Preliminary Definitions for Foundation Fieldbus Common Tasks - Intergraph Smart Instrumentation - Help

Intergraph Smart Instrumentation Help

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Smart Instrumentation Version
13.1

The following tasks are used frequently when you make preliminary Foundation Fieldbus definitions.

Define Segment-Wide Parameters

Segment-wide parameters allow you to define default settings that serve as design rules and limitations for the various Foundation Fieldbus and Profibus PA segments. These parameters affect the function and performance of your fieldbus system in the following ways:

  • If you exceed cable lengths, or hook too many devices to the same pair of wires, this can cause attenuation and reduction in the voltage reaching the instruments. These voltage drops can result in instrument malfunction and bandwidth problems.

  • If you create a spur cable that is too long, the signal propagated along that spur cable can become attenuated and too weak for the DCS to read.

  • If you create a segment whose total capacitance exceeds the maximum, you may reduce effective bandwidth.

Create a User-Defined Function Block

You use this feature to add new user-defined function blocks, delete redundant ones, or modify the definition of existing user-defined function blocks. The function blocks that you define here are available for the current site. You can define function blocks as multiple with or without execution time. Instruments can be associated with several function blocks of the same type if that function block is defined as Multiple. Using the Execution Time feature allows you to set the time for the function block execution. You set the number of function blocks and the execution time in the Function Block - Instrument Type Association dialog. You can create a virtual tag and associate it with an existing function block. Only one virtual tag can be associated with a function block.

Associate Function Blocks with Instrument Types

Associating function blocks with instrument types enables you to instruct the software to create and associate a particular function block when creating a fieldbus instruments. When you create a fieldbus instrument tag, Smart Instrumentation automatically assigns the function blocks associated with the instrument type that you select for the new tag. Note that you can associate a function block with as many instrument types as required.

Manage the Function Blocks Supporting Table

This option shows you how to use this supporting table to add new user-defined function blocks to your instrument index, delete the redundant ones, or modify the definition of existing user-defined function blocks. You can also enable the Multiple and Execution Time features for any existing function block.