fieldbus
Sign in to saveA fieldbus is a member of a family of industrial digital communication networks used for real-time distributed control. Fieldbus profiles are standardized by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) as IEC 61784/61158.
Article
36 sectionsContents
- Description
- History
- Precursors of fieldbuses
- General Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB)
- Bitbus
- Computer networks for automation
- Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP)
- Manufacturing Message Specification (MMS)
- Fieldbuses for manufacturing automation
- MODBUS
- PROFIBUS
- INTERBUS
- CAN
- Fieldbuses for process automation
- WorldFIP
- Foundation Fieldbus (FF)
- PROFIBUS-PA
- Fieldbuses for building automation
- LonWorks
- BACnet
- Standardization
- Structure of fieldbus standards
- IEC 61158: Industrial communication networks - Fieldbus specification
- IEC 61784: Industrial communication networks - Profiles
- IEC 61784-1: Fieldbus profiles
- IEC 61784-2: Real-time Ethernet
- IEC 61784-3: Safety
- Compliance to IEC 61784
- IEC 62026: Controller-device interfaces (CDIs)
- Cost advantage
- Networking
- Features
- Market
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
A fieldbus is a member of a family of industrial digital communication networks used for real-time distributed control. Fieldbus profiles are standardized by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) as IEC 61784/61158.
A complex automated industrial system is typically structured in hierarchical levels as a distributed control system (DCS). In this hierarchy the upper levels for production managements are linked to the direct control level of programmable logic controllers (PLC) via a non-time-critical communications system (e.g. Ethernet). The fieldbus links the PLCs of the direct control level to the components in the plant at the field level, such as sensors, actuators, electric motors, console lights, switches, valves and contactors. It also replaces the direct connections via current loops or digital I/O signals. The requirements for a fieldbus are therefore time-critical and cost-sensitive. Since the new millennium, a number of fieldbuses based on Real-time Ethernet have been established. These have the potential to replace traditional fieldbuses in the long term.