Abstract: A method for checking a signal path of a sensor circuit for a field device, wherein the signal path includes a transducer for outputting analog raw measured values, an analog-digital converter to convert the analog raw measured values into digital raw measured values, and a digital processor designed to further process the digital raw measured values, includes: interrupting the measuring mode; replacing the analog raw measured values at an output of the transducer by an analog check signal; passing the analog check signal through the signal path so that the digital processor determines a measured value corresponding to the analog check signal; checking the determined measured value with a comparison value determined for the signal path; and, if the measured value determined for the analog check signal is outside a defined tolerance range for the comparison value, identifying a change in the state of the signal path.

Abstract: An electronic device including electronics arranged in an electronics compartment and having electronic and/or electromechanical components. The device automatically detects and/or monitors wear of its electronic and/or electromechanical components and includes an apparatus for detecting and/or monitoring wear of the electronic and/or electromechanical components. Included is at least one element arranged in the electronics compartment. This element is independent of the electronics and has at least one physical property, which changes irreversibly as a function of wear of the element. The apparatus further includes a circuit for measuring the physical property, and an evaluating unit, which, based on the measured physical property, detects and/or monitors wear of the element and makes available a wear-dependent output signal.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the functioning of a field device, wherein the field device provides a complex measurement signal, which is produced from a number of individual measurements following one another in time, comprising method steps as follows: the complex measurement signals are stored within a predetermined time window; the occurrence of a predetermined event is monitored in the field device; the stored complex measurement signals are overwritten for the case, in which the predetermined event does not occur within the predetermined time window; for the case, in which the predetermined event occurs within the predetermined time window, both a first defined number of complex measurement signals, which were ascertained in time directly before the occurrence of the event, are frozen, as well as a second defined number of complex measurement signals, which were ascertained in time directly after the occurrence of the predetermined event, are stored.

Abstract: A field device is able to diagnose a broad spectrum of possible faults and/or states, and includes: structure for performing user defined, diagnostic methods; which has an input circuit, via which at least one input variable is fed to the structure; which has an evaluation unit, which serves for deriving, on the basis of at least one input variable selected by the user and at least one evaluating method selected by the user, at least one characterizing variable; which has a monitoring unit, which monitors the derived characterizing variables on the basis of monitoring criteria selected by the user; and which has an output unit, which, upon the meeting of a monitoring criterion, outputs a diagnosis associated with such monitoring criterion; and an interface, via which a user selects the input variables for each user defined diagnostic method, selects the evaluating methods to apply to the input variables, selects the monitoring criteria, and specifies the diagnosis.

Abstract: A method for ascertaining and monitoring the fill level of a medium in a container via a field device, wherein transmission signals are transmitted toward the medium and are received as reflection signals. The transmission signals and the reflection signals are registered by means of data points in an envelope curve dependent on travel time or travel distance. Disturbance echo signals are registered by means of data points in a masking curve, the data points are connected with one another via connecting functions An evaluation curve is ascertained from the envelope curve; wherein, by means of a reduction algorithm, the number of data points in the masking curve and/or in the evaluation curve is reduced; and wherein, by an echo search algorithm, by means of the reduced masking curve and/or reduced evaluation curve, at least one wanted echo signal in the current envelope curve is ascertained.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the functioning of a field device, wherein the field device provides a complex measurement signal, which is produced from a number of individual measurements following one another in time, comprising method steps as follows: the complex measurement signals are stored within a predetermined time window; the occurrence of a predetermined event is monitored in the field device; the stored complex measurement signals are overwritten for the case, in which the predetermined event does not occur within the predetermined time window; for the case, in which the predetermined event occurs within the predetermined time window, both a first defined number of complex measurement signals, which were ascertained in time directly before the occurrence of the event, are frozen, as well as a second defined number of complex measurement signals, which were ascertained in time directly after the occurrence of the predetermined event, are stored.

