Patent ID: 11824934

Abstract:
A highly versatile process control or factory automation field device is configured with an interface and communication connection structure and security features that enable the field device to operate as a data server that communicates with and supports multiple different applications or clients, either directly or indirectly, while simultaneously performing standard process and factory automation control functions in a highly secure manner. The security features include a root of trust component, a secure boot component, secure memory components, secure communication components, security audit components, secure provisioning components and endpoint identity components, making the field device communications and operations secure and trustworthy. Moreover, various different process control and factory automation network architectures and, in particular, communication architectures, support the versatile field device to enable the versatile field device to simultaneously communicate with multiple different client devices or applications (each associated with a different system) via a common communication network infrastructure in a very secure manner, using the same or different communication protocols.