Process controller with an integrated optical detector

1. A system comprising:

at least one optical probe; and

a processor controller comprising:

at least one optical sensor integrated in the process controller, the at least one optical sensor being communicably coupled to the at least one optical probe, wherein the at least one optical sensor includes an optical source, an optical detector, and a cable interface, wherein the cable interface is configured to connect to a fiber-optic cable and couples the at least one optical probe to the at least one optical sensor by way of the fiber-optic cable, wherein the optical source emits light toward the at least one optical probe via the cable interface and the fiber-optical cable, and the optical detector receives a return light profile from the at least one optical probe via the cable interface and the fiber-optic cable, and the optical detector outputs an electronic signal based on the return light profile, and

a control unit in communication with the at least one optical sensor, wherein the control unit measures and stores a condition of an object based on the electronic signal and controls a controlled device based on the measured condition.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit interprets the electronic signal to measure a temperature of one or more temperature related processes and controls the controlled device based on the measured temperature.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic signal is indicative of a temperature of the object.

4. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a communication port, wherein the control unit is communicably coupled to the controlled device by way of the communication port.

5. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a housing wherein the optical sensor and the control unit are housed in the housing.

6. A system comprising:

at least one optical probe; and

a process controller comprising:

at least one optical sensor integrated in the process controller, the at least one optical sensor being communicably coupled to the at least one optical probe, wherein the at least one optical sensor includes an optical source and an optical detector, the optical source emits light toward the optical probe and the optical detector receives a return light profile from the optical probe, wherein the at least one optical sensor further includes a cable interface configured to connect to a fiber-optic cable, wherein the cable interface couples the at least one optical probe and the at least one optical sensor by way of the fiber-optic cable; and

a control unit arranged with and in communication with the at least one optical sensor, wherein the control unit measures and stores a condition of an object based on the return light profile and controls a controlled device based on the measured condition.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the condition is at least one of temperature, pressure, strain, gas concentrations, and corrosion.

8. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one optical sensor is selected from the group consisting of pressure, strain, gas concentration, and corrosion.

9. The system according to claim 6 further comprising a plurality of communication ports, wherein the control unit is communicably coupled to the controlled device by way of the plurality of communication ports.

10. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one optical sensor is an optical temperature sensor.

11. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit measures a temperature of the object, as the condition of the object, based on the return light profile.

12. A system for process control in an elevated radio frequency (RF) environment, the system comprising:

at least one optical probe; and

a process controller comprising at least one optical sensor integrated in the process controller, a control unit in communication with the at least one optical sensor, and a housing, wherein:

the at least one optical sensor is communicably coupled to the at least one optical probe, the at least one optical sensor includes an optical source and an optical detector, the optical source emits light toward the at least one optical probe and the optical detector receives a return light profile from the at least one optical probe and outputs an electronic signal based on the return light profile, wherein the at least one optical sensor further includes a cable interface configured to connect to a fiber-optic cable, wherein the cable interface couples the at least one optical probe and the at least one optical sensor by way of the fiber-optic cable;

the control unit interprets the return light profile to measure and store a condition of an object and controls a controlled device based on the measured condition, and

the housing houses the optical sensor and the control unit.

13. The system according to claim 12 further comprising a reporting server, wherein the process controller is in communication with the reporting server and transmits data indicative of performance of the controlled device to the reporting server.

14. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the control unit of the process controller measures a temperature of the object, as the condition, based on the return light profile.

15. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the process controller further includes a plurality of communication ports, and further wherein the control unit is communicably coupled to the controlled device by way of the plurality of communication ports.

16. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one optical sensor is an optical temperature sensor.