US-12618719-B2 - Method for determining sensor types and sensor wiring

US12618719B2US 12618719 B2US12618719 B2US 12618719B2US-12618719-B2

Abstract

A system and method for determining the type of an analog sensor device in a process control system comprising at least a terminal block unit comprising four connection ports connectable with an analog sensor device, wherein the sensor device to be determined is a 2-wire connection sensor device, a 3-wire connection sensor device, or a 4-wire connection sensor device. The method includes detecting whether: a predefined resistance value is present for a 2-wire connection sensor device, a 3-wire connection sensor device, a predefined resistance value between two predefined pairs of connection ports of the terminal block unit is provided, or a 4-wire connection sensor device is connected to the terminal block unit.

Inventors

Stefan POOK

Assignees

ABB SCHWEIZ AG

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230223
Priority Date: 20220223

Claims (8)

1 . A method for determining a type of an analog sensor device in a process control system comprising at least a terminal block unit comprising four connection ports connectable with an analog sensor device, wherein the sensor device to be determined is a 2-wire connection sensor device, a 3-wire connection sensor device, or a 4-wire connection sensor device, the method comprising the following steps: a) detecting whether a predefined resistance value is present for a 2-wire connection sensor device at the connection ports of the terminal block unit provided for the 2-wire connection sensor device; b) when a predefined resistance value for a 2-wire connection sensor is detected in step a), further detecting whether a predefined resistance value is present for a 3-wire connection sensor device at the connection ports of the terminal block unit provided for the 3-wire connection sensor device; c) when no predefined resistance value for a 3-wire connection sensor device is detected in step b) determine that a 2-wire connection sensor device is connected to the terminal block unit; when a predefined resistance value for a 3-wire connection sensor device is detected in step b), further detecting whether a predefined resistance value between two predefined pairs of connection ports of the terminal block unit is provided; d) when only between one of the two predefined pairs of connection ports of the terminal block unit a predefined resistance value is detected in step c), determine that a 3-wire connection sensor device is connected to the terminal block unit; and when between two of the two predefined pairs of connection ports of the terminal block unit a predefined resistance value is detected in step c), determine that a 4-wire connection sensor device is connected to the terminal block unit, wherein the analog sensor device is a resistance temperature detector (RTD) device or a thermocouple (TC) device, wherein the resistance temperature detector device is a compensated resistance temperature detector device, wherein the compensated resistance temperature detector device comprises a cold junction compensation, an internal compensation or a fixed compensation by parameter, and wherein the method further comprises: detecting a cold junction temperature of the compensated resistance temperature detector device; when the detected cold junction temperature is within a predefined temperature range, determine that the resistance temperature detector device comprises a cold junction compensation; and when the detected cold junction temperature is not within a predefined temperature range, determine that the resistance temperature detector device comprises an internal compensation or a fixed compensation by parameter.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises: detecting whether a thermocouple device is connected to the terminal block unit by executing a loop supervision test and, in case, the loop supervision test is successful determining that a thermocouple device is connected to the terminal block unit, wherein the loop supervision test comprises measuring loop-generated voltage to detect whether the thermocouple device is connected to the terminal block unit.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determined information of the sensor device is provided to a computing unit which is configured to merge the determined information of the sensor device with provided signal list data comprising information of sensor devices used in the process control system.
4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the computing unit is configured to provide configuration data for process control system based on the merged information of the sensor device and the signal list data.
5 . A system for determining a type of an analog sensor device in a process control system comprising at least a terminal block unit comprising four connection ports connectable with an analog sensor device, wherein the sensor device to be determined is a 2-wire connection sensor device, a 3-wire connection sensor device, or a 4-wire connection sensor device, comprising: a) a detection unit configured to detect whether a predefined resistance value is present for a 2-wire connection sensor device at the connection ports of the terminal block unit provided for the 2-wire connection sensor device; b) a detection unit configured to further detect whether a predefined resistance value is present for a 3-wire connection sensor device at the connection ports of the terminal block unit provided for the 3-wire connection sensor device, in case, a predefined resistance value for a 2-wire connection sensor is detected in step a); c) a determination unit configured to determine that a 2-wire connection sensor device is connected to the terminal block unit, in case, no predefined resistance value for a 3-wire connection sensor device is detected in step b); a detection unit configured to further detect whether a predefined resistance value between two predefined pairs of connection ports of the terminal block unit is provided, in case, a predefined resistance value for a 3-wire connection sensor device is detected in step b); d) a determination unit configured to determine that a 3-wire connection sensor device is connected to the terminal block unit, in case, only between one of the two predefined pairs of connection ports of the terminal block unit a predefined resistance value is detected in step c); and a determination unit configured to determine that a 4-wire connection sensor device is connected to the terminal block unit, in case, between two of the two predefined pairs of connection ports of the terminal block unit a predefined resistance value is detected in step c), wherein the analog sensor device is a resistance temperature detector (RTD) device or a thermocouple (TC) device, wherein the resistance temperature detector device is a compensated resistance temperature detector device, wherein the compensated resistance temperature detector device comprises a cold junction compensation, an internal compensation or a fixed compensation by parameter, and wherein the system further comprises: a detection unit configured to detect a cold junction temperature of the compensated resistance temperature detector device; a determination unit configured to determine that the resistance temperature detector device comprises a cold junction compensation, in case, the detected cold junction temperature is within a predefined temperature range; and a determination unit configured to determine that the resistance temperature detector device comprises an internal compensation or a fixed compensation by parameter, in case, the detected cold junction temperature is not within a predefined temperature range.
