Abstract: A method for verifying field device inventory includes connecting a processing unit to a network; reading the address space of the network using the processing unit to generate a list of field devices contained in the address space; establishing communication between the processing unit and a field device contained in the list; reading out identification information of the field device using the processing unit, the identification and a characteristic parameter of the field device; carrying out a consistency check, a negative result being achieved if a field device is already entered under the serial number that has been read out; checking, if a negative result, whether a characteristic parameter of the field device corresponds with the characteristic parameter that has been read out; and outputting a notification using the processing unit that a characteristic parameter assigned to the field device deviates from the parameter that has been read out.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to automation technology. A first gateway is connected via a first communication network to a field device—and a second gateway is connected to the field device via a second communication network. The first and the second gateway are connected to a control unit. The first communication network and the second communication network are connected to a control room. The control room switches over to the other communication network and establishes a communication connection therewith if a problem is detected in the previous communication connection. Communication access to the first gateway is implemented in the control unit, and communication access to the second gateway is implemented in the control unit via a second driver. The control unit continuously analyses the first communication network and the second communication network and in the event of a control room switchover, switches over to the gateway of that network.

Abstract: The invention includes a method and a communication network for preventing impermissible access to software applications implemented in field devices, wherein the field devices are integrated in a communication network of automation technology and wherein each software application exchanges information within the communication network via at least one communication interface.

Abstract: Described is an interface apparatus for performing data interchange, or exchange, between a fieldbus network and a cloud. The interface apparatus includes a first interface, via which the interface apparatus is connectable with at least one fieldbus component of the fieldbus network, and a second interface, via which the interface apparatus is connectable with the cloud. The first interface is embodied as an interface corresponding to the application programming interface of the cloud, wherein an interface definition of the first interface agrees with an interface definition of the application programming interface of the cloud. The interface apparatus is embodied to convert a request for a cloud service received via the first interface from a fieldbus component of the fieldbus network into a request addressed to the cloud for a cloud service and to transfer such via the second interface to the cloud.

Abstract: A method for storing data for at least one of a device state, device diagnosis and calibration of a field device in a cloud, with the field device having a self-monitoring functionality. The method includes device-internal registering of first data for at least one of a device state, device diagnosis and calibration by the field device and transfer of the device-internally registered first data from the field device to the cloud. Moreover, the method includes registering second data for at least one of a device state, device diagnosis and calibration of the field device using an external service computer and transferring the second data from the external service computer to the cloud. Both the first data as well as also the second data are stored in the cloud.

Abstract: A method for verifying field device inventory includes connecting a processing unit to a network; reading the address space of the network using the processing unit to generate a list of field devices contained in the address space; establishing communication between the processing unit and a field device contained in the list; reading out identification information of the field device using the processing unit, the identification and a characteristic parameter of the field device; carrying out a consistency check, a negative result being achieved if a field device is already entered under the serial number that has been read out; checking, if a negative result, whether a characteristic parameter of the field device corresponds with the characteristic parameter that has been read out; and outputting a notification using the processing unit that a characteristic parameter assigned to the field device deviates from the parameter that has been read out.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system and method for determining or monitoring a process variable having a higher-level unit and a plurality of field devices. The field devices generate data and are connected to one another for communication, and the higher-level unit and the field devices are nodes corresponding to a distributed ledger or blockchain technology comprising transaction creation units. Each field device is assigned a transaction creation unit for creating transactions. A created transaction contains data from the field devices assigned to the transaction creation units. A block creation unit processes a created transaction to form a data block. Validation units check the data block and/or transactions for validity. The data block is valid if at least one predefined number of validation units validates the data block, wherein each node is assigned one of the validation units. The valid data block is stored in a distributed database.

Abstract: The present disclosure resides in a method for monitoring an automated facility, wherein a plurality of field devices are integrated in the facility, comprising: connecting a cloud gateway with a first communication network of the facility; ascertaining field devices connected to the first communication network; testing whether device descriptions corresponding to the field devices are present in a server connected with the cloud gateway via a second communication network; downloading from the server device descriptions corresponding to the field devices and installing the device descriptions in the cloud gateway; creating a configuration plan, wherein the configuration plan defines at least one field device to be queried, the type of queried data, and the frequency of the querying; transmitting the configuration plan to the cloud gateway; querying data from the queried field devices according to the configuration plan; transmitting queried data to the server; and collecting and evaluating transmitted data.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for the application-specific setting of a field device, which is installed in a defined application in a process in automation engineering and determines or monitors at least one process variable of a medium, comprising: recording a diagnostic message which occurs or has occurred on the field device during a defined interval, analyzing which of the diagnostic messages are tolerable and/or plausible in the defined application, assigning an application-specific notice with regard to tolerability and/or plausibility to each diagnostic message that has arisen in the defined application, clearing the diagnostic message if this is classified as tolerable and/or plausible in the defined application, and using the application-specific setting of the field device, which clears the diagnostic message classified as tolerable and/or plausible.

