Eaton Corporation is expanding connectivity options for the SmartWire-DT panel wiring system, a control panels technology and process that make panel construction easy. Replacing numerous wires used to connect motor control components with a single cable, the SmartWire-DT system is now available to North American customers with Ethernet/IP and Modbus TCP, in addition to PROFIBUS-DP and CANopen. This added flexibility allows the SmartWire-DT system to more easily integrate with original equipment manufacturer’s (OEMs) preferred industrial network.

The SmartWire-DT panel wiring solution uses an eight-conductor, flat cable located in the control cabinet to connect motor starters, pushbutton actuators, and indicator lights. The start of the system is a SmartWire-DT gateway, which establishes the connection to standard programmable logic controller (PLC) fieldbuses, now including Ethernet/IP and Modbus TCP, as well as PROFIBUS-DP and CANopen.

“Eaton is helping customers make their processes more competitive with Lean solutions designed to dramatically reduce the assembly and commissioning time, while maintaining or improving the quality of the control system,” said Richard Chung, Eaton product manager. “By replacing complex wiring inside control cabinets, the SmartWire-DT system automates, simplifies and expedites connecting control panel components – establishing a new level of efficiency, accuracy and reliability. Further, with the addition of Ethernet/IP and Modbus TCP connectivity, the SmartWire-DT system provides versatile connectivity options – integrating with a broad range of customers’ choice protocols. ”

Eaton’s electronic overload relays are now available up to 175 ampere (A) and feature integral ground fault protection and communications capabilities in a single, compact device.

Designed for global applications, Eaton's expand line of C440 and XT electronic overload relays provide an integrated starter solution and eliminate the need for an external current transformer(CT), reducing overall space and equipment requirements

For applications requiring National Electrical Manufacturer Association (NEMA) size 4 and 185A International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) contactors, the electronic overload relays provide an integrated starter solution. Additionally, the new frame is available in cable-in/cable-out and pass-through versions, making it well suited for upgrading existing customer infrastructure.

Customers can select the motor protection features they need, with selectable trip class, ground fault detection, phase imbalance and full load current (FLA) adjustment (5:1). Further, the C440 and XT overload relays can integrate into plant management systems, allowing network monitoring and providing asset protection. Eaton C440 and XT overload relays feature integral communications capabilities, which allow the relays to easily integrate with customers’ preferred industrial network. DeviceNet, PROFIBUS, Modbus, Modbus TCP, Ethernet/IP communication protocols are supported.

A light-emitting diode (LED) display on the device provides easy-to-see indication of device status and fault indication, allowing maintenance personnel to quickly determine if the device and motor are operating appropriately.

These relays meet Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and Conformité Européenne (CE) standards. Additionally, the solid-state overload relays are Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliant.

This month, DrivesMag asked North American process chemical plant designers and facility managers about their facilities and process lines. The answers to the question: What communication method do you use in your plants/processes? return some interesting insights into automation and control networks and the systems that define their work. Users were able to choose more than one answer and were given the choice of "other", but rarely selected it.

This research has a confidence factor of 90% and a confidence interval of 10%.

The five major automation foundations, including the FDT Group, Fieldbus Foundation, HART Communication Foundation, PROFIBUS & PROFINET International, and OPC Foundation have developed a single common solution for Field Device Integration (FDI). These foundations have combined their efforts to form a joint company named FDI Cooperation, LLC. The organizations is headed by a “Board of Managers”, which is composed of the representatives of the involved organizations, as well as managers of global automation suppliers including ABB, Emerson, Endress+Hauser, Honeywell, Invensys, Siemens, and Yokogawa.

FDI’s mandate is to develop a single technology for the management of information that comes from all intelligent devices throughout all areas of the plant. The mission of FDI LLC is to do the following:

• Complete the standardization of FDI under the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission).
• Manage the FDI Specification.
• Finalize the FDI tool kits for system and device manufacturers.
• Promote and provide high quality technology support for FDI, independent of and common for the respective communication protocols.
• Preserve end users’ and automation manufacturers’ investments by providing state-of-the-art technology that is fully backward compatible.
• Ensure stability, interoperability and compatibility of FDI-based products.

In the past, the development of such uniform technology was inhibited by too many different interests from organizations and automation manufacturers, resulting in the creation of disparate technical solutions. The current solutions – EDDL (Electronic Device Description Language) in various formats and FDT (Field Device Technology) – have their strengths and weaknesses, but also overlap to a large extent and thus lead to additional expense for users and manufacturers. Efficient and economically viable device integration requires multiprotocol, standardized technology that makes device information available across systems and applications from different manufacturers.

FDI technology will provide a scalable solution that users can deploy in applications ranging from simple configuration to complex management of the most sophisticated field devices for the various tasks associated with all phases of their lifecycle, from configuration, commissioning, and diagnostics to calibration. This makes different solutions for different devices obsolete. FDI is a unified solution that addresses end user requirements across the spectrum.

FOUNDATION fieldbus, PROFIBUS, and HART all use EDDL as a core technology, but they all use slightly different variations of the technology. The FDI Cooperation has harmonized EDDL across communication protocols. This enables FDI to provide single cross protocol FDI Design and Test Tools including a common EDD Interpreter. EDDL harmonization is now complete, and this facilitates the second step -- harmonization between EDDL and FDT technologies. This is the ultimate goal of FDI.

