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Foundation Fieldbus Interview Questions and Answers

Communication,FoundationFieldbus January24,2016

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WhatisFOUNDATIONfieldbus(FF)technology?

The FOUNDATION fieldbus solution is a systemic technology comprised of a bidirectional

communications protocol used for communications among field devices and to the control
system. It uses a Function Block structure for true distributed control and Device Description
(DD) technology for parameterisation and integration of data via a network hierarchy for
subsystem integration and a welldefined system management structure for reliability and
determinismoffunctionalexecution.
ArethereregisteredFFdevices?

Yes. The Fieldbus Foundation registers a wide range of FFcompliant products from
transmittersandmeterstovalvepositioners,actuators,controllersandlinkingdevices.These
products are available from a wide variety of the worlds leading automation equipment
suppliers.Theonlineproductcatalogue(www.fieldbus.org)givesregistereddeviceinformation
including which standard blocks were tested for interoperability, the presence of untested
FunctionBlocks(ifany)andadditionalusefulinformationaboutthedevice.
WhatisFFH1?

TheH1Fieldbusisabidirectionalcommunicationsprotocolusedforcommunicationsamong
fielddevicesandtothecontrolsystem.
WhatarethebenefitsofFieldbus?

From a business viewpoint FF technology delivers savings in total installation costs. H1

Fieldbusreducesinstrumentwiringwhichinturnmeanslessterminationandfewerscrewdriver
turns. The technology reduces hardware requirements and lowers capital expenditures
(CAPEX) whilst it also reduces operating expenses (OPEX) through improved plant
efficiencies,betterassetmanagementandreducedmaintenancerequirements.
SpecificbenefitsofFieldbustechnologiesincludereducedwiringmultivariableinformationvia
asinglemultichannelfieldinstrumentsimplerintegrationandeasiermaintenance.Ultimately,
Fieldbustechnologywillbethekeytogreatermanufacturingflexibilityandproductivity,higher

quality products and improved regulatory compliance. This can be achieved by predictive
maintenance scheduling and better upkeep via the embedded diagnostics, performance
analysisdataandoperationalstatistics.Properlyadjustedandcalibrateddevicesensurelower
processvariabilityandhigherplantavailability.
Theisochronousbuscycleenablestighterlooptuningandasaresult,betterprocesscontrol.
Firmwaredownloadgivestheabilitytostaveoffobsolescence,givingFieldbusplantslongerlife
thanotherplants,withgreaterease.
HowisFOUNDATIONH1unique?

FFH1istheonlydigitalFieldbusprotocoldevelopedtofullymeetwiththeoriginalIEC61158
requirements. Unlike other protocols, H1 provides explicit synchronisation of control and
communication for precisely periodic (isochronous) communication and execution of control
functions with minimised dead time and jitter. It synchronises clocks in Fieldbus devices for
supportofFunctionBlockschedulingandalarmtimestampingatthepointofdetection.
Additionally, H1 provides automatic address setting, eliminating the need to manually set
addresses offline using a tool or DIP switches and avoiding subsequent mistakes. H1 also
uses peertopeer communication where devices communicate directly using a
publisher/subscribercommunicationrelationship,enablingdatatobesenttoseveraldevicesin
asinglemessageandthusreducingsystemoverhead.H1includesalarmandeventreporting
forefficientdiagnosticsandprocessalarms,whilstonlinefirmwaredownloadsmakeitpossible
to upgrade devices in order to stay ahead of the obsolescence curve. Lastly, a rigorous
interoperabilitytestingprogramensuresconnectivityproblemsareminimised.
IsFOUNDATIONH1easiertousethantraditionaltechnology?

H1 has made it possible to mine important information from the plant floor. When used
correctly, this information empowers operators and technicians to make plant operation and
maintenance easier. Some end users report commissioning time savings as high as 75%
comparedwithconventionalanaloguetechnologybyswitchingtoFieldbustechnology.
FOUNDATION technology enables improved asset management using device management
software, as many failures can be predicted and faults can be diagnosed in detail. Together,
devicemanagementsoftwareandFieldbusdevicestypicallyenable:
Identification&information
Diagnostics,performanceanalysis&operationalstatistics
Parameterisation,ranging,reconciliation&audittrail
Simulation&override
Calibrationtrim&log
Documentaccess
Deviceeventcapture&monitoring
Commissioning
Maintenancelog&servicenotes
Devicelisting
Maintenance&calibrationscheduling
HowdoesH1Fieldbusdifferfromthevariousdevicelevelnetworksnowinuse?

