Abstract: A first plant part includes a multitude of field devices and an edge device, which is part of a communication network. The edge device monitors data transmitted by the field devices and a higher-level unit or requests further data. The edge device generates a live list, which contains an identifier of each field device or the higher-level unit and the requested or monitored data. The edge device simulates a multitude of virtual field devices, generates data, and enters identifiers of the virtual field devices and the generated data into the live list. The live list is made available via a first interface. The edge device transmits the live list containing the current requested or monitored data to a cloud-based service platform at regular intervals, and the cloud-based service platform is designed to prepare or present the live list, with the data of the virtual field devices being disregarded.

Abstract: An automation technology field device includes operating electronics and a plurality of parameters. The operating electronics are designed to operate the field device based on the parameters and obtain and process data based on the parameters. A firmware is a software container allocated to the operating electronics. The software container is designed to execute the installed code to establish, using the code, a communication connection to a distributed ledger via at least one of the outputs is a higher-level communication network, to integrate the field device in the distributed ledger-and to process and/or combine at least one part of the obtained and processed data into result data and to transmit the result data to the distributed ledger.

Abstract: A self-testing automation system includes a decentralized distributed ledger-type database comprising a plurality of subscriber nodes, wherein the subscriber nodes exchange data with one another per transaction, and the database stores the transactions in data blocks which are linked together; a regulating mechanism which is implemented into each of the subscriber nodes, said regulating mechanism comprising information on the number and identity of all of the subscriber nodes as well as rules relating to actions, properties, and states of each of the subscriber nodes; and a plurality of automation components which are subscriber nodes of the decentralized database. Each of the subscriber nodes is designed to test or validate transactions between the subscriber nodes at all times using the regulating mechanism, and each of the subscriber nodes is designed to carry out at least one measure if a violation of the regulating mechanism is detected.

Abstract: A method for operating a field device is disclosed, the field device having settings and/or functions classified into different security levels, where one of the settings and/or functions of the field device is selected by a user, at least one security measure is implemented depending upon the security level with which the selected setting and/or function is associated, and the security measure determines whether the selected setting and/or function of the field device is released for the user.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing a generic diagnosis model at a node of an automation network, wherein the automation network has multiple subordinate field bus segments, each having multiple field bus subscribers, connected to the node and the method comprises the following steps: provision of specific diagnosis information by the field bus subscribers of the respective field bus segment; combination of the specific diagnosis information provided by the field bus subscribers at the node; transfer of all combined diagnosis information to the generic diagnosis model, wherein the specific diagnosis information is additionally enriched with meta information, so that the generic diagnosis model can be used to access specific diagnosis information of the respective field bus subscriber.

Abstract: A method for operating a field device, wherein at least one command that is in line with a communication protocol for operating a field device is sent from a higher-order unit to a field device by sending the command to an operating unit by means of a first bearer protocol and by transmitting the command from the operating unit to the field device by means of a second bearer protocol.

Abstract: A method for operating a field device is disclosed, the field device having settings and/or functions classified into different security levels, where one of the settings and/or functions of the field device is selected by a user, at least one security measure is implemented depending upon the security level with which the selected setting and/or function is associated, and the security measure determines whether the selected setting and/or function of the field device is released for the user.

Abstract: A method for operating a field device, wherein at least one command that is in line with a communication protocol for operating a field device is sent from a higher-order unit to a field device by sending the command to an operating unit by means of a first bearer protocol and by transmitting the command from the operating unit to the field device by means of a second bearer protocol.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a metallized plastic reflector in which a layer of fibrous material is provided on the convex surface of a mold. The layer is then just saturated with a thermohardening synthetic resin, and after partial hardening, a metal layer is applied onto the partially hardened resin layer by means of a spraying process. A supporting layer of a fiber reinforced thermohardening synthetic resin is then provided on the metal layer and after hardening the reflector is finally removed from the mold.