A handheld field maintenance tool configured for multiple process control communication protocols

Abstract

To provide a portable field maintenance tool, or more particularly, a portable field maintenance tool usable in diverse environments and situations.SOLUTION: A portable field maintenance tool can perform one or more tasks of communicating with a field device, supplying power to the field device, and diagnosing the field device or diagnosing a communication link within a plant environment in which the field device is connected. The portable field maintenance tool can interact with field devices configured according to different communication protocols such as a HART protocol and field bus protocol. The portable field maintenance tool is usable in a dangerous area because the portable field maintenance tool is fault tolerant with energy limited and operates in line with a standard of intrinsic safety.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to portable field maintenance tools, and more particularly to portable field maintenance tools that can be used in a wide variety of environments and situations. [Background technology]

[0002] Process control systems, such as those used in chemical and petroleum processes, typically include one or more process controllers communicatively coupled to at least one host or operator workstation and one or more field devices via analog, digital, or combined analog / digital communication links.

[0003] Process controllers (sometimes referred to as "controllers"), typically located within a plant environment, receive signals (sometimes referred to as "control inputs") indicative of process measurements and use the information conveyed by these signals to implement control routines that cause the controller to generate control signals (sometimes referred to as "control outputs") based on the control inputs and the internal logic of the control routines. The controllers transmit the generated control signals over a bus or other communication link to control the operation of field devices. In some cases, controllers may interface with control routines implemented by smart field devices, such as Highway Addressable Remote Transmitter (HART®), wireless HART®, and FOUNDATION® Fieldbus (sometimes referred to simply as "fieldbus") field devices.

[0004] Field devices, which may be, for example, valves, valve positioners, switches, and transmitters (including, for example, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, water level sensors, or flow sensors), are located within a plant environment and typically perform physical or process control functions. For example, a valve may open or close in response to a control output received from a controller, or may transmit a measurement of a process parameter to a controller so that the controller can make the measurement available as a control input. Also, smart field devices, such as field devices that conform to the Fieldbus protocol, may perform control calculations, alarm functions, and other control functions typically implemented within process controllers. Field devices may be configured to communicate with controllers and / or other field devices according to various communication protocols. For example, a plant may include traditional analog 4-20 mA field devices, HART® field devices, or Fieldbus field devices.

[0005] A conventional analog 4-20 mA field device communicates with a controller via a two-wire communication link (also called a "loop" or "current loop") configured to carry an analog 4-20 mA DC signal indicative of a measurement or control command. For example, a water level transmitter may sense a tank level and transmit a current signal corresponding to the measurement over the loop (e.g., a 4 mA signal for 0% full, a 12 mA signal for 50% full, and a 20 mA signal for 100% full). The controller receives the current signal, determines a tank level measurement based on the current signal, and takes some action based on the tank level measurement (e.g., opening or closing an inlet valve). Analog 4-20 mA field devices are generally of two types: four-wire field devices and two-wire field devices. Four-wire field devices typically utilize a first set of wires (i.e., the loop) for communication and a second set of wires for power. Two-wire field devices rely on the loop for both communication and power. Two-wire field devices are "loop-powered" field devices. It is also sometimes called.

[0006] Due to the simplicity and effectiveness of the design, process plants often implement traditional 4-20mA systems. Unfortunately, traditional 4-20mA current loops transmit only one process signal at a time. Thus, a setup that includes a control valve and a flow transmitter on a pipe carrying a material may require three separate current loops: one to transmit a 4-20mA signal indicative of a control command to the valve (e.g., to open the valve 60%), a second to transmit a 4-20mA signal indicative of the actual position of the valve to a controller (e.g., so the controller knows the extent to which the valve responded to the control command), and a third to transmit a 4-20mA signal indicative of the measured flow rate to the controller (e.g., so the controller knows how a change in valve position affected the flow rate). As a result, a traditional 4-20mA setup in a plant with many field devices may require extensive wiring, which can be costly and lead to complexity in setting up and maintaining the communication system.

[0007] More recently, the process control industry has moved to implementing digital communications within the process control environment. For example, the HART® protocol uses loop DC magnitude to send and receive analog signals, but also superimposes an AC digital carrier signal on the DC signal to enable two-wire field communications with smart field devices. As another example, the Fieldbus protocol provides all-digital communications over a two-wire bus (also called a "trunk," "segment," or "fieldbus segment"). This two-wire Fieldbus segment may be coupled to multiple field devices, provide power to the multiple field devices (via the DC voltage available on the segment), and enable communication by the field devices (via the AC digital communication signal superimposed on the DC power voltage).

[0008] Typically, these digital communication protocols allow many more field devices to be connected to a particular communication link, support large volumes and high speed communications between the field devices and the controllers, and / or allow the field devices to transmit large volumes and different types of information (such as information about the status and configuration of the field device itself) to the process controllers. Additionally, these standard digital protocols allow field devices made by different manufacturers to be used together in the same process control network.

[0009] Regardless of the communication protocol utilized, field devices may require on-site setup, configuration, testing, and maintenance. For example, before a field device can be installed at a particular location in a process control plant, the field device must be programmed, and then the field device may need to be tested before and after installation. Installed field devices may also need to be checked periodically for maintenance, or when, for example, a fault is detected and the field device needs to be diagnosed for service or repair. Typically, configuration and testing of field devices is performed in the field using handheld maintenance tools, such as portable test devices ("PTDs"). Because many field devices are installed in remote, hard-to-reach locations, it is more convenient for users to use PTDs to test devices installed in such remote locations than using fully configured test equipment, which is heavy, bulky, and non-portable, and typically requires the installed field device to be transported to the diagnostic equipment location.

[0010] When a user, such as a service technician, performs maintenance testing and / or communicates with a field device, the PTD typically communicates with the communication link (e.g., a current loop or fieldbus segment). A PTD is communicatively connected to a field device (e.g., a communication port) or directly to a field device (e.g., via a communication terminal on the field device). The PTD first attempts to communicate with the field device, such as by sending and / or receiving digital communication signals along the loop or segment. If the current loop or segment is in proper operating condition, communication signals may be sent and / or received without issue. However, if the loop, segment, or field device contains an electrical fault, such as a short or interruption, communication may not be possible and the loop, segment, and / or field device may need to be diagnosed to identify the fault.

[0011] Once such a fault is identified, the technician may need to use a variety of other tools to test the field device and / or the communication link. As an example, the technician may need to carry a multimeter to diagnose the actual signal transmitted or received by the field device. A multimeter is necessary because traditional PTDs cannot accurately analyze the electrical characteristics of the signal transmitted or received by the field device. As another example, the technician may need to use a portable power source to power the isolated field device. The technician may need to power the isolated field device when it loses power, for example, due to a plant-wide outage or a problem with the local power source. As another example, the technician may simply need to take the field device offline for troubleshooting to avoid adversely affecting other field devices and the rest of the process control system. The technician may also need to carry a multimeter to measure the current available on a segment or loop, etc. Each of these tools may take up a significant amount of space and may be inconvenient for a technician to carry in the field. To address this issue of carrying multiple tools, manufacturers have developed PTDs that include a power source to provide power to the HART loop. Unfortunately, these powered PTDs are typically not capable of providing power to Fieldbus field devices, and conventional portable power sources and powered PTDs often do not comply with Intrinsic Safety (IS) standards and therefore cannot be safely used in hazardous areas (e.g., environments or atmospheres with the potential for explosion due to explosive gases or dust).

[0012] When field devices are placed in a hazardous area, a technician may need to ensure that each of his tools is operating in an intrinsically safe manner. In a hazardous area, the technician's tools may need to comply with IS standards to ensure safe operation. Generally, IS standards require plant personnel to analyze all equipment attached to a loop or segment (including any PTDs or other tools that may be attached to the loop or segment) to ensure that all attached devices can operate safely in the hazardous environment. More specifically, IS standards impose constraints on electrical equipment and wiring in hazardous environments to ensure that the electrical equipment and wiring do not ignite an explosion. To comply with IS standards, electrical equipment must typically be designed with two core concepts in mind: energy limitations and fault tolerance.

[0013] The first IS concept requires that IS devices be designed so that the total amount of energy available in the device is below a threshold sufficient to ignite an explosive atmosphere. The energy can be electrical (e.g., in the form of a spark) or thermal (e.g., in the form of a hot surface). IS standards can be complex, but generally require that the voltage in the circuit be less than 29V, the current in the circuit be less than 300mA, and the power associated with the circuit or circuit components be less than 1.3W. Circuits with electrical characteristics above these thresholds may pose an explosion risk due to arcing or heat.

[0014] The second IS concept maintains a safe energy level even after experiencing multiple failures. The IS standards require that IS devices be designed in a fault-tolerant manner so that circuit faults are prevented from occurring. That is, the IS standards reflect the philosophy that if circuit faults are unavoidable, then the energy levels in the circuits when these faults occur should be limited to safe levels.

[0015] Generally, portable power sources and powered PTDs do not comply with IS standards and therefore (i) portable power sources and powered PTDs typically have one or more components that are designed to be used in explosive atmospheres; and / or (ii) the portable power source and the powered PTD are vulnerable to component failures that could result in the portable power source or the powered PTD exceeding energy levels sufficient to pose a risk of igniting an explosive atmosphere and therefore may not be usable in hazardous locations.

[0016] For example, a typical portable power supply may generate voltages across its terminals (e.g., greater than 29 V) sufficient to pose an explosion hazard in hazardous environments. Even when designed to supply voltages less than 29 V, a typical portable power supply does not include a fail-safe mechanism guaranteed to prevent spikes in the supplied voltage or current. Thus, in a hazardous environment, a technician who needs to provide power to a field device must typically unplug the field device and move it to a safe area where it can be powered and tested. Summary of the Invention

[0017] This disclosure describes a portable field maintenance tool configured for use in industrial process control systems, environments, and / or plants, referred to interchangeably herein as "automation," "industrial control," "process control," or "process" systems, environments, and / or plants. Typically, such systems and plants provide distributed control of one or more processes that operate to manufacture, refine, transform, create, or produce physical materials or products.

[0018] The described portable field maintenance tools may power, communicate with, and / or diagnose field devices and / or communication links connected to field devices. The portable field maintenance tools may be configured for use with field devices configured according to multiple communication protocols, such as the Fieldbus protocol and the HART protocol. Thus, rather than being forced to carry multiple tools to service different types of field devices, a user need only carry the portable field maintenance tool. In some cases, the portable field maintenance tools may be energy limited and fault tolerant enough to comply with IS standards. Thus, unlike many conventional portable power sources and PTDs, the portable field maintenance tools may be safely used in hazardous areas.

[0019] In one embodiment, the portable field maintenance tool includes any one or more of a housing, a communication interface, a communication circuit, and / or a power source. The communication interface may be disposed through the housing and may include an internal portion accessible within the housing and a set of terminals accessible outside the housing. The set of terminals may be electrically connectable to the field device by a wired link configured to carry a composite signal, the composite signal including (i) a communication signal transmitted to and from the field device, and (ii) a power signal transmitted to the field device. The communication circuit may be disposed within the housing and electrically connectable to the internal portion of the communication interface and configured to encode or decode the communication signal and / or include a resistor network having a resistance within a range (e.g., any value between 75 ohms and 750 ohms) to create a voltage drop at the set of terminals associated with the composite signal. The composite signal may be (i) a signal that is read by a power supply connected to the field device. (ii) above a minimum voltage threshold associated with reading the communication signal and (iii) below a maximum voltage threshold. The power supply may be disposed within the housing and electrically connected to the internal portion of the communication interface and communication circuitry and / or configured to transmit the power signal. The composite signal may include an analog DC signal that varies in amplitude to carry the information including the power signal as well as a digital FM communication signal superimposed on the analog DC signal. The minimum voltage threshold may be a minimum peak-to-peak voltage associated with reading the communication signal and may be any value between 50mV peak-to-peak and 500mV peak-to-peak (e.g., 120mV peak-to-peak). The maximum voltage threshold may be a value selected to remain below a voltage sufficient to generate a spark at the set of terminals. The power supply may be configured to transmit a current signal at a voltage equal to or less than the maximum voltage threshold. The maximum voltage threshold may be any value between 10V and 30V. The resistive network may include a plurality of resistors that may be arranged in a plurality of sub-networks. The resistive network may include switches (one or more of which may be solid state relays) for replacing one or more resistors in or out of the resistive network.

