bus 88. In any case, the bus 88 is an APL physical layer that includes, for example, a two-wire or four-wire wired network, which provides communication signals as well as power signals from the APL power switch 84 to the APL field switch 86. In addition, each of the APL field switches 86 has one or any other number of field devices 82 connected to it via an appropriate APL physical layer or link 92. As an example, the APL link 92 can comply with the APL specification and can be a two-wire or four-wire bus, which provides or enables communication signals and power signals to be sent between the APL field switch 86 and the field device 82.

[0047] Of course, the APL power switch 84 acts as a gateway to the bus 10 and operates to multiplex signals from an external source (such as signals from the trunk bus 10) onto the link 88 using the communication protocol established for the network 80. Similarly, the power switch 84 can operate to decode messages in any of the field switches 86 on the link 88 and addressed to a destination external to the network 80 (which can be a message from the field device 82), and send these messages onto the link 10. Similarly, the APL field switch 86 decodes messages on the link 88, and if addressed to one of the field devices 82 connected to the field switch 86, the field switch 86 places the message on a spur or link 92 for transmission to that field device 82. Similarly, the field switch 86 receives messages from the field device 82 via the link 92 and places these messages on the link 88 for transmission to another field switch 86 or the power switch 84. Generally speaking, the field devices 82 are all APL-compliant field devices because they use the APL physical layer and the communication protocol supported by the APL physical layer (e.g., the IP communication protocol) to communicate via the links 92 and 88. The field devices 82 can also receive power via the link 92, and this power is provided from the field switch 86, and ultimately from the APL power switch 84 and the power associated therewith via the bus 88.

[0048] In one example, Figure 2 the APL (physical layer) can be a ruggedized, two-wire, loop-powered Ethernet physical layer that uses 10BASE-T1L plus extensions for installation within the operating conditions and hazardous areas of a process plant. In this case, the APL power switch 84 provides the connection between all standard Ethernet networks and the field devices and includes a power supply for powering the APL field switch 86 and the field device 82. Typically, the power switch 84 will be located in the control room or in a terminal block on a slide rail. Similarly, the APL field switch 86 can be designed for installation and operation in hazardous areas. The field switch 86 is loop-powered by the APL power switch 84 and distributes communication signals and power to the field device 82 via the spur 92. An Advanced Physical Layer (APL) project was initiated to create a protocol-neutral Ethernet that could address the problems of the long-distance Ethernet protocol. As described herein, this physical layer can be used in process automation and process instrumentation to connect field devices in remote and hazardous locations, for example, and operates to extend the Ethernet physical layer that operates at 10 Mb / sec over a single pair of cables. In addition, APL extends 10BASE-T1L for hazardous areas, which enables the development of standards associated with general protection methods, especially intrinsic safety.

[0049] Thus, Figure 2The network 80 can use any communication protocol supported by APL, such as any protocol supported by an Ethernet connection. These protocols include, but are not limited to, the Internet Protocol (IP protocol), packet-based protocols, time-sensitive and non-time-sensitive protocols, etc. More specifically, these protocols can include HART-IP, OPC UA, and any other desired protocol designed for process control communication. Similarly, these protocols can include protocols not traditionally used in process automation, such as general IP protocols, including those that support request / response, publish / subscribe, and event-based communication, as well as data streams.

[0050] The use of network 80 illustrates a method of implementing the APL physical layer and the supported communication protocols within a process control system to provide communication between field devices (such as field device 82) and other devices (such as process controller 11 or Figure 1 other devices on network 10). Of course, in other cases, a process controller such as Figure 1 process controller 11 can be directly connected to the APL power switch 84 to use the APL physical layer to provide communication with the power switch and thereby use the APL physical layer to perform communication between field device 82 and the controller (e.g., controller 11). Additionally, although power can be provided in or associated with the APL power switch 84 and power can be sent to the field switch 86 via bus 88, the APL field switch 86 can be separately powered or can include its own power source or sources and power itself as well as field device 82 via the APL spur 92.

[0051] Generally speaking, network 80 provides an example of a way to provide a stand-alone APL network within a process control system to provide communication between a process controller and a field device using more traditional IP-based communication protocols. Network 80 can be beneficial when new field devices that support more traditional IP-based communication protocols are newly added to a plant or a section of a plant. However, it is also possible to integrate the APL physical layer (and the IP communication protocol using that layer) within an existing plant network. More specifically, an entire I / O system can be used in the plant's field environment to support multiple I / O types while maintaining the plant's more traditional I / O architecture. Typically, new I / O devices provide or support a hybrid physical layer that can support multiple different communication protocols, including traditional process control protocols and more common or general IP-based protocols. Additionally, the I / O device provides control at the I / O device processor that results in improved control and supports a combination of control and IIoT applications (which are typically interested in measurement and actuator data), their capabilities, and their diagnostics.

[0052] Figure 1The I / O device 29 is an exemplary I / O device that provides a hybrid physical layer and communication protocol platform and can be used to provide communication between a process controller and multiple different field devices via various different physical layers and various different communication protocols. Figure 3 and Figure 4 More particularly, the hybrid physical layer and protocol device 140 (which may be the Figure 1 I / O device 29) is shown in more detail. More specifically, Figure 3 A perspective view of an exemplary electronic enabler or I / O device 140 is depicted, which supports communication with multiple different field devices using multiple different physical layers and, if desired, different communication protocols on different physical layers. Generally, the I / O device 140 includes an I / O card base or carrier that has an upper portion 142 (associated with the front-end unit or controller side of the I / O card 140) and a lower portion 148 associated with the field device side of the I / O card 140. The upper portion 142 of the base includes preconfigured slots ( Figure 3 not explicitly shown in the figure), into which one or more I / O processor modules 145 are placed or inserted. The I / O card carrier base 142 can support multiple different I / O processor modules 145, and a process controller (e.g., Figure 1 the process control 11) can be connected to these I / O processor modules via a wired or wireless connection as discussed with respect to Figure 1 and Figure 4 but not explicitly shown in Figure 3 . In the example of Figure 3 , the I / O base 142 supports two I / O processor modules 145; however, more or fewer processor modules 145 can be supported (inserted) in the base 142. Additionally, the I / O processor modules 145 can be associated with the same or different communication protocols, can be redundant I / O processor modules that perform the same function for one or more different communication protocols, can include separate I / O processor modules for each different communication protocol supported by the I / O device 140, or can include processor modules 145 that use different physical layer architectures to support multiple different communication protocols. Further, one of the processor modules 145 can be or can include one or more power supplies for one or more different communication protocols, etc.

[0053] As will be appreciated, the processor modules 145 perform functions related to communicatively connecting to one side of the I / O device 140 (e.g., Figure 1communicate with the process controller of the process controller 11) and perform communication with various different electronic marshalling components provided on the I / O device 140, where the electronic marshalling components communicate with field devices on the other side of the I / O device 140. The processor module 145 may include a dedicated or general-purpose processor and memory, which are programmed to perform various communication functions, including receiving and sending communication signals to and from the process controller, decoding and encoding signals received from and sent to the field devices using one or more communication protocols, responding to messages from the field devices and the process controller using appropriate communication protocols to transfer information and messages from the controller to the field devices and vice versa, tracking the identity and logical location of the field devices coupled to the I / O device (i.e., determining, tracking, and storing the communication paths and communication protocols for communicating with the field devices connected to the I / O device), and so on. In some cases, the processor module may also include a power supply or a connection to an external power supply and power a communication network of one or more field devices connected to the I / O device 140.

[0054] Additionally, the lower marshalling base 148 is electrically and communicatively connected to the upper base 142 (and thus to the I / O module 145) via one or more internal buses ( Figure 3 not shown in the figure). Although Figure 3 only one lower base 148 is shown in the figure, multiple lower bases 148 may be connected in series to connect to the upper base 142. Each of the bases 148 (again, only one of which is shown in Figure 3 the figure) supports a plurality of individually configurable channels, where each channel includes dedicated slots 149A, 149B, etc., which are coupled to dedicated wire terminal blocks 150A, 150B, etc., provided on the base 148. Each wire terminal block 150 includes wire termination points, connectors, or any other desired type of attachment hardware to connect the terminal block 150 to one or more field devices, and each terminal block 150 may be configured to receive or connect to wires or physical layer hardware associated with any one of the various different physical layers required by different communication protocols. In some cases, each terminal block 150 may be configured to accept wiring or physical layer structures associated with multiple different types of physical layers. As a result, each terminal block 150 may include screw-type wire connectors, spring-loaded wire connectors, etc. for each of two, three, four, etc. wires, which may be used for or be compatible with various different types of physical layers (which in turn support any one of the various different communication protocols). By way of example only, each terminal block 150 may include a set of wire connectors, which may accept and connect wires associated with one or more of the HART physical layer, FOUNDATION Fieldbus physical layer, Ethernet physical layer, APL physical layer, or any other desired physical layer.

