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Field Calibrators - ControlGlobal.com · 2020. 11. 30. · Acromag.com 877-295-7066 MADE IN USA...
Transcript of Field Calibrators - ControlGlobal.com · 2020. 11. 30. · Acromag.com 877-295-7066 MADE IN USA...
SPECIAL REPORT
Field Calibrators
Optimize your calibration plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Smart devices offer embedded QA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Beyond interoperability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Digital champs needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
The connected instrument tech: New options for the mobile crowd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
AD INDEXAcromag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Field Calibrators 2
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Establishing ideal calibration intervals based on key regulatory, criticality, safety and
quality considerations is only the first step in achieving optimal instrument perfor-
mance . There are other factors to consider when it comes to developing a plan and
executing against it . First, since you’re looking to optimize calibration operations and not
just keep records, a software application designed specifically to help manage and keep
track of your instrumentation is a good first investment .
In a new plant, setting initial calibration frequencies relies on the criticality of the measure-
ment, the maximum permissible error (MPE), the use of self-diagnostics and verification, as
well as advice from the instrument manufacturer and qualified calibration team . But in an
existing plant, determining calibration intervals based on established work practices and
actual historical experience often yields better results .
Indeed, once a calibration plan has been in effect for a few years, the instrument/asset man-
agement software takes on an even bigger role . When each calibration is completed, new
data is recorded, including the status of the flowmeter before and after calibration . Analysis
of these records may very well indicate that the instrument does not require calibration as
often as expected, helping to justify longer intervals .
Other advantages of today’s instrument/asset management packages include the support
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Field Calibrators 4
Optimize your calibration plan
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Field Calibrators 5
of mobile access to an instrument’s history
and supporting documentation . From the
field, a technician can pull up real-time diag-
nostics, calibration history, troubleshooting
instructions and other information needed
to properly address issues as they arise . In
many cases, modern instruments equipped
with advanced diagnostics can determine if
a problem exists, and automatically notify
the maintenance department .
IN-HOUSE, AT A LAB, OR ONSITE?Once the need for a calibration is estab-
lished, a number of other decisions come
into play . First, do you have—or can you
afford—the necessary equipment to do it
in house? And, do you have the properly
trained technicians on staff to perform it
properly?
Standard maintenance shops are not
equipped for some calibrations . Flowme-
ters, for example, are far more complicated
to calibrate than other measurement instru-
ments, such as for temperature or pressure .
Professional calibration labs use pipe-clamp
measurement sections to accommodate
different diameters . The sections tend to
be large, making them cost-prohibitive for
many asset owner-operators . Calibrating in-
When there’s a need for high accuracy calibration of a large, high flowrate meter, there’s simply no substitute for an accredited calibration laboratory such as this Endress+Hauser facility, where meters up to feet in diameter can be traceably calibrated. (Human technician included for scale.)
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Field Calibrators 6
house also necessitates the
purchase of one or more
costly flow-reference de-
vices—these devices require
calibration with traceability,
adding further costs and
complexity to processes . In
such cases, the help of an
outside services organiza-
tion is called for—prefer-
ably one accredited to the
ISO/IEC 17025 Standard
for Testing and Calibration
Laboratories .
Flowmeters are often re-
moved from systems for the
purpose of calibration and
sent to a calibration labora-
tory . The commonly held
belief is that the necessary
calibration accuracy can be
guaranteed only under labo-
ratory conditions . However,
this is only partially true .
Flowmeters and many other
measuring devices can also
be calibrated directly on-
site by an accredited cali-
bration provider . There are
several advantages to this:
• Plant availability improves
as the device is calibrated
near-line or in-line .
• Sources of error can be
detected and eliminated
on-site, while the abil-
ity to achieve the same
result in a calibration lab is
limited . Calibration techni-
cians on-site can detect
errors during installation
and identify blockages or
contamination in the pipes
directly in the system .
• Cost savings increase due
to the speed of completion,
reduced downtime and the
elimination of an inventory
of replacement parts .
• There is no need to disas-
semble and ship contami-
nated devices, and costly
decontamination mea-
sures can be avoided .
Endress+Hauser, for ex-
ample, has both high-end
regional calibration centers
across the world as well as
fleets of portable rigs—sup-
ported by highly trained
engineers—that can be
brought directly to plant
sites . Convenient and cost-
This portable flowmeter calibration rig can be brought onsite to compare flowmeter performance against a standards-traceable reference meter, avoiding the delays and potential damage inher-ent in transporting the meter to a laboratory.
