Field device network buses-impact on construction documentation

Field device network buses are a recent application of networks to directly connect factory floor field devices such as sensors, actuators, and operator interfaces over a shared signal medium just as it is done for computers and other office equipment. This is a fundamental change from current practices of point-to-point electrical or pneumatic connection over a dedicated communication medium. While the impact of field device network buses is extensive and has been explored in depth, their impact on construction documentation was not. It is chosen as the subject of inquiry, because the change in control system topology and migration of control laws back to field as well as their mobility on the networks complicates presentation of information on documents and their subsequent management. Review of current documentation practices suggests that a modification to them, in particular, the way in which information is presented on the drawings allows for accommodation of changes due to the introduction of process level networks without sacrificing of the benefits offered by the present day methods