[0055] Similarly, each slot 149 is adapted or configured to receive a removable Electronic Marshalling Component (EMC) 152. Different ECMs 152 can be removably inserted into each different slot 149A, 149B, etc., and when inserted into the slot 149, can be securely received and electrically connected to the terminal block 150 associated with the particular slot 149. Although not explicitly shown in Figure 3 , each slot 149 is also connected to the I / O processor module 145 via one or more internal buses (within the bases 148 and 142) such that the I / O processor module 145 can communicate with each of the ECMs 152 inserted into any of the slots 149. Each EMC 152 also includes a processor and a memory, where the processor can be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor (e.g., implemented as an ASIC or some other special-purpose hardware or firmware processor), and is programmed to perform communication functions with one or more field devices connected to the terminal block 150 of the base 148 using a particular communication protocol and physical layer. The processor of each EMC 152 can detect one or more field devices connected to the associated terminal block, poll the (multiple) field devices for specific device information using a particular communication protocol (including, for example, device identity and configuration information), can store this information in the local memory on the EMC 152, and can transmit this information along with device communication path information to the processor module 145 in the front-end unit. Further, the processor of each EMC 152 can be programmed to configure messages and send messages from the processor module 145 to one or more field devices connected to the associated terminal block 150 using a particular communication protocol, and receive and decode (if necessary) messages from one or more field devices connected to the associated terminal block 150, and if necessary, transmit these messages (via one of the internal buses in the bases 148 and 142) to the processor module 145 for processing and communication to the process controller.

[0056] Figure 4 is shown Figure 3 a partial mechanical and partial electrical schematic of the I / O device 140 of to show the buses disposed within the bases 142 and 148 of the I / O device 140. Specifically, the set of slots 170 on the upper base 142 receives the I / O processor module 145. The first bus 160 is connected to each of the slots 170. The first portion of this bus 160 is disposed within the upper base 142 and terminates at a termination point or connector 172 at the edge of the upper base 142. The second portion of the bus 160 is external to the base 142 and is connected to the termination point or connector 172 and extends to another device, e.g., extends toFigure 1 One of the process controllers 11. However, the bus 160 can alternatively or additionally directly connect the device 140 to an IIoT system (or other monitoring system), an asset management system, or any other external system to provide direct access to one or more of the field devices connected to the terminal block of the card 140 (e.g., direct access via an IP addressing system or scheme). If desired, the device 140 can include two different buses 160A and 160B as part of the bus 160, where one of these buses 160A is connected to a controller (which uses a first communication protocol, such as a proprietary or non-IP communication protocol), and the other of these buses 160B is connected to the physical layer that supports or uses the IP protocol (as shown by the connection 10a in Figure 1 ). In any case, the bus 160 (and / or the sub-buses 160A and 160B that make up the bus 160) couples the slot 170 (especially when the I / O processor module 145 is disposed in the slot 170) to a process controller (such as coupled to Figure 1 the process controller 11), and / or coupled to an asset management system (e.g., Figure 1 the asset management system 77), coupled to an IIoT system or other monitoring system, or coupled to any other external system. Further, a second bus 162 and a third bus 164 are disposed within the bases 142 and 148 and span the bases 142 and 148 via termination points or connectors 174. The buses 162 and 164 (which can be sub-buses of the same bus or which can be separate buses) connect the slot 170 on the base 142 (and thus the I / O processor module 145 disposed in the slot 170) to the slot 149 on the lower base 148 (and thus to the EMC 152 disposed in the slot 149). When the bases 142 and 148 are first connected together, the connector 174 enables the bases 142 and 148 to be modular by providing an electrical connection for the buses 162 and 164. Similarly, the buses 162 and 164 extend to the bottom or lower portion of the base 148 and terminate at a set of additional termination points or connectors 176, which enables additional basic units 148 to be mechanically and electrically attached to Figure 4 the base 148 shown in. This modular feature increases the number of slots to which the buses 162 and 164 can be connected and enables multiple lower bases 148 to be connected in series to a single upper base 142, which extends the I / O capabilities of the I / O processor module 145 inserted into the slot 170 of the upper base 142.

[0057] As will be appreciated, inserting the various different electronic marshalling components within the electronic marshalling component 152 (EMC) into the slot 149 operates to connect the internal processor of the EMC 152 to one of the buses 162 or 164 on one side of the EMC 152 (e.g., the input side of the EMC 152) (or, in some cases, to both buses 162 and 164) and to the appropriate set of terminal blocks of the terminal strip 150 associated with the slot 149 on the other side of the EMC 152 (e.g., the output side of the EMC 152). As a result, when inserted into the slot 149, the EMC 152 will be electrically connected via at least one of the buses 162 and 164 to the I / O processor module 145 on the input side of the EMC 152 and will be communicatively coupled via one of the I / O processor module 145 and the bus 160 to the process controller (and / or another external system). Further, the EMC 152 will be connected to one or more field devices on the output side of the module 152 via the terminal strip 150 of the slot 149 into which the EMC 152 is inserted and the physical layer (e.g., wires) connecting the terminal strip 150 to the (multiple) field devices. As will be appreciated, the different EMCs within the EMC 152 may be configured to communicate with one or more field devices using different physical layers and different communication protocols. Further, different types of EMC 152 will have different connection configurations to the buses 162 and 164. Thus, an EMC 152 using one type of physical layer or communication protocol may be connected to the bus 162, while an EMC 152 using a second type of physical layer or a second different communication protocol may be connected to the bus 164.

[0058] Accordingly, different removable hardware modules or EMCs 152 in the removable hardware module can be inserted into any of the slots 149 to provide a connection between each of the EMCs 152 and one or two of the I / O processor modules 145 via one or both of the buses 162 and 164, and to provide a connection to one of the terminal blocks 150 to which wires from various different field devices can be connected. In this particular example, each of the terminal blocks 150 can accept wires associated with various different types of physical layers, including, for example, a 2-wire physical layer, a 4-wire physical layer, a physical layer specifying a particular thickness, type, minimum and maximum length of the wire, etc., a physical layer invoking various types of switches or other physical structures, a physical layer supporting wireless communication, etc., so as to connect different types of physical layers to different EMCs 152 when the EMCs 152 are inserted into different slots in the slots 149. If desired, some of the terminal blocks 150 can support a first type of physical layer (e.g., HART or 4-20ma physical layer), while other terminal blocks 150 can support a second type of physical layer (e.g., Fieldbus or Profibus physical layer), and additional terminal blocks 150 can support a third type of physical layer (e.g., IP, Ethernet or APL physical layer). In other cases, one or more of the terminal blocks 150 can have a connection structure configured to support two, three or more different types of physical layers.

[0059] Of course, the EMC 152 includes an electrical connection structure that, when inserted into the slot 149, electrically connects to one of the buses 162 and 164 and, if desired, both of the buses 162 and 164, depending on the configuration of the module 152, and an electrical connection structure that electrically connects the EMC 152 to the terminal block 150 associated with the slot 149 into which the EMC 152 is inserted. Similarly, each removable hardware EMC module 152 includes some type of processor (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a specially configured processor such as an ASIC, etc.) and software or firmware implemented on the processor to perform communication using a specific communication protocol (and using a specific physical layer). Thus, for example, different EMCs in the EMC 152 can be associated with different communication protocols (and the physical layers for these protocols), programmed to implement or use different communication protocols. Thus, some of the EMCs 152 can be HART protocol modules that can conform to the HART communication protocol, some of the EMCs 152 can conform to or use the IP communication protocol, which uses the APL or Ethernet physical layer, and some of the EMCs 152 can be FOUNDATION Fieldbus modules that conform to or implement the FOUNDATION Fieldbus protocol. In Figure 4In the exemplary schematic diagram, the I / O device 140 supports at least two different communication protocols because the device 140 includes two different buses 162, 164 disposed between each of the front-end unit or I / O processor module 145 and the separate slots 149. Each of these two different buses 162 and 164 can be associated with or compliant with a different physical layer and can support different communication protocols, such as the HART communication protocol using the HART physical layer and the IP communication protocol using the APL physical layer. Support for two different protocols (and two different physical layers) enables different configurations of the EMC 152 (which supports different communication protocols and potentially different physical layers) to be inserted into different slots in the slot 149 and connected to communicate with different field devices using these different protocols (and physical layers). Although Figure 4 two buses 162 and 164 are shown to support two different communication protocols (and / or physical layers), the device 140 can include three or more buses to support three or more different communication protocols and physical layers.

