Dedicated vs. Shared Networks for Safety and Controls: An analysis of the trade-offs involved

The choice of implementing a safety system on a dedicated network or on a shared network (with a control system) rests solely on the system cost involved. To determine which option leads to a lower overall system cost, a two-tiered normalized weighted cost calculator approach that evaluates the trade-offs is presented. Applying the calculator to the decision process shows that either solution could be determined to be optimal, depending on the weights applied to specific cost factors as a result of the application environment.