Survey of field device networks issues from user's perspective
Boleslaw F. Boczkaj · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 1997
Field device or process level networks are a major innovation in the field of controls. They are an application of digital communication networks to connect field devices such as actuators, sensors, and transducers with each other and other parts of control system like operator interfaces and controllers. The treatment of this subject has concentrated in the professional literature on the development and description of communication protocols as well as overviews of benefits they offer. It is written primarily by members of manufacturer and standards development communities for the end user. However, the topic is broader and includes issues related to implementation and end use experiences. This paper provides a convenient overview of field device networks and aspects of their impact on control system design.