[0060] Figure 5 - 11 depicts different (and non-limiting) ways in which various different communication protocols and physical layers can be combined and supported in a single I / O device such as the Figure 3 and Figure 4 I / O device 140 to provide communication between the controller and various different field devices using different communication protocols and physical layers. Referring to Figure 5 , an I / O device 200 having a configuration similar to that of the device 140 shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4 (and thus using a hardware-configurable EMC module) is shown in schematic form. Specifically, the I / O device 200 includes a front-end unit 210 electrically connected to a base 213 into which various removable EMC modules can be inserted into slots ( Figure 5 not explicitly shown in). In the Figure 5 exemplary system, the front-end unit 210 includes a plurality of I / O processing modules 213 and 214, where one of the processing modules 213 is configured to perform communication with field devices using the HART or 4-20ma physical layer and (a) communication protocol, while the other of the I / O processing modules 214 is configured to use and support the APL physical layer to perform communication with field devices using a communication protocol that supports APL (such as the IP protocol, Ethernet protocol, etc.). However, these I / O processing modules 213 and 214 are exemplary in nature and can conform to and use other communication protocols and other types of physical layers for communication with field devices.

[0061] More specifically, asFigure 5 As shown, a removable EMC module 220 is inserted into one of the slots (not explicitly shown) of the base 212 and performs analog input (AI) signal processing via a 4-20 mA communication protocol and physical layer to support communication with a traditional 4-20 mA field device 230, which is connected to the terminal block of the base 212 associated with the inserted module 220. Similarly, the removable EMC module 222 performs analog output (AO) signal processing via a 4-20 mA protocol and physical layer to support communication with the field device 232. Each of these EMC modules 220 and 222 is connected to a bus 162 in the base 212, and the bus 162 connects these modules to the I / O processing module 212 in the front-end unit 210, which performs the processing or multiplexing of the AI and AO signals to and from the removable modules 220 and 222. As Figure 3 shown in the device 140 of Figure 3 which may be one of the modules 145), communicates with a process controller, an asset management system, an IIoT system, etc. (not shown) via an external bus 160, and operates to perform signal conditioning and multiplexing of signals between the modules 220 and 222 on one side and the process controller (or other external system) on the other side.

[0062] In addition, the I / O device 200 includes discrete or digital output (DO) EMC modules 240 and discrete or digital input (DI) EMC modules 242, which perform discrete output and input signal processing on the signals sent to and from the field devices 244 and 246 using, for example, a HART communication protocol and physical layer, respectively. The EMC modules 240 and 242 can also be connected to the bus 162 to communicate with the I / O processing module 213 within the front-end unit 210, which processes and multiplexes the signals sent through the bus 162. Thus, in this example, the AI EMC module 220, the AO EMC module 222, the DI EMC module 240, and the DO EMC module 242 interconnect valves, transmitters, and other field devices 230, 232, 244, and 246 with the front-end unit 210 of the I / O device 200 using a 4-20 mA or HART 2-wire physical layer. These communications can be performed in the same manner as discussed in any one of U.S. Patent Nos. 7,684,875; 8,332,567; 8,762,618; 8,977,851; 9,083,548; and 9,495,313.

[0063] However, as Figure 5As shown, the I / O device 200 also accepts another type of removable EMC module, which is associated with another type of physical layer (in this case, the APL physical layer) and supports other communication protocols for communicating with field devices (such as any IP-based communication protocol). Specifically, the removable EMC module 250 is inserted into one of the slots in the base 212 and includes an APL EMC module that implements the functions of an APL field switch (such as one of the APL field switches 86 such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 ). In this case, the removable EMC module 250 is connected between the bus 164 and the terminal block associated with the slot into which the EMC module 250 is inserted. Additionally, as also shown in Figure 5 , the I / O processing module 214 of the front-end unit 210 includes an APL power switch installed or set therein, and the power switch is configured to implement the functions of the APL power switch 84 such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 . Thus, the APL power switch 214 may include a power supply, be connected to the bus 164, and operate in the manner of the APL power switch 84 such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 to send and receive signals on the bus 88 such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 to perform communication through the bus 164 and the field switch EMC module 250. Thus, in this configuration, the bus 164 operates as a backbone bus on the APL network.

[0064] Similarly, as also shown in Figure 5 , the APL field switch EMC module 250 that can be inserted into the slot in the base 212 of the I / O device 200 is connected to the associated terminal block, which in turn is connected to the APL branch line 254 (which may be similar to Figure 1 and 2One of the branch lines 92). The branch line 254 is part of the APL physical layer, and the APL physical layer including the power switch 214, the bus 164, the field switch module 250, and the bus 254 can implement or use any communication protocol supported by the APL physical layer, such as Ethernet protocol, HART-IP protocol, OPC UA protocol, traditional general IP protocol, etc., to provide communication between various field devices 256 (connected to the bus 254) and the front-end unit 210. It should be understood that the APL power switch 214 can be an extension of the front-end unit 210 (i.e., integrated into the front-end unit 210), or the APL power switch module 214 can be inserted into the front-end 210. In either case, the APL power switch module 214 contains the electronic circuits of a typical APL power switch, and thus can include a power supply that provides power and communication signals to the APL field switch module 250 through the bus 164, and the power supply in turn provides power and communication signals to the field device 256 through the branch bus 254 of the APL network. In this regard, the bus 164 can be configured to meet the requirements or specifications of the APL physical layer trunk line. It can be understood that the field device 256 can use the communication protocol layered on the APL physical layer provided by the modules 214 and 250, and the buses 164 and 254. Generally, such a communication protocol will be an IP-based or packet-based protocol, and as will be understood, the field device 256 does not need to support traditional process control communication protocols, such as HART, Profibus, FOUNDATION Fieldbus and other protocols. Instead, the field device 256 can communicate directly using a more traditional IP interface, or can use a more robust or packet-based communication protocol developed for the process control industry, such as the HART-IP or OPC UA communication protocol that is not currently supported in traditional process controller I / O networks. This network also supports communication protocols that support request / response, publish / subscribe, event-based communication, and streaming communication, which greatly helps to support the combination of control and industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications interested in measurement and actuator data, their capabilities, and their diagnostics.

[0065] Accordingly, the I / O device 200 establishes one or more communication networks that enable communication with field devices using at least two different types of physical layers and various different communication protocols overlaid on those physical layers. Specifically, modules 220, 222, 240, and 242 together with bus 162 within the base unit 212 implement a first physical layer (associated with the HART or 4-20 mA physical layer as the same physical layer), and enable communication over this first physical layer using traditional process control communication protocols in the form of 4-20 mA communication protocol and / or HART communication protocol. The EMC modules 220, 222, 240, and 242 are programmed to perform these types of communication in a known manner. However, additionally, the APL power switch 214 and the APL field switch 250 together with bus 164 and bus 254 implement a second and different physical layer in the form of the APL physical layer, and enable communication with various field devices 256 using any communication protocol supported by the APL physical layer. Such communication protocols may include Ethernet protocol, IP-based or packet-based protocols, HART-IP protocol, OPC UA protocol, etc. Additionally, since the APL physical layer can support up to 50 devices on a single spur line, Figure 5 the APL field switch 250 of

[0066] Figure 6 when connected to the spur line 254 can support 50 field devices, thus greatly enhancing the communication capabilities of the I / O device, exceeding those typically associated with I / O devices that support the HART or 4-20 mA physical layer and associated communication protocols. Additionally, the additional slots in the base unit 212 of the device 200 can accept additional APL field switch EMC modules (such as the APL module 250), and each of these additional APL field switch EMC modules can support additional field devices using the APL physical layer. This capability greatly enhances the communication support capabilities of the I / O device 200, thus providing I / O support for more field devices than previously possible.

