Collaborative wireless initiative - The Fieldbus Foundation and ISA have
announced an agreement to facilitate the implementation of wireless backhaul transport networks.
This technology initiative is based on shared interests in serving the needs of end users and
suppliers of wireless systems in industrial automation.
The Fieldbus Foundation and ISA have entered into a
cross-licensing agreement allowing the two organizations to collaborate on
wireless networks. To enable the ISA100.15 working group to develop the
wireless backhaul standard, it will be necessary to use extracts of Fieldbus
Foundation specifications as well as parts of other ISA standards in
development.
First H1 fieldbus cable - The Fieldbus Foundation today announced that it has registered the first FOUNDATION™ fieldbus H1 cable. The new cable
registration process provides greater assurance to automation end users that
their wiring systems are suitable for fieldbus system operation.
Belden, Northwire, Phoenix Contact and Rockbestos-Surprenant Cable
Corporation (RSCC) are the first cable suppliers to pass the Fieldbus
Foundation registration process.
First of many to begin shipping WirelessHART™ products -
Acknowledging the importance of broad multi-vendor availability, Emerson Process Management
announced today that it is the first of many suppliers to begin shipping open interoperable
WirelessHART™ standard products. Just as its wireless technology has opened a new era for industrial
process automation, standardisation will support broad adoption.
"We are thrilled that our Smart Wireless products are first to ship with the new WirelessHART standard built in," said John Berra, president of Emerson Process Management. "We're also excited that customers will have a growing range of WirelessHART applications from the industry-wide member companies of the HART® Communication Foundation that approved the standard in September 2007."
Fieldbus Foundation Releases Final Diagnostic Profiles Specification released -
The Fieldbus Foundation has announced the
release of the final FOUNDATION™ fieldbus (FF) Diagnostic Profiles
Specification. Based on guidelines established by the NAMUR Working Group
2.6, this specification builds upon the robust diagnostic features already
provided by FF devices. At the same time, it allows end
users to harness enhanced Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL)
technology to achieve true, actionable diagnostics.
A copy of the FOUNDATION fieldbus Diagnostic Profiles Specification is available to Fieldbus Foundation members on Fieldbus Forums
under "Member Forums - New Specification
Forum."
Industrial Communications The annual Pharmatex Conference held in Cork this year had a half day seminar on Industrial Communications. The four presentations are available to download HERE...
Device coupler test spec. released - The Fieldbus Foundation has just released the final FOUNDATION™ Device Coupler Test Specification (FF- 846 FS 1.0). This specification is designed for coupler manufacturers to
perform a standard set of tests against their implementation. The test cases were developed by a team of volunteers comprised of current members of the foundation that manufacture coupler products, as well as end users interested in the availability of registered couplers.
The FOUNDATION Device Coupler Test Specification includes criteria from IEC
61158-2:2003 and additional functional tests such as input impedance,
short-circuit reaction time, and bus voltage consumption.
New Device Description (DD) Enhancements released - The Fieldbus Foundation has announced the latest updates to its FOUNDATION™ fieldbus Device Description (DD) tools and specifications. The new releases for DD technology, which is fully compliant with the IEC 61804 and ISA104 Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL) profile, include enhanced versions of: DD
Services (Version 5.1.0), DD Integrated Development Environment (Version 1.1.0), Device Description Language Interoperability Specification (FF-901), Device Description Language Specification (FF-900) and DD Library (Version 3.2).
A World first! First FF
fieldbus Device DTM - Yokogawa Electric
Corporation announces that its DPharp EJA V2.5 Device Type Manager (DTM) has been certified for
FOUNDATION™ fieldbus by the FDT Group, a world first. This certification
marks another step forward for their VigilantPlant® Asset Excellence initiative, allowing users
of Yokogawa's intelligent FF devices to tap user-friendly field device tool (FDT)/DTM technology
with the guarantee of interoperability and trouble-free installation.
The INEOS ChlorVinyls use of fieldbus at Runcorn - The major fieldbus digital automation and control project at INEOS in Runcorn (near Liverpool in England) has been the subject of several commercial promotional videos, but not anything significant in print, which is a pity, since this was probably the first major fieldbus project in Britain, using an Emerson
DeltaV system with 1223 new fieldbus instruments and a HIMA SIS.
There are also 143 HART connections, for the process analysers and
safety loop components, interfaced via an MTL Multiplexer, and a
Matrikon alarm management system. So it is good that Processingtalk is
able to bring you an exclusive account this week of the project
description presented by Paul Young, Automation Improvement
Manager, describing the implementation and results of applying these
new technologies in this €300 million improvement project, as presented as presented to the recent Fieldbus Foundation general assembly and user meeting in Antwerp.
Positive Marketing Achievements In EMEA Region - The Fieldbus Foundation, conducting its 2008 General Assembly in Antwerp, (B), recently, reflected on its marketing achievements throughout the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region during 2007. Key elements of the 2007 strategy included the continued establishment of regional marketing committees, an extensive program of end user training seminars and participation in international and regional trade exhibitions and conferences.
Fieldbus Foundation announcements made during the press briefing during their 2008 General Assembly
Interfaces for industrial control systems - National Instruments has announced new PCI and PXI PROFIBUS interfaces to add
compatibility and flexibility to industrial systems. PROFIBUS is an industrial communications bus
with more than 20 million installed nodes worldwide in manufacturing, process control and automation
applications. With the new interfaces, PROFIBUS engineers now can integrate NI LabVIEW software into
benchtop, real-time and device test PROFIBUS networks.
White paper on ModBus published - A white paper, titled "Using MODBUS for Process Control and
Automation,"(pdf) is available for download from Moore Industries. The non-commercial white paper,
written by Vince Marchant, a senior application engineer at Moore, describes how Modbus
works, and how it can be used in new and legacy process control and automation systems.
Open comms go lite for simple control system - A new version of the CC-Link Open fieldbus has been developed specifically
for applications where the I/O is distributed as a low density widespread
network. Named CC-Link/LT, typical application would include sensor networks around a processing plant, environmental data collection, machine sensing and
actuating control systems.
Offering a bit-oriented control network for widespread I/O applications
involving numerous locations of smaller increments of I/O points, CC-Link/LT
simplifies wiring both for field devices and within control panels. This
ensures that wiring errors are minimised and installation time is reduced
Fieldbus end user podcast - The Fieldbus Foundation has announced the
release of a podcast describing fieldbus end user experiences in the process
industries. Titled "Changing the Playing Field with FOUNDATION™
Technology," the podcast is hosted by Control Engineering magazine. The podcast concerns the implementation of a
fieldbus-based automation infrastructure enabling new levels of operational
excellence. It describes how FOUNDATION fieldbus unifies open
scalable integration, process integrity, and business intelligence as part
of a single, plant-wide managed infrastructure
Marketing committee for CIS and Baltics
- The Fieldbus Foundation has announced the
establishment of a marketing committee for the Commonwealth of Independent
States and Baltics (CIS&B) region. The organisation, established in response
to the accelerating demand for new automation technology within the CIS&B
region, is made up of representatives of leading process automation
companies and will promote the adoption of FOUNDATION™ fieldbus
technology throughout the CIS&B market. The Fieldbus Foundation CIS&B marketing committee (FF-CIS&B MC) was formally
launched at a meeting held during the recent Moscow international oil and
gas exhibition (MIOGE) held from June 26-29. The committee will organise a
wide range of fieldbus-related activities, including training seminars,
trade show displays, and end user demonstrations.
Processingtalk