Fieldbus Foundation™ announces first registered products

Citation

(1998), "Fieldbus Foundation™ announces first registered products", Sensor Review, Vol. 18 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.1998.08718dab.005

Fieldbus Foundation™ announces first registered products

Fieldbus Foundation™ announces first registered products

Keywords Fieldbus (standards)

Three suppliers receive device registrations

The Fieldbus Foundation™ has announced that seven fieldbus devices have successfully completed its device registration process, including passing interoperability tests and other requirements, and are now authorised to bear the Foundation registration mark. The registration of the first Foundation fieldbus products, which has been anticipated by users of plant automation equipment, is expected to have a significant impact on the industrial controls market.

The Fieldbus Foundation has issued registration certificates for the following products: Rosemount Inc., Model 3244 Temperature Transmitter and Model 3051 Pressure Transmitter; Smar Equipamentos Indistriais Ltd, Model LD 302 Pressure Transmitter, Model TT302 Temperature Transmitter and Model IF302 4-20mA to Fieldbus Converter; and Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Model EJA Pressure Transmitter and Model YF Flowmeter.

The registration of fieldbus products "signifies the beginning of a new, dynamic era in plant automation", according to Fieldbus Foundation president, John Pittman.

"I am pleased to announce to the industry that the long-standing promise of Fieldbus ­ fully-integrated digital control with interoperable host and field devices ­ has now been fulfilled with the availability of registered products", said Pittman. "End-users can be assured that these and other soon-to-be-registered devices, through our unique and rigorous registration process, have been extensively tested for interoperability and conformance to the Foundation fieldbus specifications".

He added, "I am extremely proud of the Fieldbus Foundation's staff, member companies and supporters around the world, whose dedication and hard work made this milestone achievement possible".

The Fieldbus Foundation proceeded with the registration process only after devices from multiple suppliers, containing communications "stacks" from different developers, had passed the interoperability tests. However, passing the interoperability tests alone are not sufficient for Foundation registration; products must meet all of the requirements of the device registration process to be officially registered.

As specified by the registration process, suppliers must provide evidence that their device under test (DUT) fieldbus physical interface conforms to the Foundation fieldbus physical layer conformance test specification (FF-830), and that the DUT contains an unmodified, Foundation-registered communications stack.

The registration process also requires the DUT pass an interoperability test of its standard function blocks, resource block and system/network management functions. This test is conducted using an interoperability test system (ITS) which was developed by the respected Fraunhofer Institute in Karlsruhe, Germany. The ITS's test engine executes test library functions (macros) and more than 300 individual test cases which exercise the DUT implementation. A test function block in the ITS tests function block input and output parameters in the DUT user layer which are configured and linked to other blocks. Additionally, the ITS verifies that object dictionary (OD) extension fields for standard function blocks are correct.

A device description (DD) interoperability test for the DUT verifies that its DD and OD extension fields match the specifications for the standard function blocks and the standard resource block, and checks the DD and DD extension fields for standard transducer blocks, supplier-defined transducer blocks and any other supplier-defined parameters.

Device interoperability tests are conducted by the Fieldbus Foundation at its independent laboratory in Austin, Texas.

Once all of the registration requirements have been met, the Fieldbus Foundation issues a Device Registration Agreement for each registered device. If a registered device's user layer or communication stack is later modified (any electronic hardware or software change), it must be re-tested and re-registered through the device registration process.

Pittman encourages those purchasing fieldbus products to look for the Foundation registration mark, to be certain that a device is fully Foundation fieldbus compliant. Only those devices bearing the registration mark provide end-users with the assurance that the benefits of the Fieldbus Foundation's technology are being delivered.

Information concerning registered Foundation fieldbus products can be obtained on the Fieldbus Foundation's Worldwide Web site ­ Fieldbus Online ­ at www.fieldbus.org or by contacting the Foundation. Tel: +1 512-794-8890.

The Fieldbus Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation consisting of over 120 leading process and manufacturing automation companies worldwide whose major purpose is to provide an open and neutral environment for the development of a single, international, interoperable fieldbus. In this environment, end-users, manufacturers, universities and research organisations are working together to develop the technology, provide development tools, support and training, coordinate field trials and demonstrations, and enable product interoperability.

For further information contact Fieldbus Foundation, 9390 Research Boulevard, Suite II-250, Austin, Texas 78759, USA. Tel: 512 794 8890; Fax: 512 794 8893.