[0020] In one embodiment, a method of communicating with a transmitter field device includes any one or more of the following: communicatively connecting a set of terminals of a portable field maintenance tool to the transmitter field device via a wired link; supplying power from the portable field maintenance tool via the wired link to the transmitter field device; receiving a communication signal superimposed on the supplied power by the portable field maintenance tool via the wired link; and / or limiting a voltage drop across the set of terminals associated with the communication signal and the supplied power between a minimum voltage threshold and a maximum voltage threshold. The voltage limiting is done by (i) limiting the supplied power such that the voltage drop does not exceed the maximum voltage threshold, and (ii) activating or deactivating one or more resistors of a resistive network disposed within the portable field maintenance tool and electrically connected to the set of terminals such that the voltage drop remains above the minimum voltage threshold (e.g., such that the voltage drop exceeds a minimum peak-to-peak voltage associated with reading the communication signal). The communication signal may be an analog DC signal that varies in amplitude to carry information and is superimposed on the supplied power. Limiting the supplied power so that the voltage drop does not exceed a maximum voltage threshold may include limiting the supplied power to maintain the voltage drop below a voltage sufficient to generate a spark at the set of terminals.

[0021] In one embodiment, a method of communicating with an actuator field device includes any one or more of: communicatively connecting a set of terminals of a portable field maintenance tool to the actuator field device via a wired link; supplying power from the portable field maintenance tool to a transmitter field device via the wired link; supplying power from the portable field maintenance tool to the actuator field device via the wired link; limiting the supplied power so that the set of terminals does not exceed a maximum electrical threshold; and / or transmitting a communication signal by the portable field maintenance tool via the wired link superimposed on the supplied power to the actuator field device. Limiting the supplied power so that the set of terminals does not exceed a maximum electrical threshold may include (i) limiting the supplied power so that a voltage drop across the set of terminals does not exceed a maximum voltage threshold (e.g., any value between 21 V and 24 V); (ii) limiting the supplied power so that the power available to the set of terminals does not exceed a maximum power threshold (e.g., any value between 0.25 W and 1.5 W); (iii) limiting the supplied power so that a current across the set of terminals does not exceed a maximum current threshold (e.g., any value between 25 mA and 31 mA); (iv) inducing a first voltage drop across an internal resistor to maintain a second voltage drop across the set of terminals below a maximum voltage threshold; and / or (v) disabling the portable field maintenance tool when the voltage across the set of terminals exceeds the maximum voltage threshold or when the current across the set of terminals exceeds a maximum current threshold.

[0022] In one embodiment, the portable field maintenance tool includes any one or more of the following: a pair of terminals electrically connectable via a wired link to a field device that transmits and receives signals via the wired link, a communication circuit electrically connected to the pair of terminals that transmits and receives signals, an energy measurement circuit electrically connected to the pair of terminals that measures one or more electrical characteristics of the signals, a resistive network, a control unit, and / or a power supply that provides power via the wired link. The control unit can activate or deactivate one or more resistors of the resistive network based on the measured one or more electrical characteristics and / or control the power supply (e.g., to prevent the pair of terminals from exceeding a maximum electrical threshold, such as a maximum power threshold) based on the measured one or more electrical characteristics. If the current draw at the pair of terminals increases, the power supply can prevent the pair of terminals from exceeding the maximum power threshold by reducing the supply voltage.

[0023] In one embodiment, a method for communicating with a field device and monitoring signals transmitted and received by the field device includes any one or more of the following. (i) electrically connecting the field device to a pair of terminals of the handheld field maintenance tool via a wired link; (ii) transmitting and receiving signals to and from the field device at the pair of terminals of the handheld field maintenance tool; (iii) measuring one or more electrical characteristics of the transmitted and received signals; (iv) maintaining a voltage drop at the pair of terminals above a minimum voltage threshold required to read the signal by activating or deactivating one or more resistors on the handheld field maintenance tool based on the measured one or more electrical characteristics; (v) disabling the handheld field maintenance tool when the signal on the wired link exceeds a maximum electrical threshold or drops below a minimum electrical threshold; (vi) supplying power from the handheld field maintenance tool to the field device via the wired link; (vii) adjusting the supplied power to prevent the pair of terminals from exceeding the maximum electrical threshold; and / or (viii) shutting off the supply of power and gradually reducing the voltage associated with the supply of power by increasing the loop resistance and activating or deactivating one or more resistors on the handheld field maintenance tool. In one embodiment, the method includes performing an analysis of one or more electrical characteristics to determine if the field device is connected to an outer loop resistor, preventing activation of an inner loop resistor when the analysis reveals that the field device is connected to the outer loop resistor, and / or activating the inner loop resistor when the analysis reveals that the field device is not connected to the outer loop resistor. The method can include detecting a voltage decay at the pair of terminals and enabling activation of a power source based on the detected voltage decay.

[0024] Each of the drawings described below illustrates one or more aspects of the disclosed system(s) and / or method(s) according to one embodiment. Wherever possible, the detailed description refers to the reference numerals included in the following drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1A] 1 illustrates an example of a portable field maintenance tool connected to a field device. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an example process control system that utilizes the portable field maintenance tool illustrated in FIG. 1A to communicate with, diagnose, or power one or more field devices. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional passive PTD communicatively connected to a HART field device. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional passive PTD communicatively connected to a Fieldbus field device. [Figure 4] FIG. 1B is a block diagram of the portable field maintenance tool depicted in FIG. 1A, illustrating an example in which the portable field maintenance tool includes an active communicator for powering and communicating with field devices. [Figure 5A] FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an active communicator configured for digital frequency modulation communications, such as may be found on the portable field maintenance tool illustrated in FIG. 1A. [Figure 5B] FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an active communicator configured for digital amplitude modulation communication, such as may be found in the portable field maintenance tool illustrated in FIG. 1A. [Figure 5C] FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an active communicator configured for analog communications, such as may be found on the portable field maintenance tool illustrated in FIG. 1A. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an active communicator that may be found in an example of a portable field maintenance tool and that may enable communication via a digital frequency modulated communication protocol, such as the HART protocol. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the resistor network shown in FIG. [Figure 8A]FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the portable field maintenance tool illustrated in FIG. 6 connected to a transmitter, showing an example in which the transmitter is powered by an active communicator of the portable field maintenance tool. [Figure 8B] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the portable field maintenance tool illustrated in FIG. 6 connected to an actuator, showing an example where the actuator is powered by an active communicator of the portable field maintenance tool. [Figure 9A] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the portable field maintenance tool illustrated in FIG. 6 connected to a transmitter, illustrating an example in which the transmitter is not powered by an active communicator of the portable field maintenance tool. [Figure 9B] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the portable field maintenance tool illustrated in FIG. 6 connected to an actuator, illustrating an example where the actuator is not powered by the active communicator of the portable field maintenance tool. [Figure 10] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the portable field maintenance tool illustrated in FIG. 6 connected to a field device, showing an example in which a power monitor of the portable field maintenance tool may be connected in parallel to the field device to measure electrical characteristics of signals transmitted or received by the field device. [Figure 11] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the portable field maintenance tool illustrated in FIG. 6 connected to a field device, showing an example in which a power monitor of the portable field maintenance tool may be connected in series with the field device to measure electrical characteristics of signals transmitted or received by the field device. [Figure 12] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the portable field maintenance tool illustrated in FIG. 6 connected to an I / O device, illustrating an example in which the portable field maintenance tool may test the I / O device. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an active communicator that may be found on an example of a portable field maintenance tool and that may enable communication via a digital amplitude modulation communication protocol, such as the Fieldbus protocol. [Figure 14A]FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of the portable field maintenance tool depicted in FIG. 13, illustrating an example in which the portable field maintenance tool may be connected to a field device connected to an operational bus. [Figure 14B] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of the portable field maintenance tool illustrated in FIG. 13, illustrating an example in which the portable field maintenance tool may provide power to and communicate with field devices via an internal bus of the portable field maintenance tool. [Figure 15] 1B is a diagram of a communication interface of the portable field maintenance tool shown in FIG. 1A as viewed from the outside of the portable field maintenance tool. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] The present disclosure relates to a portable field maintenance tool and a method for implementing the portable field maintenance tool. Various techniques for diagnosing problems associated with a field device 160 are described. FIG. 1A illustrates an example of a portable field maintenance tool 100 ("tool 100") that may be connected to a field device 160 via a communication link 150. Advantageously, the tool 100 may be capable of communicating with the field instruments 160 as well as powering the field device 160. The tool 100 may utilize a single composite signal transmitted over the link 150 to both power and communicate with the field device 160. In some cases, the tool 100 may diagnose problems in the field device 160 or in a communication link (e.g., a HART loop or fieldbus segment, not shown) in the plant environment to which the field device 160 is connected. In some cases, the tool 100 may communicate with or diagnose field devices configured according to different protocols. For example, the tool 100 may be capable of communicating with, powering, and diagnosing 4-20 conventional field devices, HART field devices, and fieldbus field devices. Unlike many conventional PTDs that force a user to utilize multiple devices and / or connect multiple cables and wires to various different terminal sets when a user wants to communicate with, power, and diagnose signals transmitted or received by a field device, tool 100 may utilize a single signal terminal set for communication, power, and diagnostics, simplifying configuration and use of tool 100 for a user.

[0027] Additionally, tool 100 may be energy limited and fault tolerant sufficient to comply with IS standards. For example, tool 100 may be designed such that all components of tool 100 and all signals transmitted and / or received by tool 100 (e.g., including power and / or communication signals) are energy limited to ranges that comply with IS standards. Additionally, tool 100 may "self-monitor" its components and / or signals transmitted or received by tool 100 to ensure that the components and / or signals remain IS compliant. By way of example, tool 100 may disable one or more components (or disable all or a portion of the components) if the components or signals approach or exceed a threshold associated with an IS standard. (or disable the entire tool 100). Thus, if the tool 100 is IS compliant, a user can connect the tool 100 to a field device 160 or to a link (e.g., a HART loop or fieldbus segment) to which the field device 160 is connected with confidence that the user will not violate IS standards and with confidence that the user will not ignite an explosive atmosphere. Thus, unlike many conventional portable power sources and PTDs, the tool 100 may be safely used in hazardous areas.

[0028] The communication link 150 may be a two-wire communication link capable of carrying a communication signal and / or a power signal, each of which may be part of a composite signal. As used herein, the term "signal" may refer to a communication signal, a power signal, or a composite signal carrying both power and information. In general, the term "communication signal" refers to any signal that carries information (such as a control signal commanding an actuator to actuate) and may be analog or digital, and AC or DC. The term "power signal" refers to any electrical energy transmitted to provide power and may be AC ​​or DC. The tool 100 may have a set of terminals for connecting to the link 150 or the field device 160, and in some cases may have multiple sets of terminals for connecting to field devices configured for a variety of different protocols (e.g., a set of terminals for HART field devices and a set of terminals for Fieldbus field devices).

[0029] To power the field device 160, the tool 100 may include a power supply configured to provide a voltage across terminals of the tool 100 to which the communication link 150 is connected.

[0030] The tool 100 receives communication signals (facilitating communication between the tool 100 and the field device 160). The tool 100 may be configured to communicate with the field device 160 via a composite signal (transmitted over the link 150) that includes a digital signal, an analog signal, or a composite analog and digital signal. That is, the tool 100 may transmit and / or receive a first composite signal that includes a power signal and a second composite signal that includes an analog and digital signal.

[0031] For example, tool 100 may include a first set of terminals for transmitting and / or receiving a first composite signal (e.g., a HART signal) including (i) a DC power signal (e.g., 4 mA), and (ii) a second composite signal for communication (e.g., an AC digital communication signal superimposed on a 0-16 mA DC communication signal) superimposed on the 4 mA power signal. In such an example, the power signal is generally constant at 4 mA to represent a real zero, such that the first composite signal has a current magnitude range of 4-20 mA. Additionally or alternatively, tool 100 may have a second set of terminals for transmitting and / or receiving a composite signal according to another protocol, such as a Fieldbus protocol. For example, tool 100 may transmit and / or receive a composite signal including (i) a DC power signal (e.g., 10-25 mA), and (ii) an AC digital communication signal (e.g., modulated at 15-20 mA peak-to-peak) superimposed on the DC power signal. In some cases, tool 100 includes a set of one or more terminals for transmitting analog and / or digital communication signals without providing power (eg, when field device 160 is already powered).

