An apparatus for managing and maintaining process control system field devices using RFID devices, the apparatus comprising: a non-volatile memory; a radio frequency identification tag; a microcontroller coupled to the non-volatile memory and the radio frequency identification tag; the apparatus being characterized by further comprising: a modem communicatively coupled to a field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122) over a first communication bus and coupled to the microcontroller, over a second communication bus, wherein the modem converts data received from the field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122) on a first communication protocol associated with the first communication bus to a second communication protocol associated with the second communication bus, wherein transmission on the second communication bus is at a higher speed than the first communication bus; wherein the non-volatile memory is adapted to store data received from the field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122), the data comprising maintenance records associated with the field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122), and wherein the radio-frequency identification tag is adapted to store at least a subset of the data in an onboard memory; and wherein the radio-frequency identification tag is adapted to wirelessly transmit the at least subset of data to a radio-frequency identification reader, the non-volatile memory and the radio-frequency identification tag being physically coupled to the field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122). a non-volatile memory; a radio frequency identification tag; a microcontroller coupled to the non-volatile memory and the radio frequency identification tag; the apparatus being characterized by further comprising: a modem communicatively coupled to a field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122) over a first communication bus and coupled to the microcontroller, over a second communication bus, wherein the modem converts data received from the field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122) on a first communication protocol associated with the first communication bus to a second communication protocol associated with the second communication bus, wherein transmission on the second communication bus is at a higher speed than the first communication bus; wherein the non-volatile memory is adapted to store data received from the field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122), the data comprising maintenance records associated with the field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122), and wherein the radio-frequency identification tag is adapted to store at least a subset of the data in an onboard memory; and wherein the radio-frequency identification tag is adapted to wirelessly transmit the at least subset of data to a radio-frequency identification reader, the non-volatile memory and the radio-frequency identification tag being physically coupled to the field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122). a modem communicatively coupled to a field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122) over a first communication bus and coupled to the microcontroller, over a second communication bus, wherein the modem converts data received from the field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122) on a first communication protocol associated with the first communication bus to a second communication protocol associated with the second communication bus, wherein transmission on the second communication bus is at a higher speed than the first communication bus; wherein the non-volatile memory is adapted to store data received from the field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122), the data comprising maintenance records associated with the field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122), and wherein the radio-frequency identification tag is adapted to store at least a subset of the data in an onboard memory; and wherein the radio-frequency identification tag is adapted to wirelessly transmit the at least subset of data to a radio-frequency identification reader, the non-volatile memory and the radio-frequency identification tag being physically coupled to the field device (110, 112, 114, 120, 122).