Abstract: A method for manufacturing a measuring apparatus for capacitive determining and/or monitoring of at least the fill level of a medium. The measuring apparatus has a probe unit and an electronics unit. During a measurement, the electronics unit supplies the probe unit with an exciter signal and receives from the probe unit a received signal, from which the electronics unit ascertains a capacitance value. The probe unit is coated with an insulation layer, the coated probe unit is connected with the electronics unit and inserted into a container containing a calibration medium, the coated probe unit is covered completely by the calibration medium and an associated received signal is gained, and, with the associated received signal, at least one adjustable component of the electronics unit is set.

Abstract: A field device for determining or monitoring a process variable in process automation. The field device includes: sensor, which works according to a defined measuring principle; and a control/evaluation unit, which conditions and evaluates measurement data delivered by the sensor along at least two equal valued measuring paths as a function of a safety standard required in a particular safety-critical application. The control/evaluation unit is embodied, at least partly, as a reconfigurable logic chip, with a plurality of partially dynamically reconfigurable, function modules. The control/evaluation unit so configures the function modules in the measuring paths as a function of the defined safety-critical application, that the field device is correspondingly designed to the required safety standard.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for diagnosis of liquid losses in pressure measuring transducers including a pressure sensor arranged in a pressure measuring chamber, and a pressure transfer structure connected to the pressure measuring chamber A sealed inner space of a separating diaphragm is composed of the inner spaces of the pressure transfer structure and the pressure measuring chamber and is filled with a pressure transmitting liquid, which, serves for transmitting pressure acting on the separating diaphragm to the pressure sensor. An apparatus for detecting liquid losses. The apparatus for detecting liquid losses includes a test element arranged in the sealed inner space. The outer volume of the test element is reducible for diagnosis of liquid losses.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining and/or monitoring at least one process variable of a medium. The apparatus includes: at least one mechanically oscillatable unit; at least one transducer unit, which excites the mechanically oscillatable unit to mechanical oscillations based on an exciter signal and which receives the mechanical oscillations of the mechanically oscillatable unit and converts such to a received signal. The transducer unit has at least one piezoelectric element. The apparatus further includes: at least one electronics unit, which supplies the transducer unit with the exciter signal and which receives the received signal from the transducer unit; and at least one compensation element, which supplies the exciter signal to the electronics unit and from which the electronics unit receives a compensation signal. The invention provides that the compensation element has at least one at least element made at least partially of a piezoelectric material.

Abstract: A method for ascertaining and monitoring the fill level of a medium in a container via a field device, wherein transmission signals are transmitted toward the medium and are received as reflection signals. The transmission signals and the reflection signals are registered by means of data points in an envelope curve dependent on travel time or travel distance. Disturbance echo signals are registered by means of data points in a masking curve, the data points are connected with one another via connecting functions An evaluation curve is ascertained from the envelope curve; wherein, by means of a reduction algorithm, the number of data points in the masking curve and/or in the evaluation curve is reduced; and wherein, by an echo search algorithm, by means of the reduced masking curve and/or reduced evaluation curve, at least one wanted echo signal in the current envelope curve is ascertained.

Abstract: A fill level measuring device working with microwaves according to the travel time principle for measuring fill level of a fill substance in a container. Measurements are performable at two markedly different frequencies with a single antenna. The device includes: a transmitting and receiving system for producing a higher frequency microwave signal and a lower frequency microwave signal. The transmitting and nereceiving system includes a single antenna, which has an internally funnel shaped horn and two hollow conductor segments connected with one another and connected to the horn. The antenna additionally includes, a coaxial conductor connection, via which the antenna is fed with the lower frequency microwave signal and the associated lower frequency echo signal is received.

