Yokogawa Electric Corporation has announced that it is releasing Centum VP R6.05, an enhanced version of its flagship integrated production control system today (October 24).

 

The latest Centum release features a new processor module with a Yokogawa designed microprocessor that employs large-scale integration (LSI). By using this system LSI in place of a commercially available product, Yokogawa eliminates the disruptions that can occur when a product is modified or discontinued. This release also features an improved engineering function that speeds up project execution by achieving savings in configuration and installation time. These enhancements cover the entire control system lifecycle, from installation and start-up to end of service, the company said.

 

Development Background

The Centum VP control system provides an optimum operation, monitoring, and engineering environment for every phase of the plant lifecycle, from engineering, installation, and start-up to maintenance, renovation, upgrade, and end of service. Starting with release 6.01 in 2014, Centum VP design has been guided by the Centum VP R6 value propositions of Smart Engineering, Advanced Operation, System Agility, and Sustainable Plant. Release 6.05 offers strengthened functions that fulfil the value propositions of Smart Engineering and Sustainable Plant.

 

Since first releasing Centum in 1975, Yokogawa has continued to enhance and optimize this system with the aim of ensuring backwards compatibility and long-term ease of use. For long-term stability in operations, it is necessary to continue offering products that have the same specifications. However, as many electronic components have short lifecycles, there is always the risk that their specifications will change over time or that they may be eliminated altogether. To address this problem, Yokogawa has developed and uses its own system LSI in this controller.

 

Enhancements

1. CP471 processor module with Yokogawa-developed system LSI

For the Centum VP field control unit (FCU), Yokogawa has developed the CP471 processor module. The new CP471 processor module has a new system LSI of Yokogawa’s own design. Application of a Yokogawa product eliminates the possibility of disruptions due to the modification or discontinuation of a commercially available product. This shall ensure the long-term availability of this key component. 

 

2. Reduced test time for the AD Suite integrated engineering environment

Yokogawa developed the Automation Design Suite (AD Suite) engineering environment by leveraging its wealth of project engineering knowhow, and released it as part of Centum VP R6.01. AD Suite is a powerful yet flexible engineering environment that helps engineers produce quality work and improves efficiency over the entire project lifecycle. 

 

AD Suite takes a modular approach to the development of control applications, and the modules created with this software are reusable in similar applications. AD Suite empowers Centum customers by giving them the choice between the use of a standard set of modules developed by Yokogawa or the creation of custom modules using a test tool provided within AD Suite. With the modifications to the test tool implemented in R6.05, the time needed to create a module has been reduced by more than 50 per cent, the company said.

 

Major Target Markets

Process industries such as oil and natural gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, electric power, pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, foods, iron and steel, and water and wastewater are the major target markets for the new solution. – TradeArabia News Service