Patent ID: 6898542

Claim:
A testing entity for use in a process plant having a field device that stores and implements a self-testing routine during operation of a process and having a processor communicatively coupled to the field device, the testing entity comprising: a computer readable medium; and a test control program stored on the computer readable medium and adapted to be executed on the processor, the test control program including; a first communication entity adapted to be connected via a first external communication network to receive first communications from and to send second communications to one or more other entities within the process plant pertaining to the self-testing routine within the field device; a second communication entity adapted to communicate with the self-testing routine within the field device via a second external communication network; and a logic entity adapted to initiate the self-testing routine in response to the first communications received via the first communication entity, to receive a test result from the self-testing routine via the second communication entity and to provide an indication of the test result using the second communications via the first communication entity.