JP2003186529A - Managing device for field equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a field equipment managing device that improves efficiency in registration work, by providing a function for unitarily registering information necessary for maintenance, when information specific to the field equipment is registered in the registration work of the field equipment under management. <P>SOLUTION: The field equipment managing device comprises a database server means, which stores peculiar information for each field equipment under management and maintenance information, a client means which has the functions of newly registering the field equipment under management using the database server means concerned and editing the stored information and a maintenance information database means, in which the maintenance information for each field equipment under management is turned into a template to store it. The client means is provided with a specific information ledger, which fetches information specific to the field equipment under management and a maintenance information ledger, which fetches maintenance information stored in the template from the maintenance information database means concerned. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to off-line registration of field devices to be managed in a field device management apparatus for integrated maintenance of field devices used in distributed control devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When operating a system for integrated management of field devices, it is necessary to first register specific information of field devices to be managed in the system. The following registration methods were usually available.

(1) Manual registration is performed using the GUI of the system. Create a new empty field device and manually fill in the field device specific information. In the case of a conventional field device that does not have a communication function, only manual registration is possible as a registration means.

(2) Import the host file set generated by the builder function and the like that the distributed control device has as standard equipment. The field device management system imports the host file set created for the purpose of passing the field device specific information managed by the builder to the application outside the builder. After importing, add or modify information as necessary and register.

(3) Utilize the Plug and Play function. In the case of a field device having a communication function, the field device management system directly communicates with each field device to recognize the connected field device and obtain information specific to the field device. . Then, it is registered by a user operation.

An example of the configuration of a conventional field device management apparatus based on such a field device specific information acquisition method will be described with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG. Reference numeral 1 is a database server means for storing all management information of the managed field device, and 1a is management information for one managed field device. Reference numeral 2 denotes a client means having a user interface function for performing maintenance of newly registered management information and registered information.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a field communication server which is in charge of communication with a field device having a communication function. Reference numeral 4 denotes an instrumentation field device which is a management target in the field device management system. Have. Reference numeral 6 is a builder function that is standardly equipped with the distributed control system, and 61 is a host file set of the field device created by this builder function.

In the client means 2, reference numeral 21 denotes a maintenance function, which comprises a unique information ledger 21a as a database for managing field device unique information and a maintenance information ledger 21b as a database for managing field device maintenance information.

Reference numeral 22 is a graphical user interface (GUI), and 23 is a manual setting function.
This is a function of manually inputting the unique information of the field device to the unique information ledger 21a via I22.

A plug and play function 5 is provided from the field device 4 having a communication function to the field communication server 3
This is a function of acquiring the field device specific information via the and inputting it to the specific information ledger 21a. Reference numeral 7 denotes a host file set import function, which is a function of selectively acquiring field device specific information from the host file set 61 created by the builder function 6 and inputting it to the specific information ledger 21a.

The maintenance information ledger 21b functions as a database having maintenance information for each registered field device, and has the following information. (1) Maintenance schedule: maintenance schedule plan, next inspection date, inspection contents, etc. (2) Maintenance inspection record: record of maintenance results. (3) Parts list including inspection contents and details of inspection results: Parts list related to field devices (4) Display of related information: Electronic document associated with field devices

Reference numeral 24 denotes a maintenance information manual setting function, in which the user manually inputs the maintenance information for each field device.

The flowchart of FIG. 3 shows the flow of registration (manual registration) by user input. User is G
Enter the required data on the UI screen and register the field device to be managed. Field devices that do not have a communication function, such as analog field devices, are registered using this method. The flowchart of FIG. 4 shows the flow of registration when a field device having a communication function (FF-H1 standard compliant or HART standard compliant) is registered by this method. When registering by this method, it is necessary to communicate with the field device after registration and read the information required for communication. After the unique information is entered, the maintenance information is entered for each field device.

The flowchart of FIG. 5 shows the flow of registration when the host file set is used. The items included in the host file set of the registration contents of the user input can be read by reading the items from the host file set, and then the user can input the deficiency to register. By reading from the host fileset, many of the user input items can be omitted. After the unique information is entered, the maintenance information is entered for each field device.

The flowchart of FIG. 6 shows the flow of registration when the Plug & Play function is used. Execute the Plug & Play function on the network view to automatically recognize field devices. The unregistered field device detected there is registered in the unique information ledger 21a.

When registering a field device using the Plug & Play function, a field device having a communication function is targeted. When registering field devices that use the Plug & Play function, field devices that do not have a communication function, such as analog field devices, are excluded.

[0017]

Conventionally, the information that can be obtained by communication or the information in the host file set output by the builder is the information unique to the field device as follows. (1) Field device identification information (2) Engineering information, configuration information based on builder results (3) Other static and dynamic parameter values possessed by the field device It does not include the above-mentioned maintenance information to be registered in the maintenance information ledger 21b that is to be managed. Therefore, when registering the field device to be managed in the field device management device,
It is not enough to register the unique information of the field device, and it becomes necessary to link and register the maintenance information for each field device.

This means that, especially when the plant has a large amount of field devices to be managed, the initial man-hours for installing the field device management apparatus are increased, and the threshold for installation is increased. Further, since maintenance information is freely created for each field device, it is difficult to adopt a maintenance management method that centrally manages the maintenance information across field devices.

An object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of registration work by providing a function of centrally registering information necessary for maintenance in the registration work of field devices to be managed when registering field device specific information. It is to realize a management device.

