Our marketing specialist Talon Petty has done a series of very good videos on best practices for fieldbus wiring. As any engineer with experience on fieldbus projects will tell you, most of the issues experienced in fieldbus installations are due to poor wiring. Since FOUNDATION fieldbus is a digital network that runs over twisted pair, there are some things you have to keep in mind and some practices that may be different from what you are used to with analog technology over twisted pair. I have spoken to many people that go to user installations where they report a problem with fieldbus technology, but it is discovered that wiring was not done right. Fortunately you can watch these videos and many of these issues can be avoided!
Issues affecting the world of FOUNDATION Fieldbus technology
Showing posts with label wiring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wiring. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
VirtualMarshalling IS the future of Distributed I/O
While hosted our seminar in Chicago this week, I was reminded about distributed I/O alternatives out there in the industry and it warranted a bit of discussion. For those that don't have copies of our latest Fieldbus Report (Spring 2013), you may have missed an article Larry O'Brien at the Fieldbus Foundation has recently put together a document on the future of distributed I/O. The interested thought-provoking premise behind it is that the future of distributed I/O has actually been around for quite some time with FOUNDATION fieldbus.
Why are there others who try to make physical distributed I/O smarter or better when it can be easily eliminated entirely? With FOUNDATION Fieldbus, individual physical I/O points have long been replaced by software based distributed I/O, meaning multiple signals are carried over one single H1 cable. There are no custom hardware configurations or additional hardware components to purchase. It all comes pre-canned with FOUNDATION fieldbus. Blocks can be linked together virtually in the software without the added work, cost and labor of running additional wiring. This is what we've dubbed "VirtualMarshalling". It is the future that is already available today. It's a bit like those Samsung Galaxy commercials of today that take pokes at the iPhone with their tagline "The Next Big Thing is Already Here". In the realm of industrial process control, the next big thing is already here and it is called VirtualMarshalling.
Check out our paper on VirtualMarshalling below and learn how returning to the basics actually provides you with the competitive edge, all built-in. Remember, FOUNDATION fieldbus was built by end users wanting a better technology built specifically for Process Control that can replace the outdated 4-20 from days yore.
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| Back to Basics with VirtualMarshalling |
Monday, August 26, 2013
Advantages of FOUNDATION in FPSOs
I came across an interesting article on the use of FOUNDATION fieldbus in a Floating Production Storage and Offloading project. I originally posted it to our LinkedIn group but I thought it was a good piece to also share with everyone on our blog.
The article, by Suresh P. Nair, was featured in a web exclusive by InTech.
The article explains all the benefits of having a "plug and play" technology that allows for quick modular connections of instrumentation in a very confined space. As we all know, space on a sea-bearing vessel comes at a premium so the smaller the footprint of your equipment, the more room for raw product. More raw product is the bottom line.
In the LinkedIn group posting I linked above, Jonas Berge talks about what this type of installation means beyond just FPSOs. The overarching benefit here is with regards to the ability to modular construct FOUNDATION fieldbus projects. While the immediate benefits for this type of application on an FPSO is space savings, weight savings, diagnostics, cabling savings, ease of commissioning etc (you all know the extensive list of benefits of FOUNDATION fieldbus by now), the true benefits are something bigger.
With the ability to modularly construct projects, easier project implementation on site greatly increases. Jonas points out that the ability to modularly construct a project allows the user to "reduce labor at the isolated site where resources are scarce, using manpower in the yard where resources are plenty." There is a powerful message to be learned in that statement. I agree with Jonas that we're not too far off from major mammoth projects being built offsite and shipped modularly for connection. We already see this type of thing happening across other industrial projects like major roadway/bridges and building construction. In fact, many of our regular homes are being built offsite these days with entire walls being pre-fabricated and delivered to site.
Be sure to read the full article on InTech's website here: Advantages of FOUNDATION for FPSOs
Also, be sure to read all of Jonas Berge's insights on the project on our LinkedIn group here: FOUNDATION Fieldbus LinkedIn Group - FPSO
As a side note I can't help but be reminded of the story of a hotel just south of us in San Antonio that is sitting along the riverwalk that was build in a modular fashion for the Texas World Fair in 1968. It took only 46 days to "build" 496 rooms on the 21 story hotel.
The article, by Suresh P. Nair, was featured in a web exclusive by InTech.
