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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS ISSUE

New Orleans to host 2004 General Assembly
The Fieldbus Foundation (FF) reports that its 2004 General Assembly will be held Feb. 18-19 in New Orleans, LA, at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel. The event will feature leading fieldbus experts from around the world, and provide valuable information for automation equipment suppliers, integrators and end-users interested in the latest developments in FOUNDATION fieldbus technology. Read More

Major FOUNDATION fieldbus exhibit planned for Interkama 2004
The foundation and Hannover Messe are planning a major exhibition of FOUNDATION fieldbus technology at the Interkama 2004 International Trade Fair, April 19-24, in Hannover, Germany. FF and Interkama's organizers are collaborating on a FOUNDATION fieldbus "center of gravity." Read More

"Fieldbus Forums" now available
FF recently launched its new "Fieldbus Forums," a convenient, web-based interface to the latest FOUNDATION fieldbus news and technical information. Fieldbus Forums are a totally new approach to the foundation's original BBS system. Read More

FF members invited to ARC's 8th Annual Forum
To spread best practices for driving operational excellence in manufacturing, ARC Advisory Group (Dedham, MA) is inviting FF's members to join industry leaders and foundation staff at ARC's 8th Annual Forum on Jan. 26-29, 2004, in Orlando, Florida. Read More

Emerson's Ovation control system completes HIST testing
Emerson Process Management's FOUNDATION fieldbus-compliant host, the Ovation expert control system, has successfully completed FF's Host Interoperability Support Test (HIST). Ovation is a key component of Emerson's PlantWeb digital plant architecture. Read More

Leading companies recognizing benefits of FF membership
Now is the time to join leading companies, such as Calibron Systems, Prosoft Technology, Beka Associates, Tata Consultancy, Nova Control Concepts, and Drehmo, which have gotten on the "Fast Track to Fieldbus" by joining the foundation. Read More

Emerson introduces control valve performance diagnostics
A new Fisher control valve diagnostics capability from Emerson Process Management presents green-yellow-red light indication of operating status, as well as recommended course of action, to make control valve maintenance significantly easier. Read More

Rockwell Automation linking device enables Logix control
Rockwell Automation's new FOUNDATION fieldbus linking device enables manufacturers to cost effectively apply the latest digital instrumentation in its process applications. The 1757-FFLD provides quick access to device information, resulting in reduced start-up time and better operation. Read More

Smar: producing results everywhere
Recognized as "First in Fieldbus," Smar and its best-in-class System302 enterprise automation system have produced profitable results for thousands of end-users worldwide. Read More

Softing has fieldbus solutions for every need
FOUNDATION fieldbus is experiencing a tremendous and worldwide push, and Softing can help end-users implement this technology in their products. Read More

Yokogawa's vortex flowmeter completes interoperability testing
Yokogawa Corp. of America has announced the completion of FOUNDATION fieldbus interoperability testing (ITK4.51) of the digitalYewflo vortex flowmeter. Based on field-proven sensor technology of the Yewflo series of vortex meters, digitalYewflo offers a unique signal processing technique. Read More

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New Orleans To Host 2004 General Assembly

The Fieldbus Foundation (FF) has announced that its 2004 General Assembly will be held Feb. 18-19 in New Orleans, LA, at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel. The event will feature leading fieldbus experts from around the world, and offer valuable information for automation equipment suppliers, integrators and end-users interested in the latest developments in FOUNDATION^™ fieldbus technology. Attendees will have the chance to meet with FF staffers, board of directors, and end-users.

To mark its 10th annual general assembly, FF also will hold a worldwide end-user meeting. Open to the public, the meeting will present fieldbus application case studies representing a wide range of industries and regions of the globe. General assembly attendees can also participate in end-user and integrator training workshops conducted by the Fieldbus Center at Lee College (Baytown, TX) and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (Calgary, Alberta, Canada).

