Training techniques tips: without a lot of planning and preparation, the prospect of building a dependable data network is just an illusion

摘要

Traditional fieldbuses and industrial networks do more these days than send data from instruments or sensors to a controller and back to a control element. Today, more of the data travels to the enterprise network for applications such as asset management, SCM, and ERP. While traditional fieldbus protocols have proven useful to transport data on the plant floor, giving the same protocols a ride on an Ethernet backbone is a trend that's probably here to slay. Most controls professionals involved with industrial networks realize Ethernet is relatively inexpensive, thanks to readily available, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. And, its physical and transport layers are open, and present themselves in ways that can be understood easily. Ethernet still is working out its problems for control-centric tasks, but they're not insurmountable. Whether you're planning a traditional fieldbus network or an Ethernet variant, there are tools, training and tips available from experienced users to help you design, install, maintain, and troubleshoot your system.