Digital bridging through advanced physical layers

Abstract

Field devices are digitally bridged to an industrial network using an Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer (Ethernet-APL) bridge device. The APL bridge device includes an analog interface for current-driven and voltage-driven measurement devices and an intrinsically safe (IS) APL connection that provides power to the bridge device and the measurement devices. The bridge device enables a gateway function between a field device protocol and an industrial network protocol.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 414,607, filed on October 10, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 414,845, filed on October 10, 2022, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to industrial networks, and more particularly, to systems and methods for bridging intrinsically safe analog measurements to industrial networks for process control and automation. Background Art

[0004] As is known, an industrial operation or plant typically includes industrial equipment, which is often associated with various processes in various forms and, for example, depending on the industrial operation. For example, an industrial operation may include one or more field devices (e.g., remote terminal units (RTUs), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), actuators, sensors, human-machine interfaces (HMIs)) for performing, analyzing, and / or controlling process variable measurements. These process variable measurements may include, for example, pressure, flow, level, and temperature. In some cases, a distributed control system (DCS) is used to operate and control an industrial operation or plant and its associated equipment and (one or more) processes.

[0005] Hazardous locations within industrial plants require rigorous protection methods to eliminate possible electrical ignition sources. Conventional methods and systems for intrinsic safety are generally considered adequate for their intended purpose, but there is a need for improvements in the art, including devices that provide this protection while also providing digital input / output. Summary of the invention

[0006] Aspects of the present disclosure allow intrinsically safe (IS) analog measurements to be bridged to industrial networks for process control and automation, and provide intrinsically safe endpoint field devices with Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer (Ethernet-APL) interfaces for digital inputs / outputs. According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a system may include one or more endpoint field devices that are APL-based, intrinsically safe, and have galvanically isolated digital inputs and outputs. Such a system may provide the ability to monitor and control external digital circuits over the Internet Protocol (IP) via a 10BaseT1L APL interface. Hazardous locations may require stringent protection methods to eliminate any possible electrical ignition sources, and embodiments of the present disclosure may provide such protection while also providing an APL interface.

[0007] In one aspect, the IS endpoint field device includes a 10BaseT1L APL IP interface. One or more electrically isolated digital input / outputs are coupled to the 10BaseT1L APL IP interface and are configured to couple one or more external digital circuits to the IS endpoint field device via the APL IP interface. The IS endpoint field device is configured to monitor and control one or more external digital circuits via the APL IP interface over IP.

[0008] In another aspect, a method of digitally bridging one or more field devices to an industrial network includes providing a 10BaseT1L APL IP interface and coupling one or more electrically isolated digital inputs / outputs to the APL IP interface. The method also includes coupling one or more external digital circuits to the APL IP interface and monitoring and controlling the one or more external digital circuits over IP via the APL IP interface.

[0009] Other objects and features of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 An example industrial operation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0011] Figure 2 An example APL bridge device with dual APL ports according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0012] Figure 3 Another example APL bridge device with dual APL ports according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0013] Figure 4 An example implementation of digital input / output according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0014] Figure 5 An example data manager architecture for use with the disclosed digital input / output is illustrated in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The features and other details of the concepts, systems and techniques for which protection is sought herein will now be described in greater detail. It should be understood that any specific embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the present disclosure and the concepts described herein. The features of the subject matter described herein may be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the concepts for which protection is sought.

[0017] As discussed above, hazardous locations require stringent protection methods to eliminate electrical ignition sources that could cause fire, explosion, etc. Aspects of the present disclosure provide an intrinsically safe endpoint field device that provides such protection while also providing an interface for digital input / output that is compatible with APL, a specific single pair Ethernet (SPE) based on 10BASE-T1L.