H1 was designed specifically for process automation. It differs significantly from devicelevel

networksforfactoryautomationinitsabilitytoprovideintrinsicallysafepowerforfielddevices
used in hazardous locations. Moreover, thanks to scheduling, H1 Fieldbus is isochronous,
whichisarequirementforcontinuousregulatoryprocesscontrol.
H1wasdesignedanddevelopedasasystemtechnologyprovidingsignificantlymorestructure
andbenefitthanmerecommunicationnetworks.H1technologydeliverstruedistributedcontrol
networking and provides asset optimisation through a broad range of diagnostic capabilities
and consistent data structures through the use of Electronic Device Description Language
(EDDL).FFtechnologyalsoprovideseasyandextensiveintegrationcapabilitiesthroughopen
andconsistentintegrationtoHSEinasingleengineeringenvironment.Devicelevelnetworks
without power and intrinsic safety (and no scheduling) are mostly appropriate for on/off
componentswithlimiteddataandfordedicatedapplicationssuchasmachinecontrol.
WhatisFOUNDATIONHSE?

FOUNDATION High Speed Ethernet (HSE) is a control network technology specifically

designed for process automation to connect higherlevel devices such as controllers and
remoteI/O,highdensitydatageneratorsetc.,andforhorizontalintegrationofsubsystems.
WhatarethebenefitsofHSE?

FOUNDATIONHSEenjoysafullyfledgedredundancyschemegivingcontrolsystemsgreater
availabilitythansystemsusingsimpleringtopology.UseofunmodifiedEthernetandstandard
IP makes HSE systems more costeffective than other Ethernet solutions and proprietary
networks. Since HSE is a standard, it enables simple and tight integration between package
unitsandthemaincontrolsystem.TheHSEnetworkiseasierandcheapertomanagebased
oncommonnetworkknowledgeandstandardSNMPtools.
HowisFOUNDATIONHSEunique?

FOUNDATIONHSEisbasedonunmodifiedIEEE802.3Ethernetandisthereforecompatible
with standard Ethernet equipment. Unlike ring topologyFOUNDATION HSE provides
complete DCS style redundancy with redundant network switches, redundant devices and
redundantcommunicationportsensuringunsurpassedavailability.FOUNDATIONHSEisalso
basedonstandardIP,enablingittocoexistwithotherdevicesandensuringcompatibilitywith
standardtools.Atthehighestlevel,FOUNDATIONHSEincludesastandardapplicationlayer
that provides interoperability between devices beyond the mere coexistence provided by
Ethernet and TCP/IP. FOUNDATION HSE communication is scheduledriven to minimise
deadtime and jitter with support for peertopeer communication directly between devices.
Again,arigorousinteroperabilitytestingprogramensuresminimumconnectivityissues.
IsFOUNDATIONHSEeasiertousethanRS485andcoaxbasednetworks?

The hubandspoke tree topology of Ethernet makes it very easy to add and remove devices
withoutupsettingtheoperatingnetwork.BecauseFOUNDATIONHSEisbasedonunmodified
Ethernet, standard Ethernet tools can be used for installation qualification, testing and
troubleshooting. These tools speed up the resolution of communication problems.
FOUNDATIONHSEissupportedbytroubleshootingtoolsthatarenotavailableforRS485or
coax, and since FOUNDATION HSE is based on UDP and TCP, standard network
management tools employing SNMP, RMON, etc., can also be used. Similarly, familiar IP
addressingisusedincludingsupportforDHCP.

WhatmakesFOUNDATIONdevicesinteroperable?

Interoperability is made possible by the fact that devices and software are conforming to the
same standard. Testing and registration ensures that Fieldbus devices bearing the official
checkmark seal can be connected on the same bus or network and exchange information
without significant integration effort. End users can select the best device for a specific
measurement or control task, regardless of the manufacturer. A current list of registered
productsisavailableontheFFwebsite(www.fieldbus.org).
HowisinteroperabilitydefinedinrelationtoFOUNDATIONtechnology?

InteroperabilityreferstotheabilityofanyITKregistereddevicetoworkwithanyHISTanalysed
host. Users want to operate their entire plant from one operator interface and maintain all
devicesonthesystemwithonemaintenanceapplication.
AreFieldbusdevicesinterchangeable?

Yes.EnduserscansubstitutearegisteredFieldbusdevicefromonemanufacturerwiththatof
anothermanufacturerontheirnetworkwithoutlossofdegreeofintegration.
WhattypesofprojectsareappropriateforFieldbustechnology?

Fieldbus technology is now being utilised on automation projects of all sizes, including both
newandretrofitinstallations.AccordingtoanARCAdvisoryGroupsurvey,asignificantnumber
ofendusersareinstallingsmall,mediumandevenverylargeFieldbussystemsconsistingof
over 2,000 I/O points. Shell, a major adopter of FF technology, reportedly has over 120,000
installedFieldbusI/Owith31%ofthesedevicesreplacingconventionalinstruments.
WhatapplicationsarebestsuitedtoFieldbus?