Richard Timoney, FF's president and CEO, says the 2004 General Assembly will include an expanded program reflecting the dramatic increase in FOUNDATION fieldbus adoption worldwide. "The Fieldbus Foundation will mark its 10th anniversary in 2004, and our general assembly has grown to keep pace with the market's interest in fieldbus and support those implementing the technology," says Timoney. "We anticipate that the 2004 assembly will our largest annual gathering to date."

Timoney adds that the final agenda for the 2004 General Assembly will be announced soon. The program is expected to include presentations by prominent global companies that have implemented FOUNDATION fieldbus and are now realizing significant benefits from the tech-nology.

All general assembly attendees will receive a CD containing copies of the end-users' presentations, workshop materials, and technical documents such as FF's new System Engineering Guide, Technical Overview, and more.

For more information about the 2004 General Assembly, visit us on the web; or e-mail FF's Member Services department; or call (512) 794-8890, Ext. 21. Click here to download the PDF of the General Assembly Registration Form and reservation information.

 

Major FOUNDATION exhibit planned for Interkama 2004

The foundation and Hannover Messe are planning a major exhibition of FOUNDATION^™ fieldbus technology at the Interkama 2004 International Trade Fair, to be held April 19-24, in Hannover, Germany. FF and Interkama organizers are collaborating on a fieldbus "center of gravity" that will present live, interactive displays of fieldbus control systems and devices, and will be supported by the world's leading automation equipment suppliers.

A key feature of FF's exhibit at Interkama 2004 will be a self-contained auditorium, where experts on fieldbus technology and major end-users will offer a series of tutorial presentations.

Interkama 2004 will also include the return of "Joe Plant" to Europe. The foundation's Joe Plant character represents a "typical" plant engineer, whose career has prospered after convincing his company to install FOUNDATION fieldbus. Joe will visit the FF booth at Interkama to promote the benefits of fieldbus technology and meet with attendees.

More announcements about FF exhibit at Interkama 2004 are planned for the near future.

"Fieldbus Forums" now available

FF recently launched its new "Fieldbus Forums," which is a convenient, web-based interface to the latest FOUNDATION^™ fieldbus news and technical information. Fieldbus Forums are a totally new approach to the foundation's original BBS system.

Fieldbus Forums continues FF's tradition of openly sharing knowledge and experience related to fieldbus technology. The forums provide an environment where members can join technology development teams, as well as exchange new ideas, tech tips, user feedback, event an-nouncements and other useful information.

Joe Conklin, FF's marketing specialist, says Fieldbus Forums will enable FOUNDATION fieldbus experts, end-users, product suppliers and others worldwide to interact in an open, web-based community. "Fieldbus Forums make it easy for those with an interest in FOUNDATION fieldbus to find answers to their questions about the technology, and learn from the experiences of their counterparts across the globe," says Conklin. "The forums are designed with content-rich features, and simultaneously provide convenient, easy-to-use, global community access."

Visitors to FF's website can access Fieldbus Forums in two ways: using a feature-limited access for the general public, or by using enhanced access for registered members.

To become a Fieldbus Forums member, click here and follow the simple registration instructions. For more information, send an e-mail to member services or call FF's member services at (512) 794-8890, Ext. 21.

FF members invited to ARC's 8th Annual Forum

To spread best practices for driving operational excellence in manufacturing, ARC Advisory Group (Dedham, MA) is inviting FF's members to join industry leaders and foundation staff at ARC's 8th Annual Forum on Jan. 26-29, 2004, in Orlando, Florida.

ARC says its conference is the premier event for manufacturing, and that it's especially useful in today's daunting world of unpredictable market conditions and ruthless competition. "Evaluating best practices from a variety of industries, and adapting the very best to your business drives sustainable competitive advantage," states ARC. "Executives who want to drive their organization to the next level of performance need to attend this forum. Join top industry leaders as they share their experiences and recommendations for improved operational excellence."

