Portable Tools Can Make Fieldbus Easier

In a World of Choices, FOUNDATION Brings it All Together.2013 Fieldbus Foundation1 Portable Tools Can Make Fieldbus Easier MostpeoplethinkoffieldbusasdigitalintegrationoffielddeviceswithprocessautomationsystemsandthatworkingwithFieldbuscanonlybeaccomplishedwithfixedassets(suchasPCs)locatedinfixedlocations,buttherearealsoanumberofportabletoolsavailablethatcanmakespecificfieldbustasksaloteasierandhelpyougetabetterreturnonyourfieldbusinvestment.Therearesomeverygoodreasonsforusingportabletoolsandawiderangeofproductsavailablewithdifferentfunctionsandpricelevels.Herearesomeofthemorecompellingreasonstouseportabletools,thedifferentclassesoftools,andsomethingstheFieldbusFoundationisdoingtoensurethattheproductsyoupurchasematchourspecifications.Why Use Por t abl e Tool s? OneofthebigadvantagesofFOUNDATIONfieldbusistheabilitytoaccessinformationaboutadeviceremotelyfromthecontrolroom,instrumentshop,oranywheretheinformationisneeded.Theabilitytododiagnosticsremotelycansaveyouaconsiderableamountofmoneyonmaintenancecostsandavoidedfailures.Today,wearefacedwithaworkforcethatisbecomingincreasinglymobile,sothefutureofdevicediagnosticsmaynotbelimitedtotheconfinesofacontrolroom.Likewise,todaysportabletoolscanprovideyouwiththesamefunctionalityasaprocessworkstation,ortheymaybesimplerorlessexpensivetools,designedtotestspecificfunctions.Youmaywanttoevaluateyourexistingwiringtoseeifitmeetsfieldbusphysicallayerspecifications,oryoumaywanttodiagnosepotentialphysicallayerissuessuchassegmentnoiseorcommunicationjitter.Maybeyoujustwanttosendsomeoneouttothefieldforavisualinspection;evenwithremotediagnostics,thisissometimesnecessary.Whateveryourneeds,portabletoolscanhelpyourealizeflawlessfieldbusprojectexecutionandkeepyoursegmentsanddevicesrunningtotheiroptimumpotential.TheValueofPreconfigurationIfyouareplanningorinthemidstofaFieldbusprojectyoumaywanttoconsiderpreconfiguringyourdevicesatthesitepriortocommissioning.Intheinstallationphase,youcanuseportabletoolstoprecommissionandtagFOUNDATIONFieldbusdevices.Successfuldevicedownloadsrequiresalloftheinformationinthedevice,suchastagnameandnodeaddress,tobeidenticaltotheinformationstoredinthehostsystemconfiguration.Preconfiguringdevicesbeforecontrolsystemcommissioningactivitiesbeginensuresconsistencyandcanspeedtimetostartup.Therearesomeverygoodreasonsforusingportabletoolsandawiderangeofproductsavailablewithdifferentfunctionsandpricelevels.Herearesomeofthemorecompellingreasonstouseportabletools,thedifferentclassesoftools,andsomethingstheFieldbusFoundationisdoingtoensurethattheproductsyoupurchasematchourspecifications.In a World of Choices, FOUNDATION Brings it All Together.2013 Fieldbus Foundation2 TheImportanceofthePhysicalLayerMostengineerswithexperienceinfieldbusprojectsandwilltellyouthatmostofthemistakesthataremadeduringfieldbusinstallationarerelatedtothephysicallayer.SinceFOUNDATIONfieldbusisadigitalnetwork,ithasphysicallayerrequirementsthataresomewhatdifferentthanthoseforanaloginstallations.Portabletoolsarenowavailablethatcancheckphysicallayerissuessuchasthesuitabilityofyourexistingwiring,segmentnoise,lowvoltage,orcommunicationsjitter.PortableToolsintheInstrumentShopIntheinstrumentshop,portabletoolscanofferadegreeofconvenienceandfamiliaritytoinstrumenttechnicians.Portabletoolscanbeusedtoperformaquickcheckofanewdeviceoutoftheboxbeforetakingittothefieldforinstallation.Somecanalsobeusedtosetupandprecommissiondevicesbeforetakingthemtothefieldforinstallation.EaseofUsePortabletoolssuchastheEmerson475typicallyhavesimple,easytouseinterfacesthataredesignedspecificallyforusebymaintenancetechniciansdoingseriesofFieldbusrelatedtasks.So,whiletodayssophisticatedassetmanagementapplicationsandprocessautomationsystemsofferalotoffunctionality,yourmaintenancetechniciansmaynotwanttotakeacourseinhowtouseaDCSinordertoaccomplishwhatcanbedoneviaatoolheorsheisalreadyfamiliarwith.GoAnywhere,InAnyEnvironmentIfyouareworkinginhazardousareas,youneedequipmentthatcanfollowyouintoClass1Div1areas.ThisrequirementforbeinghardenedandapprovedforhazardousareasisprobablyonereasonwhyiPadsandsmartphoneshavenotreallytakenoffaseverydaytoolsinplaceslikerefineriesandchemicalplants.Albeityouwillstillpayapremium,youcangetsomehighlyfunctionalwirelessworkstationsthatareessentiallyenvironmentallyhardenedtabletPCs.ClassesofPortableToolsPortabletoolsfallintotheegeneralclasses:Laptopsandwirelessworkstations,Handheldtools,andRemotewirelessclientsEachofthesehasitsownadvantages.Manyusershaveacombinationofthesetools,soitsnotacaseofonetoolversusanother.InourSystemSoftingFFusbInterfaceEmersonsUSBFieldbusInterfaceIn a World of Choices, FOUNDATION Brings it All Together.2013 Fieldbus Foundation3 EngineeringGuide,theFieldbusFoundationrecommendsthatyouhave:LaptopsandUSBInterfacesIfyouwantthefunctionalityofaworkstationinafamiliarpackage,aruggedizedlaptopornotebookPCisagoodchoice.Thereisawiderangeofruggedizedlaptopsdesignedspecificallyformanufacturingapplications.Ofcourse,thelaptopoffersamorefullfeatureduserinterfacethanahandheld.BecauseitisaPC,laptopscanoffereasierintegrationwithplantassetmanagementsystemsandotherapplications.MostsuppliersnowofferUSBfieldbusinterfacesthatcanbeusedinconjunctionwithalaptopornotebooktoallowdirectaccesstoFOUNDATIONfieldbusH1segmentsandFOUNDATIONfieldbusH1fielddevices.Thisallowsuserstocommission,configure,andtroubleshootFOUNDATIONfieldbusdevicesbothonthebenchandinthefield.USBFieldbusInterfacesareavailablefromEmersonProcessManagement,Softing,andNationalInstruments.ThenewlyreleasedEmersonUSBFieldbusInterfaceprovidespowertothefieldbussegment,whichcanbeusefulinstartupsituationsoremergencieswherepowerisnotavailable.HandheldToolsThereisalsoawiderangeofhandheldtoolsavailableforusewithFOUNDATIONfieldbusandotherintelligentdevices.Thesetoolshavebeenaroundforalongtimeandtherehasrecentlybeenawaveofinnovationinhandheldtoolsresultinginsomeinterestingnewfunctions,interfaces,andenhanceduse.Portablediagnostictoolsassistintroubleshootingspecificproblemsandmaypresentadditionaldatanotavailablewithpermanentdiagnostictools.Functionsofportablediagnostictoolsinclude: VoltagepersegmentSegmentnoiseMaximumfieldbussignal(communications)levelMinimumfieldbussignal(communications)levelLowresistancebetweenshieldandnegativesignalpoleLowresistancebetweenshieldandpositivesignalpoleSegmentjitterRetransmissionsSomeofthesetoolsarefullyfunctioningconfigurationtoolsthatcanoperatewithmultipleprotocolsnotjustFOUNDATIONfieldbusbutalsoHART,Profibus,etc.ThemoresophisticatedofthesedevicesincludeproductssuchasthewellknownEmerson475FieldCommunicator(anditspredecessorthe375)andtheBeamexMC6.The475isubiquitousintheprocessindustries,andincludesanicefullcolorLCDdisplay.Withthe475,youcanviewdevicediagnosticgraphics,runvalveanalyseswithEmersons475FieldCommunicatorIn