Tag: instrumentation
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How RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485 Networks are applied in Instrumentation
RS-232 Presently, this standard is known as TIA-232C. These are point-to-point networks with a purpose of connecting only two devices. The signaling is single-ended (unbalanced) which implies that the respective voltage pulses are referenced to a common ground conductor and a single conductor is used to transfer data in each direction as illustrated in figure…
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Basic Features of Foundation Fieldbus (FF)
Foundation fieldbus (FF) and Profibus are the two most universal serial data bus formats that are used for interfacing between the central processor and smart devices in the process control system. The Foundation Fieldbus is mainly used in U.S. while Profibus format is primarily used in Europe. A serial data bus is a single pair…
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Hazardous Locations Classifications
A hazardous location is defined as a location where fire or explosion hazards exist due to the presence of flammable gases, vapors, or liquids, combustible dusts or ignitable fibers. Fire explosions can occur in a wide range of industrial environments e.g. refineries, petrochemical plants, oil rigs, chemical processing facilities, grain silos, etc. Fire or explosions…
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Functional Safety in Instrumentation Systems (SIS, SIF & SIL)
Functional safety is the risk reduction provided by the functions implemented to ensure the safe operations of the process. The IEC 61508 standard covers functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems. The purpose of IEC 61508 is to use safety instrumented systems that reduce risk to a tolerable level by following the overall hardware and…
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4-20 mA Transmitters (2-wire, 3-wire and 4-wire Types)
Background of 4-20 mA Signal Transmission Initially signal transmission was dominated by pneumatics before the advent of 4-20 mA signal standard. The standard was 3-15 psi pneumatic signal where the 3 psi was the ‘live zero’ and 15 psi represented the 100 %. Any pressure below 3 psi was considered ‘dead zero’ and an alarm…
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What is a Smart Sensor?
A smart sensor is the integration of a sensor with an analogue to digital converter (ADC), a processor and digital to analogue converter (ADC) for actuator control. A typical application of a smart sensor set up is a temperature control of a furnace as illustrated below. The electronics in the smart sensor contains all the…
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P&IDs and Loop Diagrams
Process and Instrument Diagrams (P&IDs), also called Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams and Loop diagrams are construction and documentation drawings that show the flow of the process and illustrate the instrumentation control and measurement instructions, wiring and connections to the process. The sections or subsystems of the process that are usually shown are called loops. A…
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What is Process Control?
Process control can be defined as a control system that manages a particular industrial process so that a uniform, correct output is maintained. It does this by monitoring and adjusting the control parameters such as the flow rate or temperature to ensure the output product remains as it ought to. A typical example of process…
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Types of Sensors used in Measurement and Process Control
A sensor is an element in a measurement system that detects the magnitude of a physical variable or parameter and changes it into a signal that can be processed by the system. The active element of a sensor is often referred to as a transducer. The monitoring and control systems require sensors to measure physical…
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Basic Facts about Data Acquisition (DAQ) and Process Control
The goal of most electronic systems is to measure or control some physical quantity. The system will have to acquire data from the environment, process this data and record it. As a control system, it will also have to interact with the environment. The flow of information in a typical data acquisition (DAQ) can be…