EcoStruxure™ Hybrid DCS

The menus, contextual sub-menus, and banners enable the operator to access the data easily.

Each faceplate has:

• User interface for an operator to monitor the component
• Interlocks to manage the missing conditions to process an action
• Status and information about the component
• Parameters associated with the component (e.g. PID)
• It is possible to open several faceplates in parallel

With EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS, the right person gets the right information at the right time. Problems can be diagnosed and solved faster. You can access any data in real-time for any device or equipment in your system. This includes the code running in the controller, all documentation, event historian, asset management, Internet links, etc.

The RTNS is a native service provided by EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS Objects during runtime. These powerful diagnostic services allow the user to access different points of view for each object, including monitoring control logic, accessing documentation, topological localization, alarms and trends etc. This innovative service reduces commissioning time as well downtime, by quickly identifying the root cause of any issues.

Trending views combine real-time and historical data. When users view a trend page, they can monitor the current activity as it happens, and simply scroll back through time to view the trend history. The distributed trending system handles large numbers of variables without compromising performance or data integrity. Operators can choose from a selection of pre-configured trend pages that provide clear data representation with customizable views for quick and simple trend analysis.

The EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS alarm tool allows users to quickly identify faults within the system or process and take corrective action, thereby reducing plant downtime. The alarm system is fast and reliable, providing you detailed information about the status of your plant. Alarms are displayed on dedicated alarm pages, with the most recent alarms visible at all times in the alarm banner on every page. Working in conjunction with platform controllers, alarms are time stamped and accurate to a millisecond. Alarms can be filtered according to the application view, enabling the operator to zoom into a sub-part of the application easily.

The operator log enables the operator to track commands and time stamp them in a file. The following information is logged:

• change of process values
• bypass of interlock conditions
• user activities, such as manual reset following a failure, a consignment of a device or device simulation, and a change of command mode (operator to program mode or reverse).

The components of the objects within the library are the connection, control and visualization facets but these are extended to also include historian reporting and other facets of the DCS.

There are many challenges in delivering a standard library. The libraries within the DCS have been designed specifically to address some of these issues.

Weight: The DCS libraries are a set of lightweight blocks which are constructed to meet the needs of the market but can be customized for the site or individual device. The options selected are clear in the code (no hidden parameters). This produces a lighter program (needs fewer controllers) and a clearer program (simpler to debug) for the end users.

Support: The DCS libraries are the tested, validated and documented libraries of Schneider Electric. They are embedded with our offers but also used within a testing and proving teams to show how Schneider Electric works. With this testing we can offer a support for each block within the libraries. A team is dedicated to their ongoing development and support. Most library components are open and can be viewed as DFBs within the controller and can be simply diagnosed by the engineers within the project.

Customization: There is no perfect library for every customer. The DCS libraries are extensible between objects but can also be customized within the blocks. This is done by allowing the objects to be copied and changed. The customized objects can still use many of the functionality of the library blocks and are supported as stand-alone code objects in each facet. The customization is expected. The libraries should offer a platform on which this final custom automation system can be delivered in the fastest possible time.

Future: The DCS libraries are vendor libraries. They are constantly developed and maintained to meet the needs of our customers and to support the connection of our products. Having a vendor library means that we can anticipate the release of new automation and electrical hardware and provide support. It enables us to understand and adapt to emerging standards in visualization, and take advantage of continuously enhancing control to improve. Using our libraries is the safest way to ensure the ability to rapidly build and update your control system over its lifetime.

The core library is designed to provide the components you need for the core of your automation process:
• Analog Devices:
    • Analog Input (direct, processed or multiple)
    • Analog Output (actuators, control valves, motorized valves, pulse width)
    • Analog Control (PID, ramp, split range, ratio, ramp, lead-lag, 3-step)
• Digital Devices
• Digital Inputs (limits or other discrete sensors)
• Motors (direct, dual direction, dual speed, variables speed)
• Valves (fail open, fail close, fail)
• Process Templates
• Flow Control (in 2017)
• Pump Set Management (in 2017)
• Automation Infrastructure
• Sequence Management (ISA88 - sequencing)
• Process Management (ISA – equipment module
• Batch Integration (InBatch phase management)

All of this functionality is integrated into EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS and ready for use.

