Having always used 4-20mA analogue signals we now have a project where the customer wants us to use a fieldbus system but has left it up to us which system that will be. Looking at our instrumentation suppliers that effectively means Profibus PA or Foundation Fieldbus. I've looked into the headline advantages/disadvantages and none seem very relevant to us e.g. we don't use Profibus DP, we don't care about FF devices operating with no host.
Both systems seem to be supported by our first choice PLC system (CompactLogix) and others such as S7 and Mitsu Q. So before I get stuck into the details of how to wire and program these systems to find some clear ground between them (time I can't really afford...) I thought I'd see what your thoughts are.
As I say, we're not limited even to PA or FF but I had to start somewhere and these seem the most likely candidates.
Any advice appreciated e.g. one is easier to set up or works better with AB or needs less wiring etc. Thanks!
Both systems seem to be supported by our first choice PLC system (CompactLogix) and others such as S7 and Mitsu Q. So before I get stuck into the details of how to wire and program these systems to find some clear ground between them (time I can't really afford...) I thought I'd see what your thoughts are.
As I say, we're not limited even to PA or FF but I had to start somewhere and these seem the most likely candidates.
Any advice appreciated e.g. one is easier to set up or works better with AB or needs less wiring etc. Thanks!
