#Products and systems for explosion protection in hazardous areas
Will remote I/O systems do away with the need for Ethernet-APL?
The digitalisation of the process industry continues; the use of digital equipment is becoming increasingly attractive. Ethernet-APL extends continuous Ethernet communication into hazardous areas.
Does this mean that established technologies like remote I/O are now obsolete?
For many years, remote I/O have been a fixed component of process automation to link analog and discrete field devices in process plants to control systems and move the input/output level to the field. This simplifies installation, lowers costs of control rooms and cables and improves the signal quality by reducing interference. Modern remote I/O offer diagnostics and maintenance functions which boost system availability and trouble shooting. Ethernet-APL is in the process of revolutionising the physical layer rendering analogue interfaces between the control system and field device obsolete. Digital communication is extended directly to the field device in hazardous areas of Zones 1 and 0 at a speed of 10 Mbps, including an intrinsically safe supply for field devices. Ethernet-APL is the preferred choice for digital process automation in plants. But some field devices benefit more from this than others:
•For simple contacts or proximity switches it is more cost-effective to connect these via remote I/O to Ethernet.
•Ethernet-APL field devices are in development. Remote I/O makes it possible to apply existing technologies and digital approaches in parallel via a digital Ethernet backbone.
At brownfield facilities 4 to 20 mA and Ethernet-APL infrastructure will co-exist for many years. A full replacement doesn’t make sense from an economic or technical point of view. Remote I/O will play an important role as an interface between conventional technologies and the digital world, while digital field communication grows. Making it possible to integrate existing field devices into Ethernet-based networks, creating the most cost-effective gradual modernization.
Combining remote I/O and Ethernet-APL offers benefits for plant operators and system integrators:
•Existing cables can continue to be used, which significantly reduces the investment costs for modernisation.
•Remote I/O makes it possible to use digital functions like asset management or advanced diagnostics with existing systems.
•With remote I/O, new functions and devices can be integrated without changing the operation of existing systems.
•Digital communication enables better maintenance and diagnostics, reducing unplanned downtime.
Ethernet-APL simplifies troubleshooting via diagnostic tools and provides more information about network and devices. At the same time, remote I/O uses protocols like HART-IP and OPC UA to integrate analogue devices into management systems. Both technologies support predictive maintenance: real-time data from the network make it possible to identify problems early on.
While Ethernet-APL forms the basis for digitalisation, remote I/O promotes the integration and modernisation of existing plants. Together, they offer a flexible and future proof solution for the process industry- a smart way for the process automation of tomorrow.
For more information:
www.r-stahl.com | Sales.IT@r-stahl.com
