Distributed CHARMs hardware enables you to install CHARMs closer to your field devices to reduce engineering and installation costs. Distributed CHARMs hardware includes:
The CHARM I/O Gateway and the CHARM I/O Block extend the connection capabilities of the CIOC or CSLS. Distributed CHARMs are configured as any other CHARM in DeltaV Explorer, you do not need to designate whether the CHARM is local or distributed. The communication will be handled automatically by the CHARM I/O Block and Gateway.
After physically connecting the CHARMs Gateway and CHARMs I/O Blocks to the system, you must provision them through DeltaV Diagnostics. Refer to the DeltaV Diagnostics help for information about provisioning and deprovisioning CHARM I/O hardware. DeltaV Explorer shows the CHARM I/O Gateways under the CIOC and CSLS items in the hierarchy. You can launch DeltaV Diagnostics from DeltaV Explorer by right-clicking the CHARM I/O Gateways subsystem and then clicking Provision in Diagnostics.
The configuration database manages distributed CHARMs as they relate to CIOCs or CSLSs rather than to the CHARM I/O Blocks. Because of this, the CHARM I/O block diagnostics will show the runtime status of connected CHARMs only, CHARM I/O Block diagnostics will not show CHARM configuration issues such as CHARM mismatches or CHARMs that are configured but not present. Check the CIOC or CSLS in DeltaV Diagnostics for these and other CHARM configuration issues.