TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Input/Output
Systems 2020
 www.controlglobal.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Bechtel proves out Universal I/O savings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
I/O gets flexible with modular, digitalized capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Advanced physical layer standard to make field-level Ethernet a reality . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
I/O takes a road trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

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Input/Output Systems 2020 2

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 www.controlglobal.com

Bechtel proves out

Universal I/O savings
By Mike Bacidore

O
ver the past several years, there’s been a substantial shift in the DCS market from
conventional, fixed functionality input/output (I/O) modules to the fully configu-
rable kind, such as the Universal I/O offered by Schneider Electric. The savings on
labor and materials may seem obvious, but engineering firm Bechtel decided to prove out
the benefits before recommending to its clients that they standardize on ready-made intel-
ligent enclosures with configurable I/O.

Indeed, an internal study of the improved approach revealed 15-30% savings in instrumenta-
tion and automation-related costs on a benchmark Bechtel LNG project.

“We get to see a lot of new technologies,” said Robert Resendez, control and automation
team manager, Bechtel Oil and Gas, who spoke about his company’s change in philosophy
at Schneider Electric Innovation Days, this week in Austin, Texas. “We get to follow a lot of
new technologies, and we get to implement many of them.”

In 2013, Bechtel had just come off of seven LNG projects. “One of the biggest challenges
was during design development,” explained Resendez. “We were at the factory acceptance
test (FAT) for eight to 12 months on all of them because of all the late changes. What could
we do to fix this problem? Universal I/O was a no-brainer.”

Input/Output Systems 2020 4


The obvious savings due to improved
system flexibility were immediately appar-
ent, but Bechtel wanted to know the over-
all impact on costs. The new approached
increased certain costs, but the net effect
soon became evident.
RUNNING THE NUMBERS
“We started vetting the systems and look-
ing at them from an engineering stand-
point,” continued Resendez. “In the conven-
tional system, we had an I/O cabinet and
then each I/O point had to be hardwired to
a marshaling cabinet, then out to interme-
diate junction boxes, and then out to the
instruments. This was the standard.”
With remote, universal I/O, the intermediate
junction boxes were replaced with intelli-
gent enclosures. “All the I/O is now moved
out to the field,” explained Resendez. “The
connection back to the control room is now
fiberoptic cable, so we’ve reduced the cable
size and the structure by eliminating the
copper cable. And the marshaling cabinets
have all but gone away.”
Bechtel took a project it had just completed
with 2,253 I/O signals going to four build-
ings. “We had an I/O rack room, a utility
substation, compressor substation and pro-
www.controlglobal.com
“We eliminated almost 2 million linear feet of
cable. We eliminated all 23 marshaling cabinets,
and DCS cabinets went from eight to five.” Rob-
ert Resendez explains how intelligent enclosures
have saved time and money at Bechtel.
pane condenser substation,” said Resendez.
“We replaced the junction boxes with the
smart enclosures. Eighty field junction boxes
were replaced with 39 mart I/O boxes.” The
majority of homerun cabling was eliminated,
reducing 195 homerun cables to just 16.
“We eliminated 21,000 homerun cable ter-
minations,” said Resendez. “We eliminated
almost two million linear feet of cable. We
eliminated all 23 marshaling cabinets, and
DCS cabinets went from eight to five. Be-
cause we eliminated cabinets, we reduced
the footprint from 864 sq.ft. to 234 sq.ft.
In some other projects, we’ve eliminated a
whole building.”
Input/Output Systems 2020 5

Despite all of the reductions, Bechtel need
to increase other components to accommo-
date the new technology. With nine clus-
ters of smart junction boxes, Bechtel had
to have redundant power and redundant
communications. “We added to our electri-
cal budget for fiberoptic communications
and power,” added Resendez. “Because of
the reduction in junction boxes, the dis-
tance from the boxes to the instruments has
increased and so the fan-out cabling has in-
www.controlglobal.com
creased. But we’re getting better at reduc-
ing the fan-out cable by improving design
now. Also, the increased fiberoptics means
fiberoptic terminations have increased
slightly. And, because we need redundant
power, we added fuse panels.”
When Bechtel took all the cost of the material
and labor, the savings were still substantial.
So much so that on every new project the
company now recommends the approach.
Input/Output Systems 2020 6
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 www.controlglobal.com

I/O gets flexible with

modular, digitalized
capabilities
Input/output points, terminal blocks and related devices are
gaining modular and digitalized capabilities

by Jim Montague

W
hen intangible software starts to alter physical hardware, we can begin to un-
derstand the breadth and depth of digitalization’s impact on process controls,
automation and pretty much everything else. For many years, software ran on
increasingly powerful microprocessors and faster networks, but their basic infrastructure
remained mostly the same. More recently, the demands and promised capabilities of data
processing and the Internet are even stretching I/O, terminal blocks and other device-level
components into new shapes to suit their needs.

