The Fieldbus Foundation today announced the release of a major revision to its AG-181 System Engineering Guidelines. AG-181 is a comprehensive guide that includes best practices and recommendations for a complete FOUNDATION fieldbus installation, from engineering and design through commissioning, startup, operations, and maintenance. The guide includes recommendations on topics from selecting cable to wiring installation, grounding, implementing plant asset management systems, and best practices for project management.

The new edition of AG-181 has been reformatted and reorganized to make it easier to read and access information. Some content has been rewritten to include more up-to-date information. This includes sections covering the Fieldbus Intrinsically Safe Concept (FISCO) fieldbus design rules, cable length, surge protection and segment scheduling. A section on the use of existing wiring has also been added.

According to Larry O'Brien, global marketing manager for the Fieldbus Foundation, the FOUNDATION fieldbus System Engineering Guidelines is "one of the automation industry's best-kept secrets" that belongs in the library of almost every process control engineer. It is a highly valuable resource for the growing number of end users, system integrators and engineering firms involved in the implementation of FOUNDATION fieldbus.

"One of the things we try to do at the Fieldbus Foundation is put information into the hands of those who need it around the world. We want people to become proficient in the use of our technology, from engineering and design to installation, maintenance, and operations," said O’Brien. "Our System Engineering Guidelines document contains the distilled wisdom of many of the world's leading fieldbus technology experts, from those in the engineering and construction world to end users, systems integrators, educators, and suppliers. It offers many good pointers on how to do your fieldbus project right the first time, and is an essential part of the toolbox of any FOUNDATION fieldbus professional. If you already have the older version, the latest update will look more streamlined and contains several new sections, as well as rewrites of old sections."

The FOUNDATION fieldbus System Engineering Guidelines is separated into 11 sections, each covering different aspects of the fieldbus project lifecycle. Specific topics include: General Considerations, Fieldbus Definitions, Fieldbus Project Requirements, Host System Requirements, Software Configuration, Field Device Requirements, Segment Components, Network/Segment Design Guidelines, Site Installation Guidelines, Acceptance Testing, and Documentation Requirements.

O'Brien indicated that the FOUNDATION fieldbus System Engineering Guidelines provides accurate and current fieldbus information in a vendor-neutral format, and is revised periodically to reflect changes to FOUNDATION technology. He said, "There is no better guide to implementing FOUNDATION fieldbus available today."

To obtain the FOUNDATION fieldbus System Engineering Guidelines (Document Reference No. AG-181), visit the Fieldbus Foundation's Technical References.

Webinar by BlackBox about the benefits of VoIP for small and mid-size businesses

Voice over IP (VoIP) means using your Local Area Network (LAN) to make phone calls. VoIP technology delivers telephone calls and other voice communications over the Internet by converting analog voice signals to digital signals.Switching from an analog voice system to VoIP saves money, gives your organization more bandwidth, enables mobility, and offers you easy integration with on-line applications.

Along with some VoIP basics, we’ll take a look at the newest voice communications products on the market to help SMBs migrate to VoIP easily and affordably, including SIP phones and hybrid PBX VoIP gateways.

Five reasons to switch to a PBX VoIP gateway for deploying VoIP:

• It’s much easier to install and configure than a traditional phone system.
• The Web-based interface makes it much easier to manage.
• You get significant cost savings using VoIP providers.
• It’s a scalable system that makes roaming easy and cost-effective.
• SIP phones are easier to use, whether person-to-person calling, conferencing, or using voice mail.

Register now!

White paper by Amplicon: Ethernet networking has grown beyond office and home usage to become a very successful protocol suite used in many industrial networks. Industrial Ethernet’s accomplishments can be attributed to its heritage in the commercial marketplace where most innovations and the evolution of the protocol suite took place; Power Over Ethernet (PoE) technology is no exception.

PoE was developed soon after offices began to adopt Voice over IP (VoIP) phone systems, VoIP phone systems allow offices to integrate their data and voice networks together and reduce calling costs, but early incarnations of VoIP phone hardware had the disadvantage of requiring a power supply for each headset - compared to traditional analogue phones which are commonly supplied with power and signal via the telephone wire. This motivated the development of a similar system for VoIP phones which have an Ethernet connection, and PoE was born! Using PoE as a technology for powering end devices other than VoIP phones was an obvious step; the technology has quickly been adopted for many other applications such as remote wireless access points, IP based cameras and devices that are commonly found in industrial Ethernet network deployments.

Read in detail 'Power over Ethernet technology for industrial Ethernet networks'

SSE has extended the use of Emerson Process Management’s Smart Wireless technology at its Slough Heat and Power energy facility in the U.K. The new Rosemount Analytical wireless conductivity transmitters are being used to detect changes in boiler condensate conductivity which could be caused by cooling-water leaks in the turbine’s condenser. If left undetected the contaminated feedwater will cause hydrogen embrittlement of the furnace tubes that will result in tube failures.

The 80MW combined heat and power (CHP) plant had previously relied on manual sampling and laboratory analysis of turbine condensate. However, this method caused delays in detecting leaks and as a result the boilers had to be shut down while repairs were made.

Please click to read further 'Emerson’s Analytical Wireless Technology Helps Prevent Unplanned Shutdowns at Power Plant