[0018] refer to Figure 1 , according to an example industrial operation 100 of an embodiment of the present disclosure, includes a plurality of industrial devices or equipment 110a, 110b, ..., 110n (collectively indicated as industrial equipment 110). Industrial equipment (or equipment) 110 may be associated with a specific application (e.g., an industrial application), an application and / or (one or more) processes. Industrial equipment 110 may include electrical or electronic equipment, for example, such as machinery associated with industrial operation 100 (e.g., manufacturing or natural resource extraction operations). Industrial equipment 110 may also include control and / or auxiliary equipment associated with industrial operation 100, such as field devices (e.g., RTU, PLC, actuator, sensor, HMI) for performing, analyzing and / or controlling process variable measurements. In an embodiment, industrial equipment 110 may be installed or located in one or more facilities (i.e., buildings) or other physical locations (i.e., sites) associated with industrial operation 100. These facilities may correspond to, for example, industrial buildings or factories. In addition, a physical location may correspond to, for example, a geographic area or location.

[0019] In some embodiments, the industrial equipment 110 may each be configured to perform one or more tasks. For example, at least one of the industrial equipment 110 may be configured to produce or process one or more products or parts of products associated with the industrial operation 100. In addition, at least one of the industrial equipment 110 may be configured to sense or monitor one or more parameters (e.g., industrial parameters) associated with the industrial operation 100. For example, the industrial equipment 110a may include or be coupled to a temperature sensor configured to sense (one or more) temperatures associated with the industrial equipment 110a, such as the ambient temperature near the industrial equipment 110a, the temperature of the process associated with the industrial equipment 110a, the temperature of the product produced by the industrial equipment 110a, etc. The industrial equipment 110a may additionally or alternatively include, for example, one or more pressure sensors, flow sensors, level sensors, vibration sensors, and / or any number of other sensors associated with (one or more) applications or (one or more) processes associated with the industrial equipment 110a. In an example embodiment, the (one or more) applications or (one or more) processes may involve water, air, gas, electricity, steam, oil, etc.

[0020] Industrial equipment 110 may take a variety of forms, and each form may each have an associated complexity (or a set of functional capabilities and / or features). For example, industrial equipment 110a may correspond to "basic" industrial equipment, industrial equipment 110b may correspond to "intermediate" industrial equipment, and industrial equipment 110n may correspond to "advanced" industrial equipment. In such an embodiment, intermediate industrial equipment 110b may have more functions (e.g., measurement features and / or capabilities) than basic industrial equipment 110a, and advanced industrial equipment 110n may have more functions and / or features than intermediate industrial equipment 110b. For example, in an embodiment, industrial equipment 110a (e.g., industrial equipment with basic capabilities and / or features) may be able to monitor one or more first characteristics of an industrial process, and industrial equipment 110n (e.g., industrial equipment with advanced capabilities) may be able to monitor one or more second characteristics of an industrial process, wherein the second characteristic includes the first characteristic and one or more additional parameters. It should be understood that this example is for illustration purposes only, and also that, in some embodiments, the industrial equipment 110a, 110b, 110n, etc. may each have independent functionality.

[0021] As described above, in some cases, industrial operation 100 and its associated equipment and process(es) may be operated and controlled using a DCS.

[0022] Figure 2 An example Ethernet-APL bridge 206 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The APL bridge 206 provides communication between an industrial network 208, such as the DCS mentioned above, and industrial equipment 110 (i.e., edge field devices 210 in the illustrated embodiment). The APL bridge 206 includes two or more physical APL 10BaseT1 ports 212. Each port 212 connects a field device 210 to the industrial network 208 via an APL switch 214. As described below, the dual ports 212 of the APL bridge 206 enable network traffic separation and high availability implementation. In addition, the APL bridge 206 includes an onboard Power over Data Lines (PoDL) component indicated at 216 and a power supply, network port, cable, and onboard network interface components indicated at 218. In this manner, the APL bridge 206 of the illustrated embodiment allows IS field devices, ie, field devices 210 , to connect to the industrial Ethernet network 208 via Ethernet-APL while maintaining intrinsic safety all the way to the APL switch 214 .

