Abstract: Field devices or other devices within a process control system are provided with both hardwired and wireless communication ports to enable communications to be performed within the process control system using one or both of hardwired and wireless communications. In particular, a field device for use in a process control system within a process control environment includes a microprocessor-based communication unit adapted to generate or receive communication signals, a first communication port adapted to be connected to a hardwired communication link for providing communications to or from the communication unit via the hardwired communication link and a second communication port adapted to be connected to a wireless transceiver to provide wireless communications to or from the communication unit via the wireless transceiver.

Abstract: Field devices or other devices within a process control system are provided with both hardwired and wireless communication ports to enable communications to be performed within the process control system using one or both of hardwired and wireless communications. In particular, a field device for use in a process control system within a process control environment includes a microprocessor-based communication unit adapted to generate or receive communication signals, a first communication port adapted to be connected to a hardwired communication link for providing communications to or from the communication unit via the hardwired communication link and a second communication port adapted to be connected to a wireless transceiver to provide wireless communications to or from the communication unit via the wireless transceiver.

Abstract: Field devices or other devices within a process control system are provided with both hardwired and wireless communication ports to enable communications to be performed within the process control system using one or both of hardwired and wireless communications. In particular, a field device for use in a process control system within a process control environment includes a microprocessor-based communication unit adapted to generate or receive communication signals, a first communication port adapted to be connected to a hardwired communication link for providing communications to or from the communication unit via the hardwired communication link and a second communication port adapted to be connected to a wireless transceiver to provide wireless communications to or from the communication unit via the wireless transceiver.

Abstract: A pair of wireless transceivers is disposed within a process control system to enable wireless communications between multiple devices within the process control system, such as between field devices, control units, user terminals, controllers, etc. In one embodiment, a process control system within an industrial process environment includes a process control field device that operates within the industrial process environment, a control unit adapted to provide control signals to the process control field device and a wireless transceiver pair including a first wireless transceiver connected to the process control field device and a second wireless transceiver connected to the control unit. The wireless transceiver pair wirelessly communicates one or more signals between the control unit and the process control field device to thereby provide wireless communications within the process environment.

Abstract: An apparatus provides wireless communication between multiple devices within a process control system, such as between field devices, control units, user terminals, controllers, etc., using a wireless bus protocol. In one embodiment, a process control system for use within a process control environment includes a plurality of process control field devices that operate within the process environment, and a control device adapted to receive a sense signal from or to provide a control signal to one or more of the plurality of process control field devices. First and second wireless transceivers are communicatively connected to different ones of the process control field devices and the control device and communicate with one another using a bus protocol, to thereby provide wireless communications within the process control system.

Abstract: An apparatus provides redundant wireless to access field devices in a distributed control system having primary access to the field devices provided by hard-wired media that couples the field devices to the control room. The field devices are coupled to a Fieldbus control network. In a first embodiment, each field device is provided with a wireless Fieldbus port that is accessible by a wireless terminal. In a second embodiment, each Fieldbus control network is provided with a field module having a wireless Fieldbus port that allows all devices connected to the Fieldbus control network to be accessed by a wireless terminal. In a third embodiment, an H2-to-H1 Fieldbus bridge (which may service a plurality of H1 control networks) is provided with a wireless Fieldbus port that allows all Fieldbus devices connected to H1 control networks serviced by the H2-to-H1 bridge to be accessed by a wireless handheld unit of a wireless terminal.

Abstract: A wireless bridge device disposed within a process control system provides wireless communication between multiple devices within the process control system, such as between field devices, control units, user terminals, controllers, etc. In one embodiment, a process control system disposed within an industrial process environment includes a first process control device, a bridge device, a plurality of field devices disposed within the industrial process environment and a hardwired communication link disposed between the bridge device and each of the plurality of field devices.

Abstract: A caching mechanism for JAVA RMI remote objects is provided. In order to efficiently implement a cache for these connection objects, the client JYM may hold a normal reference to the object while the connection is in use and for a period of time thereafter. A thread is used as a timer for each connection. After that period of time expires, only a weak reference is held by the client JVM and the connection may be garbage collected. The period of time maybe adjusted. A shorter time may be used to ensure responsiveness of the server JVM to memory demand and shutdown requests, while a longer time may be used to enhance the effectiveness of the caching mechanism by forcing connections to stay open longer after they are no longer being used and before they are automatically destroyed due to garbage collection.

Abstract: A single normal Java thread referred to as a “waiter” thread is used to prevent premature exit of the Java Virtual Machine during the shutdown process of the server application by waiting for any daemon threads in the JVM to complete execution. Using this mechanism, any daemon thread flagged by the application runs to completion before the JVM is allowed to exit. Once all flagged daemon threads exit, the waiter thread exits and allows the server application to properly terminate. The waiter thread uses an efficient mechanism to maintain a queue of threads. When a daemon thread is flagged, it is simply appended to the end of the queue. The waiter thread waits for the first thread in the queue to complete. Once the first thread in the queue completes, it is removed from the queue. At this point, the queue is searched for any other inactive threads and those threads are also removed from the queue.

Abstract: A wireless bridge device disposed within a process control system provides wireless communication between multiple devices within the process control system, such as between field devices, control units, user terminals, controllers, etc. In one embodiment, a process control system disposed within an industrial process environment includes a first process control device, a bridge device, a plurality of field devices disposed within the industrial process environment and a hardwired communication link disposed between the bridge device and each of the plurality of field devices.

Abstract: Field devices or other devices within a process control system are provided with both hardwired and wireless communication ports to enable communications to be performed within the process control system using one or both of hardwired and wireless communications. In particular, a field device for use in a process control system within a process control environment includes a microprocessor-based communication unit adapted to generate or receive communication signals, a first communication port adapted to be connected to a hardwired communication link for providing communications to or from the communication unit via the hardwired communication link and a second communication port adapted to be connected to a wireless transceiver to provide wireless communications to or from the communication unit via the wireless transceiver.