[0032] As described, tool 100 may operate in accordance with IS standards, i.e., the components of tool 100 may be energy limited and fault tolerant in accordance with IS standards so that tool 100 may be safely used in hazardous areas. For example, the components of tool 100 may be (i) current limited to a current limit (e.g., 250 mA, 300 mA, 350 mA, etc.), (ii) voltage limited to a voltage limit (e.g., 25 V, 29 V, 35 V, etc.), and (iii) power limited to a power limit (e.g., 1 W, 1.3 W, 1.5 W, etc.). Tool 100 may have one or more built-in redundancies (e.g., automatic shutdown, redundant components, etc.) to ensure that component failures do not cause these energy limits to be exceeded.

[0033] Tool 100 may include any one or more of a display 122, a housing 128, input keys 132, and a folding stand 152. Housing 128 is configured to be used as a handheld device. The housing 128 can have a generally rectangular solid shape or any other desired shape or size (e.g., 5 inches, 7 inches, or 11 inches measured diagonally).

[0034] The display 122 and input keys 132 may be located on the front side of the housing. The display 122 may be a touchscreen, such as a capacitive touchscreen that detects touch input via capacitive sensing, or a resistive touchscreen that detects touch input via applied pressure. The input keys 32 may be physical keys, such as push buttons or multi-directional buttons. In some cases, the tool 100 does not include input keys 32.

[0035] The folding stand 152 can pivot between a flat position against the back of the housing 128 and a position pivoted outward from the back of the housing 128. In the flat position, a user can carry the tool 100 and use it in a manner similar to using a tablet. In the pivoted outward position, the folding stand 152 can be used to support the maintenance tool 100 in a vertical position. In some cases, the tool 100 does not include the folding stand 152.

[0036] 1B is a block diagram of an example of a process control system 10 that may utilize a tool 100 to communicate with, diagnose, or power one or more field devices. The process control system 10 includes a process control device 11 connected to a data historian 12 and to one or more host workstations or computers 13 (which may be any type of personal computer, workstation, etc.), each having a display screen 14. The process control system 10 may include a number of field devices 160, including field devices 15-22.

[0037] Controller 11 may be connected to field devices 15-22 via input / output ("I / O") cards 26 and 28. Data historian 12 may be any desired type of data collection device having any desired type of memory and any desired or known software, hardware, or firmware for storing data. In FIG. 1B, controller 11 is communicatively connected to field devices 15-22.

[0038] Generally, the field devices 15-22 may be any type of device, e.g., sensors, valves, transmitters, positioners, etc., and the I / O cards 26 and 28 may be any type of I / O device conforming to a desired communication or controller protocol. For example, the field devices 15-22 and / or the I / O cards 26 and 28 may be configured according to the HART protocol or the Fieldbus protocol. The controller 11 includes a processor 23 that implements or oversees one or more process control routines 30 (or any modules, blocks, or subroutines thereof) stored in memory 24. Generally, the controller 11 communicates with the devices 15-22, the host computer 13, and the data historian 12 to control the process in any desired manner. The controller 11 also implements a control strategy or scheme using one or more function blocks 32-38, each of which is an object or other portion (e.g., a subroutine) of the overall control routine 30. The function blocks 32-38 may be stored in and executed by the controller 11 or other devices such as smart field devices.

[0039] The tool 100 may be communicatively connected via link 150 to a communication link (e.g., a HART loop or a fieldbus segment) connecting one or more of the field devices 15-22 to the I / O cards 26 and 28. Alternatively, the tool 100 may be communicatively connected directly to one of the field devices 15-22 (e.g., via a communication terminal present on the field device 15-22). If desired, the tool 100 may provide power to the field device 15-22 to which the tool 100 is connected or to the bus (e.g., a fieldbus segment) to which the field devices 15-22 are connected. The tool 100 may enable a user to communicate with and / or diagnose any one of the field devices 15-22. In some cases, the tool 100 powers only one of the field devices 15-22 at a given time.

[0040] 2 is a schematic diagram of a conventional PTD 205 connected to a HART field device 215 via a HART loop 200A and requiring the use of a portable power source 220. Unlike the tool 100, the PTD 205 cannot provide power to the field device 215, which is inconvenient for the technician. Furthermore, the portable power source 220 is not IS compliant and may not be suitable for use in hazardous areas. Finally, unlike the tool 100, the PTD 205 requires a loop resistor 210 connected to the loop 200A in parallel with the PTD 205 to communicate with the field device 215.

[0041] As noted, the PTD 205 does not provide power to the field device 215. Instead, the field device 215 is powered by a portable power source 220. represents a scenario in which the field device 215 is being bench tested or is isolated from the normal power source in the field. Because the PTD 205 does not provide power to the field device 215, a technician may need to carry a portable power source 220 in addition to the PTD 205 to the field device 215 when servicing the field device 215 in the field.

[0042] As further described, the power source 220 may not be IS compliant. Thus, if the field device 215 is in a hazardous area, a technician may not be able to power the field device 215 and therefore may not be able to utilize the PTD 205 to service the field device 215. Common portable power sources are often not safe to use in hazardous areas because they typically do not comply with IS standards. In particular, common portable power sources are often vulnerable to component failures that may result in voltage, current, and / or temperature spikes sufficient to ignite an explosive atmosphere. It should be noted that if the PTD 205 is made "active" by applying a power source, the PTD 205 may suffer from many of the same problems that portable power sources suffer from with respect to IS standards.

[0043] Finally, like many conventional PTDs, the PTD 205 requires an external 250 ohm loop resistor 210 to communicate with the HART field device 215. In comparison, the tool 100 includes an internal resistor network that provides sufficient resistance to read a signal on a link such as loop 200A, and therefore may not require the use of an external resistor 210. The external resistor 210 provides sufficient loop resistance to allow the PTD 205 to sense the voltage on loop 200A necessary to read the signal carried by loop 200A (i.e., the PTD 205 interprets the sensed voltage as a signal value). In this example, the PTD 205 may interpret an analog value (e.g., a tank level measurement between 0% full and 100% full) based on a particular value of the sensed voltage within a range of 1V to 5V (e.g., 1V=0%, 5V=100%). For example, if the loop current is 20 mA, the PTD 205 detects 5 V (i.e., 20 mA x 250), and if the loop current is 4 mA, the PTD detects 1 V (i.e., 4 mA x 250). Additionally, the PTD 205 may interpret a digital component of the HART signal based on the detected voltage. The digital component of the HART signal typically fluctuates by approximately 1 mA peak-to-peak. Thus, the 250 ohm resistor 210 allows the PTD 205 to detect a voltage of approximately 250 mA (1 mA x 250), which corresponds to this digital component. If a smaller resistor were used (or if no resistor were used), the voltage associated with the signaling on the loop 200A may drop to a level undetectable by the passive PTD. In comparison, the tool 100 may utilize an internal resistor network with a resistance of less than 250 ohms to allow the tool 100 to read the signal on the HART loop 200a while still complying with the IS energy limits.

[0044] 3 is a schematic diagram of a conventional PTD 305 communicatively coupled to a fieldbus field device 310 powered by a fieldbus power supply 315 via a fieldbus segment 300. The PTD 305 is similar to the PTD 205 in that it does not provide power to the field device 310, which can be inconvenient for a technician. That is, when a technician services the field device 310, the technician utilizes the power supply 315 or a portable power source (not shown) to power the field device 315. In comparison, the tool 100 can provide power to a field device such as the field device 310, even when the field device 310 is located in a hazardous area.

[0045] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the tool 100, including an active communicator 404 and a physical communication interface 406 that can power and communicate with the field device 160 and transmit one of the signals transmitted or received by the active communicator 404. 1 shows an example in which tool 100 includes a physical communication interface 406 electrically connected to active communicator 404 via electrical connections 416 and 417 so that one or more electrical characteristics can be measured. As shown, communication interface 406 may be disposed through housing 128 such that an exterior portion of interface 406 is accessible outside housing 128 such that communication link 150 and field device 160 can be connected to interface 406.

[0046] The active communicator 404 enables the tool 100 to communicate with, diagnose, and power the field device 160, and / or diagnose a communication link in a plant environment (not shown) to which the field device 160 is connected. In some cases, the active communicator 404 may be configured to communicate with and diagnose multiple different types of field devices (e.g., HART field devices and Fieldbus field devices) and / or may be configured to be usable to communicate with, diagnose, and power field devices located in hazardous areas in accordance with IS standards. One or more power sources of the active communicator 404 may include a switch to disable the power source.

[0047] The active communicator 404 may include a power source for powering the field device 160, a signal encoder and decoder (e.g., a modem) for communicating with the field device 160, and / or energy measurement circuitry (e.g., a voltmeter and / or ammeter) for measuring electrical characteristics of signals transmitted and received by the active communicator 404. The active communicator 404 may transmit or receive communication signals to or from the field device 160 via electronic connections 416 and 417. The active communicator 404 may encode the communication signal by modulating the magnitude or frequency of the current to represent an analog or digital value, and may superimpose the communication signal on a power signal to generate a composite signal.

[0048] The tool 100 may include a control unit 402 communicatively coupled to the active communicator 404 via a communication bus 414 and configured to control and monitor the active communicator 404. At a high level, the control unit 402 may activate or deactivate components of the active communicator 404 to (i) configure the active communicator 404 to remain energy limited in accordance with IS standards, (ii) configure the active communicator 404 to communicate in accordance with a desired communication protocol (e.g., HART or Fieldbus), (iii) configure the active communicator 404 in response to a connection made at the physical communication interface 406 (e.g., based on whether a user connects the communication link 150 to a set of terminals for HART or a set of terminals for Fieldbus), and / or (iv) configure the active communicator 404 for a particular field device configuration or type (e.g., an actuator or a transmitter). Generally, a transmitter is a field device configured to obtain measurements (e.g., via a temperature sensor, pressure sensor, flow sensor, water level sensor, etc.) and transmit the measurements. The field device configuration or type may be determined based on user input or based on communication with a connected field device.

[0049] The control unit 402 may include a processor 422, a memory 424 that stores one or more routines, and an I / O interface 426 that is communicatively coupled to other components of the tool 100 via bus 414. The routines stored in the memory 424 may include a circuit manager routine 462 for activating and deactivating components of the active communicator 404, as described above, and a diagnostic manager routine 464 for diagnosing signals transmitted and received by the active communicator 404.

[0050] The tool 100 also includes a UI 41 for providing a user interface. 1A , to the control unit 402 to detect user input (e.g., touch input) received at the tool 100. The control unit 402 may provide the user interface at the UI 410 and detect user input at the UI 410 by executing a UI manager 466 stored in the memory 424. The UI 410 may include the display 122 illustrated in FIG. 1A , to which the control unit 402 provides visual output, and an audio device 444 to provide audio output. For example, the UI 410 may provide a graphical user interface that allows a user to select a communication protocol for communicating with the field device 160, and select commands to send to the field device 160, such as to view information sent from the field device 160 to the tool 100. The audio device 444 may generate audio alerts or notifications, for example, in response to alerts sent by the field device 160.

[0051] Additionally, the tool 100 may include a power monitor 408 (e.g., an ammeter) communicatively coupled to the control unit 402 via the bus 414 to measure a current or voltage associated with the communication link 150 connected to the interface 406. The diagnostic manager 464 of the control unit 402 may utilize the power monitor 408 to measure signals transmitted and / or received by the tool 100 to determine whether the signals have electrical characteristics within an expected range for a particular protocol. For example, if a user attempts to use the tool 100 to command a HART valve to open 50%, the power monitor 408 may be utilized to verify that the transmitted signal has a current at or near a level (e.g., 12 mA) at which the HART valve can properly interpret the signal. The UI manager 464 may display measurements obtained by the power monitor 408. In some cases, the tool 100 does not include a power monitor 408. However, regardless of whether the tool 100 includes a power monitor 408, the tool 100 may utilize electrical measurements obtained by the active communicator 404.

[0052] Tool 100 may also include a wireless communication interface 412 that is communicatively coupled to control unit 402 via bus 414 for transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals to enable tool 100 to communicate with other components of plant 10. Wireless interface 412 may support one or more suitable wireless protocols, such as, for example, Wi-Fi (e.g., 802.11 protocol), Bluetooth (e.g., 2.4-2.485 GHz), near field communication (e.g., 13.56 MHz), radio frequency systems (e.g., 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.6 GHz communication systems), etc. In some cases, tool 100 does not include a wireless communication interface 412.

