Austin and Houston Texas - June 27, 2024 — FieldComm Group (FCG), based in in Austin, Texas, has successfully approved physical layer conformity of ABB’s first vortex flowmeter (VortexMaster FSV400) and swirl flowmeter (SwirlMaster FSS400) with APL communication interfaces, following a comprehensive series of tests. Ethernet-APL (IEEE 802.3gc or 10Base-TL1) is a new member of the family of Ethernet standards, providing full Ethernet and TCP/IP connectivity in hazardous environments at 10Mbit/s for field instruments over fieldbus Type A cables, such as those installed in many process plants around the world. FieldComm Group and ABB are founding members of the APL project, working on technology development, standardization, and product testing and certification since 2015 along with other companies and organizations.
“Product certification is a significant cornerstone for assuring superior product quality and interoperability in industrial communication networks”, said Paul Sereiko, director of marketing and product strategy at FCG.
“For ABB, this certificate is an important milestone on our journey towards a fully digitalized instrumentation and network-centric architecture,” said Tilo Merlin, Platform Manager for Instrumentation and Head of APL Development Program, ABB Measurement & Analytics. “Getting this certificate means we can be quick in rolling out APL technology to other instruments based on the same platform. More specifically, pressure and temperature instrumentation is expected in 2025.”
About ABB
ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on more than 140 years of excellence, ABB’s ~105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation. www.abb.com
About FieldComm Group
FieldComm Group is a global standards-based organization consisting of leading process automation end users, manufacturers, universities, and research organizations that work together to direct the development, incorporation, and implementation of new and overlapping technologies and serves as the source for FDI (Field Device Integration) technology. FieldComm Group’s mission is to develop, manage, and promote global standards for integrating digital devices to on-site, mobile, and cloud-based systems; provide services for standards conformance and implementation of process automation devices and systems that enable and improve reliability and multi-vendor interoperability; lead the development of a unified information model of process automation field devices while building upon industry investment in the HART, FOUNDATION Fieldbus and FDI standards. Membership is open to anyone interested in the use of the technologies.
