Steve Mackay

The objective of this book is to outline the best practice in designing, installing, commissioning and troubleshooting industrial data communications systems. In any given plant, factory or installation there are a myriad of different industrial communications standards used and the key to successful implementation is the degree to which the entire system integrates and works together. With so many different standards on the market today, the debate is not about what is the best - be it Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus, Devicenet or Industrial Ethernet but rather about selecting the most appropriate technologies and standards for a given application and then ensuring that best practice is followed in designing, installing and commissioning the data communications links to ensure they run fault-free. The industrial data communications systems in your plant underpin your entire operation. It is critical that you apply best practice in designing, installing and fixing any problems that may occur. This book distills all the tips and tricks with the benefit of many years of experience and gives the best proven practices to follow. The main steps in using today's communications technologies involve selecting the correct technology and standards for your plant based on your requirements; doing the design of the overall system; installing the cabling and then commissioning the system. Fiber Optic cabling is generally accepted as the best approach for physical communications but there are obviously areas where you will be forced to use copper wiring and, indeed, wireless communications. This book outlines the critical rules followed in installing the data communications physical transport media and then ensuring that the installation will be trouble-free for years to come. The important point to make is that with today’s wide range of protocols available, you only need to know how to select, install and maintain them in the most cost-effective manner for your plant or factory - knowledge of the minute details of the protocols is not necessary.

There are many data communications titles covering design, installation, etc, but almost none that specifically focus on industrial networks, which are an essential part of the day-to-day work of industrial control systems engineers, and the main focus of an increasingly large group of network specialists. The focus of this book makes it uniquely relevant to control engineers and network designers working in this area. The industrial application of networking is explored in terms of design, installation and troubleshooting, building the skills required to identify, prevent and fix common industrial data communications problems - both at the design stage and in the maintenance phase. The focus of this book is 'outside the box'. The emphasis goes beyond typical communications issues and theory to provide the necessary toolkit of knowledge to solve industrial communications problems covering RS-232, RS-485, Modbus, Fieldbus, DeviceNet, Ethernet and TCP/IP. The idea of the book is that in reading it you should be able to walk onto your plant, or facility, and troubleshoot and fix communications problems as quickly as possible. This book is the only title that addresses the nuts-and-bolts issues involved in design, installation and troubleshooting that are the day-to-day concern of engineers and network specialists working in industry.

Instrumentation and control systems are highly reliant on data communications, so a working knowledge of the latest communications technologies and the essential protocols is essential for anyone designing, specifying or using instrumentation and control systems. This book is the only title on the market designed specifically for this audience. This is a comprehensive treatment of industrial data communication systems. Commencing with a thorough discussion of the popular RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485 standards it then moves on to industrial protocols, industrial networks and the communication requirements for the 'smart' instrumentation which is becoming de rigeur in industry today. The book also provides a solid grounding in the various Fieldbus and DeviceNet standards on the market today. This book provides you with the knowledge to analyse, specify and debug data communications systems in the instrumentation and control environment.

* Covers all aspects of the data acquisition system from design and specification to programming, installation and configuration * Gives both the novice and experienced user a solid understanding of interfacing the PC and standalone instruments to real-world signals from the laboratory to the industrial plant * Provides a thorough grasp of PC data acquisition systems and the ability to design, specify, install and configure and program data acquisition systems quickly and effectively This book focuses on data acquisition and control using the PC and standalone instruments. The PC has made a dramatic impact in the ease with which the technician, scientist and engineer today can set up their own test and measurement system at a remarkably low cost. And this book aims to show you how easy it is with plenty of carefully researched information. The popular IEEE 488 interface is also covered. All aspects of the data acquisition system are included from design and specification to programming, installation and configuration. This book gives both the novice and experienced user a solid grasp of the principles and practical implementation of interfacing the PC and standalone instruments to real-world signals from the laboratory to the industrial plant. Once you have read the book, you will have a thorough grasp of PC data acquisition systems and will be able to design, specify, install and configure and program data acquisition systems quickly and effectively.