Fieldbuss

Fieldbuss is a term used to describe a family of digital, two-way, multi-drop communication systems designed for real-time distributed control in industrial automation. Fieldbuss networks connect sensors, actuators, and controllers over a shared communications medium, replacing traditional point-to-point wiring and enabling centralized monitoring, diagnostics, and control.

Standards and implementations: The fieldbus concept is standardized through IEC 61158 and related standards (such as IEC 61784 for profile selection). The term encompasses a variety of technologies, including Foundation Fieldbus (FF), Profibus, Modbus, CANopen, and others. A subset of fieldbus technologies is designed specifically for process industries (Foundation Fieldbus FF-H1 and FF-HSE) and discrete or factory automation (Profibus, CANopen). In modern systems, fieldbus functions increasingly migrate toward industrial Ethernet-based solutions, which retain real-time features while offering higher bandwidth.

Architecture and operation: Fieldbuss networks typically employ a shared medium with multiple devices attached in a bus or trunk-and-branch topology. Communications can be master-slave, distributed control, or peer-to-peer, with deterministic timing guarantees to support real-time control. Devices on the network can provide process data, status information, or control commands, and diagnostic information can be retrieved remotely.

Applications, advantages, and challenges: Fieldbuss enables reduced wiring, simplified device replacement, centralized configuration, and improved diagnostics. It supports scalable, modular control architectures but can introduce complexity, vendor fragmentation, and higher initial costs compared with point-to-point schemes. Interoperability depends on adherence to standards and correct profile implementation.