a World of Choices, FOUNDATION Brings it All Together.2013 Fieldbus Foundation4 snaponpackagessuchasValveLinkMobileandtransfertheresultstoEmersonsAMSplantassetmanagementapplication,andmore.TheBeamexMC6alsosportsafullcolorLCDdisplayandisafullfieldbuscommunicatorforHART,FOUNDATIONFieldbus,andProfibusPAinstruments.MC6alsoofferssignificantcalibrationcapabilitiesforpressure,temperatureandmyriadelectricalsignals.Inadditiontofullfunctionhandhelddeviceconfigurators/calibrators,thereisaclassofportabletoolsdesignedmoreforphysicallayerdiagnostictasks.TheseincludeproductsliketheRelcomFBT6fieldbusmonitororthePepperl+FuchsMobileAdvancedDiagnsoticsModule.Thesetoolscanhelpyoudiagnosejustaboutallofyouphysicallayerproblemsfast,andtypicallyhaveasimplerinterface.ThePepperl+FuchsADMhastheaddedfeatureofabuiltinoscilloscopewhichcancomeinhandywhenonewantstoseeavisualrepresentationofthequalityofFieldbuspulsesorframes.Weallknowtheadageofapicturebeingworthathousandwords.RemoteWirelessClientsRemotewirelessclientscanincludelaptops,notebooks,orotherwirelessworkstations,whichhaveawirelessconnectiontothecontrolnetworkandcanserveasclientswithdirectaccesstotheplantassetmanagementsystemoranapplicationinthefield.Suchwirelessclientscanallowchangestobetrackedimmediatelyinauditsoftwareavailableinmanyoperatingsystems.Manyendusersareemployingjustsuchanapproachtodointhefieldcommissioningoffieldbusdevices.Havingawirelesslyconnectedclientallowsthetechniciantofullycommissionafieldbusdeviceinthefieldwithouttherequirementofhavinganengineerinthecontrolroom.Ofcourse,thisapproachalsorequiredaninplantWiFiorotherwirelessconnection.FieldbusFoundationTestingandRegistrationPortabletoolsthatperformhostfunctionssuchasdevicecommissioningareclassifiedundertheHostProfileRegistrationprocessattheFieldbusFoundation.WeclassifythesetaskspecifichostsaseitherVisitorHostsorBenchHosts,andwehaveanentiretestingandregistrationprocessforthesehostsjustaswedoforDCSIntegratedHostsandFOUNDATIONfieldbusH1devices.TheFieldbusFoundationClass62VisitorHoststypicallyresideinRemoteWirelessClientscanGreatlySimplifytheTaskofCommissioningFieldbusDevicesLikethisControlValveRelcomFBT6FieldbusMonitorIn a World of Choices, FOUNDATION Brings it All Together.2013 Fieldbus Foundation5 portabletoolslikethe475thatareusedformaintenanceandhaveatemporaryconnectiontothenetwork.VisitorHostscanalsoresideinspecializeddeviceapplicationssuchasonlinecontrolvalvediagnosticapplications.Class63BenchHostsmaysetthenetworkconfigurationforoffprocesstesting.Primaryusersincludemaintenanceandinstrumentationpersonnel.BenchHostscanbeusedforseveralapplications,includingtestingofskidoperationsandsettingupanewdeviceforservice.Class64BenchHostsareprimarilyoffprocesshostsforaccesstoapreviouslycommissioneddevice.PrimaryUsersofClass64BenchHostswouldbeinstrumentationandmaintenancepersonnel.TheClass64BenchHostusuallyresidesinaportabletoolthatisconnectedtoanoffprocesssegmentorspecializeddeviceapplicationsuchasofflinevalvediagnostics.TheFieldbusFoundationRegisteredProductspagehasacompletelistoftestedandregisteredhosts,devices,andotherproducts.Wealsoofferresourcesfordevelopers,includingdevelopertrainingandtools.YoucancheckouttheFieldbusFoundationwebpageathttp://www.fieldbus.organdgotoourEndUserResourcessectionforalistofregisteredproductsoremailusatmarketing@fieldbus.org.