Patent ID: 6285966
Filing Date: 2001-09-04
Classification: G05B,Y02P

Abstract:
A method of viewing real time process information in a process control network having a plurality of devices communicatively linked on a bus, wherein each of the devices includes at least one process function module capable of performing a process control function within the process control network using process parameters and capable of communicating on the bus using scheduled periodic communications, and wherein at least one of the devices includes a viewing process function module capable of storing values of process parameters without using the values to perform process control, of being configured by a user to store at least one process parameter, and of retrieving values of the process parameters in response to a request generated by a user selecting at least one process parameter from a plurality of selectable process parameters, the method comprising the steps of:configuring the viewing process function module to store at least one value of each of at least one process parameter, each of the at least one process parameter being associated with one of the process function modules;communicatively linking an output of each of the process function modules associated with each of the at least one process parameter to an input of the viewing process function module using the scheduled periodic communications;transmitting a value of the at least one process parameter from the associated process function module to the viewing process function module using the scheduled periodic communications; andstoring the transmitted value of the at least one process parameter in the viewing process function module.