Introduction

Many plants and mills around the world have been using HART instrumentation for years. These important assets for controlling and monitoring the process have typically been providing only a fraction of the value of which they are capable. Users are looking for ways to lower their operating cost, reduce downtime and maximize their existing or new assets and HART technology can help you meet these goals by using the full capabilities of HART devices and system interfaces that you may have already in place. HART stands for Highway Addressable Remote Transducer. It is an open protocol developed in the late 1980's to facilitate communication with Smart field devices. Over the years, it has become the global standard for industrial field communications between intelligent devices and control, safety and asset management systems. With more than 150 companies supporting more than 800 different registered HART devices, there are HART-enabled devices for practically every application. What is new about HART? HART delivers value 24/7 or full-time. This is a change from the traditional thinking of HART being used as just a configuration tool or just as a troubleshooting tool. Move from part-time, limited communication applications to full-time communication with data integrated into control and asset management applications and you will be maximizing your assets and providing valuable information to plant operations and will provide significant benefits. An information gap exists between the plant floor and the control system. The information contains valuable data as to the health and status of your field devices. By using the power or intelligence in HART-smart devices & systems, the information gap can be closed by providing the device diagnostic information users are looking for to lower maintenance cost, improve process availability and increase operating profits. As you complete these courses you will learn about the following: 1) The fundamental concepts that embody the HART communication protocol 2) How to apply HART instruments and integrate them with your system and asset management applications 3) How to use your knowledge of HART technology to reduce the time and cost for installing and commissioning loops, improve your operations and reduce maintenance costs, improve your ability to manage these assets, and improve the safety of your plant. We believe that you will find HART technology is SIMPLE and easily understood, is EASY to install and live with, is INEXPENSIVE to use and is also FEATURE RICH providing you with capabilities that you thought wouldn't be possible with existing technology. Benefits HART Instrume nts
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Digital Instrume nts

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Accuracy and stability Reliability Multivariable Computations Diagnostics Multiple sensor inputs

Ease of commissioning Tag ID Remote configuration Loop checks Adjustable operational parameters

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There are many new and exciting ways to unleash or put the power of HART to work. With more than 15 million HART capable devices installed throughout the world, it's important to understand how one goes about using this power - maximizing the benefits and value of HART.

Theory of Operation
HART communication occurs between two HART-enabled devices, typically a field device and a control or monitoring system. Communication occurs using standard instrumentation grade wire and using standard wiring and termination practices. HART provides two simultaneous communication channels: the 4-20mA analog signal and a digital signal. The 4-20mA signal communicates the primary measured value (in the case of a field instrument) using the 4-20mA current loop - the fastest and most reliable industry standard. Additional device information is communicated using a digital signal that is superimposed on the analog signal. The digital signal contains information from the device including device status, diagnostics, additional measured or calculated values, etc. Together, the two communication channels provide a complete field communication solution that is easy to use and configure, is low-cost and is very robust. Since HART devices support the standard 4-20mA mode, they can be used with any system that can work with 4-20mA devices. This method has been field proven and used by plants worldwide. However, this method does not take advantage of all the benefits of digital communication that HART offers.

Communication Modes
There are two communication modes available with HART technology: Request-Response Mode and Burst Mode. Request - Response Mode The digital communication part of the communication is a request-response communication protocol, which means that during normal operation, each device communication is initiated by a request from a host device - sometimes known as a master. Two masters can connect to each HART loop. The Primary Master is generally a distributed control system (DCS), programmable logic controller (PLC), asset management system or a personal computer (PC) running an application. The Secondary Master is generally a handheld terminal or another PC with an appropriate HART-enabled application. HART-enabled devices include but are not limited to transmitters, actuators, flowmeters, valve positioners, analyzers and controllers that respond to commands from the primary or secondary master. Burst Mode Some HART devices support the optional burst communication mode. Burst mode enables faster communication (3-4 data updates per second). In burst mode, the Master instructs the device to continuously broadcast a standard HART reply message (e.g., the value of the process variable). The Master receives the message at the higher rate until it instructs the device to stop bursting. This mode allows multiple HART-enabled devices to be connected in a multidrop-wiring scheme.

Frequency Shift Keying

The HART Communication Protocol is based on the frequency shift keying (FSK) principle. The digital signal is made up of two frequencies - 1,200 Hz and 2,200 Hz representing bits 1 and 0. Sine waves of these two frequencies are superimposed on the direct current (dc) analog signal wire to provide simultaneous analog and digital communications. Because the average value of

the FSK signal is always zero, the 4-20mA analog signal is not affected. A minimum loop impedance of 230 ohms is required for communication.

HART Networks
HART devices can operate in one of two network configurations-point-to-point or multidrop. Point- To-Point In point-to-point mode