| 摘要 |
A process control system (10, Fig. 1) comprising process control nodes, such as workstations 20, 22 and controllers 12, which communicate using a wireless network. Control system development is separated from the underlying wireless network by injecting a translation layer, having separate upper and lower unified layers 216, 218 and a unified application programming interface (API) 214, between the proprietary process control system 208, 210 and the supporting wireless network 204, 202. Unified layers 216, 218 and unified API 214 allow different wireless standards to be used or changed easily in the process control system. For example, when changing wireless standards, only the lower layer 218 needs to be changed. Similarly, upper layer 216 may be replaced based upon changes to the process control system. Upper layer 216 receives a transmission request from proprietary API 212 and translates the transmission request into one or more methods of unified API 214. Lower layer 218 implements methods of the unified API 214 with wireless network API 206. |
