Fieldbus Technology - FOUNDATION Fieldbus Training Tutorial Now Available

FOUNDATION Fieldbus Concepts is a comprehensive self-paced learning module on CD-ROM. It is geared toward engineers, students and training institutions that use FOUNDATION Fieldbus in Process Control.

(Port Angeles, WA -- February 11th, 2002) Hightech Multimedia Tutorials (HMT) announces the release of a comprehensive new fieldbus training tool. FOUNDATION Fieldbus Concepts is essentially the only easy-to-follow FOUNDATION Fieldbus training tool on the market. The tutorial consists of a multimedia presentation, but also includes a graphic and text-based PDF file that can be used as a hard copy. It is targeted for users who wish to learn both introductory and advanced FOUNDATION fieldbus concepts without having to read through the specification," says tutorial designer Dan Dumdie.

Dumdie has thirty years experience in the process industries. He assumed overall responsibility for the first interoperable FOUNDATION Fieldbus installation using instruments from multiple suppliers on June 3, 1997 in the pulp and paper industry. He has published articles on Fieldbus and other process control topics in numerous technical trade journals, including a series on advanced process control for InTech magazine. He also coauthored the TAPPI Press textbook Process Control Fundamentals for the Pulp and Paper Industry" and has patented instrumentation designs.

The tutorial is suited for students, techs, engineers and the sales force. It was designed because of a general lack of FOUNDATION Fieldbus training resources available on the market.

FOUNDATION Fieldbus Concepts uses narrated graphic slide shows to present material. It contains both introductory and advanced instructional media, plus a glossary of terms so the tutorial can serve as both a learning guide and a reference guide. The multimedia presentation uses narrative graphic and sound files to guide the user through the concepts. The tutorial is laid out in a logical fashion from introductory to more advanced concepts. It uses a standard tree type structure for graphical user interface. A printable text and graphics version in PDF format is included in the tutorial for use with Adobe® Acrobat® reader. Its powerful search engine makes finding specific topics quick and easy. The Multimedia content can also be played directly from within the Acrobat® Shell.

The tutorial covers the physical and user layers, and contains details regarding the communication stack. Fieldbus benefits are discussed, as are comparisons with the DCS and with Profibus PA. The Tutorial also covers Interoperability and provides an introduction to High-Speed Ethernet.

References to suppliers and their products were intentionally excluded from the tutorial. FOUNDATION Fieldbus Concepts concentrates entirely on the specifications and standards established for this particular digital bus.
The tutorial has been successfully tested with Windows® 98, Me, NT4.0, 2000, and XP. System requirements are met with an IBM or compatible PC with a VGA graphics adapter and monitor capable of 256 colors or more and 800 x 600 minimum resolution. Also required are a Pentium P120 or better, a sound card with speakers or headphones, a CD ROM Drive 32X or faster, a mouse, and 3 MB of free hard drive space.

The only prerequisite for users of FOUNDATION Fieldbus Concepts is a basic understanding of process control loops used in the process industries. Familiarity with 4-20 ma technology and the general architecture and function of Distributed Control Systems are also helpful. However, the latter topics are reviewed in the tutorial.

Orders are currently being accepted on-line at www.hmtutorials.com.