[0066] Figure 6 Depicts another embodiment of an input / output device 300 (which may be the same as or similar to Figure 3 and Figure 4 the I / O device 140 of Figure 6 that supports multiple different physical layers and potentially different communication protocols over these physical layers. More specifically, Figure 6 the input / output device 300 of Figure 5The I / O device 200 is similar in that it includes a bus 162 and an I / O processing module 313, which support an AI EMC module 220, an AO EMC module 222, a DI EMC module 240, and a DO EMC module 240. These modules are connected to HART and 4-20 mA field devices attached thereto and communicate with them using a first type of physical layer. However, in this example, the I / O processing module 214 is a combined APL field switch and power switch that is integrated as a single unit at the front-end unit 310 of the I / O device 300. The APL field and power switch 314 communicate via a bus 164, which can be or support, for example, the APL physical layer, and can thus be similar to the Figure 2 spur bus 92 of the APL network. The bus 164 can thus connect the combined APL field and power switch module 314 to various other EMC modules provided on the base unit 312. In this case, an APL module 350 is inserted into a slot on the base unit 312 and connected to the bus 164 to provide communication between the combined field and power switch 314 and the APL physical layer bus 254 attached to the terminal block associated with the APL EMC module 350. The APL module 350 thus enables communication between the combined APL field and power switch 352 and multiple different field devices 256 on the APL bus 254, and can simply provide a grouping function to track when new field devices 256 are added to the bus 254, etc. Additionally, in this example, the combined APL field and power switch module 314 can include circuitry for a field switch (such as Figure 1 the field switch 86) and a power switch (e.g., Figure 1 the power switch 84), and can thus include a power supply or be connected to an external power supply. Furthermore, the APL processing module 314 can provide power and communication to the APL EMC module 350 via the bus 164, which in turn communicates with the field devices 256 using any desired or supported communication protocol, using the APL physical layer or the bus 254. In this example, since a single field switch 314 is used in the device 300 to potentially support multiple APL plug-in modules 350, the maximum number of field devices supported by the device 300 is limited to the number supported by a single field switch (e.g., typically 50 when using the APL physical layer). Although this configuration reduces the total number of field devices supported on the I / O device 300, it also simplifies the design of the plug-in APL modules 350. Of course, the APL modules 314 and 350 can use any desired communication protocol supported by the APL physical layer, including the Ethernet IP protocol, the HART-IP protocol, the OPC UA protocol, or any other packet-based communication protocol.

[0067] Figure 7 shows a connection Figure 5 of the I / O device 200 to communicate with and support field devices using multiple different communication protocols via a single APL physical layer. Specifically, an input / output device 400 configured similarly to the Figure 5 I / O device 200 includes the same components as the Figure 5 device 200, including an APL power switch 214, a pluggable APL field switch module 250, and a bus 164 interconnecting the power switch 214 and the field switch 250. Additionally, the field switch 250 is shown as a spur line connected to the APL physical layer bus 254, and a collection of IP-based communication field devices 256 are directly connected to the APL spur line 254. The field devices 256 can communicate via the line 254 using communication protocols supported by APL, including, for example, the general IP protocol, Ethernet protocol, HART-IP protocol, OPC UA protocol, etc. However, in this embodiment, as Figure 7 further shown, a fieldbus interface device 410, a PROFIBUS interface device 412, and a HART interface device 414 are connected to the APL spur line 254 and support the APL physical layer at their interfaces. Specifically, the Fieldbus interface device 410, the PROFIBUS interface device 412, and the HART interface device 414 include Fieldbus, PROFIBUS, and HART transducer device blocks interfacing with field devices 418, 422, and 424, respectively, to connect these field devices 418, 420, 422 to the field switch 250 via the APL spur bus 254. Thus, as Figure 7 shown, the Fieldbus interface device 410 is connected to various Fieldbus devices 418 via a Fieldbus physical layer (bus or line) 430, the PROFIBUS interface device 412 is connected to various PROFIBUS devices 422 via a PROFIBUS physical layer (bus or line) 432, and the HART interface device 424 is connected to different HART (or 4 - 20 mA) field devices 424 via a HART physical layer (line) 434. In this case, the bus 430 is a Fieldbus physical layer supporting the Foundation Fieldbus communication protocol, the bus 432 is a PROFIBUS-compliant physical layer supporting the PROFIBUS communication protocol, and the HART line 434 is a HART-compliant physical layer supporting the HART and 4 - 20 mA communication protocols. Additionally, the interface devices 410, 412, and 414 support the Fieldbus, PROFIBUS, and HART (or 4 - 20 mA) communication protocols and operate as gateways to the attached field device networks using these protocols.

[0068] In addition, in Figure 7In the network, interface devices 410, 412, and 414 communicate with the APL field switch 250 via the APL spur line (physical layer) 254 using the same communication protocol as that used for the field devices 256. As an example, the HART-IP protocol can be used on the spur line 254 (and bus 164). However, any other desired packet-based protocol, such as the Ethernet protocol, the OPC UA protocol, the traditional IP protocol (e.g., a protocol that supports HTML), etc., can be used on the APL physical layer 254. As is known, the HART-IP communication protocol is a non-time-sensitive, packet-based protocol that supports IP packets with specific packet types. In this case, the field devices 256 and the interface devices 410, 412, and 414 can communicate directly with the field switch module 250 using the HART-IP protocol. However, the communication packets sent between the interface devices 410, 412, and 414 and the switch 250 can tunnel other types of protocol packets therein to enable communication using other communication protocols within the various subnets coupled to the interface devices 410, 412, and 414. In one example, various different HART-IP packets can be sent by devices on the physical layer 254 that are addressed to those devices using the HART-IP packet format. However, the payload of the HART-IP packet can include different types or formats of data, depending on the device to which the packet is sent or from which the packet is sent. For example, the HART-IP payload sent to or from the field device 256 can include data that can be directly used by the field device 256 that supports a traditional or general IP communication protocol (e.g., HTML data). However, the HART-IP messages sent to or from the interface devices 410, 412, and 414 can be addressed to the various interface devices 410, 412, or 414 (or directly addressed to one of the field devices 418, 420, 422), in which case the interface devices 410, 412, and 414 operate as gateways to decode the HART-IP message and identify the message as being for (or addressed to) one of the field devices connected to the subnet. In these cases, the payload of the HART-IP packet can include another communication packet configured according to different communication protocols (such as the Fieldbus protocol, the PROFIBUS protocol, the HART protocol, the CAN protocol, etc.) used in the associated subnet. In this case, the interface devices 410, 412, 414 decode the HART-IP message or packet and determine whether the message is for one of the field devices in its subnet.To this end, the interface devices 410, 412, 414 can decode the header of the HART-IP packet to determine whether the HART-IP message is addressed to it or to a field device in its subnetwork, and / or may need to decode the payload of the HART-IP packet to determine whether the message in the payload of the HART-IP packet is addressed to a field device in its subnetwork. If so, the interface devices 410, 412, 414 can place the payload of the HART-IP packet on its subnetwork physical layer as a message in the communication protocol used in the subnetwork. Similarly, the interface devices 410, 412, and 414 can pack a message from one of the field devices (in the protocol used in the subnetwork) into the payload field of the HART-IP packet, address the packet to the intended recipient (e.g., the front-end unit 210 of device 400 or even a controller coupled to device 400), and place the HART-IP packet on the physical layer 254 using the HART-IP protocol.

[0069] Figure 8 An example of this protocol tunneling concept is shown, where a Fieldbus protocol packet (for the subnetwork of Fieldbus interface device 410) is tunneled within a HART-IP packet sent over the APL physical layer 254. Specifically, as Figure 8 shown, the header of the HART-IP packet 500 can include a message type field 502, a message ID field 504, a status code field 506, a sequence number field 508, a byte count field 510, and a payload field 512. As described above, various HART-IP packets associated with different devices in device 256, or addressed to different devices in device 256, or addressed to the interface devices 410, 412, and 414 can tunnel different types or formats of data within the data payload field 512 of the HART-IP packet 500. Thus, a message addressed to the Fieldbus interface device 410 can tunnel a Fieldbus protocol packet in the data or payload field 512 of the HART-IP packet 500. As Figure 8As shown, a Fieldbus protocol packet 520 is tunneled within the payload field 512 of a HART-IP packet 500. The Fieldbus protocol packet 520 includes a delimiter field 522, an address field 524, a command field 526, a byte count field 528, a data field 530, and a check byte field 532, as required by the FOUNDATION Fieldbus communication protocol. Thus, the data within the data field 530 of the packet 520 can include FOUNDATION Fieldbus data for a particular field device 418 (as defined by the address field 524) within the subnet of the interface device 410, as specified by the Fieldbus protocol. In this way, the Fieldbus packet 520 is tunneled within the HART-IP packet 500 over the APL physical layer 254 and is sent directly as a packet over the Fieldbus physical layer 430. Similarly, the Fieldbus interface device 410 can encapsulate Fieldbus packets sent from the field device 418 into HART-IP packets and send these messages over the APL physical layer 254 (switch 250 and bus 164) to, for example, the front-end unit 210 of the I / O device 400, which can then obtain and decode the Fieldbus packet, as is typically done within a Fieldbus protocol I / O device, and transfer the device data to the controller 11. Additionally, it will be understood that PROFIBUS protocol packets and HART protocol packets can be tunneled within the HART-IP packet 500 in the same manner, except that the PROFIBUS packet will include messages as specified by the PROFIBUS protocol and the HART packet will include messages as defined by the HART protocol. Similarly, messages sent to, from, or between the device 256 and other devices on the physical layer 254 and the field switch 250 can include or use the data or payload field 512 within the HART-IP packet in any desired manner, and thus a more traditional IP data protocol, such as the HTML data protocol, can be used for this data, for example. Figure 8 PROFIBUS protocol packets and HART protocol packets can be tunneled within the HART-IP packet 500 in the same manner. Similarly, messages sent to, from, or between the device 256 and other devices on the physical layer 254 and the field switch 250 can include or use the data or payload field 512 within the HART-IP packet in any desired manner, and thus a more traditional IP data protocol, such as the HTML data protocol, can be used for this data, for example.