While this is the functionality typically expected of an automation library, this DCS and its libraries extend beyond this classical automation layer to integrate connected productions and software applications through the libraries within edge control. They bring the IIoT from the paper to a reality within your control system.

The libraries are designed to enable the integration of Schneider Electric and third-party devices into the DCS via different open and propriety protocols. Connecting these devices to the controller makes their data available through the rest of the control system.

• Supported industrial networks
• Ethernet I/P (2017)
• Modbus (TCP and serial)
• Profibus
• HART

Using these networks, the libraries are able to gain access to the rich set of data from available automation and electrical assets. For Schneider Electric devices, automation blocks are provided to make key data available within the control system. For third-party devices, the interface is open for integration partners to leverage the interfaces and expose data from other devices.
• Schneider Electric motor and drive management: 
    • Motor Starters (TesysU & TesysT )
    • Progressive Starters (Altistart 61)
    • Variable Speed Drives (Altivar 31, 32, 61, 71, 600, 900, 1200*)
• Schneider Electrics power management: 
    • Circuit Breakers (Masterpact & Compact)
    • Protection Relays (SEPAM 20, 40, 80)
    • Power Meters (PM 9C ,700, 800, 1200, 53xx, 82xx)
    • Smart UPS (AP 9622) • Harmonic Filter (Acusine)

As part of the Schneider Electric suite of automation offers, customers of EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS have access to the most comprehensive set of software offerings on the market. These offers start with historians and batching systems but carry on to asset management, planning, supply chain, simulation, training and other offers.
The libraries work with the software to deliver all the data and interfaces necessary to integrate seamlessly with these software offers:
• Wonderware Historian
• Wonderware inBatch
• Plant Asset Management

Schneider Electric provides additional libraries which deliver extended functionality specific to industry-focused applications (mining, cement, water treatment) or a particular function (power or energy management and advanced process control). These libraries contain code for industry-specific equipment (eg. Penstock for water) and industry process templates (e.g. grinding or floatation for mining).

These additional libraries are purchased separately but are designed to enhance the functionality of the complementary libraries.

The industry specific libraries provide the following functionality:

Water Library

• Process Templates:
    • Aeration
    • Dual Media Filter
• Control Equipment:
    • Penstock
    • Flow Measurement (Flume)
    • Flow Measurement (Weir)
• Scheduling:
    • Time & Event Scheduler

Mining Library

• Process Templates: 
    • Ore Volume Control (Belt Conveyor)
    • Wet Grinding Mill
    • Spiral Separation
    • Rotary Cyclone Separation
    • Thickener
    • Rotary Dryer
• Control Equipment:
    • Belt Conveyor
• Scheduling:
    • Time & Event Scheduler Cement Library
• Process Templates: 
    • Kiln Management
        • Gas Analysis
        • Fuel Selection
        • Gear Lubrication
• Control Modules:
    • The Cement library uses a dedicated control library (MMM) which provides functionality similar to the general purpose library for automation.

The Magelis HMI Rack PC, included in EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS, offers a complete plant solution that has been tested and validated with EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS. Magelis HMI Rack PCs can be easily installed in 19" enclosures and connected to Magelis iDisplay a display for screen.

The Magelis Rack PC particularly addresses your needs in control rooms where the replacement costs and environment constraints (temperature, dust, unwanted EM emissions) are limited.