Abstract: A method for ascertaining and monitoring the fill level of a medium in a container the method utilizes a fill-level measuring device, wherein, according to the technique of time-domain reflectometry, high-frequency measuring signals are guided via at least one measuring probe in the direction of the medium, reflected on at least one interface of the medium as wanted echo signals or on disturbance locations as disturbance echo signals, and received. A current echo curve is formed from a produced, reference echo signal, wanted echo signals and disturbance echo signals, wherein, at least from a first disturbance echo signal and the reference echo signal, which are caused in a measurement-inactive region of the fill-level measuring device, a base point is located in the current echo curve, and wherein the fill level is ascertained from the distance between the base point and the wanted echo signal formed in a measurement-active region of the fill-level measuring device.

Abstract: An improved and more accurate method for evaluating and correcting total measurement signals (TS(n)) of measuring devices. The invention concerns a method for evaluating and correcting total measurement signals (TS(n)) of a measuring device, wherein measuring signals are transmitted in the direction of a medium and reflected on a surface of the medium as wanted echo signals or on a surface of a disturbing element as interference signals and received. In the case of a modification of at least one technical, process condition in the container and/or a modification of at least one technical, measurement condition of the measuring device, an independent reference curve is ascertained on the basis of a current static reference curve, wherein the interference signals are masked out of the raw echo curve on the basis of a masking algorithm, which applies the independent reference curve.

Abstract: A diagnostic method for a process automation system composed of at least one field device, a control unit, and at least one fieldbus. The following method steps are included: in a learning phase raw data of measured variables, raw data of manipulated variables and/or raw data of state variables are stored. The field devices or the processes as input variables are registered and stored normalized. Moreover, in the learning phase at least one parameter, a measuring condition, at least one parameter of a process state and/or at least one parameter of a field device state as output variable predetermines, which corresponding output variables are the input variables associated with that which is stored, during the learning phase.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an elastic deformation body made of an Al2O3 ceramic, according to which a highly pure alumina having at most 2000 ppm MgO, at most 200 ppm inorganic impurities, a specific surface of at least 10 m2/g, an average grain size of at most 0.3 ?m is applied. With the alumina and additives, there is produced via aqueous processing a homogeneous mixture, from which a pressable spray granulate is produced, which is formed by means of a uniaxial pressing method to a homogeneous, green body, which is subjected to a sinter process. The resulting elastic deformation body has a bending fracture stress ?c, whose distribution F(?c) is given by the Weibull parameters ?0?800 MPa and m?24, with an average grain size of the sintered material of no more than 2 ?m, and wherein the sintered material of the deformation body has a density of not less than 3.98 g/cm3.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing-side calibration of a measuring device for capacitive fill level measurement of a medium, wherein at least one probe unit of the measuring device is activated with an electrical, alternating voltage of a predeterminable frequency. As a function of the frequency of the activating signal, a conductivity range is determined, within which the fill level measurement is essentially independent of a change of the electrical conductivity of the medium; for such conductivity range, at least a first reference matching between a predeterminable, first fill-level value and a first capacitance value belonging to the first fill-level value is produced; and the first reference matching between the first fill-level value and the first capacitance value is recorded. Additionally, the invention relates to a corresponding measuring device.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a measuring device for determining and/or monitoring a process variable of a medium in a container. The measuring device includes: A mechanically oscillatable unit, which is securable via a securement to a sensor housing and/or to the container; and a driver/receiver unit, which excites the mechanically oscillatable unit to oscillate, or receives the oscillations of the mechanically oscillatable unit. The mechanically oscillatable unit is excited to oscillate, and the reaction forces and/or reaction moments are detected, which act on the securement due to the oscillations of the mechanically oscillatable unit, that a report is issued, when the reaction forces and/or reaction moments exceed predeterminable limit values, and that, in the case of a report, the mechanically oscillatable unit is adjusted as regards its oscillation properties.

Abstract: A method which allows especially the extrapolation of the measured value at the upper and lower end of a measuring range where normally no direct measurement range where normally no direct measurement is possible by superposition of interfering signals, for example by reflection on a radar antenna. In the presence of strong interference signals, for example by reflection of a radar antenna. In the presence of strong interference signals, which are for example caused by the natural resonance of the container or neck in which the measuring device is mounted, the direct level indicator signal can be regularly used if it has a high amplitude caused by a superposition with the interfering signal lies between two interfering signals and does not extend beyond these, the level indicator value can be interpolated by the shift of the signals from the point of reflection.

