An efficient information server for advanced plant asset management

In already installed fieldbus instrumentations, a configuration-free and manufacturer-independent access to field device information sets is still missing. Due to the lack of suitable and simple models, as well as of interaction patterns of field devices in various information worlds of process control engineering, the practical use made of device novelties is rather complex. This affects high investments for engineering this information in various applications of process control engineering. Especially modern field devices contain embedded information sets that are ever-increasing, and provide great opportunity for innovative asset management functionality. In this paper we present an information server, serving as an additional information channel between field and plant level in process industry. We show, that this so-called asset management box provides the configuration-free analysis of fieldbus segments, the open access to installed field devices and the automatically updated, structured and self-descriptive presentation of their embedded information sets. Its basic functionality fulfils one prerequisite of an efficient asset management system: the analysis of the actual state of a fieldbus installation, without prior knowledge about the installed field devices and enhanced investments in engineering. We discuss several asset management applications, implemented on the asset management box. To prevent excessive investments for engineering of asset management applications themselves, widest flexibility and extensibility of the management systems’ functionality is required. The box’ structure permits easy extensibility of plant and client-specific applications as well as the easy integration of specific field device functionality. To be independent of specific fieldbus hardware, the box provides a universal fieldbus interface.