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Field Calibrators 7
effective, this approach removes the need
to send instruments offsite . Coordinating an
onsite visit with a plant outage also allows
multiple instruments to be quickly calibrat-
ed and returned to service .
These mobile rigs (see photo) compare
a flowmeter’s performance against an-
other reference meter with traceability .
But for those applications requiring even
higher accuracy, or to address especially
large meter sizes, one’s choices are lim-
ited to dedicated calibration facilities such
as Endress+Hauser’s regional calibration
centers in Europe, Asia and North America,
where a new Gulf Coast campus will open
later this year . These dedicated facilities of-
fer traceable, highest-accuracy calibration
of even high flow-rate flowmeters .
Even with the budget to purchase the most
sophisticated calibration and reference
equipment currently available, there is no
substitute for a properly trained technician .
Not only do they need to be trained on the
mechanics of the calibration process, they
also need to be equally qualified in com-
pleting and maintaining the documentation .
Accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility
are key and in the world of calibration, if it
isn’t properly documented, it didn’t happen .
Truly professional calibration needs highly
trained experts . While it is perfectly feasible
to calibrate some measuring points yourself,
other points present a challenge that it is not
to be underestimated, even by experts . In
cases involving a large number of flowmeters,
calibration requires project planning . The staff
Calibration traceability should follow an unbroken chain of calibrations, so that the highest-level cali-bration can be traced back to a national calibration standard, or equivalent.
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Field Calibrators 8
conducting these calibrations needs to con-
sider the minimization of plant downtime, the
removal and reinstallation of devices, techni-
cal knowledge of calibration, as well as the
operation and handling of tools and equip-
ment . Additionally, staff must always know
the current applicable regulations to ensure
that the correct calibration intervals are being
observed and can complete the documenta-
tion in compliance with the regulations . After
all, calibration provides proof and documen-
tation of compliance with the permitted mea-
surement error and plays an important role in
audits and certifications .
Furthermore, taking on internal or in-house
calibrations can raise questions from an
audit standpoint as to what the company’s
core competence may be . Is it to produce a
product or perform calibrations?
INSIST ON TRACEABILITY, ACCREDITATIONTraceability means that the reference
standards used when executing a calibra-
tion have also been calibrated using an
even higher-level standard . That traceability
should follow an unbroken chain of calibra-
tions, so that the highest-level calibration
has been traced back to a national calibra-
tion standard, or equivalent .
So, for example, you may calibrate your
process measurement instrument with a
portable process calibrator . The portable
process calibrator you used, should have
been calibrated using a more accurate ref-
erence calibrator . The reference calibrator
should be calibrated with an even higher-
level standard or sent out to an accredited
or national calibration center for calibration .
If the traceability chain is broken at any
point, any measurement “below” that point
cannot be considered the true representa-
tion of the measurement . Comparisons be-
tween devices under testing, testing equip-
ment and the country’s highest national
standard are the only way of establishing
end-to-end traceability of measured values .
Just as traceability ensures the integrity of
calibration standards, accreditation ensures
that providers of calibration services have
the necessary technical expertise, and that
the calibration infrastructure (operating pro-
cedures, methods, calculations) and quality
management systems meets industry best
practices . Endress+Hauser’s calibration ca-
pabilities, for example, are accredited in the
U .S . by the American Association for Labora-
tory Accreditation (A2LA, www .a2la .org) .
Your organization’s competitive edge de-
pends on accurate instrumentation . Opti-
mize calibration in line with your needs to
enhance productivity, ensure compliance
and maintain quality . Schedule calibra-
tion of critical instruments, monitor KPIs
for process improvement and call on the
expertise of accredited calibration service
providers when it makes sense to augment
your in-house capabilities .
Headlinedeckbyline
www.controlglobal.com
The recent publication of IEC TR 63082-1:2020 “Intelligent Device Management –
Part 1: Concepts and terminology” in February and subsequent adoption by ISA at
the end of April is one more tool developed to help the control community make
better use of the capabilities existing in their already installed systems .
This initial document in a planned series on intelligent device management (IDM) addresses
the ‘why’ of asset management as it pertains to industrial intelligent devices (IIDs) . Part 2,
presently under development as a planned international standard, will describe ‘what’ is
necessary, and then subsequent technical reports (TR) will provide details on the ‘how’ to
implement the ‘what’ in Part 2 .
