The Big Three of the Process Industry: HART, FF, Profibus

nov 2016 Process Analytics

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Like in the manufacturing industry, the use of fieldbus systems has established itself also in the production and processing steps of process automation: Today, 50% of all installed smart field device communication still flows through the very popular 4-20 mA/HART protocol.

However, apart from that and with regards to today’s increasing data volumes and higher demands for a flexible network design, the fieldbuses FOUNDATION Fieldbus (FF) and Profibus have asserted themselves.

While FF was developed in the USA and is still widely used there, Profibus is the leading fieldbus system in Europe’s process industry. Both systems provide major advantages over HART, which isn’t a fieldbus system in the strictest sense, as it transfers measured values as analog standard signals on which the diagnostics and device functions are modulated.

The benefits include:

The digital data transfer with FF or Profibus is carried out with a significantly higher bandwidth and a substantially higher number of possible network participants.
The fieldbuses allow for the implementation of a decentralized control system as well as setting a time stamp and handling of alerts.
Malfunctions, device failures or the occurrence of unforeseen changes in the process can be detected immediately.

If analyzers have standardized fieldbus interfaces, they can optimally be integrated into new or existing host systems. This way, they enable the control center to be able to access current measured values, device data and configurations at any time.

Knick analyzers (as a bus version) of the Stratos series for measuring pH values, conductivity and dissolved oxygen provide you with integrated interfaces for Profibus DP, Profibus PA or FOUNDATION Fieldbus. The bus interfaces are certified by the Profibus User Organization and the Fieldbus Foundation according to the current Profibus PA Profile 3.02 or the FOUNDATION Fieldbus Version ITK 6.1.1.