BothH1andHSEwerespecificallydesignedforprocesscontrol.BecauseH1andHSEhave
complementary characteristics covering diverse networking needs, Fiedlbus technology is
appropriate for many applications. These include closedloop continuous control, batch
sequencing, remoteI/O and legacy system integration. The Fieldbus Foundations Safety
Instrumented Systems (SIS) specification includes an additional safety layer based on IEC
61508requirements,makingitsuitableforuseinplantsafetysystems.
Howdoendusersinfluencethedirectionofthetechnology?

TheFieldbusFoundationestablishedanEndUserAdvisoryCouncil(EUAC)togiveendusers
a voice in the direction of its technology. The group meets two to three times per year to
discussissuesinvolvingtheirspecificplantsandindustries.
IsFieldbusanopentechnologyavailabletoallsuppliersandendusers?

Yes. A key tenet of both the Fieldbus Foundation and PROFIBUS protocols is that they are
nonproprietary and available to all companies wishing to include it in their product offerings.
BoththeH1FieldbusandtheHSEcontrolnetworkarepartoftheIEC61158protocolstandard
andIEC61784profile.
DoesFFtechnologyallowtraditionalcentralisedcontroltobelocatedintheDCS?

Yes.FFtechnologyprovidesenduserswiththefreedomtolocatecontrolinthecontrolsystem

orinthefielddevices.TheFieldbusFoundationdoesnotadvocateaparticularcontrolstrategy.
HowdoesFFsolvethebusinessneedsofenterpriseautomationapplications?

FOUNDATION HSE enables information from intelligent devices to pass through control
systemswithoutloss,degradationorthedelayassociatedwithproprietarycontrolnetworksto
devicemanagementsoftware.Italsoallowsthepossibilityofelectronicintegrationwithhigher
levelMISandERPapplications.
HowdoesFOUNDATIONtechnologyhandlediscreteI/O?

FieldbusFoundationmembersprovideavarietyofdiscretedevicesforminiremoteI/O,relay,
on/off valves, valve couplers, electric actuators, etc., on H1 as well as large remote I/O on
HSE. Indeed, on/off signals in bulk are an integral part of the FOUNDATION solution. The
technologyiswellsuitedforhybridcontrol.
IsFFtechnologyarecognisedinternationalstandard?

The IEC voted to include the FOUNDATION HI and HSE specifications in the IEC 61158
internationalFieldbusstandard.TheCENELECTechnicalBureauaddedtheFOUNDATIONH1
specifications to EN 50170, the Fieldbus Euronorm. In addition, FOUNDATION technology is
theonlyimplementationoftheANSI/ISA50.02standard.
Both NAMUR (Germany) and JEMIMA (Japan) have voiced support for FOUNDATION
technology, and provided input from the end user community that aided in specification
development. Approval and support by key international industry bodies gives confidence to
users that their investments in FOUNDATION solutions are based on recognised global
standards.
WhatarethemostcommonFieldbuswiringerrors?
Therearetwoverycommonwiringerrorsthatwillcauseoperationaldifficultyifnotremedied.
The first is a short from the shield to one of the Fieldbus conductors. Although this may not
immediately cause communication errors, it ground references (since the shield is grounded)
the Fieldbus pair and makes it much more susceptible to electrical interference. The second
most common problem is an incorrect number of Terminators. There should be two and only
two Terminators on each Fieldbus segment. Since the Fieldbus installation will likely be
installedbycontractorswhoareunfamiliarwithFieldbus,werecommendaSegmentCheckout
Procedure BEFORE powering up or commissioning the segment. Many host suppliers have
such procedures. The Fieldbus Foundation also publishes an engineering document for
Fieldbusthatcontainssuchaprocedure.
HowisProfibusPAdifferentfromFoundationFieldbus?
BothProfibusPAandFoundationFieldbussharethesamePhysicallayerdefinitions.Therefore
the connection and power equipment that will work identically for both types of busses. The
differenceisintheprotocol.Therefore,FBT3FieldbusMonitorwillnotworkwithProfibusPA
asitwasonlydesignedforFoundationFieldbus.
WhatisthedifferencebetweenHARTandFieldbus?
Thatislikeansweringwhatisthedifferencebetweenabicycletireandacar?HARTisonly