[0053] 5A-5C are block diagrams of active communicators 501, 511, and 521, each of which is an example of active communicator 404 shown in FIG 4, configured to communicate according to a different communication scheme. Depending on the embodiment, each of active communicators 501, 511, and 512 may be communicatively coupled to control unit 402 via bus 414 and electrically connected to communication interface 406 via electrical connections 416 and 417 shown in FIG 4.

[0054] 5A is a digital frequency modulation ("FM") circuit and may include a power supply 502 and an FM modem 504, which may be electrically connected, directly or indirectly, to electrical connections 416 and 417, respectively. Power supply 502 may provide power to field device 160 connected to interface 406 via a DC signal. FM modem 504 may transmit information to and / or receive information from field device 160 (via interface 406) using a frequency modulation scheme, such as the HART protocol. For example, to transmit information, FM modem 504 may transmit an AC communication signal to power supply 502. FM modem 504 may encode the digital communication signal by modulating the frequency of the AC communication signal, where a first frequency (or frequency range) represents a digital 0 and a second frequency (or frequency range) represents a digital 1. For example, FM modem 504 may encode the communication signal by modulating the frequency of the communication signal at 1200 Hz (representing a digital 1) and 2200 Hz (representing a digital 0). To receive information, FM modem 504 may interpret the first frequency or frequency range as a digital 0 and the second frequency or frequency range as a digital 1.

[0055] The active communicator 511 illustrated in FIG. 5B is a digital amplitude ("AM") circuit and may include a power supply 512 and an AM modem 514, which may be electrically connected, directly or indirectly, to electrical connections 416 and 417, respectively. The power supply 512 may provide power to the field device 160 connected to the interface 406 via a DC signal. The AM modem 514 may transmit information to and / or receive information from the field device 160 using a frequency amplitude scheme, such as the Fieldbus protocol. For example, to transmit information, the AM modem 511 may superimpose an AC communication signal onto a DC signal provided by the power supply 512. The AM modem 511 may encode a digital communication signal by modulating the amplitude of the AC communication signal, where a first amplitude (or amplitude range) represents a digital 0 and a second amplitude (or amplitude range) represents a digital 1. For example, the first range may be 7.5 mA to 10 mA and the second range may be -7.5 mA to -10 mA. In some circumstances, a transition from a first amplitude or amplitude range to a second amplitude or amplitude range may represent a digital 0, and a transition from the second amplitude to the first amplitude may represent a digital 1. Thus, the AM modem 514 may control the magnitude of the current in the communication signal to cause transitions between the first and second ranges to encode digital 1s and 0s onto the communication signal. To receive information, the AM modem 514 may interpret a first amplitude, amplitude range, and / or transitions between amplitudes (e.g., from high to low) as a digital 0, and a second amplitude, amplitude range, and / or transitions between amplitudes (e.g., from low to high) as a digital 1.

[0056] Returning to FIG. 5C, the active communicator 521 is an analog circuit and may include a power source 522, a DC current controller or sink 524, and / or a DC current monitor 526, each of which may be electrically connected, directly or indirectly, to the electrical connections 416 and 417. The active communicator 521 may encode information by causing the current controller 524 to draw a current at a particular magnitude within a range (e.g., 4-20 mA). Examples of information encoded by the active communicator 521 include an instruction to open a valve 100% (e.g., 20 mA) or 0% (e.g., 4 mA). The field device 160 receiving the encoded signal may be configured to receive the signal and interpret the magnitude of the current as a particular command or value. The active communicator 521 may additionally or alternatively decode the signal from the field device 160 by measuring the current magnitude of the received signal via the current monitor 526. Examples of information that may be encoded by the field device 160 (and decoded by the active communicator 521 and / or the control unit 402) include flow rate measurements (e.g., the field device 160 may be configured to report measurements within the range of 0-100 gallons per minute by transmitting a corresponding 4-20 mA signal). (The calibration is performed as follows:

[0057] In some cases, tool 100 may include only one of active communicators 501, 511, and 521, and in other cases, tool 100 may include two or more of active communicators 501, 511, and 521. When tool 100 includes more than one of active communicators 501, 511, and 521, tool 100 may be able to communicate with and / or diagnose multiple field devices (e.g., HART field devices and Fieldbus field devices) that operate according to different protocols. In particular, a user may carry a single tool around the plant to test multiple types of field devices, eliminating the need to carry a different tool for each different type of field device.

[0058] If the tool 100 includes more than one of the active communicators 501, 511, and 521, the interface 406 may include a set of terminals for each of the active communicators 501, 511, and 521. In some cases, the active communicators 501 and 521 may share a power source and / or a set of terminals. In such cases, the active communicators 501 and 521 may communicate information utilizing a single combined signal that is modulated on both the amplitude and frequency of the current. For example, the active communicator 521 may transmit and / or receive information by varying or measuring the amplitude of a DC signal between 4 and 20 mA. The active communicator 501 may then superimpose an AC communication signal (e.g., 1 mA peak-to-peak) onto the modulated DC signal.

[0059] 6 is a schematic diagram of an active communicator 600 (which may be an example of the active communicator 404 shown in FIG. 4) for a tool 100 that may be electrically connected to the field device 160 shown in FIG. 1A via a communication interface 406 to (i) power the field device 160 with a DC signal (e.g., 4 mA), (ii) communicate with the field device 160 with a current modulated signal biased on top of the DC power signal (e.g., at 4-20 mA), and (iii) communicate with the field device 160 with a digital FM signal superimposed on the analog current modulated signal. Advantageously, the active communicator 600 may be utilized to communicate with and / or diagnose HART field devices. In some cases, the active communicator 600 may be energy limited and fault tolerant in accordance with IS standards, allowing the active communicator 600 and the tool 100 to power, communicate, and / or diagnose a communication link with a field device located in a hazardous area.

[0060] As described, the active communicator 600 may communicate with the field device 160 utilizing two simultaneous communication channels: a current modulated analog signal and a frequency modulated digital signal superimposed on the analog signal. Generally, the analog signal communicates a primary measurement (e.g., flow rate, pressure, temperature, etc.) if the field device 160 is a transmitter, and communicates commands (e.g., to open or close a valve) if the field device 160 is an actuator. The digital signal may contain information from the field device 160 including device status, diagnostics, additional measurements or calculations, etc.

[0061] The active communicator 600 may include one or more of a power source 602, a resistor 604, and a communication circuit 609, each of which may be communicatively connected to the control unit 402 via a communication bus (not shown). The communication circuit 609 may include energy measurement circuitry (e.g., voltage monitors 611 and 616) that measures electrical characteristics of signals transmitted and / or received by the tool 100. The diagnostic manager 662 may analyze the electrical characteristics to verify that the signals are within an expected range for a given protocol (e.g., 4-20, HART, Fieldbus, etc.) or for an IS standard. The power source 602 may provide the power signal provided by the active communicator 600, and the communication circuit 609 may encode and decode communication signals transmitted and / or received by the active communicator 600.

[0062] A power supply 602, which may be designed to provide any desired voltage (e.g., any value between 20V and 29V), may be communicatively coupled to the control unit 402. In some cases, the power supply 602 may be designed not to exceed (i) a maximum voltage threshold (e.g., any desired value between 23V and 30V), or (ii) a maximum current threshold (e.g., any desired value between 20mA and 35mA). In some cases, the power supply 602 may be designed to be voltage limited and / or current limited even when it experiences one or more faults, and In some cases, the power supply 602 may be designed to have a fast or slow start-up over which it can reach a desired voltage, thereby mitigating the possibility of current spikes. In some cases, the current and / or voltage of the power signal provided by the power supply 602 may be measured so that the control unit 402 can shut down the power supply 602 if the measured voltage or current exceeds a maximum threshold or does not exceed a minimum threshold. A measured voltage that exceeds a maximum threshold may indicate that someone has added an external power source to the field device to which the tool 100 is connected, which may cause the loop to violate IS standards and / or damage components of the tool 100 or components of other devices connected to the loop. A measured voltage that does not exceed a minimum threshold may indicate that a circuit has shorted out or that the capacity of the power supply 602 has been exceeded. A measured voltage that exceeds a maximum threshold may indicate that a circuit has shorted out or that the power supply 602 is limited at its maximum load. A measured current that does not exceed a minimum threshold may indicate that there is no field device connected to the tool 100.

[0063] The power source 602 may be electrically connected to the communication interface 406 through a resistor 604, which may have any desired resistance (e.g., 200-300 ohms). The resistor 604 may function to induce a voltage drop sufficient to ensure that the voltage drop at the communication interface 406 remains below a threshold. For example, if the power source 602 is providing a current of 25 mA, the resistor 604 may induce a voltage drop of 6.25V (i.e., 0.25A x 250 ohms). For example, if the power source 602 is a 23V power source, the maximum potential output voltage may be 16.75V. As shown, the active communicator 600 also includes a voltage monitor 605, which measures the voltage drop across the resistor 604 and transmits the measured voltage drop to the control unit 402. The voltage monitor 605 may function as a current monitor for the power source 602. For example, a control unit 604, which may be communicatively coupled to a voltage monitor 605, may utilize the measured voltage drop to calculate the current through resistor 604. In some cases, active communicator 600 may include an ammeter placed between power source 602 and resistor 604.

[0064] As described, active communicator 600 may include communication circuitry 609, which may include (i) a DC current controller 610 (such as DC current controller 524 of FIG. 5) for transmitting a signal by controlling the magnitude of the current of an analog DC signal, (ii) a resistor 613 and a voltage monitor 611 for measuring the voltage drop across resistor 613 that is utilized by control unit 402 and diagnostic manager 662 to calculate the current transmitted by DC current controller 610, (iii) a resistor network 618 for receiving and interpreting the analog DC signal, and (iv) an FM modem 612 (such as FM modem 504 of FIG. 5) for communicating by encoding or decoding a digital FM signal. One or more components of communication circuitry 609 may be disconnected, if desired. Typically, DC current controller 610 is used to transmit a DC signal (e.g., 4-20), resistor network 618 is used to receive the DC signal (e.g., 4-20), and FM modem 612 is used to transmit and receive a digital signal (e.g., the digital component of the HART signal superimposed on the 4-20 signal). Thus, when connected to an actuator, circuit manager 661 of control unit 402 may activate DC current controller 610 and disable resistor network 618. When connected to a transmitter, circuit manager 662 may activate resistor network 618 and disable DC current controller 610. Typically, when connected to both an actuator and a transmitter, FM modem 612 is enabled.

[0065] The DC current controller 610 may be configured to draw a DC current (e.g., 4-20 mA) when the active communicator 600 is connected to an actuator, and may be controlled by the control unit 402 (e.g., in response to user input provided at the UI 410). For example, a user may initiate a command to open a valve 75%. Based on this detected input, The control unit 402 may cause the DC current controller 610 to draw current corresponding to a command to open the valve 75% open (e.g., 16 mA). The DC current controller 610 may adjust the current level abruptly or gradually reach the current level depending on a user specified value. When the active communicator 600 is connected to a transmitter, the DC current controller 610 may be disconnected (via a switch, not shown) from the communication circuit 609 to avoid interfering with the transmitter's DC current modulation.

[0066] Resistor network 618 may have any desired resistance (e.g., any desired value between 100 ohms and 1000 ohms) and may be adjustable (e.g., by control unit 402). In some cases, resistor network 618 has a resistance of 167 ohms. Voltage monitor 616 may measure the voltage drop across resistor network 618 and may be utilized to measure the current through resistor network 618. As an example, in a HART implementation, voltage monitor 616 may measure a voltage between 3.34V (20mA x 167 ohms) and 0.668V (4mA x 167 ohms). The digital component of a HART signal, which is typically modulated at 1mA peak-to-peak, may be detected as a 0.167V (1mA x 167 ohms) peak-to-peak voltage across resistor network 618. Importantly, this voltage is above the minimum voltage threshold of 0.12V typically required to read the digital component of a HART signal. Resistor network 618 is described in further detail with reference to FIG.

[0067] FM modem 612 may transmit and / or receive information using a frequency modulation scheme, such as the HART protocol, similar to FM modem 504. Capacitor 614 filters DC current.

