Application-Specific Field Device Interfaces for Safer Industrial Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial control systems face issues with field devices as they display exhaustive UI views and menu trees regardless of the application, leading to inadvertent changes and errors due to cumbersome manual configuration across different host devices.
Innovation Solution
A system where field devices store multiple sets of UI parameters for various applications, allowing them to select and transmit the appropriate parameters to the host device for configuring the UI based on the application, ensuring only necessary views and features are displayed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If exhaustive UI views and menu trees are displayed for all applications, then complete functionality is available, but user error and inadvertent changes increase
Solution Approach 1:
The user interface is segmented into multiple predefined sets of UI parameters, each corresponding to a specific application type. Instead of displaying all possible views and menu trees simultaneously, the system divides the comprehensive UI into application-specific subsets, showing only the relevant parameters and controls for the current application context.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the UI are configured with different levels of detail and accessibility based on the application type. Critical parameters for safety-critical applications are restricted or hidden, while less critical applications may have broader access. Each application receives a customized UI configuration that matches its specific operational requirements and risk profile.
2Ease of operation
If manual configuration is performed on each host device, then UI can be customized, but configuration time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sets of UI parameters are predefined and stored in the field device memory during manufacturing or initial setup. These predefined sets correspond to common application types and are prepared in advance, eliminating the need for manual configuration on each host device. When a field device is deployed, the appropriate predefined UI parameter set is automatically selected and transmitted to the host device.
Solution Approach 2:
The field device automatically determines which application type it is deployed for and autonomously selects the corresponding UI parameter set from its stored options. The system self-configures the UI without requiring manual intervention from operators or engineers, thereby reducing configuration time and eliminating repetitive manual setup across multiple host devices.
3Adaptability or versatility
If application-specific UI parameters are stored in field device, then UI adaptation is improved, but device memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of storing complete duplicate copies of the entire user interface for each application type, the system extracts and stores only the essential UI parameter sets in the field device. Each parameter set contains the critical configuration data needed for that application, while less critical or redundant parameters are omitted or referenced from a master configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The field device is designed with a universal UI parameter storage structure that can accommodate multiple application-specific configurations within a unified framework. The same memory infrastructure serves multiple purposes: storing process data, device configuration, and multiple UI parameter sets. This multi-functional approach maximizes the utilization of available memory resources.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for generating user interfaces (UIs) for field devices on a host device are described. A field device driver installed on the host device transmits a request for UI configuration to a field device. The field device includes a plurality of sets of UI parameters associated with configuration of the UI. The field device is configured to select a set of UI parameters from the plurality of sets of UI parameters based on application information provided to the field device. The field device driver receives the set of UI parameters from the field device in response to the request. Based on the set of UI parameters, the host device configures and generates the UI.