The Fieldbus Foundation has registered the first Foundation fieldbus H1 device couplers, with MooreHawke and Pepperl+Fuchs the first companies to be registered.
The new device coupler registration process provides automation end users with greater assurance of the interoperability of independently manufactured fieldbus physical layer components, says the Fieldbus Foundation.
MooreHawke, a division of Moore Industries, and Pepperl+Fuchs are the first Foundation fieldbus device coupler suppliers to pass the registration process.
The Fieldbus Foundation’s Foundation Device Coupler Test Specification (FF-846-1.1) defines a suite of vendor self-tests for fieldbus device couplers with spur short-circuit protection.
The tests cover device coupler requirements as specified in the FF-816 FS 1.5 Physical Layer Profile, as well as the IEC 61158-2: 2003 standard.
The registration process includes additional tests beyond the scope of these standards, which determine if a device coupler is fit for its intended purpose of preventing spur short-circuits from disrupting a fieldbus network.