[0068] The communications circuitry 609 may further include a capacitor 614 in series with the FM modem 612 to filter the DC current so that the FM modem 612 can receive and transmit AC components of the signal, and a voltage monitor 616 communicatively coupled to the control unit 402 and configured to measure the voltage drop across the resistive network 618. Once the control unit 402 knows the resistance of the resistive network 618, it may calculate the current flow in the resistive network 618 based on the measured voltage.

[0069] As described, the communication circuitry 609 may be electrically connected to the communication interface 406 to send and receive communication signals. Additionally, the power source 602 may be electrically connected to the communication interface 406 to provide power signals to the field device 160 via the communication interface 406. The communication interface 406 may include terminals 631-636 that connect to one or more field devices and / or fuses 641 and 642 to limit the current through the active communicator 600. In general, the field device 160 may be a transmitter configured to report a measurement by modulating a DC current (e.g., 4-20 mA) or an actuator configured to actuate in a particular manner in response to the magnitude of the received DC current (e.g., 4-20 mA).

[0070] The communication interface 406 may be electrically connected to the power monitor 408 shown in FIG. 4, which may include a resistor 651 and a voltage monitor 652. The resistor 651 may have a low enough resistance to avoid a significant voltage drop. In some cases, the resistor 651 has a resistance between 0-10 ohms (e.g., 2.43 ohms), which may be selected to minimize the voltage drop across the resistor 651. The voltage monitor 652 may measure the voltage drop across the resistor 651 and send the measured voltage to the control unit 402. The control unit 402 may calculate the current flow in the resistor 651 once the resistance of the resistor 651 is known. In some cases, a fuse may be placed between the terminal 635 and the power monitor 408.

[0071] In operation, the active communicator 600 may be configured to operate in a "tool power mode" (i.e., when the active communicator 600 provides power to the connected field device 160) and in a "loop power mode" (i.e., when the connected field device 160 utilizes, for example, a portable external power source instead of the active communicator 600 for power). The communication interface 406 may include a first set of terminals (e.g., terminals 631 and 632) for the tool power mode and a second set of terminals (e.g., terminals 633 and 634) for the loop power mode. Additionally, the active communicator 600 may be configured to operate in a "transmitter connection mode" and an "actuator connection mode". Thus, the communication interface 406 may be configured to facilitate four different configurations or types of connections: (i) a tool power transmitter connection, where the active communicator 600 supplies power to the transmitter; (ii) a loop power transmitter connection, where the active communicator 600 connects to a powered field device (in some scenarios, the loop to which the loop powered transmitter is connected includes a loop resistor to enable communication, and in other scenarios, the loop does not include a loop resistor. If no loop resistor is present, the tool 100 activates or adjusts the resistive network 618 to provide sufficient loop resistance for communication); (iii) a tool power actuator connection, where the active communicator 600 supplies power to an actuator; and (iv) a loop power actuator connection, where the active communicator 600 connects to a powered actuator (in some scenarios, the loop powered actuator includes a DC current control device, and in other scenarios, it does not).

[0072] With respect to a tool power transmitter connection, the active communicator 600 may activate a “tool power” mode and / or a “transmitter connected” mode. The active communicator 600 may activate one or both of these modes in response to user input (e.g., via the screen 122 illustrated in FIG. 1A and / or via the button 132). In some cases, the active communicator 600 may activate the “tool power” mode in response to detecting that the terminals 631 and 632 are connected to the field device 160. In other cases, the active communicator 600 may instead activate the “tool power” mode based on input from a user. If desired, the active communicator 600 may perform one or more power or communication checks or verifications before activating the “tool power mode”. In some cases, the active communicator 600 may activate the “transmitter connected” mode in response to detecting that the connected field device is a transmitter. In another example, instead, based on input from a user, the active communicator 600 may activate a "transmitter connected" mode. Additionally, the active communicator 600 may perform a power verification after it has verified that the power is working as expected for the field device 160 (e.g., working as expected for a transmitter or actuator). The active communicator 600 may also verify that the field device 160 is connected, that power limitations have not been exceeded, and / or that there are no unexpected short circuits.

[0073] For tool power transmitter connection, a user may connect a transmitter to terminals 631 and 632. Once connected to a transmitter, the active communicator 600 may not be modulating DC current to transmit commands and may disconnect the current control device 610 from the network via a switch (not shown). After the transmitter is connected, the power supply 602 may start powering up. To avoid current spikes, power may be started slowly. Current may flow from the power supply 602 through resistor 604 and terminal 631 to the transmitter. The transmitter may draw a certain level of baseline current as power (e.g., up to 4 mA). The transmitter may then draw additional current based on its configuration and based on measurements made by the transmitter (e.g., measured flow rate, pressure, tank level, etc.). As an example, the 4 mA current drawn by the transmitter represents a real zero for the transmitter's configured measurement range (e.g., 0 gpm). Thus, a 20 mA current drawn by the transmitter may represent a measurement at the high end of a configured measurement range (e.g., 100 gpm). A current drawn between 4 and 20 mA may represent a proportional measurement within the configured measurement range (e.g., 12 mA=50 gpm). In some cases, tool 100 generates a high alarm when a current of 22.5 mA or greater is detected, and / or a low alarm when a current of 3.75 mA or less is detected.

[0074] Current may flow from terminal 631 to the transmitter and back to terminal 632 via switch 641. The received current may flow to circuit 609. As described, capacitor 614 filters the DC current and DC current controller 610 may be disconnected when active communicator 600 is connected to the transmitter. Thus, the DC component of the received signal may flow through resistor network 618 and voltage monitor 616 may measure the voltage drop across resistor network 618 to enable control unit 402 to determine the magnitude of the received DC current. Control unit 402 may determine a variable value (e.g., flow rate) based on the determined magnitude.

[0075] Because capacitor 614 passes AC current, the AC component of the signal may flow to FM modem 612. FM modem 612 may then decode the digital signal conveyed by the received AC component in a manner similar to that described with respect to FM modem 504. In addition, FM modem 612 may also transmit information to a transmitter by encoding the digital signal (superimposed on a DC signal) in a manner similar to that described with respect to FM modem 504.

[0076] For a loop power transmitter connection, a user may connect a powered transmitter to terminals 633 and 634. The active communicator 600 may activate one or both of the "loop power mode" and / or the "transmitter connection mode" in response to user input (e.g., via screen 122 and / or via button 132 as shown in FIG. 1A). In some cases, the active communicator 600 activates the "loop power" mode in response to detecting that terminals 633 and 634 are connected to a field device (e.g., via link 150). In other cases, the active communicator 600 activates the "loop power" mode instead based on input from a user. The active communicator 600 may activate the "loop power" mode after verifying that no voltage is present at any other terminal of the communication interface 406.

[0077] Tool 100 may include a fuse 642 electrically connected to terminal 634 and configured to limit the current to a particular threshold. In some cases, fuse 642 is not included. In some cases, fuse 642 is located between terminal 634 and ground. In the same manner as described with respect to the tool power transmitter connection, circuitry 609 may decode the DC component of the received signal (e.g., 4-20 mA) and modulate and demodulate the AC component of the signal (e.g., a superimposed frequency modulated 1 mA peak-to-peak signal) to send information to and receive information from the transmitter.

[0078] For a tool power actuator connection, a user may connect an actuator to terminals 631 and 632. The active communicator 600 activates one or both of a "tool power mode" and / or an "actuator connection mode" in response to user input (e.g., via screen 122 and / or via button 132 as shown in FIG. 1A). The power source 602 may provide power to the actuator in a similar manner as described for the tool power transmitter connection.

[0079] In this mode of operation, a switch (not shown) prevents DC current control device 610 from When the DC current controller 610 is active, it may activate the DC current controller. The DC current controller 610 may draw a DC current (e.g., 4-20 mA) that may be supplied by the power supply 602 and flow through terminal 631 to the actuator and then back to the DC current controller 610 through terminal 632. The magnitude of the current serves as a command to the actuator. The current resistor network 618 and voltage monitor 616 may be disconnected from the circuit 609 by the control unit 402 via a switch (not shown) when the DC current controller 610 is active, since in this mode the circuit 609 is not interpreting a modulated DC current.

[0080] Because capacitor 614 passes AC current, the AC component of the received signal may flow to FM modem 612. FM modem 612 may then decode the digital signal carried by the received AC component in a manner similar to that described with respect to FM modem 504, and FM modem 612 may transmit information to the actuator by encoding the digital signal (superimposed on a DC signal) in a manner similar to that described with respect to FM modem 504.

[0081] For a loop power actuator connection, a user may connect a powered actuator to terminals 633 and 634, and the active communicator 600 may activate one or both of "loop power mode" and / or "actuator connection mode" via user input (e.g., screen 122 and / or button 132 shown in FIG. 1A). In the same manner as described for the tool power transmitter connection, the circuitry 609 may modulate the DC component of the signal (e.g., 4-20 mA) to send commands to the actuator, and modulate and demodulate the AC component of the signal (e.g., a superimposed frequency modulated 1 mA peak-to-peak signal) to send information to and receive information from the actuator.

[0082] The control unit 402 may include a circuit management manager routine 661 for managing the active communicator 600 and / or a diagnostic manager routine 662 for analyzing signals transmitted and / or received by the active communicator 600. The diagnostic manager 662 may analyze the signals based on measurements obtained from the voltage monitors 605, 611, and / or 616. In some cases, the active communicator 600 includes one or more voltage monitors that measure a voltage drop between one or more terminals 631-634 (e.g., between terminals 631 and 632 or between terminals 633 and 634). The diagnostic manager 662 may analyze one or more of these voltage drops prior to the circuit manager 661 activating (i.e., switching) one or more resistors of the network 618 to (i) protect the resistive network 618 in parallel with the outer loop resistor from activating and / or (ii) manage a multi-step process for activating the resistive network 618.

[0083] First, the circuit manager 661 may protect the user from enabling the resistor network 618 in parallel with the external loop resistor on an externally powered loop, which may lead to loop current disturbances and / or communication loss due to insufficient loop resistance. That is, activating the resistor network 618 while connected in parallel with the external loop resistor may drop the total loop resistance to a value that is too low to detect and interpret digital communications. By way of example, in some cases, the resistor network 618 may have a resistance of 250 ohms. A typical external loop resistor has a resistance of 250 ohms. Thus, when the resistor network 618 is activated in parallel with the external loop resistor, the total loop resistance drops to 125 ohms, which may be insufficient resistance to induce a readable voltage drop associated with digital communications. For example, HART digital communications, which typically modulate at 1 mA peak-to-peak, typically require a voltage drop of at least 120 mV p-p. Therefore, if the total loop resistance is 125 ohms, there is a small margin of error before the HART digital signal becomes unreadable. To prevent the resistor network 618 from operating in parallel with the loop resistor, the control unit 402 may have the FM modem 612 attempt digital communication upon connection. If digital communication is unsuccessful, the control unit 402 may prompt the user (e.g., via the display 122 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4) to activate the resistor network 618. In some cases, the tool 100 may prevent the resistor network 618 from operating in parallel with the loop resistor by prompting the user with one or more questions and / or commands to connect the tool 100 in series with the field device.

[0084] The measured voltage may then be used to manage a multi-step process for activating resistor network 618, thereby helping tool 100 avoid exceeding a voltage and / or current threshold (which would otherwise, for example, blow fuse 642). For example, diagnostic manager 662 may obtain a voltage measurement from voltage monitor 605 or from a voltage monitor (not shown) between terminals 631 and 632. If diagnostic manager 662 determines that the power supply voltage for power supply 602 or the external power supply exceeds a voltage threshold (e.g., 24V), circuit manager 661 may prevent resistor network 618 from activating. Activation of resistor network 618 in such a scenario could result in excessive current (e.g., greater than 50mA) flowing in resistor network 618, potentially blowing fuse 642. If the measured power supply voltage is below the voltage threshold, circuit manager 661 may activate resistor network 618 with a 500 ohm resistance. Diagnostic manager 662 then measures the current flow (e.g., based on measurements from voltage monitor 616) and if the measured current is below a threshold (e.g., 22.5 mA), circuit manager 661 may adjust resistor network 618 to 250 ohms or 167 ohms, as desired. The fact that the measured current is below the threshold generally indicates that the connected field device is regulating the current.