[0023] In an embodiment, each APL port 212 is connected via 2-wire intrinsically safe Ethernet (2-WISE) 10BASE-T1L to its corresponding APL switch 214. Redundant APL ports 212 and network interface components may be used for both ordinary and hazardous locations. Figure 2 The APL switch 214 in the embodiment combines communication technology with Ethernet-APL and allows power and data to be transmitted to hazardous areas of the process plant over Ethernet lines. In hazardous environments, the power of the field device 210 is limited within the intrinsically safe threshold to reduce the risk of fire, explosion, etc. Figure 2 The system includes a power limited source that is operably connected to the field device 210 and is configured to supply main power to the field device 210 up to a power limit threshold. In this case, the power limited source includes an APL bridge 206 that can be intrinsically safe. Figure 2 As shown in , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the field device 210 comprises an intrinsically safe edge field device having redundant APL ports and network interface components.

[0024] Reference now Figure 3 , another example implementation of an APL bridge 206 having dual APL ports 212 is shown according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 In an embodiment of the present invention, the APL bridge 206 provides an APL powered intrinsically safe electrically isolated digital input, such as the digital input 302, and an intrinsically safe electrically isolated digital output, such as the digital output 304. Advantageously, via the APL bridge 206, networked IS devices can be connected to the electrically isolated digital input / output 302, 304 to read the digital input 302 and control the digital output 304 even in hazardous locations. In one aspect, for example, Figure 3The APL bridge 206 shown in FIG. 2 provides connectivity via Ethernet-APL. In addition, the APL bridge 206 supports both current-driven and voltage-driven analog measurements, as well as HART (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer) and ModbusRTU / ASCII protocols, RS-485, RS232, and SPI serial connections on the measurement interface. The APL bridge 206 also provides Ethernet-based industrial protocols (e.g., OPC-FX, OPC-UA, Ethernet IP, Modbus TCP, HART-IP, PROFINET, CANopen, DeviceNet, Foundation Fieldbus, EtherCAT) on the industrial network 208 side. The APL bridge 206 allows intrinsically safe field devices 210 to be connected to the industrial Ethernet network 208 via Ethernet-APL while maintaining intrinsic safety all the way to the APL switch 214. For example, APL powered intrinsically safe current driven loop (4 / 20mA) HART signaling is bridged to digital through the APL via the APL bridge 206, which allows networked IS devices to connect to IS current driven field devices in Tier 0. Similarly, APL powered intrinsically safe voltage driven loop (0-5V) HART signaling is bridged to digital through the APL via the APL bridge 206, which allows networked IS devices to connect to IS voltage driven field devices in Tier 0.

[0025] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the APL bridge 206 is such as Figure 3 The APL Ethernet bridge device with dual APL ports 212 shown in the figure is used to enable network traffic separation and high availability implementation. The dual APL ports 212 allow different categories of traffic from the industrial network 208 to be physically separated to edge devices such as field devices 210 connected through the APL bridge 206. The dual APL ports 212 also allow the power of the APL bridge 206 and the edge devices connected outside it to be increased. In an example embodiment, the end user / installer can choose to use traditional line spade lugs, terminal strips and cable glands or circular connectors. For example, these options can be shipped with each bridge 206. Use two (or more) APL port 212 connectors for IS edge devices, and can choose to use traditional line spade lugs, terminal strips and cable glands or circular connectors to enable simultaneous, independent control and OAM (based on web servers) interfaces supported by separate APL connections of edge components. In addition, it also allows the power of the APL bridge 206 and the edge devices connected behind the bridge 206 to be increased. One or both of the dual ports 212 of the Ethernet-APL bridge 206 may be active, connected, or have only a single pair.

[0026] If from Figure 2 and Figure 3 It is further recognized in the review that, for example, in one aspect, the disclosed APL bridge 206 provides an analog interface for current and voltage driven measurement devices (see field device 210), wherein all power to the APL bridge 206 and the field device 210 is provided via an IS APL connection. Software executed by the circuit system of the APL bridge 206 provides gateway functions between field device protocols (e.g., HART or Modbus RTU) and industrial network protocols, including acting as an OPC-UA / FX server with publish / subscribe support for OPC-UA / FX clients. For example, HART over APL implemented on the field device 210 supports conversion between the HART protocol and the desired network digital protocol (such as OPC-FX in client / server and publish / subscribe modes). Similarly, Modbus over APL implemented on the field device 210 supports conversion between the Modbus RTU protocol and a desired network digital protocol such as OPC-FX in client / server and publish / subscribe modes.

