Abstract: A smart controller continuously monitors data for determining in real time if there is a likelihood that an asset will be shut down and, if so, recommends a new setpoint at which the asset will continue to operate but will not lead to tripping of the system. The smart controller executes a simulation engine to test the new setpoint before implementation to optimize performance while avoiding a shutdown. In this manner, the smart controller provides early warning of possible shutdowns and ensures that key assets are less likely to be shut down.

Abstract: Smart Wireless Adapters are provided herein for establishing communication between measurement devices and a measurement control and data acquisition system in an industrial system. In one aspect, a method of establishing communication between a Pneumatic or Analog measurement device and the measurement control and data acquisition system includes providing a Pneumatic or Analog measurement device and providing a Smart Wireless Adapter capable of electrically and mechanically coupling to the Pneumatic or Analog measurement device. The Pneumatic or Analog measurement device is configured to measure one or more parameters in the industrial system and provide a value or signal indicative of the measured parameters at an output of the Pneumatic or Analog measurement device.

Abstract: Network of safety PLCs employs multi-PLC verification of a programming application before allowing the application to reprogram any PLC on the safety network. Each PLC on the safety network is equipped with authentication capability that detects attempts to reprogram the PLC and issues an authentication challenge requiring the programming application to process a proof-of-work. The authentication challenge is also sent to other PLCs on the safety network along with the response from the programming application for verification purposes. The other PLCs process the authentication challenge and check the response from the programming application for acceptability. If a majority of the PLCs on the safety network determines the response from the programming application is correct, then the programming application is verified and may proceed with the reprogramming.

Abstract: Systems and methods for conducting hydrocarbon custody transfer uses blockchain to eliminate or minimize mistrust over the reliability, accuracy, and immutability of data. The blockchain is provided as a shared data layer that can store the data in a secure and tamperproof manner. The data may include data generated by equipment, sensors, people, processes, and the like, and may be automatically generated or compiled manually. A blockchain application digitally signs the data using public/private key encryption before uploading the data to the blockchain. The data can then be made available to all authorized custody transfer parties, including oil producers, well operators, regulatory teams, and the like, in the form of notifications, shared dashboards, and/or auto reports. Smart contracts may be embedded in the blockchain to carry out monetary settlements and value exchange by automating funds transfer if certain criteria are met.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for controlling a flow computer for monitoring a fluid. The method and system involve: establishing communications between the flow computer and a remote computing system through an external application programming interface (API) to obtain from the computing system information of fluid composition of the fluid and/or real-time environmental condition(s); and adjusting a flow measurement operation of the flow computer according to the obtained information of the fluid composition and/or real-time environmental condition(s).

Abstract: A method is provided for assessing health of a mechanical system. The method includes receiving discontinuous system data that is obtained intermittently and is associated with health of the system and generating a discontinuous health index that is based on the discontinuous system data and receiving continuous system data that is obtained continuously and is associated with the health of the system and generating a continuous health index that is based on the continuous system data, wherein the discontinuous health index and the continuous health index are configured to be combinable. The method further includes combining the discontinuous health index and the continuous health index, generating an overall health index based on the combination of the discontinuous health index and the continuous health index, and automatically taking one or more actions to maintain or improve health of the mechanical system and/or avoid risk based on the overall health index.

Abstract: A system can include a field device and a power limited source operatively connected to the field device and configured to supply a main power to the field device up to a power limit threshold. The system can include a bulk energy storage assembly operatively connected to the field device. The bulk energy storage assembly can be configured to provide a supplemental power to the field device when either the main power drops below a demand power from the field device, or when the demand power from the field device exceeds the power limit threshold.

Abstract: An Intrinsically Safe (IS) Advanced Physical Layer (APL) based low power field device having a virtual controller implemented thereon. The virtual controller provides distributed control and one or more of historian, workstation, and HMI functionality on the field device.

Abstract: Systems/methods for monitoring and management of field devices and equipment at the edge provide an interworking component that runs on or at an edge device to facilitate monitoring and management of the field devices and equipment. In particular, the edge based interworking component allows operations, administration, and management (OA&M) services to be performed for both the hardware making up the devices as well as the operating systems and software applications running on the hardware. In some embodiments, OA&M services includes one or more IT orchestration services for the hardware as well as the operating systems and software applications running on the hardware. Such an arrangement allows monitoring and management of the field devices and equipment that have heretofore been performed by traditional control systems to be partly or entirely pushed down to the edge and/or pushed up to the cloud, depending on the particular implementation.

Abstract: Systems and methods for using memory-mapped memories in a microcontroller-based instrument are provided herein. The method includes operating the microcontroller-based instrument using a complex application or protocol and operating a highly integrated, low-power microcontroller unit (MCU). The MCU is configured to use memory mapping for accessing at least one off-MCU memory connected to the MCU by at least one interface. The MCU's memory-mapping configuration enables the off-MCU memory(ies) to behave as an extension of at least one on-MCU memory that is connected directly to the CPU to effectively extend a range of the at least one on-MCU memory, wherein the effective extended range of the at least one on-MCU memory enables the microcontroller-based instrument to utilize the complex application or protocol. The method further includes writing addresses and/or data to and/or reading addresses and/or data from the off-MCU memory using serial transmission during a memory mapped transaction.