[0085] Circuit manager 661 may detect a voltage decay (e.g., a drop of 0.01 to 0.1 V every 50 to 100 milliseconds) between terminals 631 and 632. The circuit manager may take 2 to 10 measurements over a period of 100 milliseconds to 1 second. In response to detecting the voltage decay, circuit manager 661 may give the user the option to immediately turn on power supply 602 without waiting until the voltage has decayed to zero.

[0086] Circuit manager 661 may activate and / or deactivate one or more resistors in network 618 when power supply 602 is turned off to increase the resistance of network 618 and throttle back the voltage from the field devices connected to active communicator 600. Gradually guiding the voltage back may reduce the wait time required before power supply 602 can be reactivated.

[0087] The circuit manager 661 may utilize a temperature sensor (not shown) placed in proximity to the network 618 to compensate for changes in resistance due to temperature changes, allowing the circuit manager 661 to more accurately calculate current flow based on measurements from the voltage monitor 616.

[0088] The circuit manager 661 may cause the DC current control device 610 to change the current in steps. For example, the circuit manager 661 may implement a step voltage change in response to a user input specifying a change in current over a particular number of seconds (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4..., 60 seconds, etc.).

[0089] The diagnostic manager 662 may perform one or more of a loop test, a device simulation, a recorder calibration, a valve stroke, a DCS output check, a DCS input check, a zero trim calibration, or a check to isolate cable damage.

[0090] For loop testing, a user may connect a field device to (i) set of terminals 631 and 632, or set of terminals 633 and 634, and (ii) power monitor 408. Diagnostic manager 662 causes FM modem 612 to send communication signals to the field device commanding the field device to draw current at various levels (e.g., 4 mA, 12 mA, 20 mA). In response, power monitor 408 measures the current transmitted by the field device. Diagnostic manager 662 may cause tool 100 to display the requested and transmitted current levels, allowing the user to determine whether the transmitter is responding properly to the commands.

[0091] For device simulation, a user may wire tool 100 to a communication link in place of a field device (e.g., via terminals 631 and 632 of active communicator 600). Diagnostic manager 662 may cause DC current controller 610 to transmit DC current at several levels (e.g., in response to user input). The user, or a second user, may then verify that the connected controller is receiving the appropriate values.

[0092] For recorder calibration, a user can wire tool 100 to an analog recorder and have tool 100 send a preselected value of current to the recorder via DC current control device 610. The user can then verify that the audio recorder received the preselected value.

[0093] For a valve stroke, the user may wire the tool 100 to the valve. The diagnostic manager 662 may send a 4 mA signal to the valve and the user may set a full-close stop on the valve (e.g., to calibrate the valve so that the full-close position corresponds to a 4 mA signal). The diagnostic manager 662 may send a 20 mA signal to the valve (e.g., in response to user input) and the user may set a full-open stop on the valve (e.g., to calibrate the valve so that the full-open stop position corresponds to a 20 mA signal). The diagnostic manager 662 may then perform a step test on the DC current control device 610 (e.g., in response to user input) to send current at several levels between 4 mA and 20 mA to verify that the valve is properly calibrated to the 4 to 20 mA signal.

[0094] To check the DCS output, the user may wire tool 100 to an I / O card that is typically connected to a field device (e.g., an actuator) and configured to send a 4-20 mA signal to the field device to control the field device. The user may communicate with a second user (e.g., via wireless) to send some commands to the disconnected field device (e.g., to open or close a valve). Diagnostic manager 662 may read the received signal and display the current measurements to allow the user to verify that the I / O card is sending the proper signal when attempting to control a field device. Tool 100 may utilize either power monitor 408 (and terminals 635 and 636) or voltage monitor 616 (and terminals 631 and 632) for the DCS output check.

[0095] To check the DCS input, a user may wire tool 100 to an I / O card that is typically connected to a field device (e.g., a transmitter) and configured to receive a 4-20 mA signal from the field device that represents a measurement. The user may have tool 100 send a signal (e.g., via DC current control device 610) and, in coordination with a second user, verify that the control device connected to the I / O card is receiving the proper value.

[0096] To perform a zero trim calibration, Tool 100 checks the DCS inputs. For example, a user may connect tool 100 to a field device and have the field device perform a "device method" that causes the field device to output current at several levels. Tool 100 measures and displays the current from the field device. The user then inputs the displayed current at the field device so that the field device can calibrate itself based on what it attempted to transmit and what it actually transmitted. Tool 100 may turn on power supply 602 to power the field device and resistive network 618 to measure the current from the field device and measure the current across resistive network 618.

[0097] To isolate a damaged cable, a user may utilize tool 100 to make voltage measurements at various locations on the cable, such as at the field device terminals, at the power supply terminals, etc. A large voltage drop indicates damage.

[0098] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the resistive network 618 depicted in FIG. 6, which includes multiple resistors and is configured to tolerate failure of one or more resistors in the network 618 without significantly affecting the overall resistance of the network 618. By utilizing multiple resistors, the resistive network 618 may avoid sudden increases or decreases in resistance due to resistor failure, thereby avoiding dramatic increases or decreases in voltage drop in the circuit. For example, if the resistive network 618 has a single resistor that fails and shorts, this may result in an increased voltage drop between terminals 631 and 632. Such an increased voltage drop at terminals 631 and 632 may exceed IS standards and risk igniting an explosive atmosphere. Additionally, utilizing multiple resistors, with each resistor receiving only a portion of the current entering the network 618, may prevent the resistors from overheating and exceeding IS standards.

[0099] Resistive network 618 may include resistive network 702 and resistive network 704 arranged in parallel, each of which may be disconnected from resistive network 618 by switches 706 and 708, respectively. In some cases, the entire resistive network 618 may be disconnected from circuit 609 (e.g., during power up or when tool 600 communicates with an actuator). Resistive network 618 may have any desired resistance (e.g., 167 ohms), for example, in the range of 100-300 ohms.

[0100] Resistive network 702 may include resistors 712-714 arranged in parallel and may have a total resistance between 200-300 ohms (e.g., 250 ohms). For example, resistors 712-714 may each have a resistance of 750 ohms, making the total resistance of network 702 250 ohms. It is noted that resistive network 702 may include any other combination of resistors (including combinations and / or subcombinations of resistors arranged in series and / or parallel) to make the total resistance of network 702 between 200-300 ohms. Optionally, resistive network 702 may include a single resistor having a resistance between 200-300 ohms.

[0101] Resistive network 704 may include resistive network 721 and resistive network 723 arranged in series and may have a resistance between 400-600 ohms (e.g., 500 ohms). Resistive network 721 may include resistors 722 and 724 arranged in parallel, and resistive network 723 may include resistors 726 and 728 arranged in parallel. Each of resistors 722-728 may have a resistance of 500 ohms, making each of resistive networks 721 and 723 250 ohms (i.e., 1 / X=1 / 500+1 / 500). Note that resistive networks 721 and 723 may be arranged in series such that resistive network 704 may have a total resistance of 500 ohms. Resistive network 704 may include any other combination of resistors to increase the total resistance to between 400-600 ohms. For example, the resistive network 704 may include two 100 ohm resistors arranged in parallel, or may include a single resistor having a resistance of 500 ohms.

[0102] With respect to switches 706 and 708, control unit 402 may (i) actuate switch 706 to disconnect resistive network 702 and increase the resistance of network 618 (i.e., to the resistance of network 704), or (ii) actuate switch 708 to disconnect resistive network 704 and increase the resistance of network 618 (i.e., to the resistance of network 702). Control unit 402 may increase the resistance of network 618 to ensure that a field device attached to terminals 633 and 634 is controlled to a current below the rating of fuse 642 or to gradually reduce the voltage from active communicator 600 when power supply 602 is disabled.

[0103] In operation, the control unit may switch out one of networks 702 or 704 depending on which of terminals 631-634 is connected to a field device and / or based on whether active communicator 600 is providing power to the field device. For example, in some circumstances, when active communicator 600 is connected to an externally powered field device, active communicator 600 may disconnect either network 702 or 704 to increase the resistance of network 618.

[0104] When one or both of the resistive networks 702 and 704 are disconnected from the network 618, the control unit 402 may activate one or both of the switches 706 and 708 to "turn on" both networks 702 and 704, making the resistance of the resistive network 618 lower than the resistance of either the network 702 or the network 704. A lower resistance may be desirable when operating the active communicator 600 in a "tool power mode" in a hazardous area. The IS standard requires that the output voltage at the terminals 631 and 632 be lower than the output voltage that may be used in normal operation. However, if the voltage drop at the terminals 631 and 632 becomes too low, it may not be possible to read the communication signal transmitted or received via the terminals 631 and 632. Therefore, it may be beneficial to lower the resistance of network 618 from a value that may be used in a conventional communicator (e.g., 250 ohms) to a value that results in a lower voltage drop across network 618 (e.g., 167 ohms) (but still be readable). In some cases, resistive network 618 may include an additional resistive network (e.g., 100 ohms) and / or a switch that may enable tool 100 to activate the resistive network when the power supply voltage is greater than 24V.

[0105] One or both of the switches 706 and 708 may be solid-state relays, which may offer several advantages over typical mechanical relays. For example, solid-state relays may be switched by lower voltages and lower currents than most mechanical relays, which may facilitate maintaining electrical signals generated by the tool 100 at levels that comply with IS standards. Additionally, unlike typical mechanical relays, solid-state relays typically do not generate sparks when activated. Thus, by utilizing solid-state relays in the resistive network 618, the tool 100 may avoid violating IS standards that may be violated with mechanical relays.

[0106] One or more resistors in resistive network 618 may have a large surface area designed to promote efficient heat dissipation. For example, one or more resistors in resistive network 618 may be a 2512 size resistor (e.g., 6.3 mm x 3.1 mm x 1.2 mm). 0.6 mm). In some cases, one or more of the resistors in network 618 may be 2010 size resistors, 2020 size resistors, and / or 2045 size resistors. In some cases, one or more resistors (or sub-networks) in resistor network 618 may be rated for 2.5 W.

[0107] The tool 100 may include a temperature sensor (not shown) that may be used with the active communicator 600. For example, the temperature sensor may measure the temperature at or near the resistive network 618, which may be utilized by the control unit 402 in calculating the current in the network 618. This temperature measurement is beneficial because current calculations obtained based on measurements from the voltage monitor 616 may be inaccurate if temperature changes increase or decrease the resistance of the network 618 to a value different than that expected by the control unit 402. That is, the temperature sensor allows the control unit 402 to compensate for resistance changes in the network 618 due to temperature changes.

[0108] 8A-12 are schematic diagrams of tool 100 including active communicator 600 as shown in FIG. 6 connected to various field and I / O devices. FIGs. 8A-12 may not show one or more components of active communicator 600 or tool 100. For example, components that are "disconnected" or not active may not be shown. Other components may be active but not shown.

[0109] 8A illustrates an example where the active communicator 600 is connected to a transmitter 805 and where the active communicator 600 provides power to the transmitter 805 (i.e., a tool power-transmitter connection). In such a configuration, a user may connect the active communicator 600 to the transmitter 805 via terminals 631 and 632. The active communicator 600 may power the transmitter 805 by transmitting, for example, a DC signal of up to 4 mA to the transmitter 805 via the power source 602. Additionally, the active communicator 600 may have one-way analog and / or two-way digital communication with the transmitter 805. To provide one-way analog communication, the active communicator 600 may activate a "transmitter connected" mode in which the active communicator 600 expects the transmitter 805 to communicate by modulating the current magnitude (e.g., between 4-20 mA) of the DC signal provided by the power source 602. The control unit 402 (not shown) may switch out the DC current control device 610 (not shown) from the circuit 609 since the transmitter 805, and not the circuit 609, may modulate the DC current flowing between the transmitter 805 and the tool 100. It should be noted that the FM modem 612 may remain connected to the circuit 609 and may facilitate two-way digital communication by (i) transmitting information to the transmitter 805 by modulating the frequency of an AC signal superimposed on the DC signal and / or (ii) receiving information from the transmitter 805 by modulating a frequency-modulated AC signal superimposed on the DC signal by the transmitter 805. The diagnostic manager 602 may analyze the signal received from the transmitter 805 based on measurements obtained from the voltage monitor 616 .