[0027] As described above, aspects of the present disclosure relate to electrical isolation between a power limited source and a field device 210 . Figure 4 An example implementation of a digital input / output is shown, where a digital isolator chip 402 isolates the two sides and provides the digital I / O of the APL system with electrical isolation. In an embodiment, the ADUM1442ARSZ digital isolator available from Analog Devices implements a suitable chip 402. Figure 4 The APL-based intrinsically safe endpoint field device 210 with electrically isolated digital inputs and outputs disclosed in provides the ability to monitor and control external digital circuits over IP via its 10BaseT1LAPL interface.

[0028] Digital bridging through APL further enables data managers with servers to share data between the edge and the network. Figure 5 An example data manager architecture that may be suitable for use with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. In one example implementation, data from HMIs, HART (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer) devices, Modbus devices, etc. may be collected and provided internally or externally via a hosted server (data manager) using an interface. This provides the flexibility of accessing data internally or externally via the same medium. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, if an external device needs to read data from a local device, no additional work is required.

[0029] In an embodiment, the APL bridge device includes analog interfaces for current driven and voltage driven measurement devices, where all power to the APL bridge device and the measurement devices is provided via the IS APL connection. The APL bridge device software provides gateway functionality between field device protocols (e.g., HART or Modbus RTU) and industrial network protocols, including acting as an OPC-UA / FX server with publish / subscribe support for OPC-UA / FX clients.

[0030] In an embodiment, the APL bridge device includes one or more analog interfaces for at least one of current-driven and voltage-driven measurement devices, and an IS APL connection that provides power to the bridge device and the measurement device. The bridge device also includes a processor and a memory storing processor-executable instructions, which, when executed, configure the processor to enable a gateway function between one or more field device protocols and one or more industrial network protocols. The field device protocols include one or more of HART and Modbus RTU, and the industrial network protocol is configured to operate the APL bridge device as an OPC-UA / FX server with publish / subscribe support for OPC-UA / FX clients. The APL bridge device also includes a 10BaseT1L APL IP interface, an electrically isolated digital input coupled to the interface and configured to couple an external digital circuit to the APL bridge device via the interface, and an electrically isolated digital output coupled to the interface and configured to couple an external digital circuit to the APL bridge device via the interface. In this way, the APL bridge device allows monitoring and control of external digital circuits via IP via the interface.

[0031] For convenience, certain introductory concepts and terms used in the specification are collected here.

[0032] As used herein, the term "edge" is used to refer to Layer 0 of the Purdue Network Model of industrial control systems.

[0033] As used herein, the term "field device" is used to refer to equipment connected to the field side of an industrial control system. Types of field devices include RTUs, PLCs, actuators, sensors, HMIs and associated communications, and smart field instruments with embedded control / computing / measurement capabilities implemented on platforms based on lower power embedded microcontrollers.

[0034] As used herein, the term "machine learning (ML)" is used to refer to the use and development of software that is able to learn and adapt without following explicit instructions by using algorithms and statistical models to analyze patterns in data and draw inferences therefrom.

[0035] As used herein, the term "embedded device" is used to refer to a combination of a microcontroller, memory, and input / output peripherals - the embedded device having a dedicated function within a larger system.

[0036] As used herein, the term "networked" is used to refer to connecting via Ethernet.

[0037] As used herein, the term "high availability" is used to refer to a device or application that can continuously operate at a high level without intervention for a given period of time. A high availability infrastructure is configured to deliver quality performance and handle varying loads and failures with minimal or zero downtime.

[0038] As used herein, the term "intrinsically safe (IS)" is used to refer to a design solution for equipment entering hazardous areas that reduces available energy to a level insufficient to cause an ignition, such as certified by IEC TS 60079-39 or ATEX.

