How digitalisation has opened up new possibilities for industrial measurement
Remember when TVs were operated using analogue? Remember the vast difference it made when your television went over to digital – reception details like the picture quality, number of channels and less programme interruptions?
In the same way the movement from analogue to digital in the world of television has delivered immense benefits, industrial instrumentation has had its fair share of the same. Ease of communication and set up are just two. Others include familiar graphical displays which make it easier for users to operate their devices.
Everyone has benefitted from the transition from electronic to microelectronic
Previous to the digital era, operators would simply get a fault light or a reading but no explanation of what was causing it. Today it is possible to get much more information on what particular function is experiencing an issue. Digital instruments automatically self-check the validity of their data, helping operators to pinpoint and report any difficulties encountered.
Digital communications vs Traditional communications
Digital communications have overcome the traditional issues caused with analogue transmission signals regarding scaling.
An electronic signal would have been, as a matter of fact, an electrical signal which represented a particular measurement range, such as 0 – 500 ml/s in a flowmetering application for example. The problem was that often there was a mismatch between the transmitting range of an instrument and the input scaling range of the receiving instrument. This would create incorrect readings and could cause operators to waste their time being confused because there were apparently lost measurements unaccounted for.
Digital values eliminate this problem. By sending zeroes and ones from A to B, the displayed value will always be a faithful representation of what’s happening in the process being measured.
Another advantage of digital protocols is that you can combine multiple different values into the signal - with traditional analogue only one signal could be sent at one time. Through digital, additional measurements can be sent along with the primary measurement such as density, temperature or pressure for example.
Data is king
Digital communications also enable operators to access rich diagnostics data which indicates whether an instrument needs servicing or not. An example is ABB’s AquaMaster 3 with WITS DNP3, which enables remote access to diagnostics and configuration changes. So like a speedy doctor that writes a fast prescription, if there are any problems with power management, or a sensor coil or sensor cable is broken, then the time the issue occurred and the exact location of the affected device is sent to an engineer. In this way, engineers are only deployed as and when necessary, saving both time and money and reducing the effort needed to track down and rectify a fault.
Have HART, you’re halfway there
Most instruments make a measurement, amplify it, convert it and then transmit it. In the past, there were possibilities of errors being introduced at each stage. Digital technology means that the measurement is converted into a digital signal as quickly as possible so that the possibility of errors creeping in is reduced.
Unable to completely upgrade your system to digital? Fear not. It may be that your instruments include HART. HART stands for Highway Addressable Remote Transducer and represents an ideal halfway house solution for organisations that would like to get more from their instruments without having to completely upgrade to a digital system. Essentially it works through a digital signal being superimposed onto an analogue signal which still relies on an analogue measurement.
Getting on the bus
Everyone has benefitted from the transition from electronic to microelectronic. In terms of bus-based systems most top end industries have used or are using bus systems in some way.
The problem with bus-based protocols is their complexity. In traditional systems it was easy to test the signal. However, bus-based systems rely on being correctly set up from the start. Making just one mistake anywhere when setting up a digital system could mean it won’t work.
Tracing the root of the problem can incur a lot of extra cost and time as operators will need to check everything. This may not be a problem for big companies which have the resources in place to deal with such issues but it can present a major hurdle for smaller users where the right skills aren’t readily available.
A solution to this problem comes in the form of communication. Some engineers may be familiar with writing programs for PLCs but they won’t be familiar with instrumentation. Likewise a lot of people who work with instruments are not familiar with PLCs. If these two distinct skillsets can communicate about their requirements then companies can further explore the possibilities that digital technology can offer.
Living the future today
Future systems will differ. In fact if you’re wondering what future industrial technology will look like just have a look at the technology we use in our everyday private lives. It is likely that industrial technology will go the same way, subject to careful analysis of the security implications.
In ABB’s own range of products, such developments are already apparent with features such as GSM technology which allows users to dial in to their flowmeter remotely to obtain data and make configuration changes. This has been incorporated into ABB’s AquaMaster 3 flowmeter.
The use of smart portable devices for instrument configuration makes setting up hard devices in the field faster, simpler and less costly. Take the DHH805 handheld configurator for example, which has 2GB memory and a rechargeable battery with over 80 hours of battery life between charges.
Ultimately, digital technology is steadily helping to make life easier
The inclusion of simplified Human-Machine Interface based around mobile phone controls improves usability, making training and maintenance much quicker. Whether you’re a process engineer, contractor or an instrumentation engineer, all ABB equipment will operate in the same way. Watch the video below to find out more.
The inclusion of Windows interface technology on instruments also makes it easy to scroll through menus, make and change settings and navigate between different data views. The SM500F has this format making it easy to master setting up and configuration.
Summary
Ultimately, digital technology is steadily helping to make life easier – so easy in fact that finding out more about the possibilities for accurate and reliable industrial measurement is as easy as just pointing and clicking your mouse here.