MTL SmartPlant symbol library for FOUNDATION fieldbus™ components

MTL has made it easier for engineering designers and end users to use their FOUNDATION fieldbus™ products by developing a utility to import the complete range of MTL-Relcom fieldbus products (Power Supplies, Megablocks™, surge protectors, and Entity conversion blocks) into SmartPlant Instrumentation version 7.

SmartPlant is among the most successful examples of the new generation design tools created to reduce the cost of designing control systems. The cost of designing a single control loop can be in excess of one man-day, so using tools like SmartPlant can dramatically reduce these costs. The utility, including all associated files is available for download below.

To use the MTL-Relcom SmartPlant library, users must be running a valid copy of SmartPlant Instrumentation ver 7.

Registration for download is required so that we can notify users of new updates to the library.

<Click here> to register for downloads and library updates.

INSTALLATION GUIDE

After downloading the executable zip file below to a directory on your drive, all you need to do is “double click” on the import utility file and the necessary library will be created inside your SmartPlant Instrumentation environment. The following screen capture shows how a successfully completed run of the import utility should appear.

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Once imported, each device/apparatus contains not only information about itself but it also has proper orientation information for preparation of Enhanced Smart Loop drawings/reports. The Terminal Strip Properties Window as shown below contains the necessary information about how the equipment is mounted within the cabinet, for example on a DIN rail.
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The next screen shot, apparatus properties is of the actual equipment and includes such useful information as the manufacturer and model number. Note also that for cases in which the terminator is user configurable, there is a “check box” for the designer to easily inform the construction personnel how the device is to be used in the field. The User entered Description field allows the designer to assign the individual apparatus to the appropriate panel using the project naming conventions.

Just as important as having the correct manufacturer and model number represented properly in the SmartPlant Instrumentation database is that the information will be reflected in the resulting Bill of Materials (BoM) that SmartPlant can generate once the project design is complete. Designers no longer have to worry about having the right quantity of the correct model numbers for each and every component of their Fieldbus wiring system.

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All Functions shown in the Apparatus configuration are consistent with the naming conventions of SmartPlant Instrumentation for Fieldbus designs of “home run in”, “home run out”, “trunk in”, “trunk out”, and “spur”. Note also that like all MTL products the terminator connections are colour coded to be clearly identifiable versus any other connection. The order of the terminals also follows the same convention as the devices themselves. A consistent naming convention is used for all “apparatus” so that within the alphanumeric constraints of SmartPlant Instrumentation the terminal numbering closely matches the numbers used on the devices themselves. The following summarizes the convention used:
A
Alarm – DC contact to alarm in the event of a failure within the component
H
Home Run – Home Run segment going to the Host System
PS
Power Supply – Bulk 24 Volt DC power supply to the Fieldbus Power Conditioner
T
Trunk – Trunk cable is both the power and the communications highway between the Control Room and the Field
[T]
 Terminator – If the Apparatus has an Internal Terminator the Position Label field will represent it as [T]
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The screen capture below of the workspace shows how a typical apparatus will appear in the connection view where it is “wired” to other components in a system. The designer simply “connects” the appropriate signal cable to the associated terminals on the apparatus the program will connect the correct “+”, “-" and “Shield” to the correct wire within the cable.

Last, but certainly not least, when it is time to generate the necessary segment drawing for construction in the field, the resulting Enhanced Smart Loop contains all the information needed to complete the construction, including the proper orientation of all the connections (left and right side) and the correct part names.

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