In November of 2011 at the NAMUR meeting in Germany, FDI device packages were used for the first time to integrate FOUNDATION Fieldbus, HART, and PROFIBUS field devices from various manufacturers within an ABB process control system. Typical applications, such as parameter assignment, configuration, diagnostics, and maintenance, were demonstrated. The purpose of the working prototype was to verify the FDI concepts, apply the standard host components in a system context, and demonstrate FDI functionality. This successful demonstration leads to organizations' next steps:

• First draft of the FDI specifications was published at the end of 2011.
• Completion of Conformance test concepts to occur mid-2012.
• Completion of the validation and release of the FDI specifications for member review within the foundations (mid-2012).
• Completion of the FDI standard host components, such as EDD Engine and User Interface (UI) Engine by the FDI Cooperation (end of 2012).

The primary benefit of FDI is that end users with either an FDT or EDDL-based host will have a single source solution for managing the wealth of functionality and information from intelligent field devices. Users will no longer need to manage disparate device descriptions, which will reduce the costs associated with maintaining assets in the field.  FDI combines the advantages of FDT with those of EDDL in a single, scalable solution. FDI is applicable to a wide range of tasks over the entire lifecycle of the plant for both simple and the most complex devices, including configuration, commissioning, remote diagnostics, calibration, and more.

Sprint Electric will unveil a new lineup of DC drives for control of high current excitation fields on DC motors with new 3 phase field controllers in November at SPS/IPC/Drives in Nuremberg, Germany.

QLX 3 phase field controllers are designed for the high current excitation fields of DC motors used in applications such as a hot rolling mill and steel handling and can be used to add reversing to large DC motors where the facility does not already exist

The QLX uses 3 phase supply power to provide a controlled DC field current. It will work with the armature controller to provide all usual field control functions including field reversal. The model range spans currents from 12 to 2250 Amps, with fully digital control and all the usual communications facilities. , or exists only with contactors. The new offer has a built-in standby field mode and field reversal and auto field weakening functions for high power fields. For start and stop functions, the QLX directly interfaces with the main armature controller such as the PLX.

The QLX 3 phase field controller has the same digital functions as the company's PLX range of DC drives, including field bus options such as Profibus, DeviceNet, CanOpen, Modbus TCP/IP, EtherNet etc.

Eaton Corporation is introducing the SmartWire-DT^TM panel wiring solution in North America. Already available in Europe under the brand SmartWire Darwin, the system is designed to reduce panel wiring complexity, improve system reliability, save installation time and reduce panel space. The idea changes the way panels are constructed by eliminating conventional wire and wiring found in the control circuit into a single cable, connecting motor control components to customers’ PLCs.

The SmartWire-DT system is engineered to reduce panel wiring complexity and assembly labor time, speed the start-up commissioning processes, and provide extensive run-time diagnostics. It links standard motor control components within the panel, separate distribution panels or remote control stations, and creates communications enabled devices. Additionally, the SmartWire-DT flat cable connections safeguard the control panel from unauthorized wiring changes, helping to protect the craftsmanship and integrity of the control panel.

ABB’s drive module ACS850 has been expanded to include a 230Vac offering, available from ½ to 30 horsepower.

The ACS850 features on-board safe-torque-off, a removable memory block, intelligent user interface with a series of assistant wizards, a built-in energy saving calculator, and modular hardware and software. It also includes an advanced adaptation of ABB’s exclusive high-performance motor-control platform, Direct Torque Control (DTC).

The ABB industrial drive modules are designed for industrial machinery and applications such as extruders, cranes, mixers, web handling and converting, in the power range 1.5 to 600 hp at 480 Vac and now from ½ to 30 hp at 230 Vac.   An ABB spokesperson says that the drive is targeted specifically at OEMs, panel builders and system integrators who work in tight spaced. The 10 hp drive is 4 inches wide, so more drives can fight in one box.

It's a full-featured product.

Integrated safety
Safety as standard is provided by an integrated Safe Torque Off (STO) feature, which removes the torque from the motor shaft. This safety feature conforms with the requirements of SIL 3 / IEC 61508, EN ISO 13849-1:PL e. There also are solutions available for Safe Stop 1(SS1), Safe Limited Speed (SLS), Safe Brake Control (SBC), Safe Speed Monitor (SSM) and Safe Direction (SDI).

The Series CD01/02-PI valve manifold system from Rexroth has a modular design and can control up to 32 outputs. CD01 valves are characterized by a width of 26 mm and a flow rate up to 1.35 Cv (1350 liters per minute); CD02 valves have a width of 18 mm and a flow rate up to 0.65 Cv (650 liters per minute). Valves with different flow rates can easily be combined on the same valve manifold, without transition plates.

To enable a simplified machine design, all electrical and pneumatic connections face in one direction. Plug-in valves make it possible to exchange the valves in the valve terminal system quickly and easily.

I have 22 ABB AC drives (ACS 550) which are communicating to a DCS system through Profibus. 1 of these drives goes to local mode from remote mode automatically when the main power goes down & comes back up, so that when the power comes back up, I have to go to control room to change the mode of drive from local to remote. The rest of the 21 drives are working correctly.

-------------------

This is probably a drive set-up parameter problem. Without being completely familiar with the functions of all of the parameter settings, you may be able to discover the problem by comparing the settings of the problem drive with the settings of a drive that is working pr operly. I am not sufficiently familiar with the ACS 550 to comment more specifically.

- Chuck

What are the major differences among communication modules used with drives to communicate with PLC's or PC's such as Profibus, CANopen, LonWorks, DeviceNet, or Modbus?

----------------

Many drives have built-in communications capability using an RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485 connection. Since these communication ports are generally compatible with the Modbus protocol, Modbus is sometimes programmed into the standard drive and available without a special communications module.