IEC 63082-1 describes intelligent device management concepts and terminology to describe
the basic concepts of how intelligent devices can be managed and an overview of how this
device management works throughout the facility lifecycle without implying a particular
asset management tool or set of tools . The concept of an IDM program as a way to manage
the activities associated with intelligent devices during the facility lifecycle is suggested as
an approach to achieve goals across multiple internal and external stakeholders .
As devices continue to evolve to transmit more data digitally, they deliver more benefits to
users as well as offering the potential for simpler deployment, improved operation and re-
Field Calibrators 9
Smart devices offer embedded QALeverage their digital diagnotsics to ensure the real-time integrity of control actions
by Ian Verhappen
www.controlglobal.com
Field Calibrators 10
duced costs . Intelligent device data delivery
standards (the various industrial network
protocols) define what each data point
looks like in terms of descriptors and termi-
nology . This proliferation of intelligent de-
vices has also resulted in an increase in the
volume and complexity of data, requiring
standards for identifying errors, diagnostic
codes and critical configuration parameters,
leading to better process control, higher ef-
ficiency, lower energy use, reduced down-
time and higher-quality products .
Unfortunately, most installed, intelligent de-
vices are only used to perform their primary
function of providing the process variable .
All of us are likely familiar with the term
GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) with refer-
ence to control practices . Asset manage-
ment is one way to prevent GIGO from hap-
pening with your process by allowing one
to predict, in real-time, the quality of signals
to and from your field devices and, ulti-
mately, your ability to control your process .
To meet the challenges and capture the
benefits of IDM, all stakeholders, such as
engineering firms, operating companies and
service and equipment providers, need to
understand their role in proper implementa-
tion and use of the tools and support sys-
tems for intelligent devices .
OVERCOMING COMPLEXITYThe primary challenge of IDM is its per-
ceived complexity . Digital communica-
tions and auxiliary functions can maximize
the value of the device . However, the
lack of standardized work processes and
available skills at a site are a challenge
for dealing effectively with the potential
complexity of IDM and fuel the need for
the above standards .
Achieving the full benefit of IDM requires a
lifecycle approach in a structured environ-
ment that’s established during the design
and before operation of a facility . Existing
or new facilities without IDM infrastruc-
ture can require hardware and software
upgrades . Traditional tools such as gap
analysis can help determine the need for
hardware and software modification, new
work processes and retraining personnel .
With IDM infrastructure in place, facilities
can be made to perform better with lower
risk, while new facilities can be designed,
constructed and operated in a more ef-
ficient fashion .
IDM-based work processes also provide
opportunities to improve data manage-
ment, workers’ knowledge, maintenance
of work processes and diagnostic messag-
ing . The net result of asset management
is to provide improvement in functional-
ity, accuracy, reliability and total cost of
ownership by giving personnel the time to
optimize practices to improve safety and
efficiency of the manufacturing/produc-
tion process .
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The Field Device Integration (FDI, www .Ask4FDI .com) standard was developed
through a collaboration between major industry foundations and suppliers to bring
standardization to the packaging and distribution of all software and tools neces-
sary to integrate a device with a host system .
In recent years, field devices and the systems they connect to have become more power-
ful, as has the software required to maximize value creation from their use . Staying current
with changing operating systems, asset management system versions, user interfaces, and
device description (DD) releases is time-consuming and error-prone . To get around this, FDI
standardizes their interfaces so host systems need only one FDI Device Package per device
type per protocol to successfully integrate each device .
To do this, a physical device is virtualized in software as an FDI Device Package—a single
file (* .fdix) that contains all the device information including device definitions, user inter-
face plug-ins, certificates, device manuals and other components that are essential for man-
aging the field device in the plant .
“If you want to measure temperature in your process application or plant, you want to use
a great device, but you need the right tools to configure it, such as ABB’s Field Information
Manager (FIM) software,” says Hendrik Deckert, technical product manager for measure-
Field Calibrators 11
Beyond interoperabilityHow FDI reaches the cloud and enables digital transformation
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Field Calibrators 12
ment and analytics, Industrial Automation
division, ABB . “However, there’s usually
equipment from other vendors in the same
facility, and you don’t want to install new
software for each product . This is why the
FieldComm Group created standard Field
Device Integration (FDI) drivers for config-
uring HART, PROFIBUS and FOUNDATION
Fieldbus .”
Softing Industrial Automation provides
communication hardware, including “mo-
biLink” Bluetooth interface, gateways, and
network hardware and software for HART,
FOUNDATION Fieldbus and PROFIBUS
PA . “One specialized interface allows you
to convert communication of different
protocols,” says Thomas Rummel, senior
vice president, engineering and product
management, industrial data networks, at
Softing . “Until now, we’ve had to talk to the
vendors of different tools and do integra-
tion on the API level, which we can’t re-use .