SELECT, SIMPLIFY AND STREAMLINE

For instance, removing unhelpful and toxic elements at SemCAMS Wapiti (www.semcam-
swapiti.com) sour gas plant in northern Alberta, Canada, requires specialized equipment
and controls (Figure 1). Because cleaning H2S, propane, butane and other impurities is
mission-critical for the facility and worrisome for its operators and manager, Wapiti recently
got a much-needed boost from its recent upgrade with system integrator Blackrock Au-
tomation (http://blackrockautomation.com) in Taber, Alberta, and ABB’s (www.abb.com)
newly released Select I/O with common template and System 800xA automation platform.

The facility processes about 200 million cubic feet of sour gas per day, and was seeking one
I/O solution and a standard, remote cabinet, which could enable hardware on-site sooner
and keep pace with its aggressive schedule. The project included:

Input/Output Systems 2020 8

 www.controlglobal.com

SELECTABLE I/O SWEETENS SOUR GAS

Figure 1: SemCAMS Wapiti worked with system integrator Blackrock Automation to implement new
Select I/O with common template and System 800xA automation platform from ABB to help clean
H2S, propane, butane and other impurities at its new sour gas plant in northern Alberta, Canada.
Source: SemCAMS Wapiti and Blackrock

• 27 Select I/O remote cabinets for the plant’s
-40 °C and Class I, Div. 2 environment;
• System 800xA controls with 2,300 Select
I/O and 300 S800 control-related I/O;
• 16 Allen-Bradley PLC packages connected
by PLC Connect (OPC); and MCC commu-
nications with more than 40 Multilins and
VFDs via Profinet.
“It was -42 °C when we started up, but
there were no equipment problems, the
whole project’s mechanical and electrical
systems worked well, and we came in two
months early and under budget,” says Galen
Wilton, senior system integrator at Black-
rock. “Startup took just two days to selling
gas, and the client was so proud that they
announced it on the local radio.”
Robert Norberg, I/O systems global product
manager, ABB, reports Select I/O was de-
veloped to meet the needs of users just like
SemCAMS Wapiti. “Traditional, controller-
centric I/O solutions promote an inflexible,
serial, sequential project execution model in
which project tasks depend on each other,
resist changes, and cause change orders
and delays,” says Norberg. “The result of
process automation being on the critical
path is large cost overruns and late delivery
on large capital projects.
“This is why System 800xA’s flexible I/O, Se-
lect I/O and S800 on Ethernet, and xStream
Engineering are so useful in these applica-
tions. They can minimize the impact of late
changes, decouple project tasks so they can

Input/Output Systems 2020 9


be done in parallel, and reduce testing ef-
forts needed and required footprints.”
This flexibility aided SemCAMS Wapiti’s
installation schedule, and took much of the
project off the stressful critical path.
MODULARITY ENABLES IIOT
Beyond the advantages that more flexible
I/O can provide, many suppliers and other
observers report improved device-level
connectivity and modularity can also help
process applications access the Industrial
Internet of Things (IIoT), cloud-computing
services and other digitalization efforts.
“We’re seeing increasing convergence
between operations technology (OT) and
information technology (IT), especially for
IIoT and smart manufacturing. Many folks
are moving in this direction to gain efficien-
cies, but still maintain cybersecurity,” says
Alan Sappé, product marketing manager
for industrial cabinet connectivity, Phoe-
nix Contact (www.phoenixcontact.com).
“Along with the pressure to streamline,
minimize and reduce components for sys-
tems when users access the cloud, analyze
data and use cloud storage comes the need
for more I/O, so these functions can get the
information they need to digest.”
Efforts to get more performance out of the
same or new gear means I/O points, panels
and architectures may look the same, but
Sappé reports there’s more forethought and
www.controlglobal.com
intelligence going on behind the scenes.
“Many users want to extend the reach of
their Ethernet networks, but even though
they’re still using the same connections
and hardware, more of these I/O and relays
have microprocessors and added intel-
ligence,” explains Sappé. “This also means
terminal blocks need more reliability, such
as Phoenix Contact’s PT push-in terminals
for more reliable connections that also save
time and space. In the 10 years since they
were introduced, we’ve added PT connec-
tions to relays, I/O, surge protectors and
power supplies. These standardized con-
nections also optimize panel designs.”
For example, E-Finity Distributed Genera-
tion LLC (www.e-finity.com) in Wayne, Pa.,
builds onsite, distributed power genera-
tion and combined heat and power (CHP)
plants, and employs PT blocks, Mini Pro
signal conditioners and other Phoenix
Contact components. “Our customers have
different sets of inputs based on their ap-
plications. To avoid having to customize our
I/O modules on our controllers, we wanted
to easily swap out a device in the controller,
rather than the wiring involved in it, and the
Mini M series allowed us to do it. The input
wiring is all standardized for RT thermo-
couple or analog voltage input, and we can
use programmable Mini MCRs with standard
4-20 mA out. These let us use standard I/O
modules that are 4-20 mA on our I/O. This
lets customers choose RTD thermocouple,
voltage or analog inputs, and all we have to
Input/Output Systems 2020 10