[0070] Of course, other types of communication protocols can be used on the physical layer 254 instead of the HART-IP protocol, such as Ethernet protocols, OPC UA protocols, or any other packet-based protocol, and these protocols can be time-sensitive or non-time-sensitive protocols. Similarly, other protocols such as other process control protocols can be tunneled within the IP or other packet-based protocols that can be used on the APL physical layer 254. Further still, any number of different protocols can be tunneled within the packets of the protocols that can be used on the APL physical layer 254, such that the APL physical layer 254 can support multiple different communication protocols and devices associated with multiple different communication protocols.

[0071] Figure 9 shows another input / output device 600 similar to Figure 5 the input / output device 200, except that the APL field switch 250 supports a set of wired devices and the APL field switch 250 supports a wireless network (e.g., a WirelessHART network). In this case, the field switch module 250 inserted into the base 212 of the device 600 is connected to a wireless transmitter device 610, which transmits signals to various different wireless transmitters or field devices 620. The wireless transmitter device 610 can be a gateway to a wireless network (such as a wireless mesh network, e.g., a WirelessHART network), or can be a gateway to any other type of wireless network. The APL field switch 250 can use the APL physical layer to implement a wired connection 622 between the field switch 250 and the gateway device 610, and can use any desired IP or packet-based communication protocol to direct the communication on the physical layer 622. In one example, the field switch 250 can communicate on the bus 622 using the HART-IP communication protocol, and the gateway 610 can convert the HART-IP protocol messages into WirelessHART messages in any known or desired manner. Similarly, the gateway 610 can place or decode packets received from the wireless field devices 620, and place these packets into the HART-IP communication protocol or any other IP or packet-based protocol to be sent to the field switch 250 through the APL physical layer 622 (or otherwise convert these signals), and from there send them via the bus 164 to the power switch 252 and the front-end unit 210.

[0072] Figure 10 shows another embodiment of the input / output device 700, which is very similar to Figure 9Device 600, in addition to the APL field switch 250, supports connections to multiple wireless transmitters 610 in a wireless network including field devices 620. The wireless interface devices 610 can be redundant devices, so that the field switch 250 can send the same message or receive the same message from those redundant devices to provide redundancy within the mesh network of the field devices 620. Figure 10 The configuration can be used in, for example, safety implementation level 2 (SIL2) applications where redundancy is required. Of course, similar to Figure 9 the description of the embodiment, the field switch 250 can use any desired protocol on the APL physical layer 622 to provide communication between the wireless gateway device 610 and the front-end unit 210. Additionally, in Figure 10 the embodiment, HART devices such as the wireless mesh network field devices 620 can tunnel their protocols within SIL2-compliant protocols.

[0073] Figure 11 A wired SIL 2 application is shown, where the input / output device 800 has a field switch module 250 connected via wired devices and wired links to various different wireless transmitters or devices 720, which can be field devices within a wireless mesh network that the input / output device 700 does not directly support, but where the device 700 can be used as a redundant connection to the wireless network or can be used to obtain information from devices within the wireless network without affecting the operation of the communication network within that wireless network. In this way, a user can, for example, use conventional hardwired devices connected in a loop to create an addressable fire alarm system while still within a SIL2 implementation using the SIL 2 protocol.

[0074] Although the input / output devices described herein are generally described as using the APL physical layer to support more traditional IP-based communication networks, these I / O devices can use any other physical layer that supports any general IP-based communication protocol, such as an Ethernet physical layer, etc. Further, the I / O devices described herein can support any desired combination of physical layers and communication protocols, including combinations of one or more traditional process communication physical layers (e.g., HART, FOUNDATION Fieldbus, PROFIBUS, CAN, etc.) with one or more general IP physical layers (e.g., APL physical layer, Ethernet physical layer, etc.) and protocols (IP-based protocols, Ethernet protocols, HART-IP protocols, OPC UA protocols, etc.). Additionally, the I / O devices described herein can support combinations of two or more traditional process control physical layers and communication protocols (e.g., HART and Fieldbus physical layers and protocols), or combinations of two or more traditional or general IP physical layers and protocols.

[0075] Thus, it can be seen that the input / output device described herein uses a single input / output device to enable or provide support for field devices, where the single input / output device supports multiple different physical layers and supports the use of different communication protocols via different physical layers. Thereby, the input / output device enables the easy and seamless support of new types of field devices (e.g., field devices that communicate using more traditional IP-based communications) within a process plant. Additionally, the I / O device enables different types of field devices (i.e., field devices that use different physical layers and different communication protocols) to be integrated under and supported by the same I / O device. Further, because the I / O device uses hardware-configurable modules to connect field devices and field device networks to the I / O device, the field device network can be configured in real time such that different physical layers for different communication protocols can be connected to the I / O device at any desired location or terminal block on the I / O device, appropriate hardware modules or EMC modules suitable for the communication protocol and physical layer can be inserted into slots associated with the terminal block, and the EMC module can automatically detect the type and identity of the field device now connected to the EMC module via the physical layer. The EMC module can then provide this configuration information to the front-end unit of the I / O device, which can register the correct paths and communication protocols for communicating with the detected field device, and the EMC module can provide this configuration information to a controller, which can use this path and protocol information to communicate with the field device. Additionally, the controller can provide this configuration information to a configuration database, and when a field device is connected to the I / O device and the configuration information is detected, the controller populates the database with the field device information. Still further, although many of the example I / O devices described herein are shown as including two or more I / O processing modules, where one processing module is typically used to support one type of physical layer and communication protocol, the I / O devices described herein can have a single processing module associated therewith, the single processing module being connected to different field devices via two or more internal buses, and the single I / O processing module can support multiple (two, three, etc.) different physical layers and communication protocols.

[0076] When implemented in software, any one of the applications, modules, etc. described herein can be stored in any physical non-transitory computer-readable memory, such as on a disk, a laserdisc, a solid-state memory device, a molecular memory storage device, or other storage media, in the RAM or ROM of a computer or processor, etc. Although the exemplary systems disclosed herein are disclosed as including software and / or firmware and other components that execute on hardware, it should be noted that such systems are merely illustrative and should not be considered limiting. For example, it is contemplated that any one or all of these hardware, software, and firmware components can be implemented specifically in hardware, specifically in software, or in any combination of hardware and software. Thus, although the exemplary systems described herein are described as being implemented in software that executes on a processor of one or more computer devices, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that the examples provided are not the only way to implement such systems.

[0077] Accordingly, although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, these examples are only intended to illustrate and not limit the invention, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that changes, additions, or deletions can be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0078] The specific features, structures, and / or characteristics of any particular embodiment can be combined with one and / or more other embodiments in any suitable manner and / or in any suitable combination, including using the selected features with or without the other features accordingly. Additionally, many modifications can be made to adapt a particular application, situation, and / or material to the essential scope or spirit of the invention. It should be understood that other variations and / or modifications of the embodiments of the invention described and / or illustrated herein are possible in accordance with the teachings herein and should be considered to be part of the spirit or scope of the invention. Certain aspects of the invention are described herein as exemplary aspects.

