How can I use a controller to detect thermocouple drift?
Posted by danstips in batch control, burner control, combustion, honeywell, Loop controllers, process automation controllers, temperature, thermocouples on May 17, 2012
If you use thermocouples in high-temperature applications, you’re aware of the issues thermocouple drift can cause. Thermocouples drift. It’s not a question of IF, it’s a question of WHEN. And thermocouple drift costs processors time and money in processing errors, waste, downtime, and lost production.
Thermocouple drift occurs due to metallurgical changes of the metal alloy elements over the extended use of the sensor. Thermocouples can drift by as much as several degrees per year.
Troubleshooting FTP failures on Honeywell paperless process recorders
Posted by danstips in Communications, configuration, Ethernet, honeywell, paperless recorders, Recorders, service, software, Trendview x-series paperless recorders, Troubleshooting on May 11, 2012
One of the great things about Honeywell Trendview X-Series paperless recorders is that they communication via Ethernet. It’s great, because you can get data from your recorder anywhere on your plant network. But, since they’re network devices, you now have to understand how to troubleshoot network failures, and not just fix “regular” recorder issues.
Trendview recorders frequently connect to a local area network (LAN), so the recorded data can be easily transferred to the historian database portion of the recorder’s Trendserver Pro software (TSP). TrendServer pro uses a standard Internet file transfer protocol (FTP) to grab data from the recorder. And in a lot of cases, a software scheduler is used to grab data on a periodic basis.
So, you’re cranking along, and the recorder’s talking perfectly to the server, and then one day you see one of the dreaded FTP failure messages.
So now, what do you do to diagnose and solve the problem?
How to get a USB barcode scanner to read into a Honeywell paperless recorder
Posted by danweise in batch control, honeywell, paperless recorders, Recorders, Trendview x-series paperless recorders on May 3, 2012
Earlier this week, I was working with one of our Honeywell Trendview X-series paperless recorders. The X-Series is capable of accepting data input from a USB barcode scanner — typically used for batch identification or for user name logins — but mine wasn’t working right.
When I tried to scan a barcode, I got an error message, and it stumped me. Luckily, I figured it out in a few minutes.
Industrial Wireless 101: Free access to webinar recordings
Posted by danstips in Communications, cost issues, Ethernet, honeywell, ISA 100, ISA100, Measurement, Wireless, Wireless, wireless transmitters, WirelessHART, WirelessHART on April 27, 2012
In the past month, I’ve focused several articles on industrial wireless technology. If you’re interested in learning more, here are several webinar recordings you can watch on your own time that will give you more insight into how wireless works, and how companies are using it to extend that measurement base and get process information where they need it to go, even on a limited budget.
