Fieldbus Foundation Announces Safety Instrumented Functions (SIF) Final Specification and Development Tools

New release supports interoperable SIF devices with powerful fieldbus diagnostic capabilities

AUSTIN, Texas, January 6, 2009 -- The Fieldbus Foundation today announced new device development solutions for its FOUNDATION(tm) for Safety Instrumented Functions (SIF) technology. The latest SIF release includes the FOUNDATION for SIF final Technical Specification package, SIF Interoperability Test Kit (ITK), and updated DD Library with SIF function blocks. These solutions support development of interoperable SIF devices for use in a wide range of industrial plant SIF applications.

FOUNDATION fieldbus, with its industry-proven distributed function blocks and open communications protocol, is an ideal platform for advancing standards-based SIFs. FOUNDATION technology enables process end users to realize significant CAPEX and OPEX benefits by extending fieldbus benefits into plant safety systems. The SIF protocol was approved by TÜV Anlagentechnik GmbH to meet the requirements of IEC 61508 up to, and including, Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 3.

In May 2008, the Fieldbus Foundation conducted a successful end user demonstration of its FOUNDATION for SIF solution at the Shell Global Solutions technology center in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The purpose of this live technology demonstration, which attracted process automation end users and equipment suppliers from around the world, was to evaluate FOUNDATION fieldbus-enabled safety valves with Partial Stroke Testing (PST) capability, as well as various pressure, level, temperature and diagnostic devices. The demo also evaluated system integration capabilities with asset management and Basic Process Control System (BPCS) platforms.

For more information about the FOUNDATION for SIF Technical Specification, please visit the Fieldbus Foundation's Specification Page
http://www.fieldbus.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=144&Itemid=319

For details regarding the SIF Interoperability Test Kit and DD Library, please visit the Tools Page http://www.fieldbus.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=143&Itemid=320

About the Fieldbus Foundation(tm)
The Fieldbus Foundation is a global not-for-profit corporation consisting of leading process end users and automation companies. Within the Fieldbus Foundation, end users, manufacturers, universities and research organizations work together to develop an automation infrastructure that provides process integrity, business intelligence and open scalable integration in a managed environment. For more information, visit their web site at http://www.fieldbus.org.

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