Control System World

BlackBox: The PPP, EAP, and 802.1x protocols are often confused with each other, which is no wonder because they’re all interrelated and involve authentication.

Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) was originally a protocol for connecting and authenticating dialup modems. Today’s PPP is usually encapsulated in Ethernet frames and operates over Ethernet as PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE). PPPoE is commonly used for cable modem or DSL connections to an ISP for Internet access. PPP includes two authentication mechanisms: Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) and Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP).

Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is an authentication protocol framework that works inside PPP to provide support for authentication protocols beyond the original PAP and CHAP protocols. EAP supports a wide range of authentication mechanisms including Kerberos, passwords, certificates, and public key authentication, as well as hardware schemes such as authentication dongles, smart cards, and USB tokens.

802.11x simply takes the EAP framework out of PPP and puts it into Ethernet, packetizing it for transmission over a wired or wireless network. 802.11x has three parts:

• Supplicant: A user who wants to join the network.
• Authenticator: An access point, switch, or other device which acts as a proxy between the user and the authentication server.
• Authentication Server: A server, usually a RADIUS server, which decides whether to accept the user’s request for network access.

When a user tries to access a network through a wireless access point or by plugging into an Ethernet port, the authenticator—usually an access point or switch—consults with the authentication server before allowing the user onto the network.

Zurich, Switzerland, Apr. 24, 2012 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, announced the release of several new products as part of its Symphony™ Plus total plant automation platform for the power generation and water industries.

The new products include a new high-performance process controller named Symphony Plus Control HPC800 and three interface modules that expand the connectivity of the controller to intelligent electronic devices using the PROFIBUS DP and HART communication protocols.

HPC800 joins existing Symphony Plus Rack controllers and is suitable for applications that require modular DIN rail packaging. It also features a fast ethernet-based plant network that makes it ideal for geographically distributed control applications in conventional or renewable power plants and water networks.

The new controller combined with PROFIBUS and HART enables integration of intelligent devices such as smart transmitters, actuators, motor control centers, flame scanners and other electronic products. By using the same function code algorithms as Symphony Plus, Harmony, and INFI 90, the HPC800 controller enables customers to effectively reuse their extensive library of ABB control solutions.

“These new products are designed to provide maximum system flexibility, reliability and efficiency” said Franz-Josef Mengede, head of ABB’s Power Generation business, a part of the company’s Power systems division. “The initiative supports ABB’s continued commitment to Symphony Plus and is part of our ‘evolution without obsolescence' approach of introducing new technology while protecting the long-term investment of customers by ensuring compatibility with preceding generations.”

Case Study by Advantech: As many energy companies seek to reduce their footprint on the environment, more efficient power and energy generation is becoming a critical issue. In the power generation and distribution market, maintenance-free power backup systems and IEC 61850-based power transmission & distribution systems improve energy generation and distribution efficiency. Power substations are subsidiaries of electricity generation systems where voltage is transformed from high to low or reversed using transformers. Nowadays, multiple protocols, including many proprietary protocols with custom communication links exist for substation automation and interoperation with devices from different vendors would be a huge advantage to users of substation automation devices.

to read in detail please click Case Study by Advantech

New SAFESERIES safety relay by Weidmuller is suitable for both Low- and High-Demand-Mode applications and is certified to meet the safety requirement level SIL 3 by TÜV Nord according to EN 61508. These advantages allow our safety relays to be used as tailor made product solutions for emergency shut-down and back-up systems in the process industry.

Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces that it will release an enhanced version of the DPharp EJA series pressure/differential pressure transmitters, one of its core sensor products, on June 20.

While remaining in the same price range, the enhanced DPharp EJA series transmitters will now offer significantly improved performance and functionality, bringing great cost benefits to our customers. As standard features, they will have the same high-speed response and multi-sensing functionality available with the high-end DPharp EJX series.

For further details on this please click Yokogawa

Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) recently announced  that Germany-based BASF has chosen the company as its engineering partner for chemicals capital projects across North America. BASF has awarded Fluor an umbrella services agreement for an undisclosed contract value.

Services provided on projects covered by the agreement will include conceptual and front-end engineering and design (FEED), detailed engineering, procurement, project management and construction management services. Fluor was selected by BASF in mid-2011 as its engineering partner in Asia and Europe. Fluor currently has multiple projects active under the partnering agreements including the FEED phase for BASF’s TDI (toluene diisocyanate) project in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

“BASF is a valued and important long-term Fluor client for which we have performed significant projects across the globe for decades,” said Peter Oosterveer, president for Fluor’s Energy & Chemicals Group. “Coupled with our previous Asia and Europe partnering agreements and projects with BASF, this new North America partnership makes Fluor a truly global partner that will allow us to leverage our U.S. and global resource talent pool to effectively align with BASF’s growing global capital investment needs.”

The power delivered by a UPS is usually expressed both in volt-amps (VA) and watts. There’s often confusion about what the difference is between these figures and how to use them to select a UPS.

VA is power voltage multiplied by amps. For instance, a device that draws 5 amps of 120-volt power has a VA of 600. Watts is a measure of the actual power used by the device. VA and Watts may be the same. The formula for watts is often expressed as:

Watts = Volts x Amps

Please click 'Sizing a UPS' by BackBox to read in detail

ODVA in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, today announced that Endress+Hauser, one of the world's leading suppliers of measurement, automation equipment and solutions for the process industries, will become a principal member, joining leading suppliers Bosch Rexroth, Cisco Systems, Rockwell Automation, Omron and Schneider Electric.

Endress+Hauser's increased participation in ODVA builds on its long-term support of open industrial networking technologies, including the company's portfolio of mass flowmeters designed for the EtherNet/IP network.

"ODVA is one of the world's largest consortiums advancing open, industrial networking standards through commercially-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology and a media-independent network protocol," said Katherine Voss, executive director, ODVA. "We welcome Endress+Hauser in this consortium as we have a shared vision for leveraging EtherNet/IP to simplify an end user's network architecture."

With leading industrial automation suppliers, such as Endress+Hauser, as principal members, ODVA is one of the first associations which strive to support Industrial Ethernet down to the field level in process automation. This will help provide manufacturers a complete, plant-wide network infrastructure for process, motion, safety and discrete applications and from plant-floor to IT systems.

Traditionally, devices measuring and controlling process variables rely on a field network to transfer information, while other devices within the plant use completely different networks for data communication. By improving this complex multi-tier networking strategy with one standard network architecture, namely EtherNet/IP, users have a simplified network structure as well as better access to plant-floor information. This enhances the ability to monitor overall performance, troubleshoot out-of-margin conditions and minimize downtime.