meantforcommunicationprotocol,whereasFieldbusisactuallyasystemarchitectureincluding
controlstrategyetc.
Notmerelybetter,butradicallydifferent.Indeed,mistakingFieldbusforadigital420mAora
betterDCSislikemistakingthecomputerforabettertypewriter.Itcannotevenbecomparedto
smart transmitter protocols. Imagine for a moment: A system that renders obsolete all
separate signal conditioners, isolation amplifiers, input cards, output cards, CPU cards, I/P
converters,andtheirwebofinterconnectingwires,almostanentireDCS.Asystemcompletely
selfcontained expressed simply as field devices and a manmachine interface (MMI) like an
operatorconsole.Asystemwhereallcontrols,alarms,computation,selection,Totalizationand
much more performed by the field devices microprocessors. A system so powerful it may
overcomeaprocesscontrolsproblemswithafewclicksofamouse.
Fieldbus is the ultimate. The signal transmission has evolved to completely digital, system
architecturehasevolvedtocompletelydistributedtothefield.I.e.Fieldbusnotonlyreplaces4
20mA,butalsothebynowhopelesslyoutdatedDCSarchitectureoftheseventies.
WhatarethebenefitsofFieldbus?
ThebenefitsofFieldbusaremanyandsomewerealreadydescribed
Lowercostofpurchaseandownership
Productivityandqualityincrease
Higherintegrityandaccuracy
Accesstomoreinformationanddiagnosis
Easierinstallationandstartup
Freedomofcomponentchoice
Easiertoconfigure
Easyforhavingsingleconsistentdatabase

HowdoesFieldbuslowerthecost?
Economicbenefitsspringmainlyfromthefactthatlesshardwareisrequired.Oftheexpensive
DCSonlytheoperatorconsoleremains.Duetoitsnoncriticalnature,aPCorIPC(Industrially
hardenedPC)withofftheshelfsoftwaremaybeused,evenforlargesystems.
Fieldbusdevicesmayperformmultiplemeasurements,controlandcomputations.Thenumber
of transmitters may be reduced, single loop controller and computational units will not be
required,againsavingcost.
Though Fieldbus, the device price may initially be higher than conventional or smart, the
reduction in devices and wiring with associated cable trays and marshalling boxes will make
thesystemcheaper.Manufacturerscannolongerrelyonproprietarytechnologytokeepprices
up.OpencompetitionenabledbyaplayingfieldlevelledbyFieldbuswillreduceprices.
Cost is not only price There are substantial longterm savings resulting from the increased
informationflowintermsofdiagnosticinformationandeasiercalibrationetc.
ManyFieldbustransmitterswillbeofamultiplevariabletype.Forexample,dualchannelfield
mounted temperature transmitters measuring two temperatures being able to transmit both

variables in real time. Since a single transmitter can condition several sensors, the cost per
measurement point will be lower. This is the ideal combination of price and performance.
Previouslymultipletemperaturessensorswheretypicallyhandledbyconditionersinthecontrol
room with long wires into the field, having a penalty on accuracy and noise immunity due to
factorslikeleadwireresistance,poorornothermocouplecompensationwireandpoorrouting
of low level signals. Multiple variable technology makes it economically viable to use field
mountedtransmittersrightnexttothesensorsforimmediateinterfaceandtransmissioninthe
high integrity digital domain. Added advantage is the capability to perform high and low
selection,redundantsensorvoting,averageanddifferencecalculationinthefield.
Fieldbus helps companies increase productivity, flexibility, quality and comply with ever more
stringentenvironmentalregulations,andatthesametimelowertheiroperatingcost.Fieldbus
isthemeanswherebycompanieswillstaycompetitivewellintothe21stcentury.
Whatisallthisdiagnosticsstuffinfieldbus?
Thedigitalcommunicationprovidesthemeansforallthedevicedata,configuration,operation
anddiagnosticsdetailstobeaccessedfromthecontrolroom.Thecompleteinteroperabilityof
Fieldbusenablesthisdatatoalsobeaccessedbyanysoftwarethatdesirestodoso.
ThemultiplevariablenatureofFieldbusalsoallowsnewinnovativedevices.Transmittersthat
measuremorethanonevariablehavebuiltinflowandHTGcomputersetc.
SchemesforconsistentdiagnosticsinterrogationandfailurealertsweredesignedintoFieldbus
fromtheverybeginning.Theselfdiagnosticsoffielddevicesmayreportfailuresandproblems
immediately, enabling maintenance personnel to pinpoint errors instantly or even before they
can cause any harm. More selfdiagnostics will therefore be implemented. Hardware failures
likesensor,actuatorandmemoryproblems,andtheoperatorreportsallsoftwareproblemslike
configurationorcalibrationerrorswithouttheneedformanualinterrogation.Intheeventofa
faultitisreportedwiththeassociatedinformationlikewhichdevice,whattypeoffault,priority
andthetimestampetc.
Thebenefitfortheoperatortogetthisinformationwithouthavingtobringthetransmitterintoa
workshop for testing is obvious. The time that can be saved by not having to test only a few
transmittersisenormous.Diagnosticsenablesyoutoquicklydetermineifaprocessproblemis
duetothetransmitterornot,withouthavingtodoseveralfieldvisits.Productioncangetbackin
operationinminutes.
Allthisreduceserrorsandmakescalibrationlessofachoirensuringitisdonecorrectlyandon
aperiodicbasis.Theendresultisabettermeasurementandimprovedquality.
Whatisatransducerblock?
Thisblocksinterfacesthefunctionblocktothedevicehardwaresuchassensors,actuatorsand
switches.Thisblockisresponsibleforinformationandfunctionalityspecifictoforexamplethe
measurementofaparticularphysicalproperty,suchaspressureortemperature,oraspecific
measurementtechnology,suchasultrasonicorCoriolis.
Thetransducerblocksinterfacetothefunctionblocksoverhardwarechannel,whichisdifferent
from function block links. Transducer block handle not only measurement, but also actuation
anddisplay.

