Glossary · Data, timing and communication
Intelligent field device
Also known as: Smart field device, Smart sensor
German: Intelligentes Feldgerät
In industrial automation, an intelligent field device is a sensor or actuator with its own microprocessor that, besides its primary measuring or actuating function, provides digital communication, parameterization, diagnostics and often additional measured values.
- Data and interfaces
- Integrated systems
In one sentence
An intelligent field device is a sensor or actuator with its own processor that adds digital communication, parameterization and diagnostics.
Example
A smart valve positioner reports travel deviation and friction trends over HART, so maintenance can service the valve before it fails.
How it applies
- Engineering: Intelligent devices are integrated via fieldbus, HART or IO-Link, described by files such as Electronic device description (EDD).
- Maintenance: Device diagnostics (for example NAMUR NE 107 status signals) support Predictive maintenance and reduce unnecessary field visits.
- Safety and security: Parameterization access must be controlled; for safety applications, the device's safety manual defines which diagnostics and settings are permitted.
- Documentation: Device manuals must describe parameters, diagnostic messages and firmware versions; the documentation team should keep message texts consistent with what the device and host display.
Record device parameters after commissioning and store them with the as-built documentation, so a replaced device can be configured identically. For documentation teams, device diagnostics are also a source of structured troubleshooting content that can be linked to the corresponding messages.