do is select the correct Mini MCR module.”
E-Finity also reports it’s easy to remove and
replace PT terminal blocks in the field, and
use their push-in connections, as well as
test ports to test the signals on the card.
Sappé adds that Phoenix Contact also re-
cently released its PTFIX mini power distribu-
tion blocks with multiple connection points
in a small form factor. “Users are comfortable
with familiar technologies, but even though
digitalization is unfamiliar, they should still try
it because it can get them into smarter manu-
facturing,” says Sappé. “We can even send
samples of PT and other components, so they
can try them and really kick the tires.”
CONNECTIVITY, CONTROL CHIME IN
Naturally, just as I/O are essential for digita-
lization, more efficient connections between
them and related devices can help them all
link up and get networked for success.
“We’re seeing more quick disconnects
impacting I/O systems, less use of terminal
blocks, and more connectorized solutions
for Class I, Div. 2 hazardous locations,” says
Chris Vitale, head of fieldbus technology at
Turck (www.turck.us). “Previously, every-
thing was wire and conduit, but now there’s
more use of M12 and our Minifast connec-
tors that thread in and out quickly. This has
been going on for about 15 years, but we’re
still experiencing a lot of growth as modular
equipment continues to expand in machines,
skids and plants. Users also continue to lack
www.controlglobal.com
in-house engineering, so they need cost-ef-
fective, connectorized products that less-ex-
perienced personnel can install or swap out.”
Vitale reports users can also replace cabi-
nets with I/O systems that already have
built-in terminal blocks. “It’s more effective
to use I/O that’s connectorized or has quick
disconnects,” adds Vitale. “I/O is getting
to be better understood and accepted by
mainstream users. This is because their IIoT
and Industry 4.0 applications don’t just in-
dicate that a valve is on or off. These smart
devices want trends from other data that
can be transmitted.”
For example, Vitale adds that the 14-year-
old IO-Link protocol and its connectors and
cables are point-to-point, but their masters
and end devices can deliver large amounts
of device-level data in conjunction with Eth-
ernet. “Many engineers are trying to keep
their processes going, and with IO-Link,
they can replace one sensor and still use
their old cable infrastructure, or upgrade
just as easily,” he says. “This is why it’s been
catching on in the past three years. IO-Link
can deliver temperature, number of cycles,
and other data engineers can use.”
Likewise, the overall transition from serial
to Ethernet networking inspired Turck and
others to develop Ethernet I/O modules
that could provide web servers; bypass
legacy PLCs; still see what’s happening in
the field; and let users set up, maintain and
Input/Output Systems 2020 11

troubleshoot their processes. “This is all
leading to more intelligent I/O and other
devices with onboard chips,” says Vitale.
“We changed our strategy on Ethernet a
few years ago, and now it’s the digitaliza-
tion pipeline. We have devices that can talk
to multiple protocols like Profinet, Ether-
Net/IP and Modbus, and also recently add-
ed a spanner module that can translate the
protocols, and let PLCs and other devices
communicate with each other.”
Turck even has a Field Logic Controller lo-
cated inside an I/O device, which networks
via Ethernet and a web server interface to
run logic programs. “We’re not replacing any
PLCs or DCSs. We’re just picking up logic
tasks that might overburden some PLCs or
DCSs,” adds Vitale. “Communications of all
kinds are flattening, and we’re learning to
talk to almost any device in some way. Turck
even launched a cloud service in Europe last
year, and it will likely come to the U.S. soon
to support devices, too.”
Turck also recently launched its Backplane
Ethernet Extension Protocol (BEEP), which
is integrated into many of its multi-protocol
digital block I/O modules. BEEP allows a
network of up to 33 devices (one master
and 32 slaves) or 480 bytes of data to ap-
pear to the PLC as one device on one con-
nection using one IP address. By reducing
the number of connections the PLC sees,
users can create high-density I/O networks
and still use their low-cost PLC.
www.controlglobal.com
The BEEP web server makes the first de-
vice in the line a master, and it can then
scan the entire network and create a new
data map that includes all of the down-
stream devices, with all device configura-
tion options saved in the master. BEEP
also supports drop-in device replacement,
reducing downtime and overall costs. If a
network is set up using BEEP, a technician
can simply replace a slave device with a
new device to keep the system online. The
BEEP master will automatically recognize
the device, assign it an IP address, and
download the parameters to it.
OFF THE CRITICAL PATH
It’s fortunate faster I/O connections are
available because the need for them is
only likely to increase. Back at SemCAMS
Wapiti in Alberta, Brad MacDonald, IAEN
product marketing manager, ABB, reports,
“When projects plan to execute, the date
everyone usually wants to know is the de-
sign-freeze day. With Select I/O, they don’t
have to worry about it anymore. Now, they
just build the cabinet, roughly determine
how many I/O are needed, but don’t have
to care what type because Select I/O’s
common template can connect to so many
different devices.
“In Blackrock’s case, their design started
with 1,200 I/O, but ended with 2,400 I/O
because of added pipes and other devices.
In the past, this would mean huge and cost-
ly change orders, but now they can simply
Input/Output Systems 2020 12
 www.controlglobal.com