Abstract: A method for ascertaining and monitoring the fill level of a medium in a container via a field device, wherein transmission signals are transmitted toward the medium and are received as reflection signals. The transmission signals and the reflection signals are registered by means of data points in an envelope curve dependent on travel time or travel distance. Disturbance echo signals are registered by means of data points in a masking curve, the data points are connected with one another via connecting functions An evaluation curve is ascertained from the envelope curve; wherein, by means of a reduction algorithm, the number of data points in the masking curve and/or in the evaluation curve is reduced; and wherein, by an echo search algorithm, by means of the reduced masking curve and/or reduced evaluation curve, at least one wanted echo signal in the current envelope curve is ascertained.

Abstract: A field device, wherein only those faults are displayed, which are relevant for the particular application of the user. The field device includes: a means for detecting a plurality of field-device-specific faults and for generating associated field-device-specific fault reports; a memory for storing an application-specific fault report profile, which contains exclusively those field-device-specific faults, which are relevant for a particular application; an interface, via which a user provides the fault report profile and stores such in memory; and a means for output of fault reports, which exclusively outputs fault reports of faults contained in the fault report profile.

Abstract: A field device is able to diagnose a broad spectrum of possible faults and/or states, and includes: structure for performing user defined, diagnostic methods; which has an input circuit, via which at least one input variable is fed to the structure; which has an evaluation unit, which serves for deriving, on the basis of at least one input variable selected by the user and at least one evaluating method selected by the user, at least one characterizing variable; which has a monitoring unit, which monitors the derived characterizing variables on the basis of monitoring criteria selected by the user; and which has an output unit, which, upon the meeting of a monitoring criterion, outputs a diagnosis associated with such monitoring criterion; and an interface, via which a user selects the input variables for each user defined diagnostic method, selects the evaluating methods to apply to the input variables, selects the monitoring criteria, and specifies the diagnosis.

Abstract: A method for checking proper functioning of a fill-level measuring device working according to the travel time principle. For this purpose, in predetermined or selectable time intervals (ta), a current measured value curve at a current fill level (hactual) is ascertained; on the basis of the current measured value curve, a current wanted echo signal is determined. Subsequently, on the basis of the current wanted echo signal, an expected value (E) for quality of a wanted echo signal at least one predetermined fill level (hdesired) is ascertained. The ascertained expected value (E) for quality of the wanted echo signal at the predetermined fill level (hdesired) is compared with a predetermined critical value for quality, and an error condition is diagnosed, when the ascertained expected value falls below the critical value for quality.

Abstract: An electronic device including electronics arranged in an electronics compartment and having electronic and/or electromechanical components. The device automatically detects and/or monitors wear of its electronic and/or electromechanical components and includes an apparatus for detecting and/or monitoring wear of the electronic and/or electromechanical components. Included is at least one element arranged in the electronics compartment. This element is independent of the electronics and has at least one physical property, which changes irreversibly as a function of wear of the element. The apparatus further includes a circuit for measuring the physical property, and an evaluating unit, which, based on the measured physical property, detects and/or monitors wear of the element and makes available a wear-dependent output signal.

Abstract: A method for checking proper functioning of a fill-level measuring device working according to the travel time principle. For this purpose, in predetermined or selectable time intervals (ta), a current measured value curve at a current fill level (hactual) is ascertained; on the basis of the current measured value curve, a current wanted echo signal is determined. Subsequently, on the basis of the current wanted echo signal, an expected value (E) for quality of a wanted echo signal at at least one predetermined fill level (hdesired) is ascertained. The ascertained expected value (E) for quality of the wanted echo signal at the predetermined fill level (hdesired) is compared with a predetermined critical value for quality, and an error condition is diagnosed, when the ascertained expected value falls below the critical value for quality.

Abstract: In order to provide a microwave-conducting arrangement, which is relatively easy, and thus cost-favorable, to fabricate, and which is suited also for complex structures and geometries, one or more electrically conductive layers are provided which are applied on a non-conductive body having a surface of any shape. A metallizing provided for such purpose on the surface of the body is, for example, produced by a vapor-deposition process, by means of a flame-spraying process, or by means of a chemical metallizing.