End User and Sales Force Training Seminars in Carson California

Our YouTube Channel

The week of May 24th we held our first of the Americas end user and sales force training seminars.  Thanks to the help of the local Los Angeles ISA chapter we were able to attract around 60 registered attendees, most of them end users with a lot of good questions to ask.  This year marked a new format for the Americas seminars, which focuses much more on practical application of FOUNDATION Fieldbus technology, with sessions on successful segment design and installation, commissioning, control in the field, and device diagnostics. 


Emerson Process Management, Rockwell Automation, and Yokogawa all had demo systems on display incorporating a range of third party devices from suppliers like Moore Industries, Phoenix Contact, Pepperl+Fuchs, Yamatake, Endress+Hauser, Smar, and others.  We created short YouTube videos based on the three primary demos that are available on our new YouTube channel.  A couple are still awaiting approval, but in our first video, Al Dewey of Emerson Process Management discusses the value and practical application of FOUNDATION Fieldbus device diagnostics capabilities, including a control valve.  Control valves represent a particularly lucrative opportunity when it comes to FOUNDATION Fieldbus because more money is proportionally spent on control valve routine maintenance, much of which can be avoided through the use of fieldbus diagnostics capabilities.  Look for more videos from the seminar soon. 

Al Dewey of Emerson Process Management Demonstrates Device Diagnostics

Good Article on Benefits of Control in the Field

Travis Hesketh of Emerson Process Management has written a good article on the benefits of control in the field on the Process and Control News Europe web site. The function block structure, which enables control in the field, has always been one of the key differentiators of FOUNDATION technology.  Control in the field allows end users to fix the setpoint closer to the control limit, providing greater energy efficiency and raw material utilization.  CIF also provides single loop integrity, so the loss of a control loop does not result in an unplanned shutdown.  The loop stands on its own, and can continue to function even if communciations with the system are lost. 

Control in the Field Provides Control and Reliability

Lee College Featured in CNN "Where are the Jobs?"

CNN recently did a segment on the need for more skilled workers in the US manufacturing sector.  This video focused specifically on the process industry opportunities in Baytown, Texas, a hub for the US petrochemical business.  Lee College in Baytown was featured as an educational institution that is training new workers for the process industries.  Not four year degreed engineers, but highly specialized technologists with two year degrees that can go right to work in process plants.  Demand for skilled people in Baytown is high, and Lee College happens to be one of our certified training partners under the Fieldbus Foundation FCTP program.  At one point they interview a recent graduate who is a 40 year old woman who was doing day care before she got her degree.  Her first job will earn her more than her brother who has a four year degreed computer engineer. 

As a bonus you can see FOUNDATION Fieldus certified instructor Chuck Carter in one of the shots and some very clear footage of the fieldbus lab. 

Where are the jobs?  Look to Baytown, Texas

Saudi Aramco Moves to Install FF-SIF System at Ju'aymah Gas Plant

The Aramco Expats blog has a great article about longtime FOUNDATION Fieldbus proponent Patrick Flanders and Aramco's involvement in FOUNDATION Fieldbus for Safety Instrumented Systems (FF-SIF).  According to the article, " Saudi Aramco is moving to install a completely integrated FF-SIF system at its Ju‘aymah Gas Plant. According to Flanders, that will be the first deployment of the new FF-SIF technology in an operating facility worldwide."  Indeed it is, and we will be watching developments around this first deployment of FF-SIF closely. 
Aramco ExPats: Company Moves Ahead in Safety Comms

New H1 Physical Layer Enhancements

This week we announced enhancements to the open, non-proprietary Foundation fieldbus physical layer technology. The latest updates to the H1 (31.25 kbit/s) physical layer specifications will improve the robustness of fieldbus control systems by optimizing device interoperability and integration. End users will benefit from easier installation, faster commissioning and seamless startups.
Enhancements to the Foundation fieldbus specifications include:

• Addition of a test procedure for isolated couplers to the existing Foundation fieldbus Coupler Test Specification. Registration of isolated couplers is now possible.
• Improvements to the H1 Physical Layer Conformance Test Specification based on Action Requests received during the last few years. The most significant changes include the addition of a receive jitter test case and a device-coupler interoperability test.
• Updates to the H1 Physical Layer Test Specification to remove obsolete profiles and align new references in the document with the current International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) specifications. Coupler profiles were also added to the test specification.

Implementation of the new Foundation fieldbus H1 Physical Layer Test Specification Version 2.0 is not immediately required. However, fieldbus device developers are encouraged to start using the specification as soon as possible. The updated specification will become mandatory with the next major release of the Fieldbus Foundation’s Interoperability Test Kit (ITK). Until then, developers can still provide proof of conformance to Version 1.5 of the specification when registering a device.
For more information, please visit the Technical Specifications Page.

azbil: Yamatake Launches Field Organizer Device Management System for HART and FOUNDATION Fieldbus

azbil, also known as Yamatake Corporation, has announced a new field device management platform called Field Organizer.  The new application promises to significantly shorten the time required for routine maintenance tasks such as loop checkout.  Real time device status updates and integration with Yamatake's Valstaff maintenance support system for control valves are some other features. Field Organization supports FOUNDATION Fieldbus, HART, and FDT/DTM technologies. 

Link to News Release on Yamatake Site

Yokogawa Fieldbus Success Story for the North American Water Industry

Yokogawa recently released a success story for one of its customers in the municipal water business.  The municipal water system of Oviedo, Florida recently installed a FOUNDATION Fieldbus based system, devices, and PRM plant asset management application on one of its water treatment facilities.  Reduced engineering costs and reduced need for on-site instrument checks were primary reasons for choosing FOUNDATION technology.