Taking the middle ground
15 Jan 2000
After several years development with Honeywell, Rockwell Automation has introduced the Allen-Bradley ProcessLogix process control system. Aimed at what the company sees as the 'middle ground' of process applications, ProcessLogix combines powerful server-based distributed control (DCS) technology with the 'next generation' of Allen-Bradley's architecture for integrated control.
According to Rockwell, this middle ground has not been well served. 'Trying to force fit either PLCs or DCSs results in a compromise, either in performance or cost,' says the company. What is needed is 'a new breed of process control a combination of the best of PLC and DCS'.
So ProcessLogix was born out of the respective strengths of Honeywell and Rockwell, combining them into a single integrated solution and giving the user a common platform across both discrete and process applications.
In detail, ProcessLogix takes the high performance backplane and I/O from the next generation of Allen-Bradley PLCs and a Honeywell-developed process controller and CPU and software.
The process controller can simultaneously control 250 devices, 320 loops, 8000 logic gates and 80 SCMs. Server capability on the NT operating system can currently handle 20 to 20 000 points.
To communicate between its core components the system uses A-B's ControlNet open network. System developers can access process control functions and link them within the system by using drag-and-drop techniques in a function block editor.
ProcessLogix is to be made available through a global network of A-B trained system integrators.
