Freelance (process control system)

Freelance is the name of a process control system from ABB . It is used to automate procedural processes. Freelance is used in various process industries. Thousands of applications have been automated with the process control system, making it one of the more widely used process control systems.

Freelance is called a compact process control system. Its range of functions is tailored to standard applications for process control systems.

AC 800F controller

AC 700F controller

System architecture

The process control system (PLS) Freelance is one of the single bus systems. In the case of single-bus systems, all process- related components (PNK), user- related components (BNK) or display and operating components (ABK) and other participants are connected to a bus. The system bus with Freelance is based on Ethernet and can optionally be implemented redundantly .

Control Builder F is the DCS engineering program. This tool contains the editors for the user program languages of IEC 61131-3 (or EN 61131-3 ), the system visualization for DigiVis, offline and online configuration and programming as well as hardware and fieldbus management contain. This means that the entire engineering can be handled within a consistent environment and database storage.

DigiVis is the standard user interface of Freelance. It offers z. B. the following visualization options: process flow diagrams, system diagnostics, graphs, operating area-specific alarm pages, sequence control images, reports / logs and data archiving . User groups with different rights can also be set up. Data such as trends or protocols can also be saved or archived in the DigiVis station.

The AC 700F controller is the smallest AS in the system and has roughly the performance of a small programmable logic controller (PLC). About his max. 8 local I / O modules, up to 256 digital or up to 128 analog process signals can be connected. Via the Profibus interface you can e.g. B. Connect remote input / output modules, motors and drives or other intelligent fieldbus devices. In addition, the communication protocols Modbus, Modbus TCP and the telecontrol protocols IEC 60870-5-101 and 60870-5-104 are available.

The AC 800F controller is another PI of the system. It does not have any local I / O modules, instead the controller processes process and diagnostic data from up to 4 fieldbus gateways . The interfaces are Profibus DPV1 and Foundation Fieldbus HSE (see Fieldbus Foundation ). Serial interfaces ( Modbus , CAN bus and telecontrol protocol IEC 60870-5-101) can also be installed. With most bus protocols, the AC 800F can only be used as a master. 1 Ethernet interface is used for connection to the system bus. A second Ethernet interface serves as a sync connection to an optionally redundantly installed controller. The Modbus TCP Ethernet communication protocol and the 60870-5-104 telecontrol protocol are also available.

The AC 900F controller is the latest and most powerful AS of the system and offers more performance and full compatibility with all Digimatik / Freelance previous versions - i. H. all user programs written for the previous versions also run on the AC 900F. About his max. Up to 320 digital or up to 160 analog process signals can be connected to 10 local I / O modules. 1 of the 4 Ethernet interfaces on the controller are used for connection to the system bus. A second Ethernet interface serves as a sync connection to an optionally redundantly installed controller. The AC 900F also processes process and diagnostic data from up to 2 Profibus DPV1 fieldbus gateways. In addition, the communication protocols Modbus, Modbus TCP and the telecontrol protocols IEC 60870-5-101 and 60870-5-104 are available.

The oldest PIs are the rack CPUs DCP10 or DCP02 with the corresponding local and decentralized I / O modules. These units have system-specific field buses that have been replaced by standards such as Profibus or Foundation Fieldbus HSE (see Fieldbus Foundation ).

Different servers , e.g. B. OPC servers, for communication with the office world, for data archiving or as an interface to other, higher-level systems such as MES .

history

In 1994, Hartmann & Braun launched Freelance under the name "Digimatik" in Germany and Europe. Digimatik was the first decentralized automation system that both the creation of the automation programs according to IEC 61131-3 for one or more controllers, so-called process stations, and the creation of the user interface (graphics, trend, sequence, overview, group and faceplates , Shift and operating logs, process alarms, system diagnostics) for one or more PC-based operator stations, so-called control stations, integrated in just one engineering tool based on just one system-wide, consistent database. The development of the system can best be followed along its versions. The list only gives a general overview and does not go into all details.

Version 1

Digimatik was launched in 1994 and used to automate small and medium-sized applications in the process industry. The software for the engineering (= the creation of the automation programs according to IEC 61131-3 for one or more controllers, so-called process stations as well as the creation of the graphical user interface) is called DigiTool, the software for the PC-based operator stations is called DigiVis.

Version 2

The operating system for the PCs is still Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11. DigiTool and DigiVis can be operated on the same PC - but not in parallel, as WfW 3.11 does not support multitasking.

Version 3.1 to 3.3

Digimatik is renamed Freelance 2000 in the course of the global market launch. The most important innovation is the controller redundancy, which was introduced with the controller module DCP10. In addition to new input / output modules with new functions and more power, the functionality of DigiTool and DigiVis is also being expanded. From version 3.3 up to 10 controllers and 10 PC-based operator stations can be used.

Version 4.1

User-defined function blocks are introduced. An OPC server for communication e.g. B. with Microsoft Office applications replaces the DDE server. Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 is used as the PC operating system. DigiTool and DigiVis can now also be operated simultaneously on the same PC.

Version 5.1 and 5.2

Together with the so-called Field Controller , the forerunner of today's AC 800F, the Profibus DP V1 and Foundation Fieldbus fieldbus standards for the connection of remote inputs / outputs and intelligent field devices, motors and drives are introduced / available. The PC operating system becomes Windows 2000. The DigiTool editor for function block language programs (FBD programs) is being expanded. Selected binary signals can be logged with a time stamp in high resolution in the correct chronological order. The Freelance Select Controller is introduced into fieldbus technology as a starter kit.