The article explains all the benefits of having a "plug and play" technology that allows for quick modular connections of instrumentation in a very confined space. As we all know, space on a sea-bearing vessel comes at a premium so the smaller the footprint of your equipment, the more room for raw product. More raw product is the bottom line.
In the LinkedIn group posting I linked above, Jonas Berge talks about what this type of installation means beyond just FPSOs. The overarching benefit here is with regards to the ability to modular construct FOUNDATION fieldbus projects. While the immediate benefits for this type of application on an FPSO is space savings, weight savings, diagnostics, cabling savings, ease of commissioning etc (you all know the extensive list of benefits of FOUNDATION fieldbus by now), the true benefits are something bigger.
With the ability to modularly construct projects, easier project implementation on site greatly increases. Jonas points out that the ability to modularly construct a project allows the user to "reduce labor at the isolated site where resources are scarce, using manpower in the yard where resources are plenty." There is a powerful message to be learned in that statement. I agree with Jonas that we're not too far off from major mammoth projects being built offsite and shipped modularly for connection. We already see this type of thing happening across other industrial projects like major roadway/bridges and building construction. In fact, many of our regular homes are being built offsite these days with entire walls being pre-fabricated and delivered to site.
Be sure to read the full article on InTech's website here: Advantages of FOUNDATION for FPSOs
Also, be sure to read all of Jonas Berge's insights on the project on our LinkedIn group here: FOUNDATION Fieldbus LinkedIn Group - FPSO
As a side note I can't help but be reminded of the story of a hotel just south of us in San Antonio that is sitting along the riverwalk that was build in a modular fashion for the Texas World Fair in 1968. It took only 46 days to "build" 496 rooms on the 21 story hotel.
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| Click Image to Read about the Modular Construction of the San Antonio Hotel |
Thursday, September 27, 2012
New YouTube Videos on Armored Cable Installation
Ask any fieldbus expert and they will tell you that the vast majority of problems experienced with a fieldbus installation are related to the physical layer. Things like wiring, connectors, terminators, power conditioners, and device couplers can be a smoothly running part of your installation or a problem. Usually the issues are simple to resolve, and by keeping a few best practices in mind you can have a solid physical layer installation. Dave Lancaster of Bechtel lives by the axiom "Insulate, Isolate, and Keep as Short as Possible".
With that in mind, Talon Petty of Fieldbus Foundation has made a series of new videos on best practices for fieldbus wiring. One of the topics is armor-plated wiring, which offers an extra hardened solution for environments that require it. If you work in a plant near the ocean, for example, you are quite familiar with the corrosive effects of salt air and storm-related flooding. Sometimes, opting for cable with a little extra protection is the right way to go, but there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to make it easy to deal with the armor jacketing. Check out these videos for some good pointers.
Introduction to FOUNDATION Fieldbus Tube Armored H1 Cable
Cutting, Stripping & Taping FOUNDATION Fieldbus Aluminum Interlocking Armor H1 Cable
Stripping FOUNDATION Fieldbus Braided Armor Cable
With that in mind, Talon Petty of Fieldbus Foundation has made a series of new videos on best practices for fieldbus wiring. One of the topics is armor-plated wiring, which offers an extra hardened solution for environments that require it. If you work in a plant near the ocean, for example, you are quite familiar with the corrosive effects of salt air and storm-related flooding. Sometimes, opting for cable with a little extra protection is the right way to go, but there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to make it easy to deal with the armor jacketing. Check out these videos for some good pointers.
Introduction to FOUNDATION Fieldbus Tube Armored H1 Cable
Cutting, Stripping & Taping FOUNDATION Fieldbus Aluminum Interlocking Armor H1 Cable
Stripping FOUNDATION Fieldbus Braided Armor Cable
Thursday, April 12, 2012
New Video on Field Wiring
We have uploaded a new instructional wiring video for H1 cable installation, starring our marketing specialist Talon Petty. Many end users tell us that when they do have an issue with fieldbus technology in the field, it is usually related to improper implementation of the physical layer. Importance of the physical layer should not be underestimated, and doing your wiring right the first time can save a lot of headaches down the road. The video demonstrates the proper techniques for cutting, stripping, crimping and heat shrinking fieldbus cable for professional process automation installations for field devices. While each region has different specifications and/or procedures, we’ve set up a very common example based on US standard specifications. The video addresses cable preparation for connecting to a field device. The procedure varies slightly for connecting to device couplers or controllers, but again grounding techniques vary by region. We hope you find the video informative and look forward to your comments.
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