Upgrading FOUNDATION™ fieldbus devices

One of the clear advantages of using FOUNDATION fieldbus devices is that the potential exists to greatly expand the capabilities of a fieldbus device by merely loading new software into the device even while it is still installed in the process. With so many fieldbus devices now installed throughout the world, the time will be coming soon when end users will want to begin upgrading their field devices with new capability. This will present some interesting challenges to both suppliers and users of these fieldbus devices. From an end user's standpoint, it is important that the upgrade process be easy to understand, easy to implement, and easy to manage. In addition, spare devices that are physically and electrically identical to a failed device must be easily made to be functionally identical to the device they are replacing. From a supplier's standpoint, it must be possible to meet these end user needs while still finding a way to capture some value for the additional functionality included in the device upgrade. This paper will address some of the ways that both the supplier and end user objectives can be achieved when upgrading fieldbus devices.