In addition, FF members can now get 10% off on their registration fee. Also, attendees registering by Jan. 6, 2004, will receive a 10% discount on their registration fee. For more information or to register, visit ARC's web site. On the registration form specify Source Code as HCF04.

Emerson's Ovation control system completes HIST testing

Emerson Process Management's FOUNDATION^™ fieldbus-compliant host, the Ovation expert control system, has successfully completed FF's Host Interoperability Support Test (HIST). Ovation is a key component of Emerson's PlantWeb digital plant architecture.

With these latest test results, a total of 11 compliant hosts have completed HIST. A complete host list is available on the foundation's web site.

HIST results demonstrate which features defined in FF's host feature checklist are supported by a compliant host system. The comprehensive test program ensures that a suppliers' host system incorporates FOUNDATION fieldbus' robust functionality, and that it's able to function as part of an interoperable fieldbus control system. The foundation is the only industry organization that facilitates such a comprehensive host-testing program.

Richard Timoney, FF's president and CEO, says end-users worldwide, who are adopting FOUNDATION technology at a record pace, benefit from the wide availability of rigorously tested host systems. "Testing at the system and device levels is essential to implementing best-in-class control solutions," says Timoney. "The list of major industrial control system suppliers that have completed HIST continues to grow, providing the user community with the 'freedom to choose' and the 'power to integrate' when developing plant automation strategies."

HIST provides generic test procedures performed or witnessed by qualified FF staff on FOUNDATION fieldbus systems. These procedures show that a host system incorporating features defined by the foundation, such as Device Tag Assignment, Device Description Services and Capabilities Files, is capable of supporting interoperability.

HIST documentation requires each feature to contain a set of test procedures, which are run against the host or the fieldbus system using the host. Many test procedures require features to be supported from both the device(s) and the host. A host is able to claim support for a FOUNDATION fieldbus feature if it passes the test procedures defined by that feature. Since the features themselves are generic, manufacturers derive the test cases or actual implementation steps necessary to meet requirements of the test procedure. Once a feature is validated by successfully passing the test on two independent hosts, it is added to the feature list.

Leading companies recognizing benefits of FF membership

Global demand for FOUNDATION^™ fieldbus is setting new records as process and discrete manufacturing industries move beyond older, proprietary architectures to the advanced capabilities of open, all-digital fieldbus control systems. Consequently, now is the time to join leading companies, such as Calibron Systems, Prosoft Technology, Beka Associates, Tata Consultancy, Nova Control Concepts and Drehmo, which have gotten on the "Fast Track to Fieldbus" by joining the foundation.

As the world's leading industry consortium dedicated to fieldbus, the foundation offers a variety of membership options for those implementing this technology-of-choice. Whether you're a manufacturer/developer, engineer/integrator, end-user, research or educational institution, or government agency, you can become an FF member, and help continue to develop and expand the FOUNDATION fieldbus protocol.

FF membership offers many exciting benefits. Members receive a copy of the latest FOUNDATION specifications, a license to manufacture, and a 30% discount or more on fieldbus training, consulting services, development tools and maintenance agreements. Members are also receive a listing on FF's website, opportunities to sponsor events, and a chance to enroll in the annual fieldbus promotional program. In addition, they are able to participate in various FF committees, including the Technical Steering Committee (TSC), Marketing Committee, and in other demo events that drive the technology.

Also, be sure to sign up to receive the monthly e-newsletter, "Fieldbus Facts Online," which carries the latest news from FF and its members, and download the many new application guides such as the System Engineering Guidelines, Technical Overview and others available on the foundation's website, all of which can assist developers and end-users implementing FOUNDATION fieldbus.

In fact, due to this increased demand, FF's membership increased 10% in 2003. Suppliers and end-users alike are realizing the benefits of incorporating FOUNDATION fieldbus. So don't delay. Become a member today, and choose the enabling technology that provides the performance and business benefits that the automation industry is embracing.

To request a new member packet click here.

To download the membership application click here.

