Control Made Seamless

At the applications level, System 800xA includes a common engineering information and visualization environment—an information "bus" of sorts—that facilitates seamless integration of third-party applications such as for integrated document management, electronic logbooks and laboratory systems that traditionally have not been integrated into the process automation architecture. With these and other integrated solutions, common visualization across plant areas delivers savings in engineering as well facilitating the right operational and business decisions and actions to maximize productivity.

One key aspect of the seamless integration of process and diagnostic data in the System 800xA environment is the ability to facilitate comprehensive device management and asset optimization strategies. ABB offers native solutions supporting a broad range of asset management tools and strategies, including condition-based monitoring, predictive maintenance. instrumentation health, process optimization, energy management and other "green" initiatives, alarm management, health/safety/environmental and other compliance issues, asset management benchmarking services, remote diagnostic services, and IT equipment and infrastructure health.

System 800xA Asset Optimization (AO) is unique in the marketplace in that it brings together, in one user interface, a composite view of the health and performance of each plant asset. Transparently maintaining all the richness of information, advantages and capabilities of each specialized system, AO eliminates the need for the user to switch between several systems, workplaces, application environments and navigation schemes.

Ethernet Communications Options for the System 800xA

IEC 61850 – System 800xA's IEC 61850 communications module is a key addition to AC 800M communications that enables users to finally optimize the use of their electrical subsystems within a facility relative to the power utilization required by the process manufacturing needs in real-time.

Foundation HSE - System 800xA's support for Foundation Fieldbus (FF) includes both HSE and H1 networks. Foundation Fieldbus offers the unique capability to fully distribute control into the field devices with the use of function blocks similar to those used in most distributed control systems (DCSs) today. System 800xA is the only DCS that offers a full implementation of FF HSE and FF H1, providing significant benefits to the user unmatched by an "H1 only" solution.

Profibus/Profinet - Profibus DP and PA are used for many applications, including remote I/O with ABB's S800 and S900 products, connectivity to devices like transmitters and valves, and solutions with AC and DC drives. Available in the latest System 800xA release, Profinet now provides many of the features of Profibus DP on an Ethernet backbone using the same tools and seamless connectivity features users of Profibus networks already know.

EtherNetIP/DeviceNet - Also included in the latest release of System 800xA are EtherNet/IP and DeviceNet communications modules. EtherNet/IP is the TCP/IP Ethernet extension of DeviceNet (and ControlNet). In addition to the speed increases achievable with Ethernet, the protocol includes standard object and device models to simplify communication message structures. A primary application of EtherNet/IP within System 800xA is to provide high speed connections to programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and Motor Control Centers (MCCs) that use this protocol.