FieldBus: The Basis for an Open Architecture Condition Monitoring Revolution

Over the last twelve months, a predominant subject of conversation in control systems circles has been the potential offered by open architecture automation systems based upon the Fieldbus concept. Surprisingly few in the field of condition monitoring are aware of Fieldbus, and fewer have tapped its potential. Yet, open architectures are certain to have a major impact upon the performance and capability of on-line condition monitoring and maintenance management systems. In this article the authors outline the Fieldbus concept, explain its associated technology, review existing protocols, identify the need for a universal Fieldbus standard, and investigate its potential to improve CBM by breaking down the traditional boundaries between CM, control and process management.