Enhanced HART device alerts enable HART devices within a process control
system to report alarm or alert conditions that are detected within the devices
to a system user or operator using a plurality of intuitive device status conditions,
each of which corresponds to a different level of severity and each of which may
require a different type of response by the system user or operator. The status
conditions are consistent with enhanced Fieldbus device alerts and include a condition
associated with a failure of a HART device, a condition associated with maintenance
needed by a HART device and an advisable action in connection with a HART device.