[0110] FIG. 8B shows an example where the active communicator 600 is connected to the actuator 855 and provides power to the actuator 855. In such a configuration, a user may connect the active communicator 600 to the actuator 855 via terminals 631 and 632. The active communicator 600 may transmit a DC signal, for example up to 4 mA, to the actuator 855 via the power source 602 to power the actuator 855. The active communicator 600 may perform one-way analog communication and / or two-way digital communication with the actuator 855. To perform one-way analog communication, the active communicator 600 may activate an "actuator connected" mode, in which the active communicator 600 expects the actuator 855 to receive information by interpreting changes in the current magnitude (e.g., between 4 and 20 mA) of the DC signal provided by the active communicator 600. In the active communicator 600, the actuator 855 receives a current modulated DC signal rather than transmitting it. Because control unit 402 may expect to receive a current modulated DC signal, control unit 402 may disconnect resistive network 618 (not shown) and voltage monitor 616 (not shown) from circuit 609 because network 618 and monitor 616 may not be necessary to receive and interpret the current modulated DC signal. Note that FM modem 612 may remain connected to circuit 609 and may facilitate two-way digital communication by (i) transmitting information to actuator 855 by modulating the frequency of an AC signal superimposed on a DC signal, and / or (ii) receiving information from actuator 855 by modulating a frequency modulated AC signal superimposed on a DC signal by actuator 855.

[0111] FIG. 9A shows an example where the circuit 609 of the active communicator 600 can be connected to a transmitter 905 and the transmitter 905 is not powered by the active communicator 600. The transmitter 905 can be powered by a power source 910, which can be a portable power source or a rack-mounted power source. In some cases, the transmitter 905 can utilize both loop power and the power source 910 for power. A user can connect the circuit 609 to the transmitter 905 via terminals 633 and 634. Since terminals 631 and 632 are not connected, no closed circuit including the power source 602 is formed. The circuit 609 can perform one-way analog communication and / or two-way digital communication with the transmitter 905 in a manner similar to that described with respect to FIG. 8A. The configuration illustrated in FIG. 9A can be useful when a user encounters a conventional loop without a loop resistor. In some cases, tool 100 may be connected to a loop that already has a loop resistor (e.g., connected to the negative terminal of power supply 910). In such a case, power supply 910 is wired to the terminals of transmitter 905 as expected in normal operation, and a user may connect terminals 633 and 634 to the terminals of transmitter 905. Alternatively, a user may connect terminals 633 and 634 across an existing external loop resistor.

[0112] FIG. 9B illustrates an example where the circuit 609 of the active communicator 600 is connected to an actuator 955, and the actuator 955 is not powered by the active communicator 600. The actuator 955 may be powered by a power source 960, which may be a portable or rack-mounted power source. A user may connect the circuit 609 to the transmitter 905 via terminals 633 and 634. Since terminals 631 and 632 are not connected, no closed circuit is formed with the power source 602. The circuit 609 may have one-way analog and / or two-way digital communication with the actuator 955 in a manner similar to that described with respect to FIG. 8B. In some cases, the power source 960 may include a DC current control device that transmits a DC signal (e.g., 4-20 mA). In such a case, the terminals of the power source 960 may be connected to the terminals of the actuator 955 to form a loop. Moreover, in such a case, the user may connect tool 100 to the terminals of actuator 955, effectively placing tool 100 in parallel with power source 960. Advantageously, such a connection allows the user to utilize tool 100 without breaking the existing loop between actuator 955 and power source 960.

[0113] 10 shows an example in which the circuit 609 of the tool 100 may be connected to a field device 1010 powered by a power source 1020, and the power monitor 408 of the tool 100 may be connected to the field device 1010 in parallel with the power source 1020 to enable measurement of electrical characteristics of signals transmitted or received by the field device 1010 without disconnecting the field device 1010 from the power source 1020. The field device 1010 may be an actuator or a transmitter, may be powered by the power source 1020, and may include a positive terminal 1012, a negative terminal 1014, and a test terminal 1015. The test terminal 1015 may enable detection of a current in the field device 1010 and / or detection of a voltage between the terminals 1012 and 1014.

[0114] The circuit 609 is connected via terminals 633 and 634 and the positive and negative terminals of the field device 1010. The power monitor 408 may be connected to the field device 1010 via the positive terminal 1012 and the negative terminal 1014 without breaking the loop between the circuit 609 and the field device 1010 to allow a user to simultaneously communicate with the field device 1010 via the circuit 609 to verify that current, voltage, and / or power measurements associated with communication signals between the field device 1010 and the circuit 609 are within expected ranges. Advantageously, the field device 1010 does not need to be disconnected from the power source 1020 when utilizing the power monitor 408 to measure electrical characteristics of signals received or transmitted by the field device 1010. In some cases, the power source 1020 may include a DC current controller that transmits a 4-20 mA signal to control the field device 1010 (e.g., when the field device 1010 is an actuator). In some cases, the DC current controller 610 may be disconnected from the circuit and the tool 100 may function primarily as a digital communicator using the FM modem 612.

[0115] 11 shows an example where the circuitry 609 of the tool 100 may be connected to a field device 1105 that is powered by a power 1120, and the power monitor 408 of the tool 100 may be connected to the field device 1105 in parallel with the power supply 1120 to enable measurement of electrical characteristics of signals transmitted or received by the field device 1010. The power monitor 408 may be transmitted to the field device 1105 via terminals 635 and 636. Because the field device 1105 does not include test terminals similar to the field device 1010 illustrated in FIG. That is, the positive terminal of the power supply 1120 may be disconnected from the positive terminal of the field device 1105, a first terminal (e.g., terminal 635 or 636) from the power monitor 408 may be connected to the positive terminal of the field device 1105, and a second terminal (e.g., terminal 635 or 636) from the power monitor 408 may be connected to the positive terminal of the power supply. In some cases, the power supply monitor 408 may be connected in series between the negative terminal of the field device 1105 and a loop resistor (not shown) connected to the negative terminal of the power supply 1120. Typically, such a loop resistor may be found when the field device 1105 is a transmitter. In such a case, the resistive network 618 may be disconnected from the circuit 609.

[0116] 12 illustrates an example in which circuitry 609 of active communicator 600 may be used to test an I / O device. Specifically, circuitry 609 may be connected to AI card 1205 (which may be connected to a transmitter) to verify that signals transmitted by DC current control device 610 (intended to simulate a transmitter's signal) are properly received by AI card 1205. Additionally, power monitor 408 may be connected to AO card 1210 (which may be connected to a control device) to verify communications transmitted by the control device via AO card 1210.

[0117] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an active communicator 1300 for the tool 100 (which may be an example of the active communicator 404 shown in FIG. 4 ) that may be electrically connected to the field device 160 shown in FIG. 1A via a communication interface 406 to (i) power the field device 160 with a DC signal (e.g., 10-25 mA) and (ii) communicate with the field device 160 with a digital AC signal superimposed on the DC signal. Advantageously, the active communicator 1300 may be utilized to communicate with and / or diagnose Fieldbus field devices. Additionally, unlike a typical PTD configured for AM communication, the active communicator 1300 is capable of measuring current and DC and AC voltages at the same set of terminals used to communicate with the field device 160. In some cases, the active communicator 1300 may be energy limited and fault tolerant in accordance with IS standards, and the active communicator 1300 and tool 100 may be used to communicate with and / or diagnose Fieldbus field devices located in a hazardous area. The power supply may be capable of powering, communicating with, and / or diagnosing field devices and communication links.

[0118] The active communicator 1300 may be communicatively coupled to the control unit 402 and may include (i) a bus 1302 electrically connected to the communication interface 406, (ii) a power source 1304 configured to transmit a power signal via the bus 1302, and (iii) a communication circuit 1309 configured to communicate with the field device 160 via the bus 1302. The communication circuit 1309 may be configured to transmit and receive a digital communication signal, which may be an amplitude modulated AC signal (e.g., 15-20 mA peak-to-peak).

[0119] The bus 1302 may be referred to as an “internal bus” or a “minibus” and may be located at least partially within the enclosure 128 illustrated in FIG. 1A. The bus 1302 may enable the tool 100 to connect to, communicate with, and / or power a field device even if the field device does not have an active, healthy connection to a bus (such as the fieldbus segment 300 illustrated in FIG. 3) within the plant environment. In contrast, conventional PTDs capable of communicating with bus-based field devices typically require the field device to be connected to an external functional bus located within the process plant. The bus 1302 may include termination resistors 1321 and 1322 that provide sufficient resistance to enable communication on the bus 1302. Each of the termination resistors 1321 and 1322 may include a resistor (e.g., having a resistance between 90 ohms and 105 ohms) in series with a capacitor (e.g., having a capacitance of 1 μF). The bus 1302 may include switches 1322 and 1324 to disconnect the termination resistors 1321 and 1322 from the bus 1302 or to completely disconnect the bus 1302 from the active communicator 1300 (e.g., when the active communicator 1300 is connected to a field device already connected to a healthy bus). Advantageously, the bus 1302 allows field devices to be tested in isolation, allowing a user to more easily identify the source of a communication problem. For example, a user may utilize the active communicator 1300 to measure a signal transmitted by an externally powered field device, remove the field device from the external power source (e.g., from the powered segment), and take the same measurement on the bus 1302 that can be compared to the measurement obtained previously.

[0120] The circuit 1309 may communicate with the field device 160, which may be a Fieldbus device, via the bus 1302 and may include an AM modem 1310 connected in series with a capacitor 1314, the combination being electrically connected in parallel to a DC current controller or sink 1312. The AM modem 1310 may transmit information to and / or receive information from the field device 160 using a digital amplitude modulation scheme (such as a Fieldbus protocol) and may be the same as or similar to the AM modem 514 illustrated in FIG. 5. As an example, the AM modem 1310 may modulate and / or demodulate a signal at 15-20 mA (e.g., −10 mA to 10 mA). The capacitor 1314 may filter the DC current so that only digital communication signals pass through the AM modem 514. The DC current controller 1312 may be configured to draw enough DC current to allow the AM modem 1310 to superimpose a communication signal on the DC current without the current dropping below 0 mA. For example, the DC current controller 1312 may draw 11 mA of DC current and the AM modem 1310 may superimpose a 20 mA signal on the DC current such that the total current on the wires connected to the communication interface 406 varies from 1 mA to 21 mA.

[0121] The communication interface 406 may include terminals 1331-1333. The field device 160 may be connected to terminals 1332 and 1333 to establish a communication link between the field device 160 and the circuit 1309. When a user wishes to supply power to the field device 160 using the tool 100, the user may insert a serial cable between terminals 1331 and 1332. A shunt may be placed between terminal 1331 and terminal 1332 to create a load impedance sufficient to ensure that the bus 1302 is operational and that communication signals transmitted via terminals 1332 and 1333 are within an expected range such that the AM modem 1310 and / or field device 160 can interpret the communication signals (e.g., between 0.5-1.5 Vpp). The communication interface 406 may include a fuse 1342 electrically connected in series with terminal 1333 and having a resistance of 11 ohms rated for 50 mA. In some cases, the active communicator 1300 does not include the fuse 1342. In some cases, the fuse 1342 may be placed between terminal 1333 and ground.

[0122] The power supply 1304 may be configured to provide power signals to the bus 1302 at a voltage between 15V and 20V (e.g., 17V). The power supply 1304 may be a transformer-based power supply and may "move" ground to the terminal 1333. The power supply 1304 may be configured to limit the voltage drop between the terminals 1332 and 1333 to a threshold that complies with IS standards. For example, in some cases, the maximum allowable output voltage is limited to 15V at no load. The output voltage at full load may be 10.5V. The power supply 1304 may be current limited (e.g., 38mA) to avoid exceeding voltage and / or power thresholds at the terminals 1331-1333. The active communicator 1300 may include a power conditioner 1306 connected in series with the power supply 1304 and configured to prevent the power supply 1304 from removing communication signals (e.g., from the AM modem 1310 and / or connected field devices).

[0123] In operation, the active communicator 1300 may operate in a tool power mode and an external power mode. In the tool power mode, a user may connect a field device 160 to terminals 1332 and 1333 and connect a shunt to terminals 1331 and 1332 such that current flows from terminal 1331 to terminal 1332 and to the connected field device 160. In the external power mode, a user may connect a field device 160 to terminals 1332 and 1333 leaving an open circuit between terminals 1331 and 1332.

[0124] In the external power mode, switches 1332 and 1324 may be actuated to disconnect bus 1302 and create an open circuit between terminals 1321-1322 and the wire connecting power regulator 1306 to terminal 1331. Additionally, DC current control device 1312 may be disconnected from circuit 1309 when active communicator 1300 is in the external power mode.

