This document provides the information required to select components
from Emerson and third party suppliers to design and install
a working fieldbus segment. It presents a simplified approach and covers a
variety of applications.
Several documents exist that cover the technical aspects of fieldbus in great detail. For the purposes of this discussion, fieldbus technology allows devices from multiple manufacturers to connect to a communications bus. A key benefit of fieldbus technology is interoperability: the ability to operate multiple devices, independent of manufacturer, in the same system, without loss of functionality. For complete information on the fieldbus protocol, refer to the Fieldbus Foundation.