BETTER I/O PERSPECTIVE

Figure 2: Operators can easily switch between day- and night-mode color schemes on HMI screens to
improve operator effectiveness at SemCAMS Wapiti's new sour gas plant. The System 800xA control
and network architecture from ABB includes four operator stations and three engineering stations
that manage 27 remote I/O cabinets, each with six module terminal units and 96 I/O per cabinet.
Source: SemCAMS Wapiti and Blackrock

order extra I/O as needed and expand to
accommodate them. What’s so cool about
splitting design engineering off from cabi-
net assembly and installation is that it finally
takes automation off the critical path.”
Wilton reported that SemCAMS Wapiti’s
remote I/O cabinets were designed in Fall
2017, configured in February 2018, built in
April-May 2018, and installed and wired in
July-October 2018, which included client
FAT of configuration in August-September
2018. I/O loop checks and commission-
ing were done in late 2018, and production
began in January 2019. The control and
network architecture at the plant includes
two virtual servers, two servers working as
historians, four operator stations, three en-
gineering stations, links via PLC Connect to
EtherNet/IP, and two PM891 controllers in
two S800 cabinets networked with Modbus
and Profibus for remote MCCs.
“We installed 27 remote I/O cabinets, each
with six module terminal units (MTU) and
96 I/O per cabinet,” explained Wilton. “We
also had fully redundant power and heat-
ers to comply with our Class I, Div. 2 design.
The virtual servers meant we could set up
and test at Blackrock’s office in Calgary,
and staging there and running the whole
project in simulation was a big help. We
also liked using System 800xA because its
combined software package for functions
like PLCs and HMIs meant we didn’t have to
implement them separately.” (Figure 2.)

Input/Output Systems 2020 13


Kyle Hyland, senior system integrator,
Blackrock, adds that, “System 800xA can
also show trends, and give users all the data
they like to see. Plus, we can just drop in
new software objects, and they’ll quickly
show trend data.”
Wilton agrees that System 800xA was
easy to learn with a little coaching from
ABB. “It was especially nice to have soft-
ware-based controllers that we could test,
and they’re also allowing us to make ad-
justments, add features, and even use them
for training,” says Wilton. “As a result, we
www.controlglobal.com
were also able to field test all the cabinets
in just two or three hours. Select I/O also
saved a lot on cable by allowing us to use
more flexible switching devices between
panels and reassign them as needed. As a
result, most changes were no longer about
asking for money, but were about new
ways to save money.”
MacDonald adds, “Select I/O and System
800xA can save users 30-40% on the cost
of projects by eliminating much of the en-
gineering and cabling that was previously
required.”
Input/Output Systems 2020 14
 www.controlglobal.com

Advanced physical layer

standard to make field-level
Ethernet a reality
APL dramatically increases the bandwidth available for digital instrument
communications and simplifies network architecture

By Keith Larson

I
t’s been nearly 10 years since the process automation community first began investigat-
ing a protocol-neutral advanced physical layer (APL) that would extend Ethernet over
the process industry’s last mile—providing connectivity with broadly distributed, two-
wire, loop-powered field instruments in potentially hazardous environments. Today, we’ve
also reached the last mile in that decade-long journey to make high-performance field de-
vice connectivity a practical reality.

The technology was successfully tested at BASF last year, and a multi-vendor prototype
network was shown at last November’s NAMUR General Meeting. Automation suppliers are
targeting ACHEMA 2021, to be held next in June in Frankfurt, to show commercial products.

APL is a significant technical achievement in that it dramatically increases the bandwidth

available for digital instrument communications, as well as simplifies the network architec-
ture in one fell swoop. At 10 MB/second, APL clocks in at more than 300 times faster than
FOUNDATION fieldbus H1 and more than 8,000 times faster than the original HART proto-
col. And, since it’s Ethernet, APL effectively facilitates top-to-bottom cybersecurity, while
eliminating the need for gateways or protocol conversion from the field device all the way
to enterprise business systems and the cloud.

