Industrial Data Xchange

The difference between three 9's (9.99%) and four 9's (99.99%) availability on your PROFIBUS communications network could mean millions of Rands in lost production that directly affects your bottom line. Network rigidity and availability should be the core focus of any automation engineer who is tasked with maintaining a plant's PROFIBUS communication system. There are four main areas to focus on that will assist in improving your 9's score on any given network: 1) Training Fundamentally important, ensuring that all personnel who work with the network have the necessary training and know-how. Your local PROFIBUS / PROFINET Training Center will have a set of certified courses to ensure that all attendees are competent to handle installations and design scenarios. The following courses should be considered for PROFIBUS networks: Certified PROFIBUS Installers Course Foundation PROFIBUS Training Course, imparts knowledge on the PROFIBUS specificatio

Last week IDX were called to site at  a large commercial residence building in Pretoria, South Africa. Where our  client was implementing an IoT solution for remote monitoring and control of various HVAC and power systems in the building.  The control system the SI chose in this case was a Modbus enabled Industrial Micro PC called the Revolution PI. The client had Modbus sensors connected to boilers, air conditioning systems, ventilation systems and power meters. The Modbus  communications between the controller and the sensors were intermittently failing due to various installation and implementation faults: 1. Earthing and Shielding Within any fieldbus communication installation, one of the requirements to ensure uninterrupted operation is to implement adequate grounding and shielding techniques. Effective grounding and Shielding help to prevent electrostatic and electromagnetic pickup, which can lead to failed communications. Some of the shielding and grounding req