Whatisaresourceblock?
The resource block contains information which is common to the whole resource, including
deviceidentification,hardware,devicefeatures,memoryandCPUavailability,writeprotection,
managementoffailsafeandalarms.
Thedataisnotprocessedinthisblock,sothereisnoblockalgorithm.
Whatisautomaticalarmnotification?
AlarmsandeventsarejointlyreferredtoasAlerts.Thefunctionblocksintothedevicesdetect
alarms. When alarms and other critical events occur, the function block automatically notifies
theMMIbysendinganAlert.TheMMIconfirmsreceiptofalertnotificationtothefielddevice.If
thefielddevicedoesnotreceivetheconfirmation,itwillresendthenotification.Alertsarealso
issuedwhenalarmconditionsdisappear.Thustheoperatorinterfacedoesnothavetoperform
periodic polling to determine if there is an alarm condition, and surely any alarm can be
detected.Informationinthenotificationincludestimeandpriority.
Thecurrentstatusofalarmsandeventsmayalsobecheckedatanytimefromalarmandevent
parametersineachblock.
Howdoesdistributedtrendingwork?
The device may do trending itself. This way periodic time critical communication is not
necessary.AMMIonlyneedstopolladevicefordatawhenaparticularparameterisdisplayed
onthescreen.Whentheparameterisnotdisplayed,pollingneednotbedone.
A set of data, 16 samples, is collected over a short, user configurable, period of time and is
thenautomaticallysentinasinglecommunicationtotheMMIwherethelongtermstorageis
done.
Whatisadevicedescription?
Sinceprofilesofferschoicestowhatcapabilitiesandparametersareimplementedinadevice,
a configuration device or other MMI need to know which of these a particular device
implements.
The device description (DD) specifies which application area and device profile a device
belongs to. For certain parameters it also specifies options are valid and more specific
meaningsetc.DDmayalsodefinemethods,e.g.forstepsaHosttofollowwhencalibratingthe
device. The DD file also can describe an user group or vendor specific features on these
devices.
TheDDispreparedbythedevicemanufacturerandmayeitherbestoredinthedeviceitselfor
besuppliedseparately,e.g.onafloppydiskorCDROM.AMMImayusingtheDDcompletely
and correctly configure a new device or new version of a device without a corresponding
upgrade.
WhatarethedistinguishingfeaturesofatrueFieldbus,deliveringtheoriginal
promise?
ThemaincharacteristicsofFieldbusare:

Completelydigitalreplacementof420mA
Control,alarm,computationandotherfunctionsdistributedtodevicesinthefield
Multivendorinteroperablethroughopenspecification
Specificallydesignedforprocesscontrol
DCS/smarttransmitterandotherprotocolscallingthemselvesFieldbusdonotshowthese
characteristics

Whatisthebenefitofbeingcompletelydigital?
UnlikethesemidigitalDCSsystem,theFieldbussystemisapuredigitalsystem.Insteadof
thesystemspressureortemperaturetransmittersconvertingasenseddigitalprocessvalueto
an analog 420 mA signal before feeding it to the DCS and the rest of the system chain,
Fieldbuskeepsthesignalpurelydigitalallthewayfromthetransmittertothedigitalinputofthe
controlvalve.Fieldbusdevicesshouldnotbemixedupwithwhatwetodaycallsmartdevices
whichareahybridof420mAandslowdigitalcommunication.Keepingthesignaldigitaluntil
theveryendofthechainallowsforinfinitelymorecomplexandprecisesignalprocessing.And
theindustrystandard,inexpensivecablethatlinksalltheFieldbuscomponentstogethercanbe
hundreds of meters long and remain totally free of the noise pickup and signal degradation
associatedwithanaloguesignaltransmission.
Ina420mAanalogsystem,asinglevalueistransmittedbyaninfinitevariationofacurrent.A
signalerrorjustchangesavalidsignaltoanothervalidsignal,noiseandothersignaldistortion
cannot be detected in an analog system. The signal from even the most accurate analog
transmittermaybetotallyinaccuratebythetimeitreachesthecontroller.Muchmorenoiseis
requiredtodistortadigitalsignalsuchasinFieldbus,whichonlyhastwovalidstates,oneand
zero. Secondly, error checking is also used to filter out scrambled messages and make sure
they are sent again. All data is checked and guaranteed free from distortion due to noise or
impedancemismatchthatmayaffectanalogsignalsundetected.
Eachanaloguelinktransmitter,signalconditioner,isolationamplifier,cable,inputcard,output
card,I/Pconverterwhispersananalogyofwhatithearstothenext,butsomethingisalways
lostoradded.
What emerges at the end may not even resemble the original message. No matter how long
the chain, at its end digital equipment listens only for patterns of zero and one, which it
reassembles into the original message, ignoring all other whispered information as noise.
Hencetheintegrityofdigitaltransmission:noaccuracylost,anynoiseadded.
The integrity of a digital signalling results in better accuracy and security. The latter is being
very important in the process industry where expensive equipment, life and the environment
may be at stake. Fieldbus has taken this integrity even further. Measurement and control
variables passed between function blocks have not only a value, but also a status, which
include signal quality, limit information and a substatus. The signal quality informs if e.g. a
measurement is Good, totally Bad or perhaps Uncertain, e.g. out of range by a few percent.
Otherfunctionblocksusethistoe.g.putcontrolinmanualincaseoffault,calculationfunction
blocks may also take this information into consideration, e.g. exclude it when calculating an
average.
HowisFieldbusmoredistributedthanaDistributedControlSystem?