To download the membership benefits click here.

Emerson introduces control valve performance diagnostics

A new Fisher control valve diagnostics capability from Emerson Process Management presents green-yellow-red light indication of operating status along with recommended courses of action that make control valve maintenance significantly easier. This new Fieldvue Performance Diagnostics also powers Emerson's PlantWeb digital plant architecture with FOUNDATION^™ fieldbus to deliver predictive performance and health status to plant operators, enabling a preventative maintenance approach that improves plant availability and reduces maintenance costs.

Using AMS Device Manager software with a ValveLink Snap-On application, Fieldvue Performance Diagnostics detects emerging conditions at the valve that could lead to valve failure. It analyzes and trends valve diagnostic data while the valve is in service, without impacting the process. It displays the data graphically, and provides a green, yellow or red visual indication of current valve performance and level of urgency.

Users can instruct AMS ValveLink Software to run several performance diagnostics tests automatically. When the test sweep is complete, the software will pinpoint problems, show possible causes, and provide clear recommended corrective actions. These on-line performance diagnostics tests can detect more than 200 fault conditions. The software documents test results in a preformatted Microsoft Word format.

Emerson's new diagnostics capability is available in new Fieldvue DVC6000 and DVC5000f Series instruments, or as an easy upgrade to existing Fieldvue digital valve controllers.

For more information, click here.

Rockwell Automation linking device enables Logix control

Rockwell Automation's new FOUNDATION^™ fieldbus linking device enables manufacturers to cost effectively apply the latest digital instrumentation in their process applications. The 1757-FFLD provides quick access to device information, resulting in reduced start-up time and better operation. It minimizes programming and costs associated with creating and implementing a highly distributed control system in environments, such as those in life sciences, food, oil and gas, and brewing and beverage industries.

The linking device helps eliminate costly, time-consuming device integration by enabling the direct connection of Allen-Bradley's Logix controllers with FOUNDATION fieldbus devices. Manufacturers can now marry process, motion, discrete, and sequential operations with FOUNDATION's remote processing power. The device links H1 and High-Speed Ethernet (HSE) networks, and also provides dual, concurrent communications with Ethernet/IP. This allows manufacturers to use EtherNet/IP for discrete applications and HSE for process applications on the same network.

1757-FFLD also features a graphical development environment to configure FOUNDATION fieldbus networks and devices, while RSLogix 5000 programming software provides a built-in interface to connect Logix data tags to FOUNDATION device block parameters. An OPC HSE server interface enables any OPC-based software, such as RSView, to access FOUNDATION fieldbus device data. This gives users a holistic view of plant floor instrumentation.

For more information, click here.

Smar: producing results everywhere

Smar is recognized as "First in Fieldbus," and its best-in-class System302 enterprise automation system has produced profitable results for thousands of end-users worldwide. In recent years, some of these applications have included:

For more information about how System 302 can produce results, click here.

Softing has fieldbus solutions for every need

FOUNDATION^™ fieldbus is experiencing a tremendous and worldwide push, and Softing can help end-users implement this technology in their products. The range of Softing's services includes:

Device or control system suppliers seeking to get products FOUNDATION fieldbus enabled can save time and money by partnering with Softing, which has knowledge and experience covering all communication-relevant parts of suppliers' products.

Softing reports that it's been involved in FF's success story from the early 1990s. In those days, Softing helped host-system suppliers implement the new technology in their DCS systems. Today, almost 50% off all registered FOUNDATION fieldbus devices use Softing´s protocol stack.

The latest example of Softing's commitment to FOUNDATION fieldbus technology is the approval of its new HSE linking device, which is the worlds first linking device supporting the complete set of features as specified by the foundation.

For help in considering and/or developing FOUNDATION fieldbus-related products, talk to Softing first! For more information, contact: Armin Tesch, Softing North America Inc., 102 State St., Newburyport, MA 01950; send an e-mail; or visit www.softing.com or www.softing.us.

 

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