Input/Output Systems 2020 15


EXTENDED STANDARDS
APL is an offshoot of the IEEE’s recently ap-
proved 802.3cg-2019 (10BASE-T1L) standard,
which effectively extends the 802.3 Ether-
net standard to include single-pair wiring
over distances up to 1,000 meters with the
optional provision of power to devices. APL
is of particular importance to the process
industries because its focus is on extending
10BASE-T1L for use in hazardous areas.
Importantly, the APL Project counts among
its supporters three of the process indus-
try’s key communications standards devel-
opment organizations—FieldComm Group,
Profibus & Profinet International (PI) and
ODVA—as well as a dozen process auto-
mation companies that together represent
considerable clout in the global market-
place: ABB, Emerson, Endress+Hauser,
Krohne, Pepperl+Fuchs, Phoenix Contact,
Rockwell Automation, Samson, Siemens,
Stahl, VEGA and Yokogawa.
The APL Project’s new standards for intrin-
sic safety will be known as “Ethernet-APL.”
Further, the IEC PT 60079-47 technical
committee is working on a technical speci-
fication called Two-Wire Intrinsically Safe
Ethernet (2-WISE) to fulfill the requirement
of intrinsic safety for loop-powered and
separately powered devices in hazardous
areas up to Zone 0, 1 and 2/Division 1 and 2.
To make engineering and verification of
intrinsically safe loops as simple as possible,
www.controlglobal.com
2-WISE is based on the same Ex-concept
as the well-established Fieldbus Intrinsi-
cally Safe Concept (FISCO). This concept is
supported by successful tests executed at
Dekra Testing and Certification GmbH. The
final technical specification (IEC TS 60079-
47) is expected in 2021.
In addition, Ethernet-APL will define port
profiles for multiple power levels for use
both inside and outside of explosion hazard-
ous areas to ensure interoperability of APL
field switches and APL field devices. These
APL port profiles will replace power delivery
via Power over Data Lines (PoDL), which is
optional within the 10BASE-T1L standard.
“Compliance with this power profile con-
cept is crucial in order to avoiding hardware
variance for field devices that could be
installed in hazardous as well as unclassi-
fied areas,” notes Lukas Klausmann, senior
marketing manager, Endress+Hauser Digi-
tal Solutions. So, devices for Ethernet-APL
and for standard single-pair Ethernet (SPE)
won’t mix and match in the same system in
part because the field devices being devel-
oped won’t support PoDL functionality.
On the positive side, Ethernet-APL will
deliver more intrinsically safe power to field
instruments than FOUNDATION, Profibus
PA or HART. “This will enable instrument
vendors to design two-wire instruments
that today require four wires due to high
power demand,” says Michael Kessler,
Input/Output Systems 2020 16

APL BRINGS ETHERNET TO THE FIELD
Figure 1. Ethernet-APL dramatically increases digital bandwidth to field instruments
in hazardous and non-hazardous areas.
executive vice president, components and
technology, Pepperl+Fuchs.
The availability of application-specific
integrated circuits (ASIC) that support the
Ethernet-APL physical layer (PHY) is an-
other essential step in commercializing APL
devices. The first samples are due to ship
this month (June 2020) with production
quantity ASICs available this time next year.
Finally, to ensure standards conformance
of the implementation, the APL Project will
specify APL conformance tests that will be
integrated into the appropriate specifica-
tions of the relevant standards development
www.controlglobal.com
organizations, including FieldComm Group
(for HART-IP), ODVA (for EtherNet/IP) and
PI (for Profinet).
“All necessary specification development
is on track,” notes Steve Fales, APL Project
spokesperson and ODVA marketing direc-
tor. “In addition to its specification work,
the APL Project is working on a guideline
for engineering and installation to provide
the best possible support for the planning
and commissioning of APL networks. The
first field devices and infrastructure com-
ponents are expected to be available after
ACHEMA 2021, once all of the appropriate
certification processes are in place.”
Input/Output Systems 2020 17

