Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetic field sensor for detecting a magnetic field, comprising: a magnetoelectric sensor element which can mechanically oscillate, the sensor element having at least one first layer made of a magneto-restrictive material, a second layer made of a piezoelectric material, and at least one electrode made of an electrically conductive material, more particularly metal; and electronics. The magnetic field sensor, more particularly the electronics, is designed to induce mechanical oscillations of the sensor element by means of an excitation signal, to receive the mechanical oscillations of the sensor element and to convert said mechanical oscillations into a reception signal, to produce the excitation signal from the reception signal, and to determine a variable related to the magnetic field on the basis of the reception signal.

Abstract: A sensor apparatus for determining and/or monitoring a process variable of a medium in a containment includes: a crystal body including at least one defect; a magnetic field system for producing a magnetic field in the region of the crystal body and in the region of the medium within the containment, wherein the crystal body and the magnetic field system are arrangeable from the outside at a wall of the containment; a detection unit for detecting a magnetic field-dependent, fluorescent signal from the crystal body, wherein the detection unit has an excitation unit for optical exciting of the defect and a detector for detecting the fluorescent signal; and an evaluation unit for ascertaining at least one piece of information concerning the process variable based on the fluorescent signal.

Abstract: A device for detachably fastening a sensor for determining and/or monitoring at least one process variable of a medium to a single-use container, wherein there is a connection between the device and a wall of the single-use container, comprises a fastening unit for detachably fastening the sensor to the single-use container. Disclosed also is a single-use container having a device according to the invention.

Abstract: A method for compensating for a malfunction of a field device, includes monitoring process values transmitted by each field device to a superordinated unit; creating historical data based on the transmitted process values for each field device or the sensor unit; establishing a replacement system based on the historical data, wherein the data processing unit ascertains which process variable of a sensor unit can serve as substitute variable to replace a process variable of a further sensor unit; comparing the current process values of the field device, or the sensor unit, with desired values for precalculating periods of time, in which current process values differ by at least one predetermined value from the desired values; and transmitting the substitute variable to the superordinated unit of the data processing unit during the precalculated periods of time.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for optimizing a measurement rate of a field device in a measurement system. The measurement system includes at least one second field device in which a measurement variable of the field device is correlated with the measurement variable of the second field device. The method determines a respective specific correlation pattern between the first measurement variable and the second measurement variable based on a learning phase. This makes it possible to check the measured values from the second field device for the correlation pattern during normal measurement operation and to change the measurement rate of the field device during the corresponding time window. This makes it possible to increase the service life and/or availability in the process installation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for diagnosis of a two-conductor field instrument and a corresponding two-conductor field instrument. In a normal operating mode, an input voltage is provided and an output current is output.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes an electromechanical transducer unit for a field device of automation technology including a membrane having a base area and displaceable to execute mechanical oscillations, three rods secured to the membrane perpendicular to the base area, a housing, wherein the rods extend into the housing, three magnets, each secured to one of the rods opposite the membrane, and a coil having a core and secured within the housing adjacent the magnets, the coil embodied to produce a magnetic field that causes the rods to execute mechanical oscillations. The rods are secured to the membrane such that oscillations of the membrane result from the oscillations of the rods. At least one of the rods is secured to the base area where the second derivative of the deflection of the membrane from a rest position as a function of the site on the base area is essentially zero.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for diagnosis of a two-conductor field instrument and a corresponding two-conductor field instrument. In a normal operating mode, an input voltage is provided and an output current is output.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for determining and/or monitoring a process variable of a medium in a containment, including an oscillatable unit with a membrane, three rods secured to the membrane and extending perpendicularly to a base area of the membrane, a housing, wherein the rods extend into the housing a driving/receiving unit disposed at an end region of the rods and configured to excite the oscillatable unit and transduce mechanical oscillations into a received signal, and an electronics unit configured to produce an exciter signal from the received signal and to ascertain the process variable at least from the received signal. At least one of the rods is secured to the membrane at a site on the base area where the second derivative of the deflection of the membrane from a rest position as a function of the site on the base area is essentially zero.

