Enhancements to FOUNDATION Fieldbus Usability

We just announced the release of some great new enhancements to usability of FOUNDATION fieldbus. The new specifications that have been released offer a world of new changes to make FOUNDATION simpler.

Check out our release for more details!
http://www.fieldbus.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1236&Itemid=281

Latest Registered FF Products!

Did you realize we release the latest list of registered FOUNDATION devices in our eNewsletters? It's a little known fact about our Fieldbus Flash Newsletter that can be quite beneficial to FOUNDATION  users all across the world. It is just yet another way we listen to user feedback here at the Fieldbus Foundation.

I was attending one of our great seminar roadshows a couple of years ago and was asked by a user how they can know when new versions of their favorite products have been registered. The simple answer was to encourage them to talk to their supplier directly, but upon further digging, I realized this was something not being well addressed by the process community at large. How are the users supposed to know when a new device is available? If they don't know they're a newer versions available how can they upgrade an old device that may not have the full capabilities they require in their demanding application?

The answer is to track and update our members and newsletter subscribers about the latest registered products and to direct them to their appropriate registration page for more information.

If you've ever wanted to keep up with learning when new products are available after official registration, be sure to sign up for our electronic newsletter "Fieldbus Flash". You can do so here: http://www.fieldbus.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=217&Itemid=387

For those of you who want to see the latest registered products as of our September newsletter you can view it through our Media Partners web hosted version of the table here: http://www.controlglobal.com/industrynews/2013/foundation-fieldbus-products/

October Fieldbus Flash Newsletter Screen Capture

FOUNDATION Technology Study Day – London, 26 February, 2013

London, UK – 15 January, 2013 - The Fieldbus Foundation UK Marketing Committee (FFUKMC) has announced the first of its 2013 schedule of end user events – a FOUNDATIONTechnology Study Day to be held in London on Tuesday 26 February, 2013.

With a morning session focused on an introduction to FOUNDATION technology, a lunch break with tabletop displays and additional presentations, and an afternoon session offering a more advanced programme, delegates will be able to tailor the day to suit their own requirements. Delegates may choose to attend either the morning or afternoon session or they are welcome to attend both. There is no charge to attend and the lunch and lunchtime sessions are open to all delegates.

Following registration and coffee, the morning session, from 10.00-12.00, will include an introduction to FOUNDATION technology and solutions, and an insight into the lifecycle economics of the system.

The afternoon session, from 14.00-16.00, will present a more in-depth programme of presentations and practical workshops with a focus on supporting a FOUNDATION installation through asset management; device replacement; calibration and recommended maintenance practices.

All registered attendees are invited to the complimentary lunch during which Fieldbus Foundation member companies will be available to discuss and demonstrate their Foundation products and services.

Also available during the lunch break are update presentations on Foundationfor Remote Operations Management (F-ROM) and Foundationfor Safety Instrumented Functions (FF-SIF).

Richard Barnes, chairman of the FFUKMC is looking forward to welcoming current or potential end users, system integrators, EPCs, and all personnel with an interest in FOUNDATION fieldbus systems or a need to gain an understanding of the technology. “The FFUKMC is trying a new approach to its end user seminars – we understand the need for differing levels of information to suit individuals in differing roles within the process automation enterprise. The study day format allows everyone to gain high quality information whether it’s at an introductory level or an advanced level.” He continued, “There will also be several opportunities throughout the day for networking with other users and potential users, as well as industry experts and suppliers of the systems, devices and components that make up a FOUNDATION system.”

The event will be held at the Emerson Process Management office, Accurist House, 44 Baker Street, London, W1U 7AL. Delegates are invited to register their names, company, email address and session preferences with the UK Committee, email: uk_info@fieldbus.org.

Additional FOUNDATION Technology Study Days are scheduled to be held at locations in Aberdeen, Scotland, the Scottish and central belt and the north of England.

About the Fieldbus Foundation UK Marketing Committee

The FFUKMC was formally established in 1999 to promote an increased awareness and adoption of FOUNDATION™ technology throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland through a range of end user focused activities including technology seminars and roadshows, technical demonstrations and support, and trade show and conference participation.

The FFUKMC membership now includes: ABB, Beamex, Beka Associates, Emerson Process Management, Endress+Hauser, Honeywell, MTL –Cooper Crouse-Hinds, Moore Industries, Pepperl+Fuchs, Rockwell Automation, Rotork, R.Stahl, Smar, Turck, Vega and Yokogawa.

For more information about the Fieldbus Foundation UK Marketing Committee and its activities in the UK and Ireland, visit the FFUKMC webpages of the Fieldbus Foundation’s website www.fieldbus.org, or email uk_info@fieldbus.org

Updates to FOUNDATION Spec Allow for Easier Device Replacement

The Fieldbus Foundation today announced the latest updates to its open, non-proprietary FOUNDATION fieldbus specifications. These updates help automate device replacement and enable backwards compatibility among different revisions of FOUNDATION devices used in plant automation systems. End users will benefit from greater predictability in fieldbus implementation, while reducing integration risks and eliminating manual intervention for device configuration.

The most significant updates to the Foundation technical specifications are a revised series of function block and transducer block profiles, as well as requirements for H1 (31.25 kbit/s) device replacement that are now part of the Fieldbus Foundation’s device registration process. This enhancement enables the H1 interoperability test kit to verify consistent behavior between device and host implementations in fieldbus-based control systems.

End users are seeking increasingly automated replacement of intelligent devices. Device replacement automation makes it easier to reproduce an existing FOUNDATION device configuration (including function blocks and parameters) in a newer instrument by enabling a minimum set of functionality to exist so end users can get their process back up and running quickly and simply. This enhancement allows for final configuration to be completed after other critical tasks associated with the process outage have been addressed. This saves time and money and simplifies stocking of replacement devices.

Fieldbus Foundation Director-Fieldbus Products Stephen Mitschke commented, "The Foundation recognizes that ease of device replacement is an important concern for engineers and technicians in process plants. We see these updated specifications as a valuable opportunity and a first step in a series of things we can do to provide more value to the end users. It’s another example of our commitment to continuous improvement and being an end user driven standard."

Automation of device replacement allows the configuration in an existing field device to be restored in a newer version of that instrument without manual intervention. This ‘plug and play’ solution ensures features are consistent between different generations of devices without reengineering the host configuration or changing any other element of the H1 network other than the new instrument.

In addition to device replacement, the specification update provides improved positioner profile in fieldbus devices. This technology supports organization and integration of advanced device diagnostics within fieldbus systems. It provides standard definitions for positioner transducer blocks and includes parameter structure definitions for better data organization with fieldbus devices, including partial/full stroke test (PST/FST) of valves.

The new specification release also includes definitions for discrete process variables clarifying how variable values are interpreted in conjunction with state tables, as well as several new or updated application and technical notes.

For more information, please visit the Technical Specifications page of the Fieldbus Foundation’s website at www.fieldbus.org. You may also view the Spec Index for a full list of specifications included in the Foundation Technical Specifications package.