No more delay - put safety on the bus: Stephen Hayes says it is time to start enjoying the benefits that fieldbus-based safety systems offer

摘要

In recent years, fieldbus technology has made great inroads in most areas of automation, but many users have reservations about using it for safety applications. Now is the time to cast aside these reservations. The advantages of fieldbus technology are many and significant. They include reduced plant wiring costs, easier installation, enhanced flexibility for modifications and extensions, and the availability of powerful diagnostics to aid commissioning and troubleshooting. Small wonder then, that the majority of today's automation installations are fieldbus based. But let's take a closer look. Yes, those installations make extensive use of fieldbus technology but, in almost every case, there's still a lot of hard wiring. And, in all probability, this is for emergency stops, guard switches and similar safety functions. In this area, fieldbus technology has been slow to take off.