Every month, Control's editors take a specific product area, collect all the latest, significant tools we can find, and present them here to make your job easier. If you know of any tools and resources we didn't include, send them to [email protected], and we'll add them to the website.
HANDY FIELDBUS GUIDES
Pepperl+Fuchs
330-486-0002
Pepperl+Fuchs offers two basic guides to fieldbus technologies in a handy, simplified form. One is a two-page "pocket guide" to the high-power trunk concept, exploring such issues as the physical fieldbus layer, typical physical layer measurements, cable type and trunk lengths, and Division 2 installation. The second one is a poster containing some of the same information in simplified form on a single page suitable for mounting. The direct link to the wall chart is http://tinyurl.com/y5mrg9f; the pocket guide is at http://tinyurl.com/y7xxlv3.
FIELDBUS WIRING GUIDE
Relcom Inc.
800/382-3765
This free, downloadable, 58-page PDF contains detailed information on wiring fieldbus systems. Topics covered include configuration, signals, cable, terminators, power, reliability considerations, cable selection and installation in process plants, hazardous-area power and more. The direct link is at http://tinyurl.com/y6os89j.
FIELDBUS OVERVIEW
Emerson Process Management
512/835-2190
A 12-part presentation on fieldbus basics by experts. Subjects include a fieldbus overview, justifying fieldbus, example applications, installation of fieldbus, fieldbus standards, fieldbus communication, fieldbus function blocks, fieldbus diagnostics, fieldbus EDDL, HSE fieldbus and advanced fieldbus. A direct link is at http://tinyurl.com/y4veoyk.
FIELDBUS PDF
Yokogawa
800/888-6400
"The Fieldbus Book–A Tutorial" is a 41-page PDF document that covers many of the details of Foundation fieldbus. The subjects covered include the physical layer, data link layer, application layer, system management protocol, high-speed Ethernet, function blocks and more. It's free for downloading at http://tinyurl.com/y3m29dd.
COMPARING FIELDBUSES
Pacontrol.com
These two PDFs compare remote communications technologies. A PDF chart compares the characteristics of Foundation fieldbus, Profibus, DeviceNet, AS-i, Modbus and HART industrial communication protocols. The 30-page document includes a comparison of fieldbus and remote I/O systems. Both are available free for downloading at www.pacontrol.com/Fieldbus.html.
NOT QUITE A DOZEN FIELDBUS ARTICLES
Open Systems Media
This website has links to 11 articles on various fieldbus technologies. Topics include "Choosing the Right Fieldbus," "Eight Popular Open-Architecture Fieldbuses, Parts 1 and 2," "Controlling Fieldbus Systems with Internet Technology," "Using CAN as an Industrial Fieldbus," and "Using Fieldbus to Integrate Automated Systems." A direct link is at http://tinyurl.com/y53fets.
INSTALLING FIELDBUS
Moore Industries International
818/894-7111
Many automation engineers are coming face to face with real fieldbus applications for the first time. Fieldbus (using digital communications networks for distributed instrumentation and control) has many benefits, but installation requires some additional considerations over and above normal 4-20 mA projects. This whitepaper from MooreHawke discusses some of these issues and explains how to deal with them. To access the paper go to http://tinyurl.com/y47f5la.