Benefits:

• Consistent Magelis range, to operate the different needs of EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS architectures:
    • high performance model for engineering (EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS System Server)
    • intermediate performance model for Operation servers, with a high-duty hard drive
    • ease of integration in control room with 19” rack format
    • ready to include rack in a standard cabinet in control rooms
    • Magelis HMIR Universal (2U) model
    • Magelis HMIR Performance (4U) model

EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS is built on an Ethernet backbone for an open and flexible architecture. Ethernet topology offers transparent access to the information you need, from the plant floor up to the enterprise level. The system can interface with automation devices such as drives, motors starters and with power management devices such as breakers and power meters. This enables EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS to get accurate, real-time process data at any time. It helps you measure, analyze and improve the energy consumption and overall operational profitability of your process, so you can produce efficiently with minimum waste, effort, and cost.

EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS supports various automation architectures, which are based on our standard offer for controllers and devices connected through a range of networks and fieldbuses. It enables connectivity to other controllers and devices that are not part of our core architecture.

EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS enables you to exchange data with other software like Historian, Batch or MES, to provide information to Business Information Systems.

The architecture of EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS is fully flexible. You can deploy the system infrastructure on one single computer that hosts all the necessary functions, or on multiple computers. The decision depends on the size and the topology of the project, and the performance expected from the application. EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS includes four main components:

1. System Server – this server hosts the global database and centralizes and synchronizes all the information throughout the system infrastructure. A configuration can contain only one system server. The engineering software is also embedded in the System Server.
2. Engineering Clients – Engineering clients house all the editors needed to configure and build a project. A client can be located on the same workstation containing the system server, or on another workstation enabling engineers to work concurrently on different applications or even on the same application located on the system server.
3. Operation Servers – Operation servers include services such as I/O servers, alarms servers, trend servers and report servers. Each configuration requires at least one operation server.
4. Operation Clients – Operation clients help monitor the system. The number of Operation Clients depends on how the control system is monitored, and how many client stations are required.

All these clients and servers are interconnected through an Ethernet Network. To get access to the controllers from the Engineering Client, the client must be connected to the control network or get access from the supervision network to the control network via a router. To avoid connecting all the workstations on the same network, which may affect the response time, it is recommended to run two separate networks, with routing capabilities between networks.

EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS enables you to design complete automation solutions, with the flexibility to select the controllers depending on the requirements of your automation system.

This flexibility enables you to select the most appropriate and economical solution that fits within the constraints of the application, through three types of controllers:

• Modicon M340, the mid-range controller dedicated to simple to medium complex applications,
• Modicon M580, the ePAC controller, for simple to complex applications, with a wide range of architectural capabilities,
• Modicon Quantum controller for mid-size and large applications.

The three ranges of controllers are part of our extensive catalog of automation solutions, with Ethernet connectivity, allowing a variety of configurations and architectures.

The Modicon X80 range is a common platform for racks and modules for Modicon 340, Modicon 580 and Modicon Quantum with Ethernet I/Os. The X80 range provides a common I/O platform that reduces maintenance and training costs. Common spare parts for multiple systems allow you to reduce your inventory or spares.

Benefits of the Modicon products:

• A scalable range of solutions to meet the exact level of control required, without sacrificing simplicity and performance
• Enable common programming using a standard range of functional libraries
• Reduce implementation time and cost with commercially available cabling, modular architectures, and standard networking protocols
• Expandable control solutions with seamless connectivity to an extensive range of products

The EcoStruxure Modicon X80 range is a common platform for racks and modules for Modicon 340, Modicon 580 and Modicon Quantum with Ethernet I/O.

Modicon X80 includes:

• all in-rack modules,
• power supplies,
• Ethernet remote I/O modules drop head, 
• all I/O, expert functionality and communication modules.

The Modicon X80 I/O platform may also support various architectures.

Local I/O are input and output modules located in the local rack of the controller. The internal backplane is used as a communication medium.

Remote I/O

Remote I/O are input and output modules located away from the local controller and local I/O rack. Remote I/O eliminates expensive point-to-point wires by networking just a few (or thousands) process signals onto one digital communication link.

