FieldConnex® Advanced Diagnostic Modules increase plant availability
The Diagnostic Modules from Pepperl+Fuchs evaluate the quality of the fieldbus physics and carry out loop checks. This reduces commissioning time and ensures that the fieldbus operates reliably right from the get go. And the modules also provide warnings in the event of any deterioration in quality and facilitate proactive intervention to increase plant availability. The fieldbus looses its black magic and becomes simpler, with increased manageability and measurability.
Today the fieldbus is a recognized and meanwhile widely excepted technology for the transfer of process data and diagnostic information. On the part of the user the requirement is for a very high availability of the plant. And the prerequisite is that the fieldbus physical layer must satisfy very high quality requirements. In plain words: If the physics are poor, the result can be the loss of communication, the loss of individual devices, or even of a complete segment. Only a “clean“ physical layer ensures perfect communication and the avoidance of problems.
The Advanced Diagnostic Modules in the FieldConnex® series from Pepperl+Fuchs are ideal tools to verify the quality of the fieldbus physics. These also offer help in the expedient recognition of problem areas and their elimination.
Diagnosis during the commissioning phase
As with the 4…20 mA technology, a “loop check“ has to be made during commissioning. The aim of this check must be to ensure that at plant start up the best possible quality of the fieldbus physical layer is available. The quality has to be evaluated going beyond the requirements of a “normal“ loop check. In detail, the following parameters are assessed:
The alarm levels are defined such that they also lie within the specification, so that they are far enough away from the original measured value to avoid nuisance alarms. So even in the case of changes to the physics sufficient is still available.
The data are deposited in the diagnostic module, so that the module does not have to be continually connected with the FieldConnex® Diagnostic Manager during operation.
All values are related to the segment or each individual field device connected. The result is presented in such a way, that it is clear at a glance whether the segment is operating correctly or there are problem fields. Information on possible causes of the fault is provided in clear text. And finally, a report is generated for each segment, which can also be exported in various data formats for later analysis. In this way the time for commissioning and for any eventual fault search is reduced.
The advantage for the user is immediately clear when it is realized that the checking of a segment with 16 fieldbus stations takes approx. 6 minutes. This includes the complete check, the definition of the alarm warning level, the download to the diagnostic module and the generation of the report. How long does it take to make a loop check on 16 measuring circuits in the 4…20 mA technology? So the commissioning time is indeed shortened!
Diagnosis during plant operation
If a warning limit is violated during operation, an alarm: “Maintenance required” is initiated. For the user this means:
1. The segment is still running!
2. Abnormal changes have taken place
3. The current values still lie within the specification.
With this knowledge the user can now proactively decide whether the problem needs to be immediately solved, whether it can be attended to during the next few days, or left until the next planned stoppage time. Via the Diagnostic Manager the user obtains information on which alarm value has been reached and the possible cause.
In addition, the stability of the communication can be checked. The module detects the following faults, which can point to a problem with the fieldbus physics:
Troubleshooting and trend analysis
For particularly obstinate cases the integrated fieldbus oscilloscope comes into play. The special feature of this oscilloscope, is that it is integrated into the software and can be triggered by fieldbus events, i.e. by specific messages or error events.
And the modules also offer a history function, by means of which very slow changes can be detected. If, for example, the history data is read out before a scheduled plant shutdown, a decision can be made as to whether in fact the fieldbus segment needs to receive attention – and if the answer is yes – just what needs to be done.
Pepperl+Fuchs offers a stationary version as a component of the Power Hub, i.e. the fieldbus power supply, and a mobile version.
The stationary version has the following additional features in comparison with the mobile version:
So, in a nutshell, the Advanced Diagnostic Modules from Pepperl+Fuchs can be used to reduce commissioning times and to provide warnings of abnormal changes during plant operation to provide yet greater reliability and increased plant availability.
The Advanced Diagnostic Modules in the FieldConnex® series from Pepperl+Fuchs are ideal tools to verify the quality of the fieldbus physics. These also offer help in the expedient recognition of problem areas and their elimination.
Diagnosis during the commissioning phase
As with the 4…20 mA technology, a “loop check“ has to be made during commissioning. The aim of this check must be to ensure that at plant start up the best possible quality of the fieldbus physical layer is available. The quality has to be evaluated going beyond the requirements of a “normal“ loop check. In detail, the following parameters are assessed:
- Supply voltage of the external power supply
- Type of fieldbus power supply modules
- Supply voltage and supply current on the fieldbus cable
- Minimum and maximum signal levels
- Symmetry of the fieldbus installation
- Noise
- Jitter
The alarm levels are defined such that they also lie within the specification, so that they are far enough away from the original measured value to avoid nuisance alarms. So even in the case of changes to the physics sufficient is still available.
The data are deposited in the diagnostic module, so that the module does not have to be continually connected with the FieldConnex® Diagnostic Manager during operation.
All values are related to the segment or each individual field device connected. The result is presented in such a way, that it is clear at a glance whether the segment is operating correctly or there are problem fields. Information on possible causes of the fault is provided in clear text. And finally, a report is generated for each segment, which can also be exported in various data formats for later analysis. In this way the time for commissioning and for any eventual fault search is reduced.
The advantage for the user is immediately clear when it is realized that the checking of a segment with 16 fieldbus stations takes approx. 6 minutes. This includes the complete check, the definition of the alarm warning level, the download to the diagnostic module and the generation of the report. How long does it take to make a loop check on 16 measuring circuits in the 4…20 mA technology? So the commissioning time is indeed shortened!
Diagnosis during plant operation
If a warning limit is violated during operation, an alarm: “Maintenance required” is initiated. For the user this means:
1. The segment is still running!
2. Abnormal changes have taken place
3. The current values still lie within the specification.
With this knowledge the user can now proactively decide whether the problem needs to be immediately solved, whether it can be attended to during the next few days, or left until the next planned stoppage time. Via the Diagnostic Manager the user obtains information on which alarm value has been reached and the possible cause.
In addition, the stability of the communication can be checked. The module detects the following faults, which can point to a problem with the fieldbus physics:
- how often a particular device has been excluded from cyclic communication
- how many messages a particular device has “lost”
- The reason for the loss of communication.
Troubleshooting and trend analysis
For particularly obstinate cases the integrated fieldbus oscilloscope comes into play. The special feature of this oscilloscope, is that it is integrated into the software and can be triggered by fieldbus events, i.e. by specific messages or error events.
And the modules also offer a history function, by means of which very slow changes can be detected. If, for example, the history data is read out before a scheduled plant shutdown, a decision can be made as to whether in fact the fieldbus segment needs to receive attention – and if the answer is yes – just what needs to be done.
Pepperl+Fuchs offers a stationary version as a component of the Power Hub, i.e. the fieldbus power supply, and a mobile version.
The stationary version has the following additional features in comparison with the mobile version:
- Monitoring of up to 4 segments simultaneously
- Monitoring of the fieldbus and the external power supply
- Measurement of the power supply on the fieldbus cable
- Continuous monitoring of the segments including the transfer of alarm messages to the process control system in accordance with NE 107.
So, in a nutshell, the Advanced Diagnostic Modules from Pepperl+Fuchs can be used to reduce commissioning times and to provide warnings of abnormal changes during plant operation to provide yet greater reliability and increased plant availability.
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