Abstract: A display configuration system enables a graphical designer to create reusable template graphical display elements that can be easily modified by, for example, other graphical designers with less experience in graphical design programming, such that the modified graphical display elements can reflect one of various different possible functionalities of plant equipment or plant usages to which the modified graphical display element is to be tied during operation. The display configuration system includes a graphical design application that enables the creation of generic or library graphical elements that include basic graphical functionality associated with particular types of plant equipment or associated with particular types of graphic display functionality and includes a configuration form editor that enables a user to create quick configuration forms that define predetermined potential modifications to be made to the template graphical element when creating a usage from the template graphical element.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to detect root causes of alarm patterns in process control systems are disclosed. An example method includes retrieving process control data generated in a process control system during a historical period of time. The process control data includes alarm data associated with alarms activated during the historical period of time. The example method also includes generating an alarm activation timeline for the historical period of time. The alarm activation timeline includes icons representative of the alarms to visually represent a temporal relationship of activation of the alarms, where one of the icons is representative of an alarm that is no longer active. The example method further includes storing the alarm activation timeline in a database.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to detect root causes of alarm patterns in process control systems are disclosed. An example method includes retrieving process control data generated in a process control system during a historical period of time. The process control data includes alarm data associated with alarms activated during the historical period of time. The example method also includes generating an alarm activation timeline for the historical period of time. The alarm activation timeline includes icons representative of the alarms to visually represent a temporal relationship of activation of the alarms, where one of the icons is representative of an alarm that is no longer active. The example method further includes storing the alarm activation timeline in a database.

Abstract: Example methods, apparatuses and systems to correlate candidate factors to a predicted fault in a process control system are disclosed. Techniques may include obtaining a value associated with a particular factor corresponding to a process, and predicting a fault based on the value. A set of candidate factors corresponding to the predicted fault may be determined, and a correlation between the predicted fault and at least one factor from the set may be displayed. Different sections of the display may respectively correspond to the predicted fault and to the at least one factor, and the correlation may be indicated by time aligning the different sections. Modifications to one displayed section may result in automatic modification of other sections to maintain the correlation. A user may select one or more candidate factors to be displayed, and may indicate a particular point of a particular section to obtain additional details.

Abstract: A display configuration system enables a graphical designer to create reusable template graphical display elements that can be easily modified by, for example, other graphical designers with less experience in graphical design programming, such that the modified graphical display elements can reflect one of various different possible functionalities of plant equipment or plant usages to which the modified graphical display element is to be tied during operation. The display configuration system includes a graphical design application that enables the creation of generic or library graphical elements that include basic graphical functionality associated with particular types of plant equipment or associated with particular types of graphic display functionality and includes a configuration form editor that enables a user to create quick configuration forms that define predetermined potential modifications to be made to the template graphical element when creating a usage from the template graphical element.

Abstract: Example methods, apparatuses and systems to correlate candidate factors to a predicted fault in a process control system are disclosed. Techniques may include obtaining a value associated with a particular factor corresponding to a process, and predicting a fault based on the value. A set of candidate factors corresponding to the predicted fault may be determined, and a correlation between the predicted fault and at least one factor from the set may be displayed. Different sections of the display may respectively correspond to the predicted fault and to the at least one factor, and the correlation may be indicated by time aligning the different sections. Modifications to one displayed section may result in automatic modification of other sections to maintain the correlation. A user may select one or more candidate factors to be displayed, and may indicate a particular point of a particular section to obtain additional details.