Abstract: A method for storing data for at least one of a device state, device diagnosis and calibration of a field device in a cloud, with the field device having a self-monitoring functionality. The method includes device-internal registering of first data for at least one of a device state, device diagnosis and calibration by the field device and transfer of the device-internally registered first data from the field device to the cloud. Moreover, the method includes registering second data for at least one of a device state, device diagnosis and calibration of the field device using an external service computer and transferring the second data from the external service computer to the cloud. Both the first data as well as also the second data are stored in the cloud.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for the application-specific setting of a field device, which is installed in a defined application in a process in automation engineering and determines or monitors at least one process variable of a medium, comprising: recording a diagnostic message which occurs or has occurred on the field device during a defined interval, analyzing which of the diagnostic messages are tolerable and/or plausible in the defined application, assigning an application-specific notice with regard to tolerability and/or plausibility to each diagnostic message that has arisen in the defined application, clearing the diagnostic message if this is classified as tolerable and/or plausible in the defined application, and using the application-specific setting of the field device, which clears the diagnostic message classified as tolerable and/or plausible.

Abstract: Described is an interface apparatus for performing data interchange, or exchange, between a fieldbus network and a cloud. The interface apparatus includes a first interface, via which the interface apparatus is connectable with at least one fieldbus component of the fieldbus network, and a second interface, via which the interface apparatus is connectable with the cloud. The first interface is embodied as an interface corresponding to the application programming interface of the cloud, wherein an interface definition of the first interface agrees with an interface definition of the application programming interface of the cloud. The interface apparatus is embodied to convert a request for a cloud service received via the first interface from a fieldbus component of the fieldbus network into a request addressed to the cloud for a cloud service and to transfer such via the second interface to the cloud.

Abstract: The present disclosure resides in a method for monitoring an automated facility, wherein a plurality of field devices are integrated in the facility, comprising: connecting a cloud gateway with a first communication network of the facility; ascertaining field devices connected to the first communication network; testing whether device descriptions corresponding to the field devices are present in a server connected with the cloud gateway via a second communication network; downloading from the server device descriptions corresponding to the field devices and installing the device descriptions in the cloud gateway; creating a configuration plan, wherein the configuration plan defines at least one field device to be queried, the type of queried data, and the frequency of the querying; transmitting the configuration plan to the cloud gateway; querying data from the queried field devices according to the configuration plan; transmitting queried data to the server; and collecting and evaluating transmitted data.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to automation technology. A first gateway is connected via a first communication network to a field device—and a second gateway is connected to the field device via a second communication network. The first and the second gateway are connected to a control unit. The first communication network and the second communication network are connected to a control room. The control room switches over to the other communication network and establishes a communication connection therewith if a problem is detected in the previous communication connection. Communication access to the first gateway is implemented in the control unit, and communication access to the second gateway is implemented in the control unit via a second driver. The control unit continuously analyses the first communication network and the second communication network and in the event of a control room switchover, switches over to the gateway of that network.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a system for optimizing the commissioning of at least one of a plurality of field devices in an automation technology system, which are used in different applications, wherein the system comprises at least: one database for saving application information and device types of the plurality of field devices and for saving parameter sets of the plurality of field devices; an electronic computation unit that accesses the remotely arranged database and classifies, assigns, compares, and/or processes the data saved there and has an algorithm for creating and proposing an optimal parameter set; software for supporting a user during commissioning of one of the plurality of field devices, wherein the electronic computation unit is operated by means of the software.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a system for optimizing the operation of a plurality of field devices in an automation technology plant. The method comprises: ascertaining application information and device types of field devices, wherein the application information describes the application of the respective field device; classifying the application information and storing the classified application information; ascertaining parameter sets from each of the plurality of field devices, wherein the parameter sets comprise multiple parameters and each parameter is assigned a parameter value or a parameter value range, and each field device has at least one current parameter set and at least one standard parameter set, and storing the parameter sets; comparing the current parameter sets with the standard parameter sets to determine actually used parameters of a device type for an application; and operating the field device on the basis of the actually used parameters.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system and method for determining or monitoring a process variable having a higher-level unit and a plurality of field devices. The field devices generate data and are connected to one another for communication, and the higher-level unit and the field devices are nodes corresponding to a distributed ledger or blockchain technology comprising transaction creation units. Each field device is assigned a transaction creation unit for creating transactions. A created transaction contains data from the field devices assigned to the transaction creation units. A block creation unit processes a created transaction to form a data block. Validation units check the data block and/or transactions for validity. The data block is valid if at least one predefined number of validation units validates the data block, wherein each node is assigned one of the validation units. The valid data block is stored in a distributed database.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for tamper-proof evaluation of a component property of a field device, the method including the creation of an evaluation relating to the component property. The evaluation assigns each component property an applicable label or a non-applicable label. The method also includes the transmission of the created evaluation to a first service platform and storage in the first service platform. The first service platform is operated in a decentralised manner using a Distributed Ledger or Blockchain technology and consisting of a plurality of subscriber nodes, which each comprise at least one data bank. The method further includes the creation of data blocks by the subscriber nodes, where a data block links an evaluation with a field device type of an evaluated field device, whereby a plurality of evaluations of different field devices is contained in the plurality of subscriber nodes.

Abstract: The invention includes a method and a communication network for preventing impermissible access to software applications implemented in field devices, wherein the field devices are integrated in a communication network of automation technology and wherein each software application exchanges information within the communication network via at least one communication interface.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a system for maintaining a measuring point in a plant of process automation, comprising at least one plurality of field devices, which are located in a storage area, a database for storing a product type of each of the plurality of field devices and associated device features of the plurality of field devices, and a computing unit, in which a substitution matrix is implemented, and which can access the database and there read out, store and/or associate data, and which calculates a suitability evaluation for each of the plurality of field devices.