Patent ID: 8669866

Claim:
A process transmitter for measuring a process variable, the process transmitter comprising: a process sensor for sensing a process variable of a process fluid; transmitter circuitry for processing a signal from the process sensor; a transmitter housing for receiving the process sensor and transmitter circuitry; a transmitter mounting component connected to the housing to isolate the sensor, the transmitter circuitry or the transmitter housing from the process fluid or an external environment; and a non-contact proximity sensor system for detecting a spatial relationship between the transmitter housing and the transmitter mounting component; wherein the proximity sensor system generates: an active input signal between the transmitter housing and the transmitter mounting component, the input signal corresponding to the spatial relationship between the transmitter housing and the transmitter mounting component; and an output signal corresponding to a change in the input signal due to a change in the spatial relationship; and wherein the transmitter circuitry includes predetermined proximity values for comparison to the output signal generated by the proximity sensor system.