[0039] It should be appreciated that aspects of the present disclosure may find applicability in numerous applications including, but not limited to, oil and gas, energy, food and beverage, water and wastewater, chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, metals, and mining and minerals applications.

[0040] Embodiments of the present disclosure may include a special purpose computer including various computer hardware, as described in more detail herein.

[0041] For the purpose of explanation, programs and other executable program components may be shown as discrete blocks. However, it should be appreciated that these programs and components reside in different storage components of the computing device at different times and are executed by (one or more) data processors of the device.

[0042] Although described in conjunction with the example computing system environment, the embodiments of aspects of the present invention can be operated with other special computing system environments or configurations. The computing system environment is not intended to imply any limitation on the scope of use or function of any aspect of the present invention. Moreover, the computing system environment should not be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement related to any one component or combination of components shown in the example operating environment. Examples of computing systems, environments and / or configurations that can be suitable for use with aspects of the present invention include but are not limited to personal computers, server computers, handheld or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set-top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, mobile phones, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, distributed computing environments including any of the above systems or devices, etc.

[0043] Embodiments of aspects of the present disclosure may be described in the general context of data and / or processor executable instructions such as program modules, which are stored in one or more tangible, non-transient storage media and executed by one or more processors or other devices. In general, program modules include, but are not limited to, routines, programs, objects, components, and data structures that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. Aspects of the present disclosure may also be practiced in a distributed computing environment, where tasks are performed by remote processing devices linked through a communication network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media including memory storage devices.

[0044] In operation, a processor, computer, and / or server may execute processor-executable instructions (eg, software, firmware, and / or hardware), such as those shown herein, to implement aspects of the present invention.

[0045] Embodiments may be implemented with processor executable instructions. Processor executable instructions may be organized into one or more processor executable components or modules on a tangible processor readable storage medium. In addition, embodiments may be implemented with such components or modules in any number and organization. For example, aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to specific processor executable instructions or specific components or modules illustrated in the figures and described herein. Other embodiments may include different processor executable instructions or components with more or less functionality than illustrated and described herein.

[0046] Unless otherwise noted, the order in which operations are performed or run is not essential according to aspects of the present disclosure as illustrated and described herein. That is, unless otherwise noted, operations may be performed in any order, and embodiments may include additional or fewer operations than those disclosed herein. For example, it is contemplated that it is within the scope of the present invention to perform or run a particular operation before, simultaneously with, or after another operation.

[0047] When introducing elements of the present invention or embodiments thereof, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

[0048] Not all illustrated or described components are required. In addition, some embodiments and examples may include additional components. The arrangement and type of components may be changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims set forth herein. Additional, different or fewer components may be provided, and components may be combined. Alternatively or additionally, components may be implemented by several components.

[0049] The foregoing description illustrates embodiments by way of example and not limitation. This description enables one skilled in the art to make and use aspects of the invention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, substitutions, and uses of aspects of the invention, including what are currently considered to be the best modes for implementing aspects of the invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that aspects of the invention are not limited in their application to the construction details and arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Aspects of the invention are capable of other embodiments and can be practiced or implemented in various ways. Furthermore, it should be understood that the wording and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered limiting.

[0050] It is clear that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. As various changes may be made to the above-described constructions and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

[0051] In view of the foregoing, it can be seen that the several advantages of aspects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

[0052] The Abstract and Summary are provided to help the reader quickly determine the nature of the technical disclosure. The Abstract and Summary are submitted with the understanding that they will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. The Summary is provided to introduce a series of concepts in a simplified form that are further described in the Detailed Description. The Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the claimed subject matter.