With FDI, we can use the same server for
multiple tools .
FDT is similar, using common Device Type
Managers (DTM), but FDI offers contrinua-
tion of the DD approach .
Deckert reports HART originally used elec-
tronic device description (EDD) text files
that covered all the properties and variables
for each particular device . “This method
was sufficient for basic temperature, pres-
sure and other components, but as instru-
ments grew more complex and took on
multiple roles thanks to more powerful mi-
croprocessors, EDDs just couldn’t keep up,”
explains Deckert . The initial solution was the
Field Device Tool (FDT) standard and the
FDT Group’s DTM that performs program
calculations aided by an EDD-based user
interface description (UID), while it’s still
located inside an EDD . This allowed simple
temperature devices to keep using EDDs,
while more complicated device like flowme-
ters could use DTMs .
FDI’s most significant improvement is that the documentation users need is in one
device package .
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Field Calibrators 13
“With scalable FDI Device Packages, users
can employ descriptive UIDs or use UIDs
with active code for complex instruments .
These two scalable parts are what FDI is
all about—not more double configuration
work for users,” explains Deckert . “For ex-
ample, our FIM software for FDI has been
adapted to accept UIDs in legacy field
devices, which means users can add their
installed base to a FIM system, and don’t
have to rip and replace . Plus, while old de-
vices don’t have to be replaced, they can
be exchanged if the user decides to . In ad-
dition, even though most vendors follow
FDI, ABB’s FIM also works with UIDs, so
users aren’t dependent if a vendor hasn’t
followed it .
“This is really FDI’s most significant im-
provement—all the documentation users
need is in one device package, so users
aren’t limited if internet coverage is lacking .
Also, only the vendor’s team can create the
attached files for their device .”
As an emerging technology, FDI is gradual-
ly becoming readily available in the market .
“It’s in release now, and there are tools out
there, Siemens, Emerson, Honeywell, ABB
and others are strongly committed to FDI,”
says Rummel . “The benefit is, you have one
concept of serving HART, FOUNDATION
Fieldbus, PROFIBUS PA and even other
protocols—one for all protocols, instead
of something similar, but not the same . In
the future, it will allow you to do a single
network across the enterprise . We’ll have
better network architectures with com-
mon servers running on it . The integration
improves the system architecture, and a
gateway with a server can communicate
with the devices .”
Connects any protocolThe Field Device Integration (FDI) standard is not another protocol . It’s an integration tech-
nology that brings standardization to device installation and configuration . The FDI Device
Package is a single file that contains all drivers, documentation and user interfaces to manage
a field device .
Provides cybersecurity: FDI technology deploys state-of-the-art security measures include se-
cure FDI Device Packages, sandbox environments for user interface plug-ins (UIPs), and OPC
UA security capabilities .
Standardizes device management: FDI Device Package repository streamlines the process of
device revision management . As the authoritative source for registered FDI Device Packages,
it simplifies maintenance by providing a simple way to obtain the correct device files for your
installation .
Headlinedeckbyline
www.controlglobal.com
Under the brim of his hardhat, Dana, the instrument tech, had scrawled the network
ID and join key for the two WirelessHART networks in his section . This was essen-
tial to adding and/or replacing digitally integrated wireless transmitters, and the
potentially lengthy network ID (up to six digits) and join key (up to four integers of eight
digits each) was both something to be known and something to be guarded . Dana had
become proficient at configuring the wireless instruments using his new Trex communica-
tor; he was also familiar with the browser-based management tool for the plant’s growing
wireless sensor network .
In today’s world, a large proportion of measurements from wireless instrumentation is
brought into legacy systems, even more into modern ones, using Modbus . As such, each
variable of interest is mapped to a Modbus register, and the corresponding register is read
and associated with its tag in the DCS or PLC . Once done, this configuration is stable and
reliable . But how easy is device replacement? As any infrastructure ages and applications
are added or modified, the individuals who understand how it all fits together may not be
readily available . What if a device needs replacement while Dana is on vacation, and his
hardhat is in his locker?
