JP2006318102A - Field equipment management device and field equipment management method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a field equipment management device and a field equipment management method, capable of easily accessing management information of field equipment, and flexibly coping with a change of a plant configuration. <P>SOLUTION: In this field equipment management device, a terminal device 101 receives requirement of the management information related to the field equipment. A definition means 102 previously defines association between contents of the management information and an equipment parameter used in the field equipment. An acquisition means 103 acquires the equipment parameter corresponding to the management information required through the terminal device 101 from the field equipment on the basis of the definition of the definition means 102, and returns it to the terminal device 101. Even if the terminal device 101 does not know meaning of the equipment parameter, the field equipment management device can acquire the necessary equipment parameter by acquiring the equipment parameter corresponding to the management information from the field equipment on the basis of the definition of the definition means 102. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a field device management apparatus and a field device management method for managing field devices through device parameters of field devices.

  2. Description of the Related Art A device management system for performing failure management, maintenance schedule, maintenance management such as confirmation of device status, monitoring, etc. of field devices such as control valves and various sensors arranged in each part of a plant is known.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the device management system includes a client computer 12 that receives an operation for managing a field device 11 arranged in a plant, and is connected to the client computer 12 via an information bus 13. And a field communication server 15 that controls communication with the field device 11.

  The field device 11 is connected to a field controller 16 for executing process control for the field device 11. The field controller 16 has a function as a gateway at the time of communication between the client computer 12 and the field device 11. In addition, the control bus 17 functions as a communication path during communication between the client computer 12 and the field device 11.

  Each field device 11 holds management information, which is device management data related to failure prediction and monitoring, as device parameters. By managing the device parameters, each field device 11 is managed and monitored. The client computer 12 is installed with a program for acquiring the parameter value of the device parameter of the field device 11 and can present necessary information based on a user operation on the client computer 12.

  Patent Document 1 describes an apparatus that acquires and displays parameters necessary for knowing the state of a field device.

JP 2004-118475 A

  In a conventional device management system, when device parameters for device management are acquired via the client computer 2, the client computer 2 specifies the parameter name of the corresponding device parameter, and the field communication server 15 The device parameter is acquired from 1 and returned to the client computer 2.

  Therefore, for example, when acquiring the device state of a predetermined field device 11, the user directly specifies the device parameter relating to the device state, or the client computer 12 specifies the device parameter corresponding to the device state. There is a need.

  However, the field device 11 has a different device parameter specification method depending on the manufacturer and model, and requesting the device parameter specification complicates the user. It is also conceivable to implement a mechanism for defining the definition of the device parameter 11 in the client computer 12. However, every time the field device 11 is added or changed, a complicated operation is required for all the client computers 12, and the flexibility with respect to changes in the plant configuration is lost.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a field device management apparatus and a field device management method that can easily access management information of a field device and can flexibly cope with a change in a plant configuration.

The field device management apparatus of the present invention is a field device management device that manages field devices via device parameters of the field device, a terminal device that receives a request for management information related to the field device, the contents of the management information, and the field device Definition means for predefining the association with the device parameters used in the above, and the device parameters corresponding to the management information requested via the terminal device from the field device based on the definition of the definition means Obtaining means for obtaining and returning to the terminal device.
According to this field device management apparatus, the device parameter corresponding to the management information is acquired from the field device based on the definition of the definition means, so that the necessary device parameter can be obtained without knowing the meaning of the device parameter in the terminal device. You can get it.

  The definition means may be provided in common for the plurality of terminal devices.

  The management information may be information indicating the state of the field device.

The management information may be associated with a plurality of the device parameters by the definition means.
In this case, a plurality of device parameters are acquired in response to one management information request.

The field device management method of the present invention is a field device management method for managing field devices via device parameters of a field device, the step of receiving a request for management information related to a field device in a terminal device, the contents of the management information, Pre-defining associations with device parameters used in field devices; and the device parameters corresponding to the management information requested via the terminal device based on the defined associations. Obtaining from the device and returning to the terminal device.
According to this field device management method, the device parameter corresponding to the management information is acquired from the field device based on the defined association. Therefore, even if the terminal device does not know the meaning of the device parameter, the necessary device parameter is obtained. Can be obtained.

  The association may be provided in common for the plurality of terminal devices.

  The management information may be information indicating the state of the field device.

