Distributed
Control System
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SIGNAL FLOW - BASICS
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SUBHAJIT DAS
Field Devices to Controller
JUNCTION BOX TERMINAL BLOCK
FIELD DEVICE
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INPUT SIGNAL
PATH IS BARRIER
A general design
INPUT CARD FIELD TERMINAL
CONTROLLER
ASSEMBLY
CARD
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Controller To Final Control Element
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FIELD TERMINAL
CONTROLLER OUTPUT CARD ASSEMBLY
CARD
OUTPUT
SIGNAL PATH
A general design
BARRIER
FINAL CONTROL JUNCTION BOX TERMINAL BLOCK
ELEMENT
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Controllers & I/O Cards - Chassis
Power Backup
Module Card
Controller Output Cards
Input Cards
card
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Single
chassis
All cards of a single chassis are All cards are inserted in
connected to each other through a a single motherboard
single motherboard. for a single chassis
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Cabinet Connection – Field to Cards
From Field JB
Secondary Controller chassis
TERMINAL BLOCK
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Primary Controller chassis
IS BARRIER
PREFAB CABLE to
Backplane
FIELD TERMINAL
ASSEMBLY
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Backplane & FTA Connection
Cards are inserted in this
backplane (motherboard)
Operating voltage : 24V DC
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All cards of a single chassis are connected to
each other through a single motherboard.
The cables (prefab cables) from Field Terminal
Assembly are connected to this motherboard.
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Cabinet Connection – Cards to Field
To Field JB
Secondary Controller chassis
TERMINAL BLOCK
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Primary Controller chassis
IS BARRIER
PREFAB CABLE to
Backplane
FIELD TERMINAL
ASSEMBLY
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Backplane to NIM
CARDS IN CHASSIS
FTE Ethernet Cable - B
FTE Ethernet Cable - A
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Ethernet Cable from controller
backplane to EHPM FT I/F
Ethernet switch
Ethernet Cable - B
Ethernet Cable - A
NETWORK INTERFACE
MODULE
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NIM & Other Components
History Module
Engineering Station - EST SERVER
Application
Module
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Ethernet Cable - A
Ethernet Cable - B
Ethernet Cable - B
Ethernet Cable - A
Ethernet switch
Highway
Gateway
NETWORK INTERFACE
MODULE
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Signal & Data Flow
FIELD SIDE: Signal I/O Processing and
Collection & Safety Logic Execution
Field Instruments (like transmitters for The Chassis contains:
Pressure, Temp, Flow, Level) are 1. Controller
installed in process area. 2. Power Supply Module
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3. Input Modules (AI, DI)
Each instrument sends signals (e.g. 4–20 4. Output Modules (AO, DO)
mA or digital) via single-pair shielded 5. Controller FTE Interface Module (on
cable to Junction Box. EHPM)
From the JB, a multi-pair cable runs to I/O modules process signals and
the Control Room/Panel Room. sends/receives data to/from the
Controller via backplane.
Each single-pair from the multi-pair cable
terminates on Terminal Blocks (TBs) in a Controller is connected through
marshalling panel. backplane to FTE Interface module.
From each TB, the signal goes to an The FTE A and FTE B Ethernet ports from
Intrinsic Safety (IS) Barrier. FTE interface module connect to two
separate Ethernet Switches (for Fault-
From the barrier output, the signal is Tolerant Ethernet – FTE):
routed to the Field Terminal Assembly 1. FTE A → Switch A
(FTA) in the I/O cabinet. 2. FTE B → Switch B
The FTA is connected to the backplane
of a controller chassis using pre-
fabricated cables.
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Complete Signal & Data Flow
NETWORK
INTERFACE VIA
PREFAB CABLES
ETHERNET SWITCH
The Ethernet Switch then connect to the
Network Interface Module (NIM).
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LCN: LOCAL
CONTROL NETWORK
All other LCN components (connected
via Ethernet Switch):
1. Application Module (AM)
2. History Module (HM)
3. Highway Gateway (HG)
4. Engineering Station (EST)
5. DCS Server (ESVT or System Server)
These components are indirectly
connected to the NIM via ethernet
switches.
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Local Control Network
LCN components consist of: ESVT, History Module, EST, Application Module, Highway
Gateway, and NIM.
Highway Gateway: K4LCN card + EPLCI/PLCI card
NIM: K4LCN card + EPNI card
AM: K4LCN card
HM: K4LCN card + SPC card
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All of them are combinations of cards as mentioned above.
HM: Contains the personality (Configuration details of each component - like tag names,
alarm settings, ranges, etc.) and database of all DCS components.
ESVT: Stores historical data for years. It acts as the main server because the memory in
the HM is very limited.
HG: Acts as a third-party interface module.
NIM: Connects the LCN and UCN.
The K4LCN card is common in all components because it facilitates communication
between different nodes of the LCN.
A third-party PLC communicates with the NIM using the AM, which acts as a translator
for the NIM.
UCN = NIM + Controllers
HG: External controllers communicate with the UCN through the Highway Gateway.
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Highway Gateway
Data can be seen at DCS
F&G ESD
DCS
system system
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Data can be
Input command
Input command
Input command
seen at DCS
Rockwell Schneider Honeywell
PLC PLC PLC
HighwayGateway
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Highway Gateway
Rockwell/Schneider PLCs act as data sources.
They send data (analog, digital, status, alarms) via communication protocols.
Highway Gateway (HG) receives this data using its external interface card
(EPLCI/PLCI).
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The HG then uses the K4LCN card to pass this translated data to Honeywell’s
LCN (Local Control Network).
Inside LCN, Honeywell Application Module (AM) or controller can then use that
data for logic, alarms, or display.
Honeywell DCS does not control the Rockwell or Schneider PLCs directly.
It reads the information from them.
Control is still performed by those respective PLCs (F&G logic in Rockwell,
ESD logic in Schneider).
HG only shares the data across systems—like a window.
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A lot to know !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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A lot to discuss !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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have more to share !
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