Abstract: A measurement transmitter, including: A microprocessor having a reset input and a clock output for providing a periodic clock signal; a monitoring circuit having a clock signal input and a reset output; and a current controller for issuing in a band range, during operation, a measurement signal current representing a measured value. The clock signal input is connected with the clock signal output and the reset input with the reset output. Upon absence of the clock signal, the reset output periodically issues a reset signal. The measurement transmitter further includes a comparator circuit having a first input, which is connected via a lowpass with the reset output of the monitoring circuit, and a second input, on which a reference voltage is applied. An output of the comparator circuit is connected with the current controller.

Abstract: Field device for determining or monitoring a physical or chemical process variable, wherein the field device is composed of a sensor, which works according to a defined measuring principle, and a control/evaluation unit, which, as a function of a safety standard required for the particular safety-critical application, conditions and evaluates, along at least two equivalent measuring paths, measurement data delivered by the sensor. The control/evaluation unit is implemented on an FPGA, on which are provided at least a first section and a second section, wherein, in each section, a digital measuring path, which is composed of a plurality of software-based and/or hardware-based function modules, is dynamically reconfigurable.

Abstract: A flow measuring arrangement for measuring flow of a medium through a measuring tube, including: at least one constriction located in the measuring tube, which effects a reduction of a volume through which the medium flows internally in the measuring tube, and therewith a change in pressure conditions internally in the measuring tube, dependent on dimensions of the constriction and dependent on flow. A measuring system connected to the measuring tube which serves to measure a pressure (?p, p) dependent on flow through the measuring tube and dependent on the dimensions of the constriction. Measuring electronics, which determines flow on the basis of the measured pressure (?p, p). The flow measuring arrangement can, with minimal degradation of flow through the measuring tube, perform an automatic monitoring of its functional ability.

Abstract: An elastic ceramic body and a pressure sensor. The elastic ceramic body comprises: a base body of an elastic ceramic material; and a cover layer, which covers at least one section of a surface of the base body, wherein the cover layer is of a material other than that of the base body, and the cover layer comprises microcrystalline A12O3 (corundum). The cover layer is preferably prepared in a sol gel process. The pressure sensor, comprises: a disk-shaped measuring membrane, which is embodied as an elastic ceramic body according to the above definition; and at least one membrane support body, on which the measuring membrane is connected at its edge region along an encircling joint to form a pressure-tight measuring chamber between the membrane support body and the measuring membrane.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining and/or monitoring a process variable of a medium. The apparatus includes: An oscillatable unit secured on a membrane; a sending/receiving unit, which excites the membrane and the oscillatable unit to oscillate and which receives oscillations of the oscillatable unit. The sending/receiving unit is a disk-shaped, piezoelectric element. The apparatus further includes a control/evaluation unit, which, on the basis of oscillations of the oscillatable unit, monitors and/or determines the process variable. The disk-shaped, piezoelectric element has segments, which are essentially polarized oppositely to one another, and at least two electrodes of opposite polarity are applied to the side of the disk-shaped, piezoelectric element facing away from the membrane.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining and/or monitoring at least one physical or chemical, process variable of medium having at least one oscillatable unit, which produces, and/or receives, mechanical oscillations. Included is at least one tuning unit, whose stiffness is changeable and which is embodied in such a manner and connected in such a manner with the oscillatable unit, or is a part of the oscillatable unit in such a manner, that at least the resonance frequency of the oscillatable unit is changeable via the tuning unit. A corresponding method is also noted.

Abstract: A configurable field device for automation technology with a partially dynamically reconfigurable logic chip FPGA, in which function modules are dynamically configured during runtime, and to a method for operating the configurable field device.