Unlike the semidistributed DCS system, the Fieldbus system is a completely distributed. In
Fieldbus the process control functions are distributed to equipment in the field, while still
allowingoperationandtuningfromthecontrolroomusingthedigitalcommunication.Thefield
devicesaretypicallymultidropped,severalconnectedtoeachotherandtheoperatorconsole,
drasticallyreducingwiringwithsubsequentsavingsincostofpurchaseandinstallation.
InthelegacyDCSofthe1970thecontrolfunctionsforseveralloopswascentralisedtooneor
moreunitcontrollerswhichcontainscontrol,inputandoutputcards.
Since in Fieldbus communication is completely digital no input or output cards are required,
andsincethecontrolfunctionsareperformedbythedevicesinthefield,nocontrolcardsare
requiredeither.Fielddevicesmaybeconnecteddirectlytotheoperatorconsole,henceadata
highwayconnectingcontrolcardsisnotrequiredeither.Sincetherearenocardsandnodata
highway, they need not be made redundant either. All that remains of the classic DCS
architectureisthefielddevicesandtheoperatorconsole.ObviouslyaFieldbussystemmeans
atremendoushardwareandsubsequentcostreduction.
WillFieldbusreplaceDCSasweknowit?
Yes.Somecompanieshaveavestedinterestinsayingthatitwont,butwithFieldbusthereis
noneedforanaloganddigitalinputcards(sincecommunicationisalreadydigital)andthereis
noneedforanycontrollerCPUcards(sincecontrolisdoneinthefielddevices),norisadata
highwayrequiredtolinkthesystemtogether.Allthatwillremainistheoperatorconsole.Ask
yourself,isthataDCSasweknowit?
ThefirstDCSsystemsemergedmorethantwentyyearsago.Thoughamajorimprovementat
thetime,thistechnologyofyesteryearhasmanydeficiencies.
Established DCS manufacturers now offering their own PC based control software, or buying
outPCsoftwarecompaniesmustbeseenasthefinalnailinthecoffinforDCS.
ManycontrolsoftwarepackagesforPCtodayhaveallthebellsandwhistlesofaDCSandare
availableforsecureandstableoperatingsystems.Thesearemostlikelytoserveasoperator
consolestomakecompleteFieldbussystems.
LetslookatwhatwouldhappenifashortsightedcustomerdecidedtogoforthelegacyDCS
architectureofthe1970s,andthenupgradetoFieldbusafewyearslater.Hewouldmostlikely
have to replace the entire transmitter for all measurements, wiring would have to be redone,
power supplies, safety barriers and any interfaces would have to be replaced, input, output,
CPUcardsanddatahighway(mainandredundant)thrownaway,andterminationaddedall
that remains is the operator console. Upgradability to Fieldbus is an important consideration
whenchoosingacontrolsystem.
WhathappenstodatabaseconfigurationinaFieldbussystem?
Fieldbus is using the concept of a completely distributed database. Device and control loop
informationisencapsulatedinthefielddeviceitself,ranges,tuning,wettedmaterialsdataetc.
AnyMMIthatdesirestodisplaythatinformationmayaccessit.Thiswaytherearenoduplicate
inconsistentdatabases.InDCSsynchronisationbetweentheconsoleanddevicedatabasewas
notguaranteed.

