Posted to News on 12th May 2009, 15:32
New book provides an introduction to Profibus
Siemens Milltronics of Canada is proud to present another edition to its library of technical books. Catching the Process Fieldbus: An Introduction to Profibus is written by James Powell and Henry Vandelinde, and brings the world of industrial communications to the beginner.
The authors take the multidimensional, occasionally confusing mixture of fieldbuses, software packages and media that defines industrial communications and make it accessible. James Powell, PS2 Communications Product Manager for Siemens Milltronics Process Instruments, Canada, comments: "My intent was not to write the definitive and comprehensive handbook on Profibus. There are others who are far more qualified than I to undertake that task. I wanted to show that when industrial communications is understood and then installed with forethought and care, network operation can be both beneficial and painless."
To that end, the book is designed to speak to the beginner, to take that interested newbie by the hand and guide him/her through the bus route to communication success. However, this is not a 'how-to' manual. Rather, think of it as a primer laying the groundwork for communication design, providing information for the curious to explore and motivation for the dedicated to go further. Jorg Freitag, Chairman of Profibus International, enthuses: "The book is an excellent appetiser - a great introduction to the world of Profibus."
Topics discussed include bus operations, protocol details, physical layers and networks, network design basics, installation tips and suggestions, commissioning, maintenance, plant asset management and troubleshooting. All of these topics are designed to speak to the beginner - to take the whole of Profibus as a fieldbus and spread it out for everyone to sample and to investigate. Ron Mitchell, author of Profibus - a pocket guide, recommends it for anyone interested in industrial communications, saying: "Very good book! I particularly like your examples from site visits."
A video featuring James Powell can also be found on YouTube, explaining how Profibus can reduce the total cost of ownership of installed process plant instrumentation, which will be the topic of his presentation at the Profibus and Profinet User conference, taking place on 16 and 17 June 2009 near Stratford-upon-Avon, UK. Delegates at this conference and workshop event will also be presented with a free copy of Catching the Process Fieldbus.
For more information on the Profibus and Profinet User Conference, go to www.profi-bus.co.uk.
