Go with the right bus [fieldbus selection guidelines]

In the world of fieldbus one could reasonably say that standards are not the be-all and end-all. On the other hand, there are those who would say that their standards are the only realistic choice. However, an alternative selection criterion might be to examine the installed user base and assess which products have been proven and tested in industrial applications. Yet a third option might be to look at the range of commercially available products which the industry is able to offer in support of a specific fieldbus technology. And another valid yard stick could be vendor independence, while the numbers of installed nodes for each fieldbus type represents a further valid parameter of assessment. In summary, selection of a fieldbus type deserves a careful and comprehensive approach. Here, the author presents the case for fieldbus from a Profibus perspective.