Therewasalwaysariskthatthedevicewascalibratedforoneflowrange,buttheconsolefor
anothergivingawrongindication.InFieldbusonlyonedatabaseexists,inthefielddevice,and
theMMIgetsitscalingdatafromthere.Ahandheldconfigurationdeviceaccessesthesame
devicedataastheoperatorconsole.
IsntFieldbustooslow,31.25kbit/scomparedtoseveralMbit/sforDCS?
InFieldbustherearetypicallyonly12devicepersegment(onapairofwires)whereasona
DCSallthedeviceoftheentireplantareindirectlyconnectedtoasinglebuswhichtherefore
mustbefaster.
Inordertotransferalllinkandsupervisorydatafastenoughtogettightclosedloopcontroland
fastMMI(ManMachineInterface,suchasanoperatorconsole)screenupdate,Fieldbus
implementsanumberfeaturesforcommunicationoptimisation.
Automaticdistributedalarmdetectionandnotification
DistributedTrending
Parameterviewobjectgroups
Scheduling
Updateeventnotification
Thankstothemechanismsforpassingofconfiguration,alarmandtrenddatathissocalled
backgroundtraffichasbeenreducedtoaminimumleavingmoretimeforoperationaltrafficand
againimprovingcontrolperformance.Afterconfiguration,thesystemresolvestagsand
parameternamesintoaformat,whichminimisescommunication.
WhatareViewobjects?
Blockparametershavebeenarrangedinfourgroupsdependingonusageandstorage.All
parametersinagroupmaybeaccessedinasinglecommunication.ThiswayanMMIneednot
occupythebusbyseveralrequestsgettheparametersonebyone.
Whatisanupdateevent?
An event is also a form of Alert. The MMI is automatically informed about configuration
changes through an event issued by the block, which is changed, and is also tracked by a
revisionparameterincludedintheviewobjects.Eachtimeastaticparameterischangedthis
revisionparameterisincremented.
ThereforeaMMIonlyneedtoupdateitselfwhenachangehasoccurred,itdoesnothaveto
makecontinuouschecks.
Whatisscheduling?
Function block execution and communication is scheduled to optimise control and
communication efficiency. It may be used to ensure that blocks are executed in the correct
order. The sequential passing of dynamic time critical function block input and output data is
called operational traffic. This traffic and the execution of the function blocks is scheduled by
thesystemsoastooccuronapreciselyperiodbasiswithaminimumdelaytherebyachieving
optimumclosedloopcontrolperformance.Schedulingallowstheusertocontroltheorderand
alsothefrequencyofexecutionofablock.

Without scheduling the loop dead time will most likely be longer than the time it takes to
communicate the operational traffic on the Fieldbus network. Another reason is that without
schedulingtheblocksmaybeexecutedinthewrongorder.
IsFieldbuseasy?Itsoundscomplicated?
As the first protocol to bring the full power of microprocessor technology into field
instrumentation,Fieldbusdistilcountlesshoursofthoughtintoeveryaspect.Whenyoupressa
keyorclicktochangetheconfiguration,theeffectispowerful,yetalltheworkhasbeendone
for you. There is no need to understand the wealth of technical strength hidden in your field
device in order to appreciate it. Fieldbus is easy to use, there is no need to understand the
layers and baud rate, it has been taken care of by the best engineers from the leading
companiesintransmitters,systemsandactuators.
Configuration becomes easier because it will be done the same way for basically all devices
usingthefunctionblockconcept,noneedfortrainingonseveraldevicetypesorprogramming
languages. All manufacturers use the same blocks, regardless if they are in a field device or
not. Fieldbus is based on userdefined tags and standardized parameter names like SP and
PV. He refers to devices by its tag. The user need not think of device address, memory
addressandbitnumbersetc.ConfigurationmaybeeditedonaPCandthendownloadedto
thedevicesinthefield.Ifyouwantaflowtransmittertointegrate,justinstantiatedthefunction
block, no need to rewire or buy an additional device. Once physically connected, the links
between function blocks may be changed, function blocks can be added and removed etc.
Moreadvanceddevicesmayexecuteavirtuallyunlimitednumberoffunctionblocks.
Procedures like calibration, range setting and diagnostics are implemented consistently
between manufacturers and device types. I.e. a density and pressure transmitter from two
different companies are operated in the same basic way. This reduces confusion and makes
operatortrainingeasy,eventhoughyourpreferredvendorforvariousdevicetypesisdifferent
andmaychangeovertheyears.
Fieldbus already has blocks for all kinds of process control functionality like input, output,
control,calculateandvarioustypesofcomputationsforminganadvancedset.Severalofthe
blocksimplementalarm.Newblockswillkeepgettingadded.
Connection is a simple task since devices are connected in parallel and terminal number
matchingwillbeaminimum.Onewirewilltypicallyconnectasmanyastwelvedevices.Cable
trays,conduitsetc.willbedrasticallyreduced.Italsobecomeseasytoadddevices,justhookit
upinparallel,noneedtorunanewwire.
Fieldbus has capability to simulate input or output values or status making it possible for a
single person to from the control room safely test the system response to faults and process
conditionswhichwouldotherwisebedifficultordangeroustotryout.Previouslymakingsucha
test was troublesome. Two persons equipped with walkietalkies were always required, one
climbingontanksandpipesinthefieldwithasimulator.Thereisnoneedtoexposeanybody
toanunfriendlyorhazardousenvironment.
Ringing out the transmitters, i.e. match the wires in the marshalling rack to their respective
devicesisalsomucheasier,applypowerandconnecttheHostandaskforthetagandyouare
done!>