WHITHER CHANGE MANAGEMENT?In the WirelessHART deployment, a new device out-of-the-box requires a few more set-
Field Calibrators 14
Digital champs neededWhat if a digital device needs replacement but your expert is on vacation?
by John Rezabek
www.controlglobal.com
Field Calibrators 15
tings to replace an existing one . These are
all things that can be set with a properly
equipped and connected handheld device
or a laptop with a HART modem and appro-
priate software . A procedure detailing vari-
ables like Network ID or Join Keys should
not be hard to develop, and helpful wizards
aboard a handheld configurator can get
one through most of the critical settings . If
you’re replacing a flow transmitter that re-
quires a square-root linearization and meter
factor, all those settings need to align as
well . A handheld or laptop might be capable
of uploading an old device’s configuration,
but that process can be tough to capture in
a standardized procedure .
Having deployed a wireless infrastructure
for battery-powered wireless field devices,
the applications in Dana’s plant proliferated,
in several cases owing to the imaginative
thinking of Dana and operations specialists .
Wireless pressure gauges in analyzer sam-
ple systems forewarned of plugging . Acous-
tic sensors on pneumatic solids conveying
lines assured they were moving material .
Could acoustic sensors with integral tem-
perature sensors offer a clue about whether
a pump kickback line was flowing freely or
plugged with polymer or catalyst solids?
Seems like they did, and within a year or
two the improvised application was cited in
a HAZOP as a safeguard . Digital transforma-
tion and new applications based on prolifer-
ating sensors—the previously unmeasured,
locally monitored or simply inferred—are
becoming common . Even the most fractious
cultures might welcome instrumentation
that assists either management or front-line
operators to support or defend their priori-
ties and choices, but their configuration and
maintenance can’t be left to chance .
In modern plants, instruments that partici-
pate in some way to provide a safeguard,
or are essential to achieving the neces-
sary layer of protection analysis (LOPA)
risk reduction, need to be validated . These
aren’t safety interlocks per se, but any mea-
surement that alerts users to take action
to avert an undesirable consequence . For
these, “run to failure” isn’t an option . Once
we rely on the new infrastructure for even
economic risk avoidance, the care and feed-
ing of the system can’t be ad hoc .
Today’s world supports the easy deploy-
ment of wireless devices that require little
added infrastructure or even strict man-
agement of change . If you’re fortunate
enough to have a competent and enthu-
siastic champion like Dana, capture his or
her doings in standardized procedures . And
ensure that you’re grooming backups/suc-
cessors, who can sustain the digital trans-
formation after they move on . Doing so will
require privileges and access to both digital
field devices and networks, as well as the
SCADA, PLC or DCS to which the new infor-
mation is being transmitted .
Headlinedeckbyline
www.controlglobal.com
FROM “see what I see” collaborative platforms to augmented reality assistants, field
workers across industry are coming to rely on commercial smartphone platforms
like never before . Whether installed on personal, bring-your-own devices (BYODs)
or ruggedized, intrinsically safe, company-issued handsets, applications based on the iOS
and Android platforms are easy to download, easy to manage and readily integrate with
other apps in the Apple and Google ecosystems .
We expect this in our personal lives, and that same flexibility, functionality and convenience
is increasingly available in our work lives as well . And that includes the instrument techni-
cians and mobile operators responsible for the care and upkeep of the process industry’s
measurement and control devices .
Control recently caught up with Jeffrey Dobos, president of ProComSol, a leading provider
of process instrumentation communication solutions, to discuss the changing toolkit avail-
able to today’s instrument tech, and how it opens new possibilities for more productive and
informed activities .
Q: The installed base of instrumentation in the process industry relies overwhelmingly on
4-20 mA analog signals for communicating process variables or valve position instructions,
paired with the HART protocol for configuration, diagnostics and other instrument data .
Field Calibrators 16
The connected instrument tech:
New options for the mobile crowd by Jeffrey A . Dobos
www.controlglobal.com
Field Calibrators 17
Historically speaking, what
were the options for instru-
ment techs who wanted
local access to smart instru-
ment data?
A: The only choice was an
expensive, single purpose
HART communicator . It was
not only costly to purchase,
but to maintain as well . To
add device description (DD)
files, the communicator had
to be sent to an authorized
reseller . Turnaround times
were long and updates
were expensive .
This changed in 2006 when
ProComSol released Dev-
Com2000 Smart Device
Communicator software for
Windows . DevCom2000
provides full DD-based
HART Communicator func-
tionality for the Windows
PC . Not only was the initial
cost affordable, DD Library
updates were low-cost as
well . The user simply down-
loaded DD Library updates
from the ProComSol web-
site—no need for the HART
communicator to be unavail-
able for a long period of
time just to install an update .