Claims

1. An input / output device for use in a process control system to communicatively couple a plurality of field devices to a process controller, the input / output device comprising: A front-end unit including a first basic unit and one or more processor modules disposed on the first basic unit; A first bus disposed in the first basic unit and communicatively coupled to the one or more processor modules, the first bus being connected to an external connector adapted to communicatively couple to the process controller; A second basic unit communicatively coupled to the first basic unit, the second basic unit including: A plurality of grouping units disposed in slots on the second basic unit, each grouping unit including a memory and a processor for performing communication; and Different terminal blocks associated with each of the grouping units, wherein each terminal block receives wiring for communicatively coupling the terminal block to one or more of the field devices; and A second bus and a third bus disposed on the first basic unit and the second basic unit, wherein each of the second bus and the third bus communicatively couples the one or more processor modules to each of the slots in which the plurality of grouping units are disposed; Wherein a first grouping unit among the grouping units is associated with a group of one or more field devices and performs communication with the group of one or more field devices using a first type of physical layer, and a second grouping unit among the grouping units is associated with a different group of one or more field devices and performs communication with the different group of one or more field devices using a second type of physical layer different from the first type of physical layer, while the first grouping unit performs communication with the group of one or more field devices using the first type of physical layer, and wherein the terminal block associated with the first grouping unit receives the first type of physical layer, and the terminal block associated with the second grouping unit receives the second type of physical layer.

2. The input / output device according to claim 1, wherein The first grouping unit supports communication using a first communication protocol via the first type of physical layer, and the second grouping unit supports communication using a second communication protocol via the second type of physical layer, the second communication protocol being different from the first communication protocol.

3. The input / output device according to claim 2, wherein The first communication protocol is a general IP communication protocol, and the second communication protocol is a process control communication protocol.

4. The input / output device according to claim 3, wherein, The first communication protocol is an Ethernet communication protocol, and the second communication protocol is a HART communication protocol.

5. The input / output device according to claim 3, wherein, The first communication protocol is a HART-IP communication protocol or an OPC UA communication protocol.

6. The input / output device according to claim 1, wherein, The second bus supports communication between the first grouping unit and the processor module using the first type of physical layer, and the third bus supports communication between the second grouping unit and the processor module using the second type of physical layer.

7. The input / output device according to claim 1, wherein, The front-end unit includes a power supply for powering field devices that use a first communication protocol via the first type of physical layer.

8. The input / output device according to claim 1, wherein, The front-end unit includes a first power supply for powering field devices that use a first communication protocol via the first type of physical layer, and includes a second power supply for powering field devices that use a second communication protocol via the second type of physical layer.

9. The input / output device according to claim 1, wherein The front-end unit includes a first switch conforming to the first type of physical layer, and the grouping unit includes a second switch conforming to the first type of physical layer.

10. The input / output device according to claim 1, wherein, The front-end unit includes a power supply and a switch conforming to the first type of physical layer.

11. The input / output device according to claim 1, wherein, The grouping unit can be inserted into and removed from the second basic unit, and each grouping unit in the grouping unit is communicatively coupled to one and only one of the second bus or the third bus when inserted into the second basic unit, and is communicatively coupled to an associated terminal block.

12. The input / output device according to claim 11, wherein, The removable grouping unit can be inserted into and removed from the slot.

13. The input / output device according to claim 12, wherein, Each of the second bus and the third bus is communicatively coupled to each of the slots.

14. The input / output device according to claim 1, wherein, The processor module supports communication on both the second bus and the third bus using different communication protocols.

15. The input / output device according to claim 1, wherein, The processor module includes a first processor unit for communicating with field devices via the second bus and one or more grouping units coupled to the second bus, and a second processor unit for communicating with field devices via the third bus and one or more grouping units coupled to the third bus.

16. The input / output device according to claim 1, wherein, The processor module includes a first processor unit for communicating with field devices using a first communication protocol via the second bus and one or more grouping units coupled to the second bus, and a second processor unit for communicating with field devices using a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol via the third bus and one or more grouping units coupled to the third bus.

17. An input / output device for use in a process control system to communicatively couple a plurality of field devices to a process controller, the input / output device comprising: A base; A front-end unit disposed on the base, the front-end unit including one or more processor modules; A first bus disposed on the base and communicatively coupled to the one or more processor modules, the first bus being connected to an external connector on the base, the external connector being adapted to communicatively couple the first bus to the process controller; A plurality of slots disposed on the base; A plurality of terminal blocks, each of which is communicatively coupled to a different one of the plurality of slots, and each of which receives wiring for communicatively coupling the terminal block to one or more of the field devices. A second bus, disposed on the base, communicatively coupling the one or more processor modules to each of the plurality of slots; and A plurality of grouping units, where each of the plurality of grouping units includes a memory and a processor for performing communication, and where each of the plurality of grouping units is capable of being inserted into any one of the slots such that when inserted into one of the slots, a grouping unit is communicatively coupled to one of the terminal blocks and the second bus; Wherein a first grouping unit among the grouping units is associated with a group of one or more field devices among the field devices and performs communication with the group of one or more field devices among the field devices using a first type of physical layer, and a second grouping unit among the grouping units is associated with a different group of one or more field devices among the field devices and performs communication with the different group of one or more field devices among the field devices using a second type of physical layer different from the first type of physical layer, while the first grouping unit among the grouping units performs communication with the group of one or more field devices using the first type of physical layer, and wherein when the first grouping unit among the grouping units is inserted into a first slot among the slots, the terminal block associated with the first slot among the slots receives the first type of physical layer, and wherein when the second grouping unit among the grouping units is inserted into a second slot among the slots, the terminal block associated with the second slot among the slots receives the second type of physical layer.

18. The input / output device according to claim 17, wherein, The second bus includes a first sub-bus coupled between the one or more processor modules and each of the slots, and includes a second sub-bus coupled between the one or more processor modules and each of the slots.

19. The input / output device according to claim 18, wherein, The first sub-bus supports communication using the first type of physical layer, and the second sub-bus supports communication using the second type of physical layer.

20. The input / output device according to claim 18, wherein The one or more processor modules include a first processor unit communicatively coupled to the field devices coupled to the input / output device via the first type of physical layer, and include a second processor unit communicatively coupled to the field devices coupled to the input / output device via the second type of physical layer.

21. The input / output device according to claim 20, wherein, The first processor unit communicates with the field devices coupled to the input / output device via the first type of physical layer using a first communication protocol, and wherein the second processor unit communicates with the field devices coupled to the input / output device via the second type of physical layer using a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol.

22. The input / output device according to claim 21, wherein, The first communication protocol is a general IP communication protocol, and the second communication protocol is a process control communication protocol.

23. The input / output device according to claim 18, wherein, When the first grouping unit in the grouping unit is inserted into any one of the plurality of slots, it is communicatively connected to the first sub-bus to support the first type of physical layer, and when the second grouping unit in the grouping unit is inserted into any one of the plurality of slots, it is connected to the second sub-bus to support the second type of physical layer.

24. The input / output device according to claim 17, wherein, The first grouping unit in the grouping unit supports communication using a first communication protocol via the first type of physical layer, and the second grouping unit in the grouping unit supports communication using a second communication protocol via the second type of physical layer, and the second communication protocol is different from the first communication protocol.

25. The input / output device according to claim 17, wherein, The front-end unit includes a power supply for powering field devices that use the first communication protocol via the first type of physical layer.

26. The input / output device according to claim 17, wherein, The front-end unit includes a first power supply for powering field devices that use the first communication protocol via the first type of physical layer, and includes a second power supply for powering field devices that use the second communication protocol via the second type of physical layer.

27. The input / output device according to claim 17, wherein, The front-end unit includes a first switch for use on the first type of physical layer, and one of the grouping units in the grouping unit is communicatively connected to the first switch via the second bus and includes a second switch for the first type of physical layer.

28. The input / output device according to claim 17, wherein The front-end unit includes a power supply and a switch conforming to the first type of physical layer, and one of the grouping units in the grouping unit is communicatively connected to the power supply and the switch in the front-end unit via the second bus and performs communication between one or more field devices and the power supply and the switch using the first type of physical layer.

