Abstract: A system and method for determining the type of an analog sensor device in a process control system comprising at least a terminal block unit comprising four connection ports connectable with an analog sensor device, wherein the sensor device to be determined is a 2-wire connection sensor device, a 3-wire connection sensor device, or a 4-wire connection sensor device. The method includes detecting whether: a predefined resistance value is present for a 2-wire connection sensor device, a 3-wire connection sensor device, a predefined resistance value between two predefined pairs of connection ports of the terminal block unit is provided, or a 4-wire connection sensor device is connected to the terminal block unit.

Abstract: A method for network configuration in an industrial automation system includes obtaining, by a process control system comprising a plurality of network devices each associated with a network switch, network configuration data; and using the network configuration data to configure the network devices. The network configuration data identifies at least a redundancy protocol to be used by each of the network devices. Obtaining the network configuration data comprises activating one or more network connections of the network switches as a minimum number of network connections for obtaining the network configuration data, and receiving the network configuration data via the one or more activated network connections.

Abstract: A method for decentralised provisioning of a replacement component in an industrial automation system comprising detecting that a failed component of the industrial automation system has been replaced with the replacement component; obtaining provisioning data for the replacement component from at least one pre-provisioned component of the industrial automation system, wherein the industrial automation system stores provisioning data for its components in a distributed manner among those components themselves; and provisioning the replacement component using the obtained provisioning data.

Abstract: A method of providing fieldbus connectivity includes, by a network device for an industrial automation system: obtaining fieldbus connectivity requirements specifying a required fieldbus protocol type using which the network device is to communicate; loading, from a library, a fieldbus connectivity service, wherein the fieldbus connectivity service comprises fieldbus stack software and a fieldbus stack hardware configuration for implementing a protocol stack which conforms to the required fieldbus protocol type; using the fieldbus stack hardware configuration to carry out partial reconfiguration of a flexible fieldbus communications interface, wherein the flexible fieldbus communications interface comprises a portion which remains unaltered during the partial reconfiguration; binding the fieldbus stack software to a portion of the flexible fieldbus communications interface that was partially reconfigured using the fieldbus stack hardware configuration; and using the protocol stack which conforms to the requir

Abstract: A dynamically reconfigurable fieldbus communications interface includes programmable logic which comprises a static area and at least one dynamic area; and control circuitry configured to program the at least one dynamic area using one of a plurality of interchangeable fieldbus stack hardware configurations, each conforming to a respective fieldbus protocol type.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an I/O station, connected with a plurality of network devices in an automation system. The I/O station includes a plurality of I/O modules, each I/O module providing one or more I/O channels, each I/O channel connecting a respective field device. The I/O station also includes an I/O network interface for forwarding data between the I/O modules and the network devices via a network. The I/O station also includes a data storage storing a set of diagnostics data, the set including a plurality of entries of diagnostics data, each entry relating to performance of the automation system. The I/O station is operative to, in response to a request from anyone of the network devices, send the stored set of diagnostics data to the requesting network device.

Abstract: A power down circuitry for a controller of a process control system includes at least one energy storage device configured to store energy for a power down sequence; and at least one data storage device to store control application state data, wherein the power down circuitry is configured to detect power loss and, in response to the detection of power loss, to carry out the power down sequence, wherein the power down sequence comprises obtaining and storing the control application state data in the data storage device, wherein the power down circuitry is further configured to determine at least one reliability indicator for output to an operator of the process control system.

Abstract: A capacitor health diagnostics circuitry configured to run a diagnostics test to determine a capacity of at least one buffer capacitor. The diagnostics test comprises a multiphase discharge test performed under varying current conditions to determine a leakage current of the at least one capacitor and to determine the capacitance of the at least one capacitor based at least partially on the determined leakage current.

Abstract: A method for detecting network misconfiguration in process control systems includes, by a first network device in a process control system, receiving a transmission from a second network device via a network, wherein the transmission comprises transmission data representing one or more components using which the transmission was made by the second network device; determining reception data representing one or more components using which the transmission was received by the first network device; determining a current network configuration based on the transmission data and the reception data; and validating the determined current network configuration against an expected network configuration to detect misconfiguration of the network.

Abstract: A diagnostics method for a process control system, the process control system configured to communicate with at least one network device via a network and comprising a first component and a second component. The method includes diagnostics on the network to determine whether a network fault renders the first component essential for the second component to connect to the at least one network device.

