Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A diagnostic device that detects a failure of a sensing means, the sensing means comprises a first impulse line and a second impulse line, wherein the diagnostic device comprises:a recording means for repeatedly recording pairs of two absolute pressure values, the absolute pressure values being related to absolute pressures in the first impulse line and the second impulse line, respectively,a computation means for repeatedly computing, from a prescribable number of pairs of the two absolute pressure values, a correlation value representative of the correlation between the two absolute pressure values,a comparison means for comparing correlation values to at least one correlation threshold value, andan output means for outputting a diagnostic output depending on the result of the comparison, wherein the correlation values are compared to a lower correlation threshold value and to an upper correlation threshold value. 2. The diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one correlation threshold value is derived from a statistical analysis of a number of correlation values obtained during a training phase. 3. The diagnostic device according to claim 2, wherein the statistical analysis comprises fitting a statistical distribution function to the correlation values recorded during the training phase. 4. The diagnostic device according to claim 3, wherein the computation means is designed for repeatedly computing, from a prescribable number of a first of the two absolute pressure values, a signal power value, and the comparison means is designed for comparing signal power values to at least one signal power threshold value, wherein signal power values are derived from a transform of the prescribable number of first pressure values into coefficients of a set of orthogonal functions. 5. The diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the computation means is designed for repeatedly computing, from a prescribable number of a first of the two absolute pressure values, a signal power value, and the comparison means is designed for comparing signal power values to at least one signal power threshold value, wherein signal power values are derived from a transform of the prescribable number of first pressure values into coefficients of a set of orthogonal functions. 6. The diagnostic device according to claim 5, wherein the transform is one of the group of Fourier transform and wavelet transform. 7. The diagnostic device according to claim 6, wherein the least one signal power threshold value is obtained from a number of signal power values obtained during a training phase. 8. The diagnostic device according to claim 5, wherein the least one signal power threshold value is obtained from a number of signal power values obtained during a training phase. 9. The diagnostic device according to claim 8, wherein the diagnostic device comprises at least one of the sensing meansfor measurement of an absolute pressure, andfor measurement of a differential pressure between the two impulse lines,and wherein the two absolute pressure values are derived from measurements performed with the at least one sensing means. 10. The diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic device comprises at least one of the sensing meansfor measurement of an absolute pressure, andfor measurement of a differential pressure between the two impulse lines,and wherein the two absolute pressure values are derived from measurements performed with the at least one sensing means. 11. A process control environment comprising a diagnostic device according to claim 10. 12. A process control environment comprising a diagnostic device according to claim 1. 13. A method for detecting a failure of a sensing means in a process control environment, the sensing means having a first impulse line and a second impulse line, the method comprising the steps of:recording pairs of two absolute pressure values, the absolute pressure values being related to the absolute pressures in the first impulse line and the second impulse line,computing, using a processor, from a prescribable number of pairs of the two absolute pressure values, a correlation value representative of the correlation between the two absolute pressure values,comparing correlation values to a lower correlation threshold value and to an upper correlation threshold value, andoutputting a diagnostic output depending on the result of the comparison. 14. Process control environment comprising a diagnostic device for implementing a diagnostic method according to claim 13.