The management information may be associated with a plurality of the device parameters by the defining step.
In this case, a plurality of device parameters are acquired in response to one management information request.

  According to the field device management apparatus of the present invention, since the device parameter corresponding to the management information is acquired from the field device based on the definition of the definition means, the necessary device can be obtained without knowing the meaning of the device parameter in the terminal device. You can get parameters. Further, according to the field device management method of the present invention, since the device parameter corresponding to the management information is acquired from the field device based on the defined association, even if the terminal device does not know the meaning of the device parameter, Necessary equipment parameters can be acquired.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram functionally showing a field device management apparatus according to the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a terminal device 101 receives a request for management information related to a field device. The defining unit 102 defines in advance a correspondence between the contents of the management information and the device parameters used in the field device. The acquisition unit 103 acquires a device parameter corresponding to the management information requested via the terminal device 101 from the field device based on the definition of the definition unit 102 and returns it to the terminal device 101.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a field device management apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a device management system to which the field device management apparatus of this embodiment is applied. The equipment management system is a system for performing maintenance management and monitoring such as failure prediction, maintenance schedule, confirmation of equipment status, etc. of field equipment such as control valves and various sensors arranged in each part of the plant.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the device management system includes a client computer 2 that receives an operation for managing a field device 1 arranged in a plant, and is connected to the client computer 2 via an information bus 3. And a field communication server 5 that controls communication with the field device 1.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a field controller 6 for executing process control on the field device 1 is connected to the field device 1. The field controller 6 is connected to the field communication server 5 via the control bus 7, and the field controller 6 has a function as a gateway at the time of communication between the client computer 2 and the field device 1. The control bus 7 functions as a communication path during communication between the client computer 2 and the field device 1.

  The device management system can set and manage various device parameters used in the field device 1. Each field device 1 has management information related to device management such as failure prediction and monitoring as device parameters. By managing this device parameter via the field communication server 5, each field device 1 is managed and monitored. The parameter values of the device parameters set for each field device 1 can be acquired via the field communication server 5 by an operation on the client computer 2. Further, by operating the client computer 2, the parameter values of each device parameter can be written to a predetermined field device 1 via the field communication server 5.

  The user can access device parameters necessary for device management by operating the client computer 2. For example, in this embodiment, when the user wants to know the device state of a specific field device 1, the user can request acquisition of the device state via any client computer 2. Upon receiving such a device state acquisition request, the field communication server 5 acquires a parameter value of a required device parameter from the field device 1 and uses the device state information character string data created based on the parameter value as the client computer 2. Return to Receiving the device status information character string data, the client computer 2 presents the device status of the corresponding field device 1 to the user.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure when the user requests acquisition of the device state. This procedure is executed based on the control of the field communication server 5.

  In step S <b> 1 of FIG. 3, it is determined whether the field communication server 5 has received a device state acquisition request via the client computer 2. The process proceeds to step S2 after waiting for this determination to be affirmed. When requesting acquisition of the device state, the user designates “communication path” and “device tag” for specifying the field device 1 via the client computer 2. Also, a “virtual parameter name” indicating that the field device 1 is requested to acquire the device state is designated. In step S1, these “communication path”, “device tag”, and “virtual parameter name” are accepted.

  The “virtual parameter name” is associated with a device parameter related to the device state. The device information definition file that defines the association is stored in the storage unit 51 (FIG. 2) of the field communication server 5. As the device parameters related to the device state, for example, device parameters indicating whether or not the memory or sensor of each field device 1 is abnormal, device parameters indicating the communication state of each field device, and implemented in each field device Device parameters indicating the state of each function block are included.

  In the present embodiment, it is possible to collectively acquire device parameters related to a device state simply by specifying a “virtual parameter name”. Therefore, the program of the client computer 2 does not need to know the meaning of each device parameter.

  In general, the device parameters given to the field device 1 are not constant among the field devices. However, in the present embodiment, by associating the device parameters related to the device state of each field device 1 with the “virtual parameter name” in advance, the necessary device parameters can be obtained without being aware of the type of the field device 1. Accessible.

  The “virtual parameter name” can be arbitrarily set. However, for example, a “virtual parameter name” indicating the same “device state” may be set as a common name for all field devices 1. In this case, the operation for requesting the “device state” can be made common to all the field devices 1, and the operation burden on the user can be reduced.