[0125] The active communicator 1300 may operate in a communication mode or a diagnostic mode. When in the communication mode, the active communicator 1300 may communicate with the connected field device 160. When in the diagnostic mode, the active communicator 1300 may measure electrical attributes of signals on a communication bus (e.g., a fieldbus segment) and / or may measure electrical attributes of signals received at the terminals of the field device 160. When in the diagnostic mode, the DC current control device 1312 may not draw a large current. When in the communication mode, the DC current control device 1312 may draw a current (e.g., 11 mA). In some cases, the active communicator 1300 may operate in the communication mode and the diagnostic mode simultaneously.

[0126] Optionally, the control unit 402 may disable one or more of the power source 1304, power condition 1306, termination resistors 1321 / 1322, and / or circuitry 1309 upon detecting a change in voltage or current at terminals 1331-1333. For example, a high voltage detected between terminals 1332 and 1333 may indicate that a user has added a new power source, which may cause the active communicator 1300 to disable one or more components. As another example, a high current detected at terminals 1332 and 1333 may indicate that a user has shorted a wire or attempted to add another device, which may cause the active communicator 1300 to disable one or more components. For example, a low voltage measurement may indicate that an externally powered feeder is being disconnected. A low current measurement may indicate that a device has lost power. A low current measurement may indicate that a device has been removed from terminals 1331-1333.

[0127] The control unit 402 may include a circuit manager routine 1361 for managing the active communicator 1300 and / or a diagnostic manager routine 1362 for analyzing signals transmitted and / or received by the active communicator 1300. The circuit manager 1361 isolates the circuit 1309 to protect current limited connections from exceeding their current limits due to the current load of the circuit 1309. Additionally, the user may interact with the UI 410 to turn off the power supply 1304 at any time.

[0128] Additionally, circuit manager 1361 can compensate for signal measurement errors caused by fuse 1342. That is, circuit manager 1361 can take into account the resistance of fuse 1342 (which may be approximately 11 ohms) along with the resistance of termination resistors 1321 and 1322 when calculating current measurements based on the voltage drop across bus 1302 associated with the communication signal.

[0129] The diagnostic manager 1362 may (i) identify field devices, (ii) detect and analyze electrical characteristics of signals transmitted and / or received by the active communicator 1300, (iii) log measurements and / or analyses made over time, and / or (iv) perform noise spectrum analysis.

[0130] First, the diagnostic manager 1362 may identify field devices connected to the bus 1302 (or to an external bus to which the active communicator 1300 is connected) by tag or device ID. The diagnostic manager 1362 may allow a user to generate a user-selectable device list that the user can select during generation of a log file for defining file names, bus names, and / or location names (e.g., a user-customizable string such as "storage tank 157").

[0131] Second, the diagnostic manager 1362 may detect and analyze electrical characteristics of signals transmitted and / or received by the active communicator 1300. These measurements may be displayed to a user via the display 122 shown in Figures 1 and 4. Additionally, the circuit manager 1361 may utilize these measurements to activate or deactivate components of the tool 100 (e.g., to protect the components and / or ensure IS compliance).

[0132] Third, the diagnostic manager 1362 may log measurements and / or analyses made over time. For example, the diagnostic manager may generate health reports that represent "snapshots" taken over time. As an example, a user may utilize the tool 100 to measure signals associated with a given field device on a fairly regular basis (e.g., daily, once a week, etc.). The diagnostic manager 1362 may log these measurements to enable plant personnel to identify trends over time associated with the field device. The health report may identify the bus by the tag or ID of the lowest addressed device on the bus. The health report may include information identifying the user of the tool 100 at the time the associated measurement was taken, the date of the associated measurement, the bus or segment name on which the measurement was taken, and / or the name of the location where the measurement was taken. The tool 100 may retrieve some of this information (e.g., tag or segment name) from the field device.

[0133] As another example of time-series signal analysis and logging, the diagnostic manager 1362 may generate a troubleshooting log for continuously monitoring the signals of a field device over a given period of time. For example, a plant may be experiencing a problem (e.g., a communication interruption) with a particular field device, but may be unable to determine the cause of the problem. A user may use the tool A user may connect the tool 100 to a field device and leave it for an extended period of time (e.g., hours or days). The tool 100 may then measure and log electrical characteristics of the transmitter and / or received signal based on regular intervals and / or triggers (e.g., a signal dropping above or below a threshold). A user may then analyze the log to identify when a field device is experiencing issues and determine what may correlate to the field device experiencing issues. For example, by comparing the log to historian data collected by a process control system, a user may determine that an interruption experienced by a field device is associated with the starting of a proximity motor, which is causing vibrations that disrupt communication of the field device. A troubleshooting log may contain the same types of information contained in a health report (e.g., tag, time, date, etc.).

[0134] Fourth, diagnostic manager 1362 may perform noise spectrum analysis. Specifically, diagnostic manager 1362 may detect voltages in a narrow frequency range associated with the noise (e.g., less than 1 kHz) and display the detected voltages to enable a user to identify one or more of: (i) the frequency of the noise, (ii) the amplitude (e.g., average or maximum) of the noise, and / or (iii) the time at which noise bursts occur.

[0135] FIG. 14A is a schematic diagram of an active communicator 1300 connected to a field device 1405 via an external bus 1420 (i.e., external to the active communicator 1300), illustrating an example in which the active communicator 1300 is connected to a field device connected to an operational bus.

[0136] An external power source 1410 (e.g., a rack-mounted power source) may provide power to the external bus 1420, and the field devices 1405 may draw power from the external bus 1420. The field devices 1405 may draw 10-25 mA of current as power. For example, the field devices 1405 may draw 20 mA of current, which may be provided by the power source 1410. In some cases, multiple field devices may be connected to the bus 1420 and draw power. For example, three field devices may each draw 20 mA of current from the bus 1420. In such an example, the power source 1410 may provide 60 mA of current as power to the bus 1420. A power conditioner (not shown) may be placed between the power source 1410 and the bus 1420.

[0137] A field device 1405 may be connected to a fieldbus segment 1420 via a fieldbus spur. A spur may be a two-wire link that connects to a segment 1420 via a junction box that may connect multiple other spurs to the segment 1420. Due to the multiple links and connection points associated with the fieldbus segment 1420, it may be difficult to isolate the point of failure. Advantageously, the communicator 1300 not only communicates with the field device 1405, but can also connect to the segment 1420 on behalf of the field device and "see" what the field device 1405 "sees." In other words, the tool 100 is a "known good device." If there is a communication problem between the field device and a controller, the tool 100 may connect to the field device and test this. If the field device functions properly when connected to the tool 100, then the user of the tool 100 knows that there is a problem "upstream" of the field device (e.g., at a spur, junction box, I / O card, or some other cable or device). Thus, to isolate the "bad" device or communication link, the user may continue to move upstream to test the communication.

[0138] Power supply 1410 provides power over segment 1420 to field device 1405 and possibly other field devices connected to segment 1420. obtain.

[0139] Segment 1420 may carry a 10-25 mA DC power signal to power field device 1405 and the AC digital communication signals utilized by field device 1405. Typically, multiple other field devices are connected to segment 1420, each drawing a 10-25 mA DC signal as power. Thus, the DC current provided by power supply 1410 to segment 1405 may vary depending on the number of field devices connecting to and drawing power on segment 1420. Segment 1420 may include termination resistors 1422 and 1424. Each of termination resistors 1422 and 1424 may include, for example, a 100 ohm resistor in series with a 1 μF capacitor. Thus, termination resistors 1422 and 1422 may block DC current and act as a current shunt for the AC communication signals.

[0140] In operation, the active communicator 1300 and the field device 1405 may communicate via a digital signal (e.g., 20 mA peak-to-peak) superimposed on a power signal on the bus 1420. Generally, only one device connected to the bus 1420 may communicate at a given time. For example, if the active communicator 1300, the field device 1405, and two other field devices (not shown) share the bus 1420, only one of the four connected devices may communicate at a given time. Communications on the bus 1420 may be coordinated by a device shown as a link active scheduler (LAS). The LAS is responsible for passing a token between devices connected to the bus 1420, at which point only the device with the token may communicate over the bus 1420. The field device 1405 may be the LAS, or the tool 100 may be the LAS.

[0141] The LAS maintains a list of all devices that need access to the bus 1420. This list may be referred to as a "live device list." In some cases, the bus 1420 may only have a single LAS. A device capable of becoming an LAS may be referred to as a link master device. All other devices may be referred to as "basic devices." If desired, the tool 100 may be the link master device. When an active communicator 1300 is connected to the bus 1420, the tool 100 may bid to become the LAS. The link master that wins the bid (e.g., the link master with the lowest address) may begin operating as the LAS immediately upon completion of the bidding process.

[0142] FIG. 14B is a schematic diagram of an active communicator 1300 connected to a field device 1455 via a bus 1302, illustrating an example where the active communicator 1300 provides power to the field device 1455. A user may place a shunt 1460 between terminals 1331 and 1332 to allow the power supply 1304 to provide power to the bus 1302. The power supply 1302 is current limited so that the current flowing through the shunt 1460 remains below a maximum threshold that complies with IS standards. For example, the threshold may be between 35-45 mA. As described, the DC current control device 1312 may draw 11 mA. Additionally, a typical field device may draw 10-25 mA. The power supply 1302 may be configured to provide a maximum of 36 mA to ensure that the DC current controller 1312 and the field device 1455 receive sufficient current (i.e., based on an expected potential total current draw of 11 mA + 25 mA) while remaining IS compliant. The power supply 1304 may be configured to provide a maximum current of 38 mA. A user may utilize the active communicator 1300 to provide power to, communicate with, and / or perform diagnostics on the field device 1455 while remaining IS compliant.

[0143] 15 is a diagram of the communication interface 406 of the tool 100 as viewed from the exterior of the tool 100. As shown, the tool 100 includes the active 13. In some cases, tool 100 includes only one of active communicator 600 and active communicator 1300.

[0144] The communication interface 406 may include the terminals 1331-1333 shown in FIG. 13 and the terminals 631-636 shown in FIG.

[0145] In operation, a user may connect the set of terminals 1501 to a field device configured to communicate according to an AM communication scheme, such as the Fieldbus protocol. The user may use the set of terminals 1501 when connecting the tool 100 to a field device that utilizes an external power source (i.e., external to the tool 100), such as a rack mount power supply commonly found in a plant environment. If the user wishes to use the tool 100 to power the field device, the user may connect the terminals 1331 and 1332 with a shunt.

[0146] As another example, a user may connect set of terminals 1502 to a field device that requires power and is configured to communicate according to a DC current signaling scheme (e.g., 4-20 mA) and / or according to a digital FM communication scheme (e.g., the HART protocol) and requires power. Alternatively, if a user wants to connect tool 100 to a similarly configured field device that is powered by an external power source, the user may connect the field device to set of terminals 1503. A user may also connect set of terminals 1502 to the field device or to a communication link connected to the field device to detect electrical characteristics (e.g., current, voltage) of signals transmitted by or received by the field device.

[0147] Finally, a user may connect the set of terminals 1504 to a field device to detect electrical characteristics (e.g., current, voltage) of signals transmitted by or received by the field device. A user may also connect the set of terminals 1504 to a communication link (e.g., a HART loop or fieldbus segment) to detect electrical characteristics of signals transmitted over the communication link. In some cases, the power monitor 408 connected to the set of terminals 1504 only measures current.

[0148] As shown, communication interface 406 allows tool 100 to communicate with or diagnose field devices configured according to different protocols, such that a user may carry tool 100 to service multiple different types of field devices rather than carrying multiple specialized tools.

Claims

[Claim 1] 1. A method for communicating with a field device and monitoring signals transmitted or received by the field device, comprising: electrically connecting the field device via a wired link to a set of terminals of a handheld field maintenance tool; transmitting or receiving signals to or from the field device at the set of terminals of the portable field maintenance tool; measuring one or more electrical characteristics of the transmitted or received signal at the set of terminals; performing an analysis of the one or more electrical characteristics to determine if the field device is connected to an external loop resistor; preventing an inner loop resistor from activating when the analysis reveals that the field device is connected to an outer loop resistor; activating the inner loop resistor when the analysis reveals that the field device is not connected to an outer loop resistor; A method comprising:

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