An NA 114 conformant support system for automatic generation of communication structures

The engineering phases of process plants present complex tasks with regard of mass data, interfaces and continuous changes. Many engineering challenges are well supported by CAE tools. But there are no integrated and computer-based support systems for the design of complex fieldbus structures. The approach presented in this paper is a research demonstrator that makes it possible to empirically evaluate mathematical algorithms and automated workflows. It integrates the necessary data for communication planning of different departments, handles the structuring requirements of the planners and automatically generates the bill of materials for the required communication equipments. This paper presents the architecture of the prototype, based on the proposal for the engineering steps presented in NA 114 and shows first applied results.