Then in 2014, ProComSol
released DevComDroid,
Smart Device Communi-
cator for Android . Now a
mobile and truly handheld
HART Communicator was
available . The main hard-
ware piece required was
something users already
had and used daily—their
smartphones . Again, the
initial cost, as well as for DD
Library maintenance, was
low . Used with a Bluetooth
HART modem, users also
experienced convenience
and increased safety .
Finally, the iOS version
(DevCom .iOS) was release
in 2018 . Now all major hard-
ware platforms are sup-
ported .
Q: What’s involved in re-
placing this functionality
with a smartphone instead?
A: A modern HART com-
municator now consists of
a DevCom HART Commu-
nicator App (for Android or
iOS), a smartphone and a
HART modem . A Bluetooth
HART modem is the most
convenient, but the Android
version can also use our
USB HART Modem (HM-
USB-ISO) .
THE MODERN HART COMMUNICATOR Your smartphone or tablet, plus an app and Bluetooth modem, of-fer cost, functionality, portability and safety advantages relative to bulky, single-purpose HART communicators.
www.controlglobal.com
Field Calibrators 18
The most expensive portion of the modern
HART communicator is the smartphone or
tablet . Again, this item is something you
likely already have and paid for, so the
only real added cost is for the app and
HART modem .
Even when hazardous area compliance
is required, smartphones and tablets
that meet ATEX and other requirements
are available . These devices can be used
for other activities such as inspections,
workorder management and generating
reports . Even with this more expensive
platform, the cost is lower than a single
purpose HART communicator . Plus the
tablet/smartphone has other uses besides
just HART communications .
Q: What are the advantages of using a
smartphone app instead of a purpose-
built communicator? Also, are the smart-
phone apps consistent with the Windows-
based version, and when might one use
one or the other?
A: Cost is by far the biggest advantage .
The initial purchase costs, as well as main-
tenance costs, are much lower than a
single-purpose-built communicator . The
lower cost also eliminates the need for
an instrumentation team to share a HART
communicator . Nothing is more frustrat-
ing than to be in the field in the middle of
nowhere without a tool you need .
A secondary advantage is the user has
less equipment to carry into the field . The
smartphone is always available, and the
HART modem is small and lightweight . So,
even if you didn’t plan to use a HART com-
municator at the start of your shift, you’ll
have one with you, just in case .
Also, with the current issues of the pan-
demic, technicians no longer need to share
a common HART communicator with other
team members . The affordability of Dev-
Com allows companies to purchase individ-
ual communicators for their instrumentation
teams, eliminating the need for disinfection
between uses and reducing the risk of virus
transmission .
Ease of updates is another advantage . Once
you purchase a traditional HART communi-
cator, you’re stuck with the hardware until
the manufacturer makes it obsolete . Frank-
ly, it’s obsolete as soon as the prototype
is made . Electronics are continuously in a
state of update . You know this . The smart-
phone in your pocket is likely less than two
years old . Every update you make, often for
free, is a substantial improvement in speed
and features than your previous smart-
phone . Imagine continuous improvement
with hardly any additional effort .
All versions of DevCom are interchangeable .
HART device configurations saved on each
www.controlglobal.com
Field Calibrators 19
version can be shared regardless of operat-
ing system . A device configuration can be
saved using Android and sent to your col-
league that uses Windows, for example .
Right now our Windows version takes
advantage of more screen space to show
more data . The entire HART device menu
structure can be seen at once . The addi-
tional Windows screen area also allows for
more graphical items to be shown .
Q: Once HART communications are avail-
able on your smartphone, what sorts of new
synergies are possible?
A: The user can take full advantage of the
other features of the smartphone . The main
one being connectivity . For example, a user
can save a HART device configuration to his
smartphone, and email the resulting PDF file
to his supervisor . Contractors can be hired
to go into the plant to perform calibration
checks, and have the reports sent electroni-
cally to their plant customer .
Documenting the HART instrumentation
in the plant is made even easier with the
cloud functionality of DevCom . A team of
technicians can form a group, which can
then share the HART configuration data
they collect . This data is saved in a central
repository that can be easily accessed by
everyone in the group . The data is backed
up and secure .
The smartphone camera helps with remote
tech support by saving DevCom screen
shots . These can be sent out and reviewed
by support teams . The camera can also be
used to take pictures of the communication
setup, so remote troubleshooting can take
place when things are not working .
Smartphone apps also support push noti-
fications . When a new DD Library is re-
leased, one of the ways users are notified
is with a notification on their mobile de-
vice . When the notification icon appears,
simply tap it to update the DD Library .
Very easy .