Abstract: Memorized in an apparatus (10, 12, 14) for use in an industrial process, connectable to a central control unit (18) via a bus (16) for communicating data and control signals, is a software apparatus model (20, 22, 24) which contains a comprehensive mimic image of the apparatus including its parameters, functionality and sequence programs.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for maintaining and managing a manufacturing facility with a plurality of field devices (F) that are connected to a guide system (L) via a data bus (D). The inventive method is characterized in that information of at least the field devices that are required for the maintenance and management of the manufacturing facility are electronically acquired across the entire life cycle of the respective field device and are stored via intranet or internet access in a central data bank that is accessible for selected users. The user inquires the maintenance or management criteria via intranet or internet access to the central data bank (Z). In this manner, all information required for the maintenance and management of the manufacturing facility are made available to selected users in a simple way.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for correlating first and second signals where sampling values of the signals are multiplied together and discrete values of the correlation function are determined. In one embodiment, the signals are sampled at different sampling frequencies such that one sampling frequency is a multiple of the other sampling frequency. A number of the respective last sampling values of the more fully sampled signal are stored and each sampling value of the more rapidly sampled signal is multiplied simultaneously by all of the stored sampling values of the more slowly sampled signal. The results of the multiplication are separately summed corresponding to equal time displacements between the multiplied sampling values. In a further preferred embodiment, a microcomputer is programmed for sampling the two signals with sampling frequencies having a ratio 1:k. The more slowly sampled signals are stored in an n stage register.