Abstract: An electromechanical transducer unit for a field device includes a membrane embodied to execute mechanical oscillations, two rods perpendicular to the membrane and secured to the membrane, a housing, wherein the membrane forms at least one portion of a wall of the housing, and wherein the two rods extend into the housing interior, two magnets, wherein each magnet is secured in an end region away from the membrane to a different one of the two rods, and a coil with a core, wherein the coil is secured above the magnets within the housing, and is contactable with an electrical, alternating current signal, wherein the coil is embodied to produce a magnetic field that causes the two rods via the two magnets to execute mechanical oscillations, and wherein the two rods are secured to the membrane such that oscillations of the membrane result from oscillations of the two rods.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for determining and/or monitoring a process variable of a medium in a containment, including an oscillatable unit with a membrane, three rods secured to the membrane and extending perpendicularly to a base area of the membrane, a housing, wherein the rods extend into the housing a driving/receiving unit disposed at an end region of the rods and configured to excite the oscillatable unit and transduce mechanical oscillations into a received signal, and an electronics unit configured to produce an exciter signal from the received signal and to ascertain the process variable at least from the received signal. At least one of the rods is secured to the membrane at a site on the base area where the second derivative of the deflection of the membrane from a rest position as a function of the site on the base area is essentially zero.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes an electromechanical transducer unit for a field device of automation technology including a membrane having a base area and displaceable to execute mechanical oscillations, three rods secured to the membrane perpendicular to the base area, a housing, wherein the rods extend into the housing, three magnets, each secured to one of the rods opposite the membrane, and a coil having a core and secured within the housing adjacent the magnets, the coil embodied to produce a magnetic field that causes the rods to execute mechanical oscillations. The rods are secured to the membrane such that oscillations of the membrane result from the oscillations of the rods. At least one of the rods is secured to the base area where the second derivative of the deflection of the membrane from a rest position as a function of the site on the base area is essentially zero.

Abstract: An electromechanical transducer unit for a field device comprising a membrane embodied to execute mechanical oscillations, two rods perpendicular to the membrane and secured to the membrane, a housing, wherein the membrane forms at least one portion of a wall of the housing, and wherein the two rods extend into the housing interior, two magnets, wherein each magnet is secured in an end region away from the membrane to a different one of the two rods, and a coil with a core, wherein the coil is secured above the magnets within the housing, and is contactable with an electrical, alternating current signal, wherein the coil is embodied to produce a magnetic field that causes the two rods via the two magnets to execute mechanical oscillations, and wherein the two rods are secured to the membrane such that oscillations of the membrane result from oscillations of the two rods.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining or monitoring a predetermined fill level, a phase boundary or a density of a medium in a container with an oscillatable unit. The oscillatable unit is placed at the height of the predetermined fill level and is excited to oscillate successively with discrete exciter frequencies following one another in a frequency scanning operation (sweep) within a predeterminable frequency band in the working range of the oscillatable unit. The corresponding oscillations of the oscillatable unit are received in the form of received signals; wherein that exciter frequency is ascertained in the frequency scanning operation, at which the oscillatable unit oscillates with an oscillation frequency, which has a predetermined phase shift between the transmission signal and the received signal; and wherein the transmitting/receiving unit excites the oscillatable unit to oscillate with the ascertained oscillation frequency.

Abstract: A field device is composed of a sensor, which works according to a defined measuring principle, and a control/evaluation unit, for a 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, provided with at least a first section and a second section. In each section, a digital measuring path, is dynamically reconfigurable. The sections are isolated from one another by permanently configured spacer regions, wherein the spacer regions are embodied in such a way, that a temperature and/or a voltage change in one of the sections has no influence on the other section or other sections, and, in the case of malfunction, no connection occurs between the sections.

Abstract: A method for testing an electronics unit, especially an electronics unit of an apparatus for ascertaining and/or monitoring a process variable, wherein the electronics unit has a plurality of electrical components. At least a part of the electrical components is grouped into at least one group, and this group is supplied with a query signal. A response signal is received from the group, and the response signal is evaluated. Furthermore, the invention relates to an apparatus for determining and/or monitoring a process variable.

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.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining or monitoring a predetermined fill level, a phase boundary or a density of a medium in a container with an oscillatable unit. The oscillatable unit is placed at the height of the predetermined fill level and is excited to oscillate successively with discrete exciter frequencies following one another in a frequency scanning operation (sweep) within a predeterminable frequency band in the working range of the oscillatable unit. The corresponding oscillations of the oscillatable unit are received in the form of received signals; wherein that exciter frequency is ascertained in the frequency scanning operation, at which the oscillatable unit oscillates with an oscillation frequency, which has a predetermined phase shift between the transmission signal and the received signal; and wherein the transmitting/receiving unit excites the oscillatable unit to oscillate with the ascertained oscillation frequency.

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: An error detection circuitry for detecting an error on a transmission path between a radio system (10, 12) and a transmitter is disclosed. The circuitry comprises means (16) for measuring the magnitude of a forward radio frequency signal directed from the radio system to the transmitter; means (16) for measuring the magnitude of a backward radio frequency signal directed from the transmitter to the radio system; and means for comparing the magnitudes of the forward radio frequency signal and the backward radio frequency signal. In a preferred embodiment of the invention a self-synchronization is provided for synchronizing a sampling of the output voltages of detecting circuits (24, 26) relative to the occurrence of a signal on the transmission path.