5
BE 57-658 Eclipse
®
Model 706 Guided Wave Radar Transmitter – PROFIBUS PA output
1.2 Benefits
The benefits of PROFIBUS PA
™
can be found throughout
all phases of an installation:
1. Design/Installation: Connecting multiple devices to a single
pair of wires means less wire and fewer I/O equipment.
Initial Engineering costs are also reduced because
PROFIBUS International requires interoperability, defined
as “the ability to operate multiple devices in the same system,
regardless of manufacturer, without a loss of functionality.”
All PROFIBUS PA
™
devices must be tested for
interoperability by a PI accredited, independent testing
agency. Magnetrol Model 706PA device certification infor-
mation can be found at www.profibus.com.
2. Operation: A PROFIBUS PA
™
system allows for multiple
variables to be brought back from each device to the control
room for additional trending and reporting.
3. Maintenance: The self-diagnostics residing in the smart
field devices minimizes the need to send maintenance
personnel to the field.
1.3 Device Configuration
The function of a PROFIBUS PA
™
device is determined by
the arrangement of a system of blocks. The types of blocks
used in a typical User Application are described as follows:
Physical Block describes the characteristics of the
PROFIBUS PA
™
device such as the device name,
manufacturer, and serial number.
Function Blocks are built into the PROFIBUS PA
™
devices
as needed to provide the desired control system behavior.
There can be numerous function blocks in a single User
Application.
Transducer Blocks contain information such as calibration
parameters and sensor type. They are used to connect the
sensor to the input function blocks.
An important requirement of fieldbus devices is the interop-
erability concept mentioned earlier. Device Description
(DD) technology can provide extended descriptions for
each object and provides pertinent information useful for a
host system.
DDs are similar to the drivers that your personal computer
(PC) uses to operate peripheral devices connected to it.
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