FAMILIAR TOPOLOGY
Ethernet-APL is designed to support trunk-
and-spur installations and redundancy
concepts similar to the fieldbus options
that came before it (Figure 1). Two gen-
eral types of segments are defined: trunk
lines that carry high-level power and data
for distances up to 1,000 m, and spur lines
that carry power and signals with optional
intrinsic safety for distances up to 200
m. Anchoring the trunks are APL Power
Switches, each of which provides up to 60
W of power and communications for as
many as 50 devices. Anchoring each spur,
in turn, is an APL Field Switch that pro-
vides intrinsically safe power and commu-
nications to the field devices themselves.
Ethernet-APL requirements for IEC 61158
Type A shielded, twisted-pair cables is also
in line with established fieldbus practices,
notes Andy Kravitz, flow transmitter mar-
keting manager and APL working group
representative for Emerson. “The APL
Working group is preparing a set of engi-
neering guidelines to help users select the
correct cabling for a given APL applica-
tion,” Kravitz says.
“As fieldbus cable has been designed for
31.250 kB, not all existing cable can be
used for APL at the full cable length,” adds
Pepperl+Fuchs’ Kessler. “Therefore the APL
port profile specification defines for dif-
ferent categories supporting spur / trunk
cable length of 50 m / 250 m, 100 m / 500
www.controlglobal.com
m, 150 m / 750 m, and 200 m / 1,000 m.
Cable manufacturers have to specify their
cable according to this classification.”
“From the very outset, the ability to re-
use existing single, twisted-pair fieldbus
cabling was a requirement for APL due
the high installation costs involved,” says
Michael Bowne, executive director, PI
North America. “For example, the Type A
cabling used by Profibus PA should work
just fine for APL.
“But whether greenfield or brownfield, we
highly recommend users perform a net-
work infrastructure baseline test as part
of any installation,” Bowne adds. “This
involves ensuring all wiring is performing
as intended. Cable testers are available
from various manufacturers that verify
cable integrity and electrical properties.
As long the wiring meets the resistance,
inductance and capacitance ratings speci-
fied, users should be good to go. Confi-
dence in the initial network infrastructure
also helps relieve worries down the road if
errors crop up.”
Connector technology recommendations
are a final point of contention for APL stan-
dards-makers as of this writing. “RJ45 and
M8/M12 connectors and pinouts are still in
discussion,” explains Jason Norris, manager
of process automation portfolio and global
market development, I/O and networks,
Phoenix Contact.
Input/Output Systems 2020 18

MIGRATION AND ADOPTION ISSUES
As with any new technology aimed at
supplanting “perfectly good” operational
devices and entrenched work practices, the
adoption of APL—for process facilities both
greenfield and brown—will likely take time
to gather momentum, even with the most
compelling of value propositions.
“Where FOUNDATION fieldbus and Profi-
bus PA are currently used, we don’t believe
that end users will start ripping out field In-
struments to install APL,” says Paul Sereiko,
director of marketing at FieldComm Group.
“We doubt a refinery unit will consider up-
grading until their existing assets are at end
of life. Early adopters are much more likely
in more flexible process applications, such
as life sciences, and food and beverage.”
“Any protocol that runs on Ethernet today
can be used over Ethernet-APL,” notes
Emerson’s Kravitz. And that includes HART-
IP and Profinet as well as EtherNet/IP and
other industrial Ethernet variants once gen-
erally excluded from hazardous-area duty.
“Ethernet-based protocols such as these
have provisions for using I/O that can com-
municate with devices using legacy digital
protocols such as analog HART, Profibus
PA and FOUNDATION fieldbus. Initially, we
expect customers to continue to make deci-
sions based on comfort, cost and capabil-
ity—and their selection of devices will likely
not change due to the release of a new
technology such as Ethernet-APL.”
www.controlglobal.com
“But over time, as instrumentation and
system vendors provide more support
for Ethernet-APL,” Kravitz continues, “we
expect customers will select Ethernet-APL
devices due to the potential for increased
capability, security and flexibility.”
“FOUNDATION fieldbus and Profibus
PA will be first to lose with the appear-
ance of APL,” predicts Taro Endoh, Yok-
ogawa representative on the APL work-
ing groups. “APL with industrial Ethernet
protocols will replace conventional digital
protocols first, then 4-20mA + HART in
the not so distant future.”
But APL vs. current fieldbus protocols
doesn’t have to be an all or nothing prop-
osition, according to Michael Kessler of
Pepperl+Fuchs. “Ethernet-APL switches
have been demonstrated to provide
Ethernet-APL spur interfaces with dual
functionality, e.g., Profinet-APL and Pro-
fibus PA,” Kessler says. “Theoretically,
this is also feasible with a FOUNDATION
fieldbus instrument where its data can
be mapped on any Ethernet-based, real-
time protocol. This dual-functionality is
important to migrate existing plants to
Ethernet-APL-based infrastructure. Dur-
ing the first years of market introduction
of Ethernet-APL, existing FOUNDATION
fieldbus or Profibus PA instruments may
fill the gap of missing instrument functions
with an Ethernet-APL interface.”
Input/Output Systems 2020 19

