Patent attributes
A diagnostic device is physically coupled to a control device in a process control system, and includes an accelerometer that determines when a motion or vibration of the control device is greater than a predetermined threshold. When this condition is detected, one or more other components of the diagnostic device (e.g., processor, communication module, etc.) are activated, and a distress signal is transmitted from the diagnostic device using the activated components. Consequently, the duty cycles of components of the diagnostic device are decreased and optimized, leading to significant power savings. Indeed, in some embodiments, energy harvesting may be sufficient to power the diagnostic device. Further, in some embodiments, the diagnostic device may not require a component processor.