Version 6.1 and 6.2

The Field Controller and also Profibus DP V1 and Foundation Fieldbus can optionally be implemented redundantly, the system limits are expanded, a trend server is introduced, true color resolution and FDT / DTM technology are supported. In addition, a new batch management tool will be introduced. With version 6.2, the Field Controller is renamed AC 800F and integrated into ABB's IndustrialIT controller family. DigiTool is transferred to the EngineerIT Suite as Control Builder F (CBF).

Version 7.1 and 7.2

The installation procedure for the system software has been revised and simplified again. A complete system (CBF + DigiVis) can be installed on a PC in approx. 10 minutes. Another more powerful controller module for the AC 800F controller (16 MB) is introduced. The FDT 1.2 standard is now also supported. The HART functionality is expanded. The functionality and performance of DigiVis is expanded and supports 2 screens on one PC. With version 7.2 Freelance 2000 is renamed IndustrialIT process control system Freelance 800F. The short name is Freelance 800F.

Version 8.1 and 8.2

The DigiVis user interface is modernized, as well as extended diagnostic options and the ABB "Aspect Object" technology for simple and fast navigation. As of this version, the Windows XP Professional operating system is supported for DigiVis and CBF and the Windows 2003 Server operating system for the OPC server.

Version 9.1 and 9.2

The installation procedure has been further simplified and a complete system (CBF + DigiVis) can be installed on a PC in approx. 5 minutes. The AC 700F controller for applications typically up to 250 inputs / outputs and the PGIM 800F information management tool are introduced. New is an integrated OPC tunnel with high data throughput especially for the OPC trend server and for DigiVis. This means that 3rd party OPC servers are also able to very efficiently communicate OPC data to DigiVis, display them there and issue alarms. In addition, DigiVis now also integrates reports based on MS Excel. From version 9.2 SP1, Windows 7 Professional (32 bit) can now also be used for CBF and DigiVis.

Version Freelance 2013

The new name is based on the year of introduction. In Freelance Engineering, the user can now display and edit several windows at the same time. This makes engineering even more efficient. The new AC 900F controller module offers 100% more power and 100% compatibility with all Digimatik / Freelance previous versions - i. H. all user programs written for the previous versions also run on the AC 900F. In addition, the Modbus TCP communication protocol and the IEC 60870-5-104 telecontrol protocol are being introduced for the AC 700F and AC 900F controllers. This protocol was implemented for the AC 800F controller with Service Pack 1 in November 2014.

Version Freelance 2016

There are now two versions for the AC 900F CPU: PM 902F (standard) and PM 901F (Lite). The lite version is designed for smaller applications and supports max. 400 I / Os. A new CAN bus module is now available for the AC 900F, which serves as an interface to older Freelance Rack I / O. Furthermore, AC 900F offers a new Profibus interface module CI 930F, which has two SUB-D connectors. The new Profibus interface module CI 773F is the successor product of CM 772F and can be used for AC 900F and AC 700F. Redundant Ethernet networks are now available for all engineering and operator stations and even for non-redundant AC 900F controllers, which contributes to even better availability of the system and thus of the production plant. There is also a Lite version for the operator interface, which is no longer called DigiVis, but Freelance Operations.

Version Freelance 2019

Freelance 2019 brings improvements in the areas of scalability, usability, connectivity, compatibility and security. The new plus version of the CPU, the PM 904F processor module, extends the standard version, the PM 902F processor module. It supports up to four communication interfaces for PROFIBUS or CAN as well as more application memory. Four built-in and freely configurable Ethernet ports support system bus redundancy, Modbus TCP / IP, sending and receiving of UDP or TCP and the IEC 60870-5-104 telecontrol protocol. Two serial connections support the Modbus RTU / ASCII or the IEC 60870-5-101 telecontrol protocol.

application areas

Freelance is offered by ABB as a process control system for small to medium-sized applications in the process industry and in the so-called hybrid market. The hybrid market is characterized by applications that contain elements of process automation as well as manufacturing automation, such as B. a chemical production with downstream packaging. This means that Freelance lies between various PLC products and the System 800xA process control system from ABB . With interfaces to the larger and more extensive process control system System 800xA, a Freelance installation can be expanded with System 800xA components or, if necessary, integrated into System 800xA.

Small to medium-sized applications for process control systems are between a few 100 and a few 1000 process signals from or to the field devices. The scalability of the system for small applications has increased thanks to the small AC 700F controller. With the AC 700F, special automation solutions that were previously adopted by PLCs are implemented. A special case are PLC-based solutions that are installed together with a Freelance system in a plant. These PLCs can be replaced by the AC 700F controller. As a result, these individual automation solutions are integrated into a consistent programming, operating and diagnosis platform.

Freelance is used, for example, in the following applications: chemical and pharmaceutical plants, combined heat and power plants and wind parks, food and cement production and open-cast mining, metal extraction and glassworks. There is no specialization of the system in certain industries.

As a compact control system, it is also used to train engineers or state-certified technicians who deal with process automation. It can be used for exercises with content such as Profibus communication, process visualization or control technology.

swell

Elektrotechnik Das Automatisierungs-Magazin, May 2009, Vogel Business Media GmbH & Co. KG ( Online )
A&D - The trade magazine for industrial automation, February 2009, p. 48, publish-industry Verlag GmbH ( online )
Vocational schools Bad Hersfeld, projects ( online )
www.abb.de/controlsystems

Individual evidence

↑ Freelance 2019 - New products brochure from the manufacturer

Web links

Freelance product page at ABB (accessed July 27, 2010)