It’s also important to note that the non-
fieldbus, analog + HART segment of the
market is also currently the largest—both in
terms of installed base and current green-
field plant design and construction. Indeed,
a wholesale shift to APL will require re-
vamped systems and engineering practices
away from the now widespread practice
of configurable I/O in which DCS suppliers
have invested so much money and effort
over the past 10 years.
And of the three standards development
organizations currently involved in the APL
Project, ODVA and its EtherNet/IP protocol
may stand to gain the most from an APL
standard. “Today, EtherNet/IP is commonly
used in process automation within ‘islands
of automation’ for applications such as
valve piloting where a PLC, that also serves
as a gateway to a DCS, controls a bank of
directional control valves,” explains Steve
Fales of ODVA.
With APL, Fales predicts that EtherNet/IP
will be used more broadly across process
networks—without gateways—for control,
diagnostics and commissioning. “EtherNet/
IP is well positioned for success in process
automation as evidenced by being named
as one of the minimum binding require-
ments by NAMUR for Ethernet communica-
tion systems between the field level and
higher system levels, integration of HART
device translation services, and the addi-
tion of NAMUR NE 107 diagnostics.”
www.controlglobal.com
Adds ABB’s Tilo Merlin, platforms man-
ager, ABB Measurement & Analytics: “Since
most DCS systems already support Pro-
finet and EtherNet/IP today, adoption of
Ethernet-APL based on these protocols will
be straightforward. As direct usage elimi-
nates the use of gateways or other proto-
col conversions, it will significantly reduce
complexity, cost of ownership and improve
usability and robustness compared to tradi-
tional fieldbus solutions.
“Beyond applying those established Ethernet-
based protocols,” Merlin adds, “APL enables
use of new protocols such as OPC UA, offer-
ing new levels of security and semantics, and
so breaks the border between IT and OT.”
And that may be just the value proposition
needed to speed APL uptake.
AN ONRAMP TO SECURE
DIGITAL TWINS
Even as the APL Project has been working
to extend an IIoT-sized expressway to field
instruments, work has progressed on com-
plementary standards from the software and
systems side of the world that are poised to
take full advantage of that new bandwidth.
Notable among these are FDI, PA-DIM and
OPC-UA—all of which promised to bring new
order and value to the digital field.
“FDI and PA-DIM are all about making it
easier for software systems throughout the
enterprise to consume information provided
Input/Output Systems 2020 20

by instruments,” explains Sereiko of Field-
Comm Group. “Ethernet-APL is all about
replacing gateways and remote I/O with
Ethernet switches to facilitate the routing of
the information from the device to the enter-
prise system. Ultimately, it’s possible that the
higher speeds enabled will lend themselves
to feature enhancements for FDI and PA-DIM
that further simplify device integrations.”
“As a technology, FDI and PA-DIM are de-
signed to help lower the bar for pulling infor-
mation from field devices,” adds Emerson’s
Kravitz. “Given that Ethernet-APL increases
the bandwidth to individual devices, we ex-
pect the combination of all of these technol-
ogies will help drive customers to more fully
utilize the capabilities of our devices more
easily than ever before. This will enable field
devices to easily integrate with every level of
the process data ecosystem from the control
system all the way to the cloud.”
Ethernet-APL and PA-DIM in combination
offer the possibility to access data from the
field in a parallel communication path to the
control integration, notes Lukas Klausmann
of Endress+Hauser. “This second-channel
approach supports the concept of NAMUR
Open Architecture (NOA) without influenc-
ing core automation processes,” Klauss-
mann says. “This is the basis of plant-wide
availability of data, and its easy interpreta-
tion without need for device-specific driv-
ers. The possibilities of such digital services
are numerous, and offer extensive support
www.controlglobal.com
for optimization efforts and efficiency im-
provements in a process plant.”
Ethernet-APL is the key enabling tech-
nology to deploy OPC UA and PA-DIM
in the field devices themselves, adds
Pepperl+Fuchs’ Kessler. “This will finally
allow real plug-and-play since the device
will come with an embedded information
model—that means no need for any kind
of device description. FDI, meanwhile, will
allow the use of PA-DIM for legacy instru-
ments. This will help with plants migrating
from HART or fieldbus to Ethernet-APL.”
Models and standards such as FDI are im-
portant tools for customers and vendors,
but adoption rates are always slower when
speed, infrastructure and connectivity to
higher level systems requires new cabling or
even gateways, says Scott Saunders, presi-
dent/CEO of Moore Industries. “Ethernet-
APL goes a long way by removing all these
issues. Supporting most existing installed,
twisted-pair cabling with speeds of 10 Mbps
and supporting most all other TCP/IP-based
industrial protocols simultaneously, helps
assuage the concern end users typically
have that hamper new and emerging stan-
dards introduced in our industry.”
“A whole world of new use cases become
possible with APL,” adds Bowne of PI
North America. “It plays directly into the
IT/OT network convergence that’s oc-
curring across industries. With a common
Input/Output Systems 2020 21

