Patent ID: 7792599

Claim:
An electrical field device for use in and installed at a site of a process automation system, the process automation system further comprising a transponder for storing data about the process environment of the field device and arranged in an area of the installation site, the field device comprising: a reader unit for non-contact reading of the data in the transponder, the reader unit and the transponder each having a fixed location and a proximate relationship, the reader unit capable of reading the data from the transponder at any time as required for operation of the field device; a read/write memory for storing the data read from the transponder; an evaluation unit for evaluation of the stored data as related to functions to be executed by the field device within the framework of the process automation system; and a transmitter unit for non-contact supplying of data to the transponder to be stored there as at least some of the data about the process environment of the field device, certain of the data having previously been supplied to the field device from a bus, the bus further for supplying power to the field device.