Abstract: A pair of wireless transceivers is disposed within a process control system to enable wireless communications between multiple devices within the process control system, such as between field devices, control units, user terminals, controllers, etc. In one embodiment, a process control system within an industrial process environment includes a process control field device that operates within the industrial process environment, a control unit adapted to provide control signals to the process control field device and a wireless transceiver pair including a first wireless transceiver connected to the process control field device and a second wireless transceiver connected to the control unit. The wireless transceiver pair wirelessly communicates one or more signals between the control unit and the process control field device to thereby provide wireless communications within the process environment.

Abstract: An apparatus provides wireless communication between multiple devices within a process control system, such as between field devices, control units, user terminals, controllers, etc., using a wireless bus protocol. In one embodiment, a process control system for use within a process control environment includes a plurality of process control field devices that operate within the process environment, and a control device adapted to receive a sense signal from or to provide a control signal to one or more of the plurality of process control field devices. First and second wireless transceivers are communicatively connected to different ones of the process control field devices and the control device and communicate with one another using a bus protocol, to thereby provide wireless communications within the process control system.

Abstract: A system, computer program product and method for converting a file in one format to another format. The first file written in a first format, e.g., .MAP file format generated by the IBM Visual Age C++ Linker, may comprise a list of segment portion/offset value pair(s) and a separate list of symbol name/address pair(s). Upon associating symbol name(s) with particular segment portion/offset value pair(s), the .MAP file written in a first format may be converted into a .MAP file written in a second format, e.g., .MAP file format generated by the Microsoft Visual C++ Linker, by writing a list of segment portion/offset pair(s) with their associated symbol name(s).

Abstract: A technique is presented for determining the defining ClassLoader class of a Java class as it is being defined within a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) by instrumenting the “java.lang.ClassLoader” class. Within a JVM, all ClassLoader instances call one of the “defineClass” methods of class “java.lang.ClassLoader” in order to pass the raw bytes for loaded a class to the JVM to have it defined as a Java class. Therefore, instrumentation code is inserted into the “defineClass” methods of class “java.lang.ClassLoader”; the instrumentation code stores an identity of the defining ClassLoader prior to the invocation of the class load hook by the JVM, which can use the identity of the defining ClassLoader for various purposes.

Abstract: A technique is presented for instrumenting a Java application in a just-in-time fashion. A software developer obtains Java class files that comprise an application that the software developer desires to instrument. The software developer also obtains code for instrumentation probes; each probe is associated with a location in an application, e.g., a specific method within a specific class. The probes along with the associated locations are registered in a registry, either programmatically or by loading a configuration file. At class load time, an injector determines whether a loaded class has any instrumentation locations as predetermined by information in the registry. If so, the injector inserts hooks in the loaded class. When the hooks are executed, the hooks can manage the execution of the probes, which can be dynamically added or removed from the registry during runtime and/or dynamically enabled or disabled during runtime.

Abstract: An apparatus provides redundant wireless to access field devices in a distributed control system having primary access to the field devices provided by hard-wired media that couples the field devices to the control room. The field devices are coupled to a Fieldbus control network. In a first embodiment, each field device is provided with a wireless Fieldbus port that is accessible by a wireless terminal. In a second embodiment, each Fieldbus control network is provided with a field module having a wireless Fieldbus port that allows all devices connected to the Fieldbus control network to be accessed by a wireless terminal. In a third embodiment, an H2-to-H1 Fieldbus bridge (which may service a plurality of H1 control networks) is provided with a wireless Fieldbus port that allows all Fieldbus devices connected to H1 control networks serviced by the H2-to-H1 bridge to be accessed by a wireless handheld unit of a wireless terminal.

Abstract: A system, computer program product and method for converting a file in one format to another format. The first file written in a first format, e.g., .MAP file format generated by the IBM Visual Age C++ Linker, may comprise a list of segment portion/offset value pair(s) and a separate list of symbol name/address pair(s). Upon associating symbol name(s) with particular segment portion/offset value pair(s), the .MAP file written in a first format may be converted into a .MAP file written in a second format, e.g., .MAP file format generated by the Microsoft Visual C++ Linker, by writing a list of segment portion/offset pair(s) with their associated symbol name(s).

Abstract: A single normal Java thread referred to as a “waiter” thread is used to prevent premature exit of the Java Virtual Machine during the shutdown process of the server application by waiting for any daemon threads in the JVM to complete execution. Using this mechanism, any daemon thread flagged by the application runs to completion before the JVM is allowed to exit. Once all flagged daemon threads exit, the waiter thread exits and allows the server application to properly terminate. The waiter thread uses an efficient mechanism to maintain a queue of threads. When a daemon thread is flagged, it is simply appended to the end of the queue. The waiter thread waits for the first thread in the queue to complete. Once the first thread in the queue completes, it is removed from the queue. At this point, the queue is searched for any other inactive threads and those threads are also removed from the queue.

Abstract: An efficient caching mechanism for Java RMI remote objects is implemented. In order to efficiently implement a cache for these connection objects, the client JVM may hold a normal reference to the object while the connection is in use and for a period of time thereafter. A thread, referred to as a connection expiration thread, is used as a timer for each connection. After that period of time expires, only a weak reference is held by the client JVM and the connection may be garbage collected. The period of time may be adjusted to suit the needs of the server JVM. A shorter time may be used to ensure responsiveness of the server JVM to memory demand and shutdown requests, while a longer time may be used to enhance the effectiveness of the caching mechanism by forcing connections to stay open longer after they are no longer being used and before they are automatically destroyed due to garbage collection by the server JVM.