Yokogawa Electric Corporation, a prominent player in Distributed Control Systems, has integrated S2 redundancy into their PROFINET Communication Module by utilizing Hilscher’s comX embedded module, enhancing plant availability.
CENTUM: Distributed Control System
Yokogawa’s CENTUM offers clients an ideal operating and engineering setting across the plant’s lifecycle. This involves designing plants, engineering, installing systems and equipment, increasing production, and even shutting down operations through post-commissioning and adjustments.
The CENTUM VP, now in its ninth generation, merges advanced technology with five decades of technical know-how, guaranteeing ongoing advancements in process control systems. It preserves backward compatibility with earlier CENTUM systems, enabling smooth upgrades and reducing downtime for users moving from older systems.
Yokogawa introduced redundancy for the PROFINET Communication Module on April 9, 2024. A key topic in the development of CENTUM VP was the integration of redundancy features to enhance the reliability and operational continuity of plants-
After extensive discussions between Yokogawa and Hilscher, both companies determined this capability is essential for the future market. In this context, Yokogawa was able to improve the operation rate of plants by enhancing a Communication Module of “CENTUM VP” with Hilscher’s comX module supporting the S2 redundancy function for PROFINET.
PROFINET is one of the world’s most widely used communication protocols in industrial networks, leveraging Ethernet technology to deliver exceptional real-time performance. Its ability to ensure deterministic communication makes it particularly well-suited for applications requiring precise timing and high-speed data exchange.
Evolution of Yokogawa’s PROFINET Communication Module for Increased Reliability and Uptime
Back in 2019, Yokogawa developed a Communication Module that supported PROFINET. This Communication Module made it possible to monitor the operation of PROFINET compatible devices from CENTUM VP. However, there emerged a need to improve reliability and utilization in customer plants. In order to meet the needs of its customers, Yokogawa turned to Hilscher to jointly develop a new PROFINET Communication Module with Hilscher’s netX-based comX module. Thus, Yokogawa is able to support redundancy functions and achieves high reliability as well as high operating efficiency for its customers.
With this new module, it became possible for Yokogawa’s customers to configure the Communication Module with additional PROFINET S2 redundancy, further improving the plant utilization rate. With the support of this S2 redundancy function and enhanced network diagnostics, Yokogawa has obtained Conformance Class B (CC-B) certification, which defines specific PROFINET functionalities. This means that the redundancy of the system, which is considered an important factor in the field of process control, has been recognized by a third-party organization.
In addition, by supporting NAMUR NE107-compliant self-diagnostic information of the PA Profile 4.0, customers can monitor the operation of remote I/O and Ethernet-APL (APL: Advanced Physical Layer) compatible devices. Furthermore, the motor control center, called power panel, centrally controls the power supply of drives. Consequently, Yokogawa was able to expand the range of operation monitoring that can be achieved by a customer with a single production control system.
Strategic Deployment of comX in Yokogawa’s (CENTUM) Portfolio
For the development of the newest PROFINET Communication Module, as in previous developments, Yokogawa relies on Hilscher’s embedded module comX equipped with Hilscher’s netX technology. By using Hilscher’s multiprotocol-capable comX module to handle the different communication protocol technologies, Yokogawa was able to standardize its hardware while simultaneously supporting various protocols, such as PROFIBUS-DP, PROFINET, and also other Ethernet-based communication protocols in the future.
In addition to the embedded modules, Yokogawa also used Hilscher’s standard software Communication Studio for the engineering of each field device. This saved Yokogawa from having to develop a customised solution in-house and decreased the time to market while reducing development costs and risks. Hilscher’s netX technology provides a significant strategic advantage for Yokogawa’s PROFINET Communication Module in CENTUM VP by enabling multiprotocol compatibility and simplified device connectivity through a single hardware platform.