Claims

1. An intrinsically safe (IS) endpoint field device, comprising: 10BaseT1L Advanced Physical Layer (APL) Internet Protocol (IP) interface; one or more electrically isolated digital inputs coupled to the 10BaseT1L APL IP interface and configured for coupling one or more external digital circuits to the IS endpoint field device via the 10BaseT1L APL IP interface; as well as one or more electrically isolated digital outputs coupled to the 10BaseT1L APL IP interface and configured for coupling the one or more external digital circuits to the IS endpoint field device via the 10BaseT1L APL IP interface, Wherein the IS endpoint field device is configured to monitor and control the one or more external digital circuits over IP via the 10BaseT1L APL IP interface.

2. The IS endpoint field device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of redundant physical Ethernet-APL 10BaseT1L ports, the plurality of redundant physical Ethernet-APL 10BaseT1L ports connecting the IS endpoint field device to an industrial network via at least one Ethernet-APL switch, the redundant ports being configured to enable network traffic separation and high availability.

3. The IS endpoint field device of claim 2, wherein the redundant port is configured to enable network traffic separation based on different classifications of traffic from the industrial network to the IS endpoint field device.

4. The IS endpoint field device of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the 10BaseT1L APL IP interface is configured to connect to an industrial network via at least one Ethernet-APL switch and receive Power over Data Line (PoDL) from the at least one Ethernet-APL switch.

5. The IS endpoint field device of claim 4, wherein the 10BaseT1 L APL IP interface is connected to the at least one Ethernet-APL switch via a two-wire intrinsically safe Ethernet (2-WISE) 10BaseT1L.

6. The IS endpoint field device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: one or more analog interfaces for at least one of a current driven and a voltage driven measurement device; as well as An intrinsically safe (IS) APL connection provides power to the IS endpoint field device and the measurement device.

7. The IS endpoint field device of claim 6, further comprising: processor; as well as A memory stores processor-executable instructions that, when executed, configure the processor to enable gateway functionality between one or more field device protocols and one or more industrial network protocols.

8. The IS endpoint field device of claim 7, wherein the field device protocol comprises one or more of HART and ModbusRTU.

9. An IS endpoint field device as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the industrial network protocol is configured to operate the IS endpoint field device as an OPC-UA / FX server with publish / subscribe support for OPC-UA / FX clients.

10. The IS endpoint field device of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein one or more edge devices are connected to the 10BaseT1L APLIP interface.

11. A method of digitally bridging one or more field devices to an industrial network, the method comprising: Provides 10BaseT1L Advanced Physical Layer (APL) Internet Protocol (IP) interface; coupling one or more electrically isolated digital input / outputs to the APLIP interface; coupling one or more external digital circuits to the APLIP interface; as well as The one or more external digital circuits are monitored and controlled over IP via the APL IP interface.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising connecting the APLIP interface to an industrial network via a plurality of redundant physical Ethernet-APL 10BaseT1L ports, and using the redundant ports to enable network traffic separation and high availability.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein enabling network traffic separation is based on different classifications of traffic from the industrial network to the one or more external digital circuits.

14. The method of any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising connecting the APLIP interface to an industrial network via at least one Ethernet-APL switch, and supplying Power over Data Line (PoDL) to the APLIP interface via the at least one Ethernet-APL switch.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein connecting the APLIP interface to the industrial network via the at least one Ethernet-APL switch comprises: The APLIP interface is connected to the at least one Ethernet-APL switch via a two-wire intrinsically safe Ethernet (2-WISE) 10BaseT1L.

16. The method of any one of claims 11 to 15, further comprising: providing one or more analog interfaces for at least one of a current driven and a voltage driven measurement device over a 10BaseT1L Advanced Physical Layer (APL) Internet Protocol (IP) interface; as well as Power is provided to the APL IP interface and the measurement device via an intrinsically safe (IS) APL connection.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: A gateway function between one or more field device protocols and one or more industrial network protocols is enabled via the APL IP interface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the field device protocol comprises one or more of HART and Modbus RTU.

19. The method of claim 17 or claim 18, wherein enabling gateway functionality comprises operating the APL IP interface as an OPC-UA / FX server with publish / subscribe support for OPC-UA / FX clients.

20. The method of any one of claims 11 to 19, further comprising connecting one or more edge devices to the APLIP interface.

Images