29. A process control system for controlling a process plant, comprising: A process controller; A plurality of field devices for performing control functions within the process plant, wherein a first field device among the plurality of field devices uses a first communication protocol that uses a first type of physical layer, and a second field device among the plurality of field devices uses a second communication protocol that uses a second type of physical layer, wherein the first type of physical layer and the second type of physical layer are different types of physical layers, and wherein the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol; An input / output device coupled between the process controller and each of the plurality of field devices, the input / output device comprising, A base; A front-end unit disposed on the base, the front-end unit including one or more input / output processor modules; A first bus disposed on the base and communicatively coupled between the one or more input / output processor modules and the process controller; A plurality of slots disposed on the base; Multiple terminal blocks are provided on the base, each terminal block being communicatively coupled to a different one of the multiple slots, and wherein each terminal block receives wiring for communicatively coupling the terminal block to one or more of the multiple field devices; A second bus is provided on the base, the second bus communicatively coupling the one or more input / output processor modules to each of the multiple slots; and Multiple grouping units, wherein each of the multiple grouping units includes a memory and a processor for performing communication, and wherein each of the multiple grouping units is insertable into one of the slots such that when inserted into one of the slots, a grouping unit is communicatively coupled to one of the terminal blocks and the second bus; Wherein a first grouping unit of the grouping units is associated with the first field device of the field devices and performs communication with the first field device of the field devices using the first type of physical layer, and a second grouping unit of the grouping units is associated with the second field device of the field devices and performs communication with the second field device of the field devices using the second type of physical layer, while the first grouping unit of the grouping units performs communication with the group of one or more field devices using the first type of physical layer, and wherein when the first grouping unit of the grouping units is inserted into a first slot of the slots, the terminal block associated with the first slot of the slots receives the first type of physical layer, and wherein when the second grouping unit of the grouping units is inserted into a second slot of the slots, the terminal block associated with the second slot of the slots receives the second type of physical layer.

30. The process control system according to claim 29, wherein, The first type of physical layer is a physical layer that supports a general IP communication protocol, and the second type of physical layer is a physical layer that supports a process control communication protocol.

31. The process control system according to claim 30, wherein, The first communication protocol is an Ethernet communication protocol, and the second communication protocol is a HART communication protocol.

32. The process control system according to claim 29, wherein, Each of the terminal blocks is configured to receive wiring for both the first type of physical layer and the second type of physical layer.

33. The process control system according to claim 29, wherein, The second bus includes a first sub-bus and a second sub-bus, wherein the first sub-bus supports communication between a first grouping unit of the grouping units and the one or more input / output processor modules using the first type of physical layer, and the second sub-bus supports communication between a second grouping unit of the grouping units and the one or more input / output processor modules using the second type of physical layer.

34. The process control system according to claim 33, wherein, The grouping unit is insertable into and removable from the base, and wherein each of the grouping units is communicatively coupled to one and only one of the first sub-bus or the second sub-bus when inserted into a slot on the base, and is communicatively coupled to an associated terminal block.

35. The process control system according to claim 33, wherein, The one or more input / output processor modules support communication on both the first sub-bus and the second sub-bus using different communication protocols.

36. The process control system according to claim 33, wherein, The one or more input / output processor modules include a first processor unit for communicating with field devices via the first sub-bus, and the input / output device includes one or more grouping units coupled to the first sub-bus, and wherein the one or more input / output processor modules include a second processor unit for communicating with field devices via the second sub-bus, and the input / output device includes one or more grouping units coupled to the second sub-bus.

37. The process control system according to claim 33, wherein, The one or more input / output processor modules include a first processor unit for communicating with field devices via the first sub-bus, and one or more grouping units coupled to the first sub-bus using a first communication protocol, and wherein the one or more input / output processor modules include a second processor unit for communicating with field devices via the second sub-bus, and one or more grouping units coupled to the second sub-bus using a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol.

38. The process control system according to claim 29, wherein, The front-end unit includes a power supply for powering the first communication protocol via the first type of physical layer.

39. The process control system according to claim 29, wherein The front-end unit includes a first power supply for powering field devices using a first communication protocol, wherein the grouping unit includes a memory and a processor for performing communication via the first type of physical layer, and includes a second power supply for powering field devices using a second communication protocol via the second type of physical layer.

40. The process control system according to claim 29, wherein, The front-end unit includes a first switch for use on the first type of physical layer, and one of the grouping units includes a second switch for use on the first type of physical layer.

41. The process control system according to claim 29, wherein, The front-end unit includes a power supply and a switch compliant with the first type of physical layer.

42. A process control system for controlling a process plant, comprising: A process controller; A plurality of field devices for performing control functions within the process plant, wherein a first group of the plurality of field devices uses a first communication protocol that uses a first type of physical layer, and a second group of the plurality of field devices uses a second communication protocol that uses a second type of physical layer, wherein the first type of physical layer and the second type of physical layer are different types of physical layers, and wherein the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol; An input / output device coupled between the process controller and each of the plurality of field devices, the input / output device including: A base; A front-end unit, disposed on the base, the front-end unit including one or more input / output processor modules; A first bus, disposed on the base and communicatively coupled to the one or more input / output processor modules, the first bus communicatively coupled to the process controller; A second bus and a third bus, disposed on the base, the second bus and the third bus communicatively coupled to each of the one or more input / output processor modules and each of a plurality of slots on the base; A plurality of grouping units, disposed in the slots on the base, wherein each of the plurality of grouping units includes a memory and a processor for performing communication, and wherein each of the plurality of grouping units is communicatively coupled to the one or more input / output processor modules via the second bus or the third bus; and A plurality of terminal blocks, disposed on the base, each terminal block communicatively coupled to a different one of the plurality of grouping units, and wherein each terminal block receives wiring for communicatively coupling the terminal block to one or more of the plurality of field devices; Wherein a first grouping unit among the grouping units is associated with at least one field device in the first group of field devices and performs communication with at least one field device in the first group of field devices using the first type of physical layer, and a second grouping unit among the grouping units is associated with at least one field device in the second group of field devices and performs communication with at least one field device in the second group of field devices using the second type of physical layer, while the first grouping unit among the grouping units performs communication with the one or more field devices using the first type of physical layer.

43. The process control system according to claim 42, wherein, The first grouping unit among the grouping units communicates with one field device in the first group of field devices using the first communication protocol, and the second grouping unit among the grouping units communicates with one field device in the second group of field devices using the second communication protocol.

44. The process control system according to claim 42, wherein, Each of the grouping units is adapted to be removably installed in one of the slots to connect the grouping unit to one of the second bus or the third bus and one of the terminal blocks.

45. The process control system according to claim 44, wherein, Each slot is communicatively coupled to each of the second bus and the third bus.

46. The process control system according to claim 45, wherein, The second bus supports communication between a first grouping unit among the grouping units and an input / output processor module among the one or more input / output processor modules using the first type of physical layer, and the third bus supports communication between a second grouping unit among the grouping units and an input / output processor module among the one or more input / output processor modules using the second type of physical layer.

47. The process control system according to claim 45, wherein, The one or more input / output processor modules support communication on the second bus and the third bus using different communication protocols.

48. The process control system according to claim 45, wherein, The one or more input / output processor modules include a first processor unit for communicating with field devices via the second bus, and the input / output device includes one or more grouping units coupled to the second bus, and wherein, the one or more input / output processor modules include a second processor unit for communicating with field devices via the third bus, and the input / output device includes one or more grouping units coupled to the third bus.

49. The process control system according to claim 45, wherein, The one or more input / output processor modules include a first processor unit for communicating with field devices via the second bus using a first communication protocol, and the input / output device includes one or more grouping units coupled to the second bus to communicate with one or more of the field devices using the first communication protocol, and wherein, the one or more input / output processor modules include a second processor unit for communicating with one or more of the field devices via the third bus using a second communication protocol, and the input / output device includes one or more grouping units coupled to the third bus to communicate with one or more of the field devices using the second communication protocol, wherein, the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol.

50. The process control system according to claim 42, wherein The front-end unit includes a power supply for powering the first communication protocol via the first type of physical layer.

51. The process control system according to claim 42, wherein, The front-end unit includes a first power supply for powering field devices using the first communication protocol via the first type of physical layer, and a second power supply for powering field devices using the second communication protocol via the second type of physical layer.

52. An input / output device for providing communication between an external device and a plurality of field devices, comprising: A base; A front-end unit disposed on the base, the front-end unit including a processor module; A first bus disposed on the base and communicatively coupled to the processor module, the first bus being connected to an external connector on the base, the external connector being adapted to communicatively couple the first bus to the external device; A plurality of slots disposed on the base; A plurality of terminal blocks, each of the terminal blocks being communicatively coupled to a different one of the plurality of slots, and wherein each of the terminal blocks receives wiring for communicatively coupling the terminal block to one or more of the field devices; A second bus disposed on the base, communicatively coupling the processor module to each of the plurality of slots; and A plurality of grouping units, wherein each of the plurality of grouping units includes a memory and a processor for performing communication, and wherein each of the plurality of grouping units is capable of being inserted into any one of the slots such that when inserted into one of the slots, one grouping unit is communicatively coupled to one of the terminal blocks and the second bus; Among them, the first grouping unit in the grouping unit communicates with a group of one or more field devices in the field devices via one of the terminal blocks using a first type of physical layer that supports the general IP communication protocol, and the second grouping unit in the grouping unit communicates with different groups of one or more field devices in the field devices via a different one of the terminal blocks using another physical layer that supports the general IP communication protocol.

