Standards and safety

If you use INTERBUS, you are automating with a worldwide standard. Over 1000 manufacturers of different automation devices with an INTERBUS interface are a very good reason for the high acceptance among the users. The manufacturers have designed common profiles for almost all areas of application and anchored particular functions or handling features here.

Product compatibility

This means uniform handling for various devices and guarantees interchangeability - the products are compatible, no matter from which manufacturer. Profiles designed by both users and manufacturers reduce startup time for a network and increase the availability of a system.

INTERBUS certificate

The use of certified devices gives the user added security when choosing suitable components. INTERBUS certificates are issued for products that have been given a thorough checkup in an accredited testing laboratory and where the characteristics have been tested with respect not only to immunity to interference, but also interoperability. The test object is operated in a network and the influences on or from the other devices are recorded in a protocol. Not until all criteria and specified measured values have been met, does a product receive the certificate from the INTERBUS Club. Project planning and startup In order to guarantee smooth project planning and startup, most manufacturers supply an electronic data description. The components can thus be integrated clearly using various programs. The basic requirements for an open network are reflected in the work of the user groups: Non-proprietary functions that make it easy for the user to implement and give the user the best possible security. These factors and the technical characteristics mean that all national and international standards have been met. All worldwide standards currently applicable for a fieldbus specification are met and supported by INTERBUS - additional security for the user.

Vertical integration - Making the data available in all hierarchical levels

Software and interfaces

The call for a transparent factory is stronger than ever in the production industry. Process data should be made available in all areas of the company - from the sensor to management.

The transparent factory

The vertical integration of data calls for suitable paths between the various levels of a company. But there are different standards that have established themselves in the various levels. One example of this is the control level with the different office products. In the field level, on the other hand, resources from "softer" software structures have made their mark.

Open Control Foundation

It is the job of the Open Control Foundation to address these various aspects jointly and to provide internationally standardized interfaces. If, for example, you wish to provide a frequency transducer with a set value from an Excel spreadsheet, you must overcome several obstacles in the structures inherent to the software. Reading data in and out relates to running operation, but the same problems are encountered in the development and startup of automation devices. A uniform design - and thus simplification - of the devices was a logical request of the users here too.

Decentralized intelligence

The manufacturers of products therefore have to take care during development that the devices can later be integrated in higher-level systems and that the necessary interfaces are made available. This is particularly important for devices with more and more own intelligence and control functions that are responsible for a further step in distribution. These distributed units will in future, however, be grouped together with visualization systems to form central process control levels. This means that INTERBUS is simple a transport medium for the process data that are made visible at any point in a company with the aid of corresponding interfaces.

Ethernet-TCP/IP

The further blending of classic office elements, e.g. Ethernet TCP/IP with INTERBUS, makes for additional transparency. The production level (failure of an optical data link) can be linked directly with other levels (delivery stop/customer information). These defined production processes can be archived or made available to other command levels. The transparent factory thus comes closer to reality

Enter the future with INTERBUS

As is the case with all sectors of industry, the world of automation is at the start of a new century. Upheavals and restructuring of various functions are often associated with such significant dates. At present, there are discussions on the various communication protocols and their use in automation engineering. Which communication protocol is used as the suitable transmission medium, whether fieldbus or Ethernet-TCP/IP, depends on the specifications of an application. New standards are being defined and put into practice in many fields. Examples of this are PC-aided systems, safety-related systems, distributed and FO components, as well as web technology oriented controllers. Many of these functions will in future apply as knockout criteria in system and project planning. Particularly in the fieldbus systems, this requires these functions to be integrated in order to guarantee co-existence and that they complement one another sensibly. Non-proprietary solutions When implementing these additional features, the main focus is again the call of the user for non-proprietary solutions. Particularly in the field of safety and PC systems, the requirements as to openness are very high. This is necessary to be able to retrofit existing systems and to be able to modernize step by step. There are however also requirements relating to other functions that the fieldbus system must fulfill. One is point-to-point connection.