Industrial process control has evolved following the path of direct digital control (DDC-1962), programmable logic controllers (PLC-1972), distributed control systems (DCS-1976), and field control systems (FCS-1994). The latest field control system evolution that is taking place is the implementation of Foundation fieldbus (FF) into the manufacturing environment. This article describes Foundation Fieldbus, its role in a plant network hierarchy, and a comparison between Foundation Fieldbus and the older DCS model. In addition, this article discusses instructional issues associated with teaching Foundation Fieldbus in a system control course and laboratory, along with an overview of the hardware and software necessary to build a network of Foundation Fieldbus devices through integration of FF on existing process trainers.
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