Your humble editor is blogging this from a hotel room in Orlando, where it is a heck of a lot warmer than it is at home in Chicago. Brrrr! As is the case every year, ARC holds a conference in February and all the manufacturing big dogs from both user and vendor companies show up. I am scheduled to meet with many, this week, including an opportunity to interview as a podcast Isao Uchida, the Chairman of Yokogawa. Uchida-san is always a refreshing interview (Con Lau, the head of marketing for Yokogawa sometimes is scared to death about what the boss will say next) and I am looking forward to bringing that interview to you as a podcast in March.
On to news!
New Directors at OPC Foundation
Thomas J. Burke, President and Executive Director of the OPC Foundation, has announced the appointment of Kevin Roach and Grant Wilson to the OPC Foundation Board of Directors. “The significant contributions of Rockwell Automation and Emerson Process Control to the OPC Foundation from the beginning continue to be clearly demonstrated by the commitment their companies have made in nominating Kevin Roach (Rockwell) and Grant Wilson (Emerson) for the OPC Foundation board positions.” Roach is vice president of Rockwell Software and Grant Wilson is vice president of technology at Emerson Process Management, in charge of their respective software offerings.
New Certification Courses From PTO
The PROFIBUS Trade Organization (PTO) and the PROFI Interface Center (PIC) announced two new courses as part of the PROFItech Certification Training Course program for 2006. The two new classes added to the program include a PROFIBUS Installer’s Class and a PROFINET Certified Network Engineering Class. This year marks the sixth anniversary of PROFItech certification program and more than 300 attendees have been designated Certified PROFIBUS Network Engineers.
To find a complete schedule or to register for the PROFItech Certification Training Program visit the PTO website at www.us.profibus.com or call 480-483-2456.
ISA Re-Issues Important Fieldbus Book
ISA recently announced the release of the second edition of “Foundation Fieldbus”
by Control magazine Contributing Editor and columnist Ian Verhappen, and Augusto Pereira.
This newly revised book is written by two control systems engineers with
extensive FOUNDATION(tm) Fieldbus installation experience. The book
provides quick reference information on the FOUNDATION(tm) Fieldbus H1
protocol and installation tips. The resource also provides other useful
information that design engineers, control system engineers, and
instrumentation technicians need to know about FOUNDATION(tm) Fieldbus.
The concepts presented are helpful when meeting with a vendor or client,
or while managing an installation at a job site. The second edition
comes in a new, larger format.
“Foundation Fieldbus” covers essential information on power distribution
and network power supply requirements. The text is packed with handy
reference information. The book includes rules for cabling length,
documentation requirements, a commissioning checklist, topology
diagrams, system sizing formulas, and tips for integrating with other
systems. It explains the Fieldbus Intrinsic Safety Concept (FISCO) along
with configuration and troubleshooting tips.
Due to the constant changes in technology, one chapter of this revised
edition is devoted to new developments in the field. Appendices include
nomenclature, a list of Fieldbus Foundation specifications, a resource
list, and a helpful guide to acronyms.
More information about this resource can be found at
www.isa.org/foundation.