Remote diagnostics in a process control network having distributed control functions

摘要

A diagnostic system is adapted to perform device and process diagnostics in a process control network having a plurality of process control devices communicatively linked over a bus, wherein each of the devices is capable of preforming a process control function and of communicating over the bus using scheduled periodic communications. The diagnostic system is disposed in a first one of the devices and includes a signal generator that produces a diagnostic control signal, a communicator configured to deliver the diagnostic control signal to a second one of the devices using scheduled periodic communications, and an output signal receiver adapted to receive an output signal developed by the second device in response to the diagnostic control signal. The diagnostic system may use the received output signal to perform diagnostics or may send this signal to a host device for diagnostic analysis.