[0020]

In order to achieve such a subject, the features of the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention are database server means for storing unique information and maintenance information for each field device to be managed. A client unit having a function of newly registering the managed field device in the database server unit and editing stored information,
Maintenance information database means for storing the maintenance information for each of the managed field devices in a template, and the client means includes a unique information ledger for taking in unique information of the managed field device, and the maintenance information database means. And a maintenance information ledger for taking in the maintenance information stored in the template.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the unique information of the managed field device is fetched from the field device having a communication function into the unique information ledger of the client means via the field communication server.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the unique information of the field device to be managed is fetched from the host file set created by the builder function to the unique information ledger of the client means.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the unique information of the field device to be managed is manually set in the unique information ledger of the client means.

A fifth aspect of the invention is that the database server means, the client means, and the maintenance information database means are connected via a network.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is that the builder function is connected to the network.

A seventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the template is commonly used for each group of field devices having the communication function for sharing the maintenance information.

[0027]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a field device management apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and the same elements as those explained in the conventional apparatus of FIG.

The features of the present invention will be described below. Reference numeral 7 denotes a maintenance information database means, which stores the maintenance information for each field device to be managed as a template. Reference numeral 71 is a template created and registered for each management target field device.

A network 8 is connected to the database server means 1, the client means 2, the builder function 6, and the maintenance database means 7, and is capable of communicating with each other.

The templates 71 are basically classified as follows, but may be classified by another method for each user. (1) Vendor name (2) Field device type (3) Revision (4) Other user-specified information (category, user-defined category, etc.)

According to this classification method, the field device and the template are linked by the allocation function 24 formed in the client 2. The method of assigning field device specific information and maintenance information by template for each registration method is as follows.

(1) When using the Plug and Play function. The field device and template use the vendor name, field device type, and revision information, and are automatically associated by the allocation function. When there is a template in which the vendor name, field device type, and revision of the field device match, the maintenance information of the template is used as the default of the maintenance information of the field device. If there is no matching template, the templates are searched in this order and the matching template is referenced. These correspondences can be defined by the user as needed.

(2) In the case of input by the user (field device having no communication function). The GUI is used to copy the template of the field device and use it as the source of the maintenance information of the field device. Rewrite the maintenance information as necessary and register it.

In the case of user input (field device having a communication function). By using the GUI, the template of the field device is copied as it is, and necessary items are rewritten based on the template to register the field device. However, if you plug and play again before the field device is officially registered in the database, you can choose to replace the template. The template cannot be replaced after the field device is officially registered.

(3) In the case of host file set import Similar to Plug & Play described above, the field device and template use the vendor name, field device type, and revision information, and are automatically associated by the allocation function. When there is a template in which the vendor name, field device type, and revision of the field device match, the maintenance information of the template is used as the default of the maintenance information of the field device. If there is no matching template, the templates are searched in this order and the matching template is referenced.

The template 71 does not have to be created 1: 1 for all field devices to be managed, and one template can be used in common for each group of field devices that share common maintenance information. When there are many groups, it is possible to reduce the number of template creation steps.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the database server means, the client means, the maintenance information database means, and the builder function are connected by the network 8, but the maintenance information database means is built in the client means, and the client means is constructed. The present invention can also be implemented in a configuration in which the database server means and the database server means are connected by a dedicated line.

[0038]

As is apparent from the above description,
According to the present invention, the following effects can be expected. (1) By preparing an optimal template in advance according to the user's field device management operation method,
When registering a field device, a maintenance information template for that field device is also automatically registered. The field device registration work can be made more efficient. (2) Creating a template inevitably leads to systematization of the maintenance management method for the entire plant. This will make future maintenance work systematic and efficient. (3) Furthermore, it becomes easy to centrally manage the maintenance information across field devices, and the efficiency of management work can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a field device management apparatus to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional field device management apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of unique information registration (manual registration) input by a user.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of registration of unique information by a field device having a communication function (FF-H1 standard compliant or HART standard compliant).

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of unique information registration when a host file set is used.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of unique information registration when the Plug & Play function is used.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Database server means 1a Field device management information 2 client means 21 Maintenance function 21a Unique information ledger 21b Maintenance information ledger 23 Manual setting function 24 Allocation function 3 field communication server 4 field devices 6 Builder function 61 Host File Set 7 Maintenance information database means 71 Maintenance information template 8 networks

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. Database server means for storing unique information and maintenance information for each managed field device; client means for newly registering the managed field device in the database server means and for editing stored information; Maintenance information database means for storing the maintenance information for each management target field device as a template, and the client means for storing unique information of the management target field device; and the maintenance information database means A field device management device, comprising: a maintenance information ledger for taking in the maintenance information stored in the template of FIG. 2. The unique information of the managed field device is fetched from a field device having a communication function into a unique information ledger of the client means via a field communication server. Field device management device. 3. The field device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unique information of the field device to be managed is fetched from the host file set created by the builder function into the unique information ledger of the client means. . 4. The field device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unique information of the field device to be managed is fetched into the unique information ledger of the client means by manual setting. 5. The field device management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the database server means, the client means, and the maintenance information database means are connected via a network. 6. The field device management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the builder function is connected to the network. 7. The field device according to claim 2, wherein the template is commonly used for each group of field devices having the communication function for sharing maintenance information. Management device.