Abstract: A method for network configuration in an industrial automation system includes obtaining, by a process control system comprising a plurality of network devices each associated with a network switch, network configuration data; and using the network configuration data to configure the network devices. The network configuration data identifies at least a redundancy protocol to be used by each of the network devices. Obtaining the network configuration data comprises activating one or more network connections of the network switches as a minimum number of network connections for obtaining the network configuration data, and receiving the network configuration data via the one or more activated network connections.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an I/O station for signalling between a network and a plurality of field devices in an automation system. The I/O station comprises an I/O network interface, and a plurality of I/O modules, each providing one or more I/O channels connecting respective one or more field device(s) of the plurality of field devices, whereby each of the field devices is communicatively connected to the network via the I/O module and the network interface. At least one of the I/O modules is an APL I/O module connecting APL field device(s) of the plurality of field devices, and at least one of the I/O modules is a non-APL I/O module connecting non-APL field device(s) of the plurality of field devices. The I/O station is configured for tunnelling data between at least one of the I/O modules and the network.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an I/O station, connected with a plurality of network devices in an automation system. The station comprises a plurality of I/O modules, each I/O module providing one or more I/O channels connecting respective one or more field device(s). The station also comprises an I/O network interface for forwarding data between the modules and the network devices via a network. Each of the channels connecting a respective field device is communicatively connected to at least one of the network devices via the network. The station further comprises a non-volatile storage storing configuration data for the station.

Abstract: A network device for an automation system includes a network switch, wherein the network device is configured to access non-volatile storage to which the network device is communicatively coupled to obtain provisioning data for the network switch, wherein the provisioning data comprises data enabling the network device to obtain at least a baseline configuration for the network switch. The provisioning data comprises data enabling the network device comprising the network switch to obtain the at least baseline configuration for the network switch.

Abstract: A controller for a process control system is configured to detect an adapter type of at least one adapter communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the at least one adapter is for coupling at least one field device of an automation system to the process control system; to select a communications protocol according to the detected adapter type, wherein the communications protocol is for communicating with the at least one field device; and to communicate with the at least one field device using the selected communications protocol to control an industrial process carried out by the automation system.

Abstract: A method for updating a process control system having a plurality of different hardware units includes providing a firmware data package, connecting a computing unit to an interface unit, transferring the firmware data package to the interface unit, providing current status data comprising information about the different hardware unit and information about the current firmware versions of the different hardware unit, checking whether the different hardware unit and the current firmware versions are compatible with the firmware update data for the different hardware units based on the current status data, and determining a checking result. When the checking result is positive, firmware update data in the different hardware unit is installed, and when the checking result is negative, an incompatibility message is provided.

Abstract: A terminal block unit for an input/output device of a modular process control system includes two slot elements configured to receive two redundant signal conditioning units. The terminal block unit is configured to be housed in a pair of two adjacent slot elements of a module termination unit of an input/output device. The terminal block unit provides a parallel connection of the redundant signal conditioning units to a field device.

Abstract: A system and method for determining the type of an analog sensor device in a process control system comprising at least a terminal block unit comprising four connection ports connectable with an analog sensor device, wherein the sensor device to be determined is a 2-wire connection sensor device, a 3-wire connection sensor device, or a 4-wire connection sensor device. The method includes detecting whether: a predefined resistance value is present for a 2-wire connection sensor device, a 3-wire connection sensor device, a predefined resistance value between two predefined pairs of connection ports of the terminal block unit is provided, or a 4-wire connection sensor device is connected to the terminal block unit.

Abstract: A terminal block unit for an input/output device of a modular process control system includes two slot elements configured to receive two redundant signal conditioning units. The terminal block unit is configured to be housed in a pair of two adjacent slot elements of a module termination unit of an input/output device. The terminal block unit provides a parallel connection of the redundant signal conditioning units to a field device.

Abstract: A method for updating a process control system having a plurality of different hardware units includes providing a firmware data package, connecting a computing unit to an interface unit, transferring the firmware data package to the interface unit, providing current status data comprising information about the different hardware unit and information about the current firmware versions of the different hardware unit, checking whether the different hardware unit and the current firmware versions are compatible with the firmware update data for the different hardware units based on the current status data, and determining a checking result. When the checking result is positive, firmware update data in the different hardware unit is installed, and when the checking result is negative, an incompatibility message is provided.