Fieldbusdevicesstoreinformationusefulformaintenanceinthedevice,whereitwillneverget
lost.Youmaystoreacalibrationdatalikewhenandbywhom,descriptionoftheserviceofthe
deviceandevenindividualblocksmaybestored,thiscouldbee.g.LevelBoiler1.
A wealth of information is available in the device, which also includes wetted materials
information and serial numbers. This may not only be available with the Host, but also from
operatorconsole.Accessingthedeviceoperatingtemperaturereadingallowsyoutoseeifitis
operating within range. The temperature reading proves extra valuable in applications where
heat tracing and winterization is used. The temperature reading is an indication of if it is
workingornot,sothattransmitterdoesnotfailorpipesarecloggedduetosolidification.
Instrumentcalibrationandmaintenancedatamaybestoredinthetransmitterdatabasewhere
it, unlike if stored on paper or a disk, will not be misplaced or separated from the transmitter
evenifthedeviceismovedaroundintheplantorevenshelved.Thismayincludeinformation
likeperformedbywhom,where,when,howandatwhatvaluecalibrationlastwasmade.The
information is not only more than seen before, the interoperability of Fieldbus makes it more
accessible than seen for smart transmitters. This instrument management is an important
feature to help comply with ISO9000 and ISO14000 requirement for updated and traceable
calibrationrecordsagainatoolforbettersensing.
WontFieldbusstifleinnovation?
Sincedigitalcommunicationwasfirstintroducedinprocesscontrol,manufacturershavebeen
forcedtoadapttheirproductstoamyriadofprotocolsastheyemerge.AstandardFieldbushas
relieved device manufacturers from this task. Once again they can concentrate on true
innovationssuchassensingtechniquesgettinghigheraccuracy,reliability,stabilitytoambient
effects,andtransmittersformultiplevariables.
Fieldbusisaperformancespecification.Thismeansproductdevelopershavemaximumchoice
over how they implement it into products. Fieldbus device manufacturers can select from the
microprocessor, programming language and methods of their choice. This can greatly
streamlinetheproductdevelopmentprocess,andproductioncosts.
AsinglecommonFieldbuswillspurthirdpartysoftwareandotheraccessories,asthemarket
for a given product would be larger, providing an economy of scale factor justifying product
development.MoresoftwareandaccessorieswillmakeFieldbusmoreattractivecontributingto
theproliferation.
Fieldbus will just be another requirement in an already long list of standards specified by
instrumentbuyers,essentialwhenitcomestoputtingthepiecesofaplanttogether,andbeing
abletomakereplacements:
Temperaturesensors
Processconnection
Electricalconnection
Calibration
Fieldbus
Cleaningforoxygenservice
Environmentalconditionstesting
Intrinsicsafety

Materialgrades

Somehaveforgottenthebeautyofstandardsandhavetakeallthebenefitsofstandardization
for granted so much so that we even argue if they are good or not. The question is if the
industrializedsocietycouldfunctionifitwasnotforthethousandsofstandardsmakingittick.
Couldweevenimaginegoingbacktoatimewhereaboltandanutfromdifferentshopsdonot
fittogether?Iftheywerenotforstandardsalotofthingsinourliveswouldnotworke.g.bolts
andnuts.Standardizationofmeasures,screwsetc.istheveryfoundationonwhichengineering
rests.
The situation we have now when new protocols show up every day is in a way hampering
development because nobody dare to chose. Lack of standardization, new protocols coming
up,instrumentmanufacturersandcontrolsoftwaremanufacturershasbeentrackingamoving
target.
Standards are especially in the USA criticized for stifling development. However, standards
actually enables true innovation rather than just coming up with many new solutions for the
sameproblemalreadysolved.Onceastandardhasbeenlaiddown,enoughpeoplearewilling
to buy products based on it providing a large enough market for new ideas based on the
technologyinthestandard.Manufacturersnowdaretospendmoneydevelopinganewproduct
makinguseofthestandard,knowingthestandardwillnotchangesosoon.
Investing in development based on somebody elses proprietary technology is a great risk,
manufacturersatthemercyofthetechnologyownerneverknowiftherewillbeanewversion
outthenextmonthrenderingtheirdevelopmenteffortsuseless.
As an example, the technology to make multiple variable transmitters and control and
computation in the field has been around for a long time, but it has basically been pointless
before Fieldbus because only with the interoperability that Fieldbus provides is it possible to
makegooduseofit.
AlsoRead:BasicsofFoundationFieldbus

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POSTED BY S BHARADWAJ REDDY

InstrumentationProfessionalWorkinginareputedOil&GasCompany.