Ethernet-based physical layer, vendors are
free to implement multiple protocols on
their instruments, a feature long established
in factory automation. It also helps enable
concepts like NAMUR Open Architecture
for unidirectional communication to higher
level systems outside the traditional auto-
mation pyramid.”
The fact that Ethernet-APL supports the full
Ethernet stack means that all the additional
features of the IEEE world are available to
www.controlglobal.com
increase usability, says ABB’s Merlin, citing
Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP), an
out-of-the-box tool available once you’re
part of the Ethernet ecosystem.
“The general multi-protocol capability of
Ethernet is far-reaching,” Merlin says. “It
makes the secure bridging between OT and
IT world a lot easier. And due to universal
applicability of OPC UA from field level
to cloud, APL is a cornerstone to connect
physical assets to their digital twins.”
Input/Output Systems 2020 22
 www.controlglobal.com

I/O takes a road trip

IP67-rated, distributed, web-based I/O system for cabinet-free automation

F
reedom is fine, but protected freedom is better. And, just as kids—and cables—are
always advised to wear jackets, distributed I/O points have been taking on new
protections as they venture out of their traditional cabinets to establish new con-
nections in more widespread and less-constrained environments.

Perhaps the most inclusive of these protections is I/O System Field distributed I/O system
that consists of an IP67-rated fieldbus switch, which can include up to eight I/O points,
daisy chain with M8 or M12 Ethernet connectors, and run in -13 °F to 158 °F (-25 °C to 70 °C)
settings. These capabilities optimize I/O System Field for dependable, cabinet-free automa-
tion, and engineer it to serve in decentralized processes.

“IP67 distributed I/O aren’t new, but we saw users seeking more ways to connect to more
devices. They need to support Profinet, EtherNet/IP and EtherCAT, even as newer users
want to connect I/O directly to SCADA and cloud-computing to mostly monitor their ap-
plications,” says Charlie Norz, automation product manager at Wago Corp. “To do it, I/O
System Field still uses traditional fieldbuses, but it also employs OPC UA and MQTT publish-
subscribe protocols to collect and monitor signals.”

I/O System Field includes two housing types: fully encapsulated metal for harsh settings,
and lighter-weight, less than 4.25-ounce, non-molded plastic for mobile applications. Both

Input/Output Systems 2020 23


allows web-based configuration; serves in -13 °F to 158 °F
(-25 °C to 70 °C); and comes in metal and plastic housings.
are available in standard and slim-line op-
tions. They can be mounted directly or
laterally without added adapters.
Within their protective housings, I/O Sys-
tem Field support multiple communication
protocols. It’s initial July release has a built-
in Profinet switch for feed-through network-
ing, while future releases will support Eth-
erNet/IP and EtherCAT. I/O System Field
also supports OPC UA for linking to clients
like SCADA systems or Industrial Internet of
Things (IIoT) devices. Its modules are also
TSN Ready, so they’re designed to comply
with the time-sensitive networking standard
that’s scheduled for completion in 2021.
www.controlglobal.com
HAVE I/O, WILL TRAVEL
I/O System Field IP67-rated, distributed
I/O system can include up to eight I/O points;
daisy chains with M8 or M12 Ethernet connectors;
“Thanks to its software, I/O System Field
can perform web-based management and
simplified device configuration over an
Ethernet network,” explains Norz. “For us-
ers in the field, it has Bluetooth and a smart
device app, so they can configure or adjust
the module with a tablet PC or smart phone.
This gives users two options for configur-
ing their device, either from the engineering
terminal or from the plant floor, which could
be especially helpful for web-based, young-
er or less-experienced users.”
For even more networking flexibility, I/O
System Field also incorporates IO-Link
master ports for accessing intelligent
Input/Output Systems 2020 24

sensors/actuators or using its modules as
IO-Link hubs. They’re available as eight- or
16-channel, 24-VDC configurable digital
I/O (DIO) ports. Each channel is configu-
rable as a 24-VDC digital input or output,
while the digital outputs are rated at 2
amps per channel.
“IO-Link gives users more options for
making connections,” adds Norz. “Wago’s
philosophy is to always have open network-
ing, which is why we support more than 16
fieldbuses, and don’t make users choose
just one. I/O System Field fits this mission
by allowing users to use the protocol that’s
best for them.”
To power its multiple roles and networking
tasks, I/O System Field has input and out-
put power ports that its daisy-chained mod-
ules can use. These M12 L-coded ports sup-
port two different supply lines, including L1
www.controlglobal.com
and L2 that can support up to 8 amps each
for a total of 16 amps of module-supplied
power. This high-current capacity is helpful
in case power is cascaded (connected) to
other I/O System Field modules. In addition,
each I/O System Field device has built-in
electrical load management, which records
and evaluates current and voltage levels per
channel or for the entire module, and allow
current limits and alarms to be set for each
to increase system reliability.
“Load management lets I/O System Field
monitor its own voltage and current it’s con-
suming, and measure the current and volt-
age of each I/O point,” adds Norz. “This lets
users monitor their system, set trip points
and alerts, show loads on their PLCs, and en-
able predictive maintenance programs.”
For more information, visit
www.wago.com/us/discover-io-systems/field
Input/Output Systems 2020 25