Emerson AMS now Offers Predictive Diagnostics for All Control Systems

Emerson Process Management has announced that it has tested and successfully integrated Softing's Linking Device and Gateway FG-110-FF,with the Emerson AMS Suite predictive maintenance software application. This basically means that AMS can be added to any FOUNDATION fieldbus network regardless of host.  You can read the entire press release here. 

Softing is one of our Development Services Providers (DSPs) at the Fieldbus Foundation.

Emerson's AMS Suite predictive diagnostics now available on any Foundation Fieldbus control system

Come See FOUNDATION for ROM at Automation 2013 Mumbai

The FOUNDATION fieldbus India Committee (FFIC) is hard at work on creating our FOUNDATION for ROM (Remote Operations Management) demonstration to be held at the Automation 2013 trade show in Mumbai from September 23 through 26 at the Bombay Exhibition Center.  There is a great program of keynote speeches planned on the 23rd, including presentations from Peter Martin of Invensys on the value of automation. Fieldbus Foundation Chairman and President and CEO of Pepperl+Fuchs Dr. Gunther Kegel will deliver a presentation on the rise of Cyber Physical Systems in manufacturing.  Fieldbus Foundation marketing manager Larry O'Brien will be delivering a presentation on the impact of digital communications on process automation, and Mr. K Nandakumar of Chemtrols Industries Limited will be delivering the keynote address.

We have a full day FOUNDATION for ROM seminar planned at the show for September 24th.  Details of the agenda will follow, but will include presentations from Larry O'Brien, Dr. Gunther Kegel, and B.R. Mehta, Senior Vice President of Reliance Industries (the Reliance Jamnagar Refinery is the largest FOUNDATION fieldbus installation in the world).  

Automation 2013 Mumbai

Come to our End User and Sales Force Training Seminars in Chicago!

Our Chicago end user and sales force training seminars are right around the corner.  We will be hosting our end user seminar on September 18th at the Chicago Marriott O'Hare hotel, and our sales force training seminar will occur on Thursday September 19th at the same venue.  You can access complete agendas and registration information here.

End User Seminars

Our end user seminars are geared toward taking the mystery out of FOUNDATION fieldbus and making end users and systems integrators realize the true lifecycle benefits of the technology. Whether you are a new user contemplating your first fieldbus project, an experienced user trying to get the most out of your installation, or a systems integrator that wants to implement fieldbus successfully, these seminars are designed for you. The best part is that through the support of our many sponsors, we are able to hold these seminars at no charge.

In addition to live demonstrations, you will also hear from some of the best and most advanced trainers, end users, and experts in the world of fieldbus. Dave Lancaster has helped implement countless FOUNDATION fieldbus projects around the world, and is also one of our certified instructors at Trine University in Indianapolis. John Rezabek of Ashland Chemical is Chairman of our End User Advisory Council and has years of experience using FOUNDATION fieldbus on a day-to-day basis. We often also call upon Herman Storey who is now an independent consultant after retiring from Shell Global Solutions recently. Herman is extremely knowledgeable and intimately familiar with the Fieldbus Foundation and its processes while approaching everything from his end user perspective.


This year, we are making our sessions more interactive than ever. Come and see how getting the real lifecycle cost savings of FOUNDATION fieldbus is easier than you thought, and learn about how “in a world of choices, FOUNDATION brings it all together.”

Sales Force Training Seminars

Intended to provide a greater understanding of the operational improvements and business benefits delivered by the FOUNDATION automation infrastructure, the sales training seminars will be presented by leading experts in fieldbus technology. The seminar content is designed to be vendor-neutral, addressing key topics of interest for salespeople involved with control and instrumentation products. In particular, the seminars aim to dispel myths about FOUNDATION technology and provide hard facts and data salespeople can rely upon.

These sales force training seminars are also free of charge and every attendee leaves with the FOUNDATION fieldbus sales force playbook.

Chicago End User Seminar on September 18th, O'Hare Airport Marriott

Chicago Sales Force training Seminar September 19th, O'Hare Airport Marriott

FOUNDATION for ROM Makes it onto ARC's Top Technologies to Watch List!

ARC is known for its list of top technologies to watch in the coming year and I am pleased to say that FOUNDATION for Remote Operations Management is mentioned on this year's list alongside technologies such as predictive analytics and cloud computing.

ARC: Nine Technologies to Watch for the Automation Industry

BP Whiting Crude Unit Starts Up: One of Many Fieldbus Modernization Projects!

I read an article last week in Flow Control magazine about a new BP Whiting crude unit starting up last week.  This unit startup is a key milestone in the ongoing multi-billion dollar modernization and upgrade of the Indiana Whiting refinery.  I have it on good authority that this project also incorporates a fair amount of FOUNDATION fieldbus technology, and is just one of many refinery modernization projects across North America that has decided to make FOUNDATION fieldbus part of its modernization strategy.  Motiva Enterprises, a joint venture between Shell and Saudi Refining, Inc. also incorporates many FOUNDATION fieldbus devices and host systems at its refineries in North America (more information here).  Chevron is also incorporating FOUNDATION fieldbus into both its new projects and modernization projects.

The BP Whiting Refinery (Source: BP Facebook Page)

Configuring NAMUR NE107 Alerts in DeltaV

Host systems that are being tested to our latest Host Profiles for testing and registration purposes must support NAMUR NE 107 recommendations for displaying intelligent device alerts.

NAMUR NE 107 Diagnostic Alert Categories

Here is a handy guide from Emerson Process Management on configuring NAMUR NE 107 alerts for the DeltaV process automation system, which has also been tested and registered under the latest Fieldbus Foundation Host Profile 61b registration.  The term "FF912" refers to the section of the FOUNDATION specification that incorporates NAMUR NE107 alerts and prioritization.  You can read more about FF912 in this white paper that we released earlier this year.  

Configuring FF912 Alarms in a DeltaV System

Korean Supplier YoungTech Partners with Softing for new Fieldbus Positioner

We always like to highlight the capabilities of our Development Services Providers (DSP) at the Fieldbus Foundation. The DSP program is a resource for all companies wishing to design, develop, manufacture or sell FOUNDATION fieldbus devices. A Foundation DSP is a company or individual who has met the Fieldbus Foundation’s standards for tools, training and experience to provide services for the development and registration of Foundation products that can drastically reduce your development costs if you are a new supplier entering the fieldbus market.

One recent success story involves our DSP partner Softing and leading Korean valve positioner supplier YoungTech.  A recent case study published by Softing shows how YoungTech worked with Softing to help introduce a FOUNDATION fieldbus digital positioner to the Korean marketplace quickly and with significantly reduced development costs.

From the case study:

"Having already undergone FOUNDATION fieldbus Physical Layer Conformance testing, Softing was able to offer a communication module with a pre-certified platform, saving YTC even more time and expense. The only outstanding test to be run was for FOUNDATION fieldbus interoperability. Once completed, the YT-2500 became the first positioner certified according to the FOUNDATION fieldbus Positioner Transducer Block Specification."

 Softing partners with YTC to launch Korea’s first-ever FOUNDATION fieldbus field device

Fieldbus Foundation Development Services Provider Program