53. The input / output device according to claim 52, wherein, The processor module includes a first processor unit that communicates with the field devices coupled to the input / output device via the first type of physical layer using a first communication protocol.

54. The input / output device according to claim 53, wherein, The first communication protocol is the general IP communication protocol.

55. The input / output device according to claim 53, wherein, The first communication protocol is the Ethernet communication protocol.

56. The input / output device according to claim 53, wherein, The first communication protocol is the HART-IP communication protocol.

57. The input / output device according to claim 53, wherein, The first communication protocol is the OPC UA communication protocol.

58. The input / output device according to claim 52, wherein, The first type of physical layer is the Advanced Physical Layer (APL) physical layer.

59. The input / output device according to claim 52, wherein, The first type of physical layer is the Ethernet physical layer.

60. The input / output device according to claim 52, wherein, The front-end unit includes a power source for powering the field devices that use the first communication protocol via the first type of physical layer.

61. The input / output device according to claim 52, wherein, The front-end unit includes a first switch that conforms to the first type of physical layer, and one of the first grouping unit or the second grouping unit includes a second switch that conforms to the first type of physical layer.

62. The input / output device according to claim 52, wherein, The front-end unit includes a power source and a switch that conforms to the first type of physical layer.

63. The input / output device according to claim 52, wherein, The processor module can be removably mounted on the base.

64. The input / output device according to claim 52, wherein, The first grouping unit in the grouping unit is communicatively coupled to one or more field device interface devices via one of the terminal blocks through the first type of physical layer and communicates with the one or more field device interface devices using a first communication protocol, wherein one of the field device interface devices in the field device interface devices is coupled to one or more field devices via a second type of physical layer different from the first type of physical layer.

65. The input / output device according to claim 64, wherein, One of the field device interface devices in the field device interface devices is communicatively coupled to the one or more field devices and communicates with the one or more field devices via the second type of physical layer using a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol.

66. The input / output device according to claim 65, wherein, The second communication protocol is a process control communication protocol.

67. The input / output device according to claim 66, wherein, The second communication protocol is one of the HART, Fieldbus, PROFIBUS, or CAN communication protocols.

68. The input / output device according to claim 65, wherein, The first grouping unit in the grouping unit tunnels a communication packet configured according to the second communication protocol within a communication packet of the first communication protocol through the first type of physical layer, and the first type of physical layer couples the first grouping unit in the grouping unit to the field device interface device.

69. The input / output device according to claim 65, wherein, The first grouping unit of the grouping unit directly communicates with one or more additional field devices coupled to the first type of physical layer using the first communication protocol.

70. The input / output device according to claim 52, wherein, The first grouping unit is coupled to one or more of the field devices via a first type of physical layer including a wireless communication link.

71. The input / output device according to claim 52, wherein, The first grouping unit is coupled to one or more of the field devices via the first type of physical layer and a wireless gateway via a wired connection, wherein the wireless gateway is configured to communicate with one or more field devices via a wireless communication physical layer.

72. The input / output device according to claim 71, wherein, The wireless communication physical layer conforms to the first type of physical layer.

73. A field device access system for communicating with one or more field devices in a process plant, the field devices being coupled to a process controller, the field device access system comprising: A plurality of field devices for performing control functions within the process plant, wherein a first field device among the plurality of field devices uses a first communication protocol that uses a first type of physical layer, and a second field device among the plurality of field devices uses a second communication protocol that uses a second type of physical layer, wherein the first type of physical layer and the second type of physical layer are different types of physical layers, and wherein the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol; An input / output device coupled between the process controller and each of the plurality of field devices, the input / output device comprising, A base; A front-end unit disposed on the base, the front-end unit including one or more input / output processor modules; A first bus disposed on the base and communicatively coupled between the one or more input / output processor modules and external devices; A plurality of slots disposed on the base; A plurality of terminal blocks disposed on the base, each terminal block being communicatively coupled to a different one of the plurality of slots, and wherein each terminal block receives wiring for communicatively coupling the terminal block to one or more of the plurality of field devices; A second bus disposed on the base, communicatively coupling the one or more input / output processor modules to each of the plurality of slots; and A plurality of grouping units, wherein each of the plurality of grouping units includes a memory and a processor for performing communication, and wherein each of the plurality of grouping units is capable of being inserted into one of the slots such that when inserted into one of the slots, a grouping unit is communicatively coupled to one of the terminal blocks and the second bus; Among them, the first grouping unit in the grouping unit is associated with the first field device in the field devices and communicates with the first field device in the field devices using the first type of physical layer, and the second grouping unit in the grouping unit is associated with the second field device in the field devices and communicates with the second field device in the field devices using the second type of physical layer. At the same time, the first grouping unit in the grouping unit uses the first type of physical layer to communicate with the group of one or more field devices. And among them, when the first grouping unit in the grouping unit is inserted into the first slot in the slots, the terminal block associated with the first slot in the slots accepts the first type of physical layer. And among them, when the second grouping unit in the grouping unit is inserted into the second slot in the slots, the terminal block associated with the second slot in the slots accepts the second type of physical layer.

74. The field device access system according to claim 73, wherein, The external device is a device in a monitoring system.

75. The field device access system according to claim 73, wherein, The external device is a device in an asset management system.

76. The field device access system according to claim 73, wherein, The external device is a process controller.

77. The field device access system according to claim 73, further comprising an additional bus, which is disposed on the base and communicatively coupled between the one or more input / output processor modules and the process controller.

78. The field device access system according to claim 73, wherein, The first grouping unit in the grouping unit uses the first type of physical layer and uses an Internet protocol communication protocol to communicate with the first field device in the field devices.

79. The field device access system according to claim 73, wherein, The first grouping unit in the grouping unit uses the first type of physical layer and uses a communication protocol using publish / subscribe messaging to communicate with the first field device in the field devices.

80. The field device access system according to claim 73, wherein, The first grouping unit in the grouping unit uses the first type of physical layer and uses a communication protocol using response / request commands to communicate with the first field device in the field devices.

81. The field device access system according to claim 73, wherein, The first grouping unit in the grouping unit uses the first type of physical layer and uses a communication protocol using device addressing within device messages to communicate with the first field device in the field devices.

82. A field device access system for communicating with one or more field devices in a process plant, the field devices being coupled to a process controller and configured to perform control functions within the process plant, the field device access system comprising: Input / output devices, coupled between the process controller and each of the plurality of field devices, the input / output devices comprising, A base; A front-end unit, disposed on the base, the front-end unit including one or more input / output processor modules; A first bus, disposed on the base and communicatively coupled between the one or more input / output processor modules and an external device; A plurality of slots, disposed on the base; Multiple terminal blocks are provided on the base, each terminal block being communicatively coupled to a different one of the multiple slots, and wherein each terminal block receives wiring for communicatively coupling the terminal block to one or more of the multiple field devices; A second bus is provided on the base, the second bus communicatively coupling the one or more input / output processor modules to each of the multiple slots; and Multiple grouping units, wherein each of the multiple grouping units includes a memory and a processor for performing communication, and wherein each of the multiple grouping units is insertable into one of the multiple slots such that when inserted into one of the multiple slots, a grouping unit is communicatively coupled to one of the multiple terminal blocks and the second bus, wherein each of the grouping units performs communication with the one or more field devices via one of the terminal blocks using a physical layer that supports Internet Protocol (IP) communication and performs communication with the one or more field devices using an IP communication protocol.

83. The field device access system according to claim 82, wherein, The external device is a device in a monitoring system.

84. The field device access system according to claim 82, wherein, The external device is a device in an asset management system.

85. The field device access system according to claim 82, wherein, The external device is a process controller.

86. The field device access system according to claim 82, further comprising an additional bus provided on the base and communicatively coupling between the one or more input / output processor modules and the process controller.

87. The field device access system according to claim 82, wherein, At least one of the grouping units communicates with the one or more field devices using an IP communication protocol that utilizes publish / subscribe messaging.

88. The field device access system according to claim 82, wherein, At least one of the grouping units performs communication with the one or more field devices using an IP communication protocol that utilizes response / request commands.

89. The field device access system according to claim 82, wherein, At least one of the grouping units performs communication with the one or more field devices using an IP communication protocol that utilizes device addressing within device messages.

90. The field device access system according to claim 82, wherein, The physical layer is one of an Ethernet physical layer or an Advanced Physical Layer (APL).

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