Abstract: A method for automatic discovery of a Field Device during initial commissioning includes registering a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the Field Device with a Distributed Control System (DCS), and registering the Field Device with a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Server. An IP address may be assigned to the Field Device using the DHCP Server, and a DHCP client table may be polled using the DCS to recognize the MAC address of the Field Device. In response to the DCS recognizing the MAC address of the Field Device, the Field Device may be authenticated and authorized using the DCS.

Abstract: Digital bridging of field devices to an industrial network using an Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer (Ethernet-APL) bridge device. The APL bridge device includes analog interfaces for current-driven and voltage-driven measurement devices and an Intrinsically Safe (IS) APL connection providing power to the bridge device and the measurement devices. The bridge device enables gateway functionality between field device protocols and industrial network protocols.

Abstract: A method performed by an Advanced Physical Layer (APL)-based edge device with power constraints is provided. The method includes applying an event-driven framework that is compliant with power constraints of the APL-based edge device to receive input data; applying the event-driven framework to the input data to invoke a machine learning (ML) model that is trained to analyze the input data and make inferences about one or more aspects of an industrial system based on the input data, and applying the invoked machine learning model to analyze the input data and make an inference about the one or more aspects of the industrial system based on the input data. The input data is received by the APL-based edge device from one or more source field devices of the industrial system and/or the inference is used make a decision and cause an action to be applied to the industrial system.

Abstract: An Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer (Ethernet-APL) bridge system between an edge field device and an industrial network. The bridge system includes at least one Ethernet-APL switch and a plurality of redundant physical Ethernet-APL 10BaseT1L ports coupled to the at least one switch providing improved load distribution and high availability.

Abstract: An embedded device includes an Ethernet-APL interface through which to conduct communications and receive power over an Ethernet-APL network connection; an analog communication interface for establishing an analog connection with a field device/instrument; a memory; and a processor(s). The processor(s), in communication with the memory, is configured to: apply a firmware framework to implement a embedded platform without an operating system; and perform prioritized, multi-tasking of a plurality of run-to-complete tasks for monitoring and/or control of a plant or process according to the embedded platform. The tasks can include communications with at least one field device/instrument through analog connection via the analog communication interface. The communications include at least receiving measurement data from the at least one field device/instrument or outputting control data to the at least one field device/instrument. The embedded device can be a constrained edge device.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for managing infrastructures of an industrial system. The method includes receiving a desired state that models a state of two or more of infrastructures of the industrial system, wherein the two or more infrastructures are a virtual infrastructure of the industrial system and at least one a physical infrastructure and a network infrastructure of the industrial system. The method further includes receiving a current state that models a current state of the two or more infrastructures of the industrial system, determining a difference between the desired state and the current state, and causing, as a function of the determined difference, one or more changes to the current state of the infrastructures of the industrial system, wherein determining the difference and causing the one or more changes involves the two or more infrastructures.

Abstract: A method is provided of configuring a field device for monitoring and/or controlling an operation(s) of a process or plant. The method includes conducting web-based communication between a networked computer device and the field device over an Ethernet-APL to allow the networked computer device to access and interact with a web page(s) or program(s) that is hosted on a web server running on the field device. The method also includes configuring at the field device an operation parameter(s) and/or setting(s) of the field device based on user input received across the Ethernet-APL by the field device from user interaction with the web page(s) or program(s) through the networked computer device.

Abstract: In a Boundaryless Control High Availability (“BCHA”) system (e.g., industrial control system) comprising multiple computing resources (or computational engines) running on multiple machines, technology for computing in real time the overall system availability based upon the capabilities/characteristics of the available computing resources, applications to execute and the distribution of the applications across those resources is disclosed. In some embodiments, the disclosed technology can dynamically manage, coordinate recommend certain actions to system operators to maintain availability of the overall system at a desired level. High Availability features may be implemented across a variety of different computing resources distributed across various aspects of a BCHA system and/or computing resources. Two example implementations of BCHA systems described involve an M:N working configuration and M:N+R working configuration.

Abstract: Systems and methods for adaptively tuning a Proportional, Integral and Derivative (PID) controller in a zero order industrial process are provided. A method and system can involve receiving input data at one or more inputs of the PID controller and generating output data at one or more outputs of the PID controller in response to processing the input data. Error(s) associated with the controller are determined based on an analysis of a measured parameter with respect to a desired setpoint. The measured parameter may be indicated in the output data. Adaptive gain may be applied to the PID controller in response to the absolute value of the controller error both exceeding a deadband and increasing. Additionally, normal gain, which is lower than the adaptive gain, may be applied to the PID controller in response to the absolute value of the controller error either being below the deadband or decreasing.

Abstract: A method for providing access to a development and execution (D&E) platform for development of industrial software, including providing while the D&E platform is being accessed a GUI with a development tool having process flow and code editors and an execution tool and arranging two or more programming blocks of a process flow responsive to input from an author when the process flow editor is accessed. The two or more programming blocks, when arranged, are configured to be executed. The method further includes editing source code of the two or more programming blocks responsive to input from the author when the code editor is accessed, compiling at least one of the two or more programming blocks responsive to input from the author when the execution tool is accessed, and executing the compiled at least one programming block responsive to input from the author when the execution tool is accessed.