Plugging a translation gap

January 2004 Fieldbus & Industrial Networking News

People who do not speak the same language find other ways to communicate. Machines and computers cannot.

Whether it is a car or a chemical plant, different pieces of equipment are controlled by information passing between them and a control panel. The link for this information is called a fieldbus.

The trouble for manufacturers is that different fieldbuses often speak entirely different languages depending on the standard communications protocol they use. One might use a protocol called DeviceNet; another Profibus; a third might use the AS-interface protocol. None is inherently superior, and none will be compatible.

ABB has developed a component which bridges the language divide. The fieldbus plug (FBP) is a compact system which takes information from equipment in the field and converts it to any common protocol. It is, in effect, a translator or interpreter.

ABB believes the FBP will have significant implications for its low-voltage business, currently worth some US$2 billion a year.

ABB's fieldbus plug family of products is highly compact, relatively simple to integrate with existing equipment and pre-tested, simplifying the process of developing manufacturing plants and considerably reducing cost.

Without it, equipping factories can be an expensive nightmare.

For more information, see the whole Technology briefing on www.abb.com.

Further reading:

EtherCAT interoperability removes industrial networking barriers
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Selecting the right communication technology is one of the most important decisions engineers make, and interoperability helps with that decision. Key development tools and standards ensure interoperability among many EtherCAT devices and manufacturers.

Read more...

---

Condition monitoring to go
Turck Banner Southern Africa Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Anyone who wants to efficiently monitor the climate in control cabinets will find a comprehensive range of control cabinet monitors for the DIN rail in Turck Banner’s cabinet condition monitoring family.

Read more...

---

Affordable building management system product range
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Schneider Electric has unveiled its EasyLogic Building Management System range, designed for basic building architectures, to the local marketplace. This is a complete and cost-effective range of field controllers and sensors that are both easy to install and scalable.

Read more...

---

Flexible EtherCAT communication interface for DALI-2
Beckhoff Automation Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
The EL6821 EtherCAT Terminal from Beckhoff allows up to 64 DALI/DALI-2 slaves and 64 DALI-2 input devices to be connected. The TwinCAT 3 System Manager makes it easy to configure and parameterise DALI devices flexibly.

Read more...

---

EtherCAT-based control technology for building automation
Beckhoff Automation Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Modern non-residential buildings place many high demands on building automation. This can be optimally implemented with EtherCAT-based control technology from Beckhoff, which provides an efficient central automation architecture thanks to ultra-fast data communication.

Read more...

---

PC-based control for university studies
Beckhoff Automation Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
The IDEA box developed at Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences is designed to introduce students to the topic of Industry 4.0 in a simple and practical way. At the core of the corresponding demo case is PC-based control from Beckhoff.

Read more...

---

A new standard in high-speed Ethernet communication
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
The TXMC897 module from TEWS Technologies supports a range of Ethernet standards and speeds, making it suitable for diverse applications, including the defence, industrial, and IIoT markets.

Read more...

---

Data-driven battery production
Turck Banner Southern Africa Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
The availability of high-performance batteries at moderate prices is one of the most important factors for the success of electromobility. As a long-standing automation partner to the automotive industry, Turck Banner supports the major battery manufacturers with its know-how.

Read more...

---

Bring critical temperature data to your condition monitoring system
Turck Banner Southern Africa Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Data conversion just got easier. Turck Banner converters are compact, simple add-ons that seamlessly fit into your factory applications. You can take various types of signals such as discrete, analogue and many others, and convert them to protocols like IO-link, PICK-IQ, PWM/PFM, and Modbus.

Read more...

---

AI is revolutionising electronics manufacturing
Editor's Choice News
Artificial intelligence is transforming the electronics manufacturing industry by providing new ways to optimise production processes, reduce costs, and improve product quality.

Read more...

---