6 . The system according to claim 5 , further comprising: a determination unit configured to determine whether a thermocouple device is connected to the terminal block unit by executing a loop supervision test and, in case, the loop supervision test is successful determining that a thermocouple device is connected to the terminal block unit, wherein the loop supervision test comprises measuring loop-generated voltage to detect whether the thermocouple device is connected to the terminal block unit.
7 . The system according to claim 5 , further comprising a providing unit configured to provide the determined information of the sensor device to a computing unit, which is configured to merge the determined information of the sensor device with provided signal list data comprising information of sensor devices used in the process control system.
8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the computing unit is configured to provide configuration data for process control system based on the merged information of the sensor device and the signal list data.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims priority to European Patent Application No. 22158306.5, filed on Feb. 23, 2022, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure invention relates to a method for determining the type of an analog sensor device in a process control system, a corresponding system and a corresponding computer program element. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Process control systems are generally known in the prior art. Process control systems comprise several different hardware units, for example, at least one I/O module with several signal conditioning units, a terminal block unit, a power source, a communication interface unit, and a control unit. Process control systems are used among others to control complex production plants, e.g., in process industry or automobile industry. For example, such a process control system was developed by the applicant under the type designation ABB Ability System 800xA Select I/O. When doing commissioning of a process control system and instrumentation the field technician usually has a signal list of connected field devices and sensor units, a topology of the process control system and an engineering tool executed on a computing unit for configuring the process control system or parts of it. As of today, it is possible to easily integrate field devices, sensors, or actuators into such a process control system that have digital communication capabilities, such as field devices that have HART communication, since the corresponding information can be easily read out from such field devices. However, more simple field devices or sensors, such as so-called thermocouple, resistance temperature detectors, usually such no digital information is available. It has now become apparent that there is a further need to provide an easy way to commission field devices or sensors that do not have digital communication capabilities. In particular, a simple way to commission temperature sensors, which are typically of a simpler design, should be provided. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a general aspect, the present disclosure describes a simplified way to commission field devices or sensors that do not have digital communication capabilities. In a more particular aspect, the present disclosure provides a simplified way to commission temperature sensors, which are typically of a simpler design. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method for determining the type of an analog sensor/field device in a process control system is provided comprising at least a terminal block unit comprising four connection ports connectable with an analog sensor device, wherein the sensor device to be determined is a 2-wire connection sensor device, a 3-wire connection sensor device, or a 4-wire connection sensor device, the method comprising the following steps: (a) detecting whether a predefined resistance value is present for a 2-wire connection sensor device at the connection ports of the terminal block unit provided for the 2-wire connection sensor device;(b) when a predefined resistance value for a 2-wire connection sensor is detected in step (a), further detecting whether a predefined resistance value is present for a 3-wire connection sensor device at the connection ports of the terminal block unit provided for the 3-wire connection sensor device;(c) when no predefined resistance value for a 3-wire connection sensor device is detected in step (b), determine that a 2-wire connection sensor device is connected to the terminal block unit;(d) when a predefined resistance value for a 3-wire connection sensor device is detected in step (b), further detecting whether a predefined resistance value between two predefined pairs of connection ports of the terminal block unit is provided;(e) when only between one of the two predefined pairs of connection ports of the terminal block unit a predefined resistance value is detected in step (c), determine that a 3-wire connection sensor device is connected to the terminal block unit; and(f) when between two of the two predefined pairs of connection ports of the terminal block unit a predefined resistance value is detected in step (c), determine that a 4-wire connection sensor device is connected to the terminal block unit. By using the above, exemplary method, any manual effort for the commissioner and the possibility for faults during manual configuration can be reduced. Notably, it is not essential in which order the respective steps are carried out, i.e., the above-mentioned steps can be carried out in any order. The same applies to the optional steps explained in the following. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a part of a process control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a signal conditioning unit (SCM) to which a terminal block uni