| Distributed Control Standard Connects Industry Regardless of Bus |
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| May 01 2007 | |
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advertisement: In the early days of modern automation, the use of microprocessor technology addressed the need for fast and efficient configuration of control logics through graphical methods that mimic the hardwired relay logics. Over the past 30 years, the automation community has put the emphasis on simplifying and standardizing the method of programming this new breed of controllers. From these efforts came the adoption of the IEC 61131-3 standard that specifies the programming languages for automation. Fieldbus Proliferation Despite a proliferation of standards, however, interoperability still lagged among differing standards. Several organizations initiated discussion on how to achieve coherent cooperation among controllers in the same application. Fieldbus Foundation, among others, addressed the format of pertinent information to be shared on the network. Yet, although the mechanism of exchanging information could be defined, the cooperation between devices was not addressed. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) came up with a conceptual view of how to have independent programmable logic controllers cooperate in a cohesive and very efficient manner. By defining the IEC 61499 standard, the IEC addressed the need for a comprehensive and familiar approach to automation controllers’ cooperation. Using function blocks as a visual representation of a control entity, the IEC committee redefined the methodology of creating modern control systems. Today, industrial networking software providers are building network control and monitoring applications that take this visual block approach to defining industrial networks comprising disparate field bus components that traditionally could not communicate. |