Distributed I/O

Distributed I/O modules enable long-distance communication of data and ensure flexibility. Distributed I/O modules are input and output modules that increase device integration options when located on an island that communicates with the controller over a fieldbus or network. Due to the use of fieldbus communication over the network, distributed I/O delivers limited performance, depending on the medium used between the modules and the controller.

Racks and Power Supply Modules for EcoStruxure Modicon X80

Racks provide a mechanical mounting point for all the modules and a communication bus for the processor and the I/O, or communication modules in the local or remote rack.  

Every rack must contain at least one power supply module. The chosen supply depends on the voltage requirements.  

The EcoStruxure Modicon X80 family contains modules that cover all process requirements and operate in both standard and harsh environments. Many possibilities are offered in each range: Digital I/O, Analog I/O, expert functionality, which can be combined in local or remote I/O architectures.  

Modicon STB Island is an open, modular IP20-rated distributed I/O system that distributes connection to sensors and actuators from a controller. This modular system resides in a structure called an island. It makes it possible to design automation islands managed by a master controller via a bus or communication network.

Various possibilities in terms of digital and analog I/O modules are available. An Island is embedded with a CanOpen field bus to include devices as TeSys U or TeSys T starter-controllers, or Altivar variable speed drives within the island.

In addition to discrete and analog I/Os, application specific I/O HART channels are available in the island with the HART multiplexer module.

The EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS system uses Ethernet architectures extensively. Ethernet provides transparent communication services to the entire operation through the implementation of standard, unmodified Ethernet protocols, and services.

Ethernet communication capabilities are embedded either in specialized communication modules, or as a communication port in some processors. 

Communication functions

EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS seamlessly provides capabilities to configure Ethernet network architectures from a single engineering environment. The following services are available:
• Configuration of peer-to-peer communication: this service enables you to define the exchanges between controllers over the control network from a single environment.
• Communication with devices through Ethernet with Modbus/TCP explicit messaging: the user defines the devices that communicate with the controller. EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS implicitly configures the communication function blocks running in the controllers.
• Communication with devices through Ethernet I/O Scanning service: for those devices that support this service. EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS provides a communication mapping interface that enables you to set up the communication from a single editor.

The network Option network (NOS) module, which can be plugged in the rack of a EcoStruxure Modicon M580 controller is embedded with switch capability, that simplifies the cabling.

EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS is embedded with various possibilities to set up communication through fieldbuses, depending on the requirements of the application:

• Modbus serial link to exchange information with devices,
• Hart communication to collect information in analog I/O module supporting Hart protocol,
• Profibus DP fieldbus.

Modbus Serial link

The Modbus serial link is used for master/slave architectures. The bus consists of a master station and slave stations. Only the master station can initiate the exchange (direct communication between slave stations is not possible). Two exchange mechanisms are available:
  
• Question/response, where requests from the master are addressed to a given slave. The master then waits for the response from the slave that has been interrogated.
• Broadcasting, where the master broadcasts a message to all slave stations on the bus. The latter can execute the order without transmitting a reply.

Many devices support Modbus serial link, as it is an economical and simple configuration protocol to exchange data with a controller when high performance of the exchanges is not required.

HART interface

HART analog I/O modules contain transceivers that master HART devices and information through the module. They can be managed by the AMS (Asset Management System) or by the controller itself. HART field device connection is point to point and collects channel information in addition to the analog value.

Profibus

The Profibus Remote Master (PRM) enables the exchange of data as close as possible to the process and the instrumentation with a controller. The PRM exchanges the data collected from Profibus through the Ethernet Modbus TCP/IP network via the I/O scanner communication service.

Through a ready-to-configure library of templates, EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS simplifies the management of device configuration and integration into the automation architecture. The exchanges are configured automatically and a facet of the object template provides a pre-configured faceplate to monitor the device in the operation system.

Historian provides the following services:

• Long time archiving with Microsoft SQL server
• Configuration of data to be historically recorded from each object
• Reporting
    • Through a Web browser
    • Automatic generation of reports in various formats
    • Excel client
• Openness to level 3 (MES and ERP systems)