Fieldbus transmitter must also be calibrated

Mr. Juha Salimaki

Area Sales Manager, Country Manager - India
Beamex Oy, Finland

Contents
1. What is calibration
2. Why calibrate
3. The operation of fieldbus transmitters
4. Fieldbus transmitters must also be calibrated
5. The principles of calibrating fieldbus transmitters
6. Conventional way of calibrating fieldbus transmitters
7. New solution - Calibrating fieldbus transmitters with a Beamex MC5

What is calibration
What time is it? What time is it exactly and
how do you know it?
Calibration can be briefly described as an
activity where the instrument being tested is
compared to a known reference value.
The keywords here are known reference,
which means that the known reference used in
the comparison should be traceable to some
standard.
Terminology differs between conventional and
digital instrument calibration.

Why calibrate
The primary reason for calibrating is that even
the best instruments drift and lose their ability
to give accurate measurements.
The drift makes calibration necessary.
Environment conditions, elapsed time and type
of application can all affect the stability of an
instrument.
Even instruments of the same manufacturer,
type and range can show varying
performance. One unit can be found to have
good stability, while another performs
differently.

Other reasons for calibration

To maintain the credibility of measurements.
To maintain the quality of process instruments
at a good-as-new level.
Safety and environmental regulations.
ISO9000, other quality systems and
regulations (e.g. FDA).
ISO9000 and ISO14000 can assist in guiding
regular, systematic calibrations, which
produces uniform quality and minimizes the
negative impacts on the environment.

The operation of fieldbus transmitters

Conventional transmitters

Control
System

Analog one-way signal

Only one variable
A pair of cable to each instrument
Conversion of mA signal to digital for I/O
subsystems

I/O SUBSYSTEM
4-20 mA
PT101
4-20 mA
PT102
4-20 mA
CV-101

The operation of fieldbus transmitters

Fieldbus transmitters

Control System

Digital two-way signal

Several instrument in one bus cable

(multi-drop)
No conventional I/O systems needed
Open standard Instruments from any
manufacturer can be in the same fieldbus

SEGMENT
CONTROLLER
FIELD-LEVEL NETWORK
(Profibus PA, Foundation Fieldbus
H1)

Huge amount of information is transferred

HOST-LEVEL NETWORK
(Profibus DP, Foundation HSE, etc)

PT-101

FT-101

CV-101

Fieldbus transmitters must also be calibrated

The main difference between a fieldbus
transmitter and conventional transmitters is
that the output signal is a fully digital fieldbus
signal.
Changing the output signal does not change
the need for periodic calibration.
Although modern fieldbus transmitters have
been improved compared to older
transmitter models and some manufacturers
gives assurance of drift-free instruments, it
does not eliminate the need for calibration.
Calibrator is needed to measure (generate)
input + a way to read the digital output

Digital
Output

Process
Pressure,
Temperature,
Voltage, Current,
Pulse,
Resistance, etc

Fieldbus transmitter

The principles of calibrating

fieldbus transmitters
In brief:
Generate accurate process input
Read FF output
Document results
Trim (adjust) if required

Calibration CANNOT be made

remotely e.g. from the control
system, etc.

Process
Pressure, Temperature,
Voltage, Current, Pulse,
Resistance, etc
Fieldbus transmitter

Digital
Output

Conventional way of calibrating

fieldbus transmitters
Minimum two persons often required
Various measuring instruments needed
Manual documentation of calibration
Fieldbus

Process
Automation
and
Configuration
System

Doesnt work for stand-alone transmitters

FIELD

CONTROL ROOM

New Solution
In year 2006 Beamex introduced its
revolutionary and awarded Worlds First
Fieldbus Calibrator. Till to date no other
calibrator manufacturer has been able to
introduce anything similar to the MC5 Fieldbus
Calibrator
It is a combination of multifunction process
calibrator and a fieldbus configurator, which
can be used with both industrial standards
Foundation Fieldbus H1 and Profibus PA

Calibrating fieldbus transmitters

with the Beamex MC5 Fieldbus Calibrator
1. Make connections
(live segment or stand-alone)
- View/edit instrument configurations
- Verify the instruments during commissioning
2. Calibrate and document automatically
- Simulate or generate the input and read the
digital output of the Fieldbus instrument
3. Trim (adjust) if required and perform As Left
calibration automatically or manually
4. Upload calibration results to calibration
software and print the calibration certificate

Thank You
KIITOS!