  In step S2, it is determined whether or not “virtual parameter name” has been accepted in step S1. As described above, the user can make a parameter acquisition request for the field device 1 using the “virtual parameter name”. However, the parameter name of the device parameter used in the field device 1 can also be directly specified. In the former case, the determination in step S2 is affirmed and the process proceeds to step S3. In the latter case, the parameter name of the device parameter is accepted in step S1, but in this case, the determination in step S2 is denied and the process skips to step S4.

  In step S3, the device information definition file stored in the storage unit 51 is accessed, and the device parameter corresponding to the input “virtual parameter name”, that is, the device parameter related to the device state is acquired.

  Next, in step S4, communication is performed with the corresponding field device 1 via the corresponding field controller 6, and device parameters are acquired. The device parameters acquired here are the device parameters obtained based on the device information definition file in step S3 or the device parameters received in step S1. The former corresponds to the case where the user uses “virtual parameter name”, and the latter corresponds to the case where the user directly specifies the parameter name of the device parameter. The data structure of each field device 1 that stores device parameters is defined in a file called “DD file”, and this “DD file” is referred to when device parameters are acquired. Further, “device information” acquired by communication with the field device 1 is also referred to.

  Next, in step S5, device state information character string data is created based on the parameter value of the device parameter acquired in step S4. The device state information character string data is data describing the device state of the corresponding field device 1, for example, the presence or absence of abnormality of the memory or sensor of the corresponding field device 1, the communication state, the state of each function block, etc. A series of information indicating the state is described.

  In step S6, the created device status information character string data is transmitted to the client computer 2, and the process returns to step S1. Receiving the device status information character string, the client computer 2 presents a predetermined device status to the user using a display device or the like.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since acquisition of device information is requested using the “virtual parameter name”, necessary device information can be accessed without being aware of the difference between the field devices 1.

  In the present embodiment, information defining the association between the “virtual parameter name” and the device parameter is held on the field communication server 5 side. For this reason, even if the program of the client computer 2 does not know the meaning of the device parameter, the necessary device state can be acquired. Even if the program of the client computer 2 does not know the meaning of the device parameter, the device state can be presented according to the received device state information character string data. Therefore, it is not necessary to implement processing dependent on the manufacturer or model, such as a difference in the data structure of the field device 1, on the client computer 2, and complicated work is required when adding a new field device 1 or changing the field device 1. It can be unnecessary.

  Although the case where device information is acquired has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention can be widely applied to a case where management information related to field device management is acquired. The management information includes information related to failure prediction and monitoring of field devices. For example, the present invention can be applied to the presence / absence of failure, trend data (process value transition), and the like. Desired management information can be acquired by assigning a predetermined “virtual parameter name” to each management information.

  The scope of application of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The present invention can be widely applied to systems for managing field devices.

The block diagram which shows the field apparatus management apparatus by this invention functionally. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a device management system to which a field device management apparatus according to an embodiment is applied. The flowchart which shows the process sequence when a user requests | requires acquisition of an apparatus state. The block diagram which shows the structure of the conventional apparatus management system.

Explanation of symbols

1 Field device 2 Client computer (terminal device)
5 Field communication server (definition means, acquisition means)
101 terminal device 102 definition means 103 acquisition means

Claims (8)

In a field device management device that manages field devices via device parameters of field devices,
A terminal device that receives a request for management information related to a field device;
Definition means for predefining correspondence between the contents of the management information and device parameters used in the field device;
An acquisition unit that acquires the device parameter corresponding to the management information requested via the terminal device from the field device based on the definition of the definition unit, and returns the device parameter to the terminal device;
A field device management apparatus comprising: The field device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the definition unit is provided in common for the plurality of terminal apparatuses. The field device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the management information is information indicating a state of a field device. The field device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the management information is associated with the plurality of device parameters by the definition unit. In a field device management method for managing field devices via device parameters of field devices,
A step of accepting a request for management information related to a field device at a terminal device;
Predefining the correspondence between the contents of the management information and device parameters used in the field device;
Obtaining the device parameter corresponding to the management information requested via the terminal device from the field device based on the defined association, and returning the device parameter to the terminal device;
A field device management method comprising: The field device management method according to claim 5, wherein the association is provided in common for the plurality of terminal devices. The field device management method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the management information is information indicating a state of a field device. The field device management method according to claim 5, wherein the management information is associated with a plurality of the device parameters in the defining step.

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