Abstract: Techniques for previewing an operator display of a process section in a process plant include presenting a process section on a user interface device, where the process section includes a user control for presenting and/or displaying another process section on the process plant display. In response to receiving user input indicative of a request to display a preview of the other process section via the user control, the user interface device presents the other process section while simultaneously presenting the process section in a preview mode. The process sections in the preview mode may be presented side-by-side, above and below each other, in separate display windows, etc.

Abstract: Techniques for synchronizing configuration changes in a process plant allow for intelligent and efficient updates to objects and related dependent objects. Additionally, techniques for synchronizing minor configuration changes in a process plant enable real-time updates to objects during run-time. Such techniques reduce the amount of downtime for online operation of the process plant and reduce the amount of information transmitted over the process control network. Each object may correspond to a process entity and dependent objects may be referenced by or may reference the object. In some cases, when an engineer modifies an object, dependent objects with respect to the modified object that have pending modifications are identified and displayed to the engineer. The engineer then selects the dependent objects to sync with the modified object and the dependent objects and modified object are synced and executed by a corresponding device in the run-time system.

Abstract: Techniques for assessing the completeness of a graphical display configuration of a process plant include receiving or obtaining a list of expected display views to be included in the draft of the process plant's graphical configuration or a portion thereof. For each expected display view, a graphical display configuration application obtains a list of expected control references corresponding to the display view and determines whether the control references are included in the display view, whether the control references are configured and stored in a control configuration database, and/or whether related display views corresponding to the control references are configured.

Abstract: A graphical display configuration system of a process control system provides features within the configuration environment that allow a user to create, define, edit, and easily preview the runtime appearance and/or runtime behavior of graphical elements and/or graphical displays in-line with the configuration workflow of the user, without having to compile and/or download draft graphical configurations into the operating environment of a process plant supported by the process control system, and/or without requiring specialized scripts to be implemented within the operating environment of the process plant. Previews of runtime appearances and/or runtime behaviors of draft configurations of graphical elements and/or graphical displays (that are eventually to be executed within the operating environment of the process control system) are able to generated and presented exclusively within the configuration environment, e.g., for testing and/or verification.

Abstract: Techniques for configuring layouts and display view hierarchies and presenting display views in an operating environment of a process plant according to the layouts and display view hierarchies include providing graphical user controls at a graphical display configuration application for defining a layout. The layouts indicate a manner in which divide one or several display screens into one or several display regions, where each display region presents a display view that includes indications of process control elements. The graphical display configuration application also includes graphical user controls for defining a display view hierarchy of the display views by assigning levels of detail to the display views and designating some of the display views as subviews of other display views. An operator application obtains the defined layout and display view hierarchy and presents the display views at an operator workstation according to the obtained layout and/or display view hierarchy.

Abstract: Techniques for configuring layouts and display view hierarchies and presenting display views in an operating environment of a process plant according to the layouts and display view hierarchies include providing graphical user controls at a graphical display configuration application for defining a layout. The layouts indicate a manner in which divide one or several display screens into one or several display regions, where each display region presents a display view that includes indications of process control elements. The graphical display configuration application also includes graphical user controls for defining a display view hierarchy of the display views by assigning levels of detail to the display views and designating some of the display views as subviews of other display views. An operator application obtains the defined layout and display view hierarchy and presents the display views at an operator workstation according to the obtained layout and/or display view hierarchy.

Abstract: Configuring graphical display views to be presented, at a user interface of an operating environment of a process plant, using multiple graphical display themes includes configuring a display theme object to indicate a plurality of themes via which the display view is able to be presented at the user interface. The display theme object includes a parameter whose value is changeable, within the operating environment, to indicate a desired theme that is to be utilized, and the display theme object is downloaded from the configuration environment into the operating environment. Thus, during runtime, changing the theme via which the graphical display view is presented is achieved without any additional downloads from or communications with the configuration environment. User controls may be provided to an operator to select different themes, and/or to override various visual aspects of themes to achieve optimum visibility. Themes may be automatically changed based on sensed conditions.

Abstract: Module-based systems and methods are described for controlled roll-out of module classes for configuring a process plant. In various aspects the module-based systems and methods generate a second version of a module class based on a modification to a first version of the module class, where the module class is associated with one or more module instances that are each associated with a process control element of the process plant. The module-based systems and methods execute a roll-out instruction to update an upgraded process control element, where the upgraded process control element is associated with a new module instance based on the second version of the module class. The roll-out instruction is also designed to ignore or skip a non-upgraded process control element, where the non-upgraded process control element remains associated with a previous module instance based on the first version of the module class.

Abstract: Techniques for reconciling discrepancies between the runtime operation of a process plant and the configuration for the process plant allow for the process plant to be operated in a predictable and consistent manner. Additionally, techniques for reconciling discrepancies in the process plant enable inappropriate parameter values to be detected and reconciled efficiently and before such inappropriate values are included into configuration. Such techniques reduce the risk of downtime for online operation of the process plant to troubleshoot object configuration. A configuration engineer may provide one or more reconciliation instructions to reconcile the discrepancy. A configuration application then updates the process control environment of the process plant in accordance with the one or more reconciliation instructions. In some cases, the discrepancy is resolved by updating a configuration file for the object. In other cases, the discrepancy is resolved by updating the runtime instantiation of the object.

Abstract: A method of visualizing one or more interlock chains in a process control system includes detecting an interlock event, obtaining pre-configured interlock logic data associated with field components in the process control system, and automatically generating at least a first interlock chain visualization by analyzing the pre-configured interlock logic data. The visualization graphically indicates interlock dependencies among at least a subset of the field components. The method also includes causing the first interlock chain visualization, and possibly other, related chain visualizations, to be presented to a user via a user interface, alone or with related controls (e.g., for resetting all components in the visualized chain).

Abstract: The described methods and systems give users situational awareness regarding control loops in a process control system. The user can utilize the loop interface described herein to quickly understand how a given element (e.g., a device or function block) relates to other elements of the control loop. This enables the user to appreciate how modifying a parameter or device, for example, may impact control of the process. The user need not be intimately familiar with the logic associated with a control loop to understand the status of the control loop and its constituent elements. Further, in an embodiment, the user can easily correct certain statuses (e.g., unusual conditions) that arise with respect to the control loop.

Abstract: Techniques for synchronizing configuration changes in a process plant allow for intelligent and efficient updates to objects and related dependent objects. Additionally, techniques for synchronizing minor configuration changes in a process plant enable real-time updates to objects during run-time. Such techniques reduce the amount of downtime for online operation of the process plant and reduce the amount of information transmitted over the process control network. Each object may correspond to a process entity and dependent objects may be referenced by or may reference the object. In some cases, when an engineer modifies an object, dependent objects with respect to the modified object that have pending modifications are identified and displayed to the engineer. The engineer then selects the dependent objects to sync with the modified object and the dependent objects and modified object are synced and executed by a corresponding device in the run-time system.

Abstract: Techniques for previewing an operator display of a process section in a process plant include presenting a process section on a user interface device, where the process section includes a user control for presenting and/or displaying another process section on the process plant display. In response to receiving user input indicative of a request to display a preview of the other process section via the user control, the user interface device presents the other process section while simultaneously presenting the process section in a preview mode. The process sections in the preview mode may be presented side-by-side, above and below each other, in separate display windows, etc.

Abstract: Techniques for previewing an operator display of a process section in a process plant include presenting a process section on a user interface device, where the process section includes a user control for presenting and/or displaying another process section on the process plant display. In response to receiving user input indicative of a request to display a preview of the other process section via the user control, the user interface device presents the other process section while simultaneously presenting the process section in a preview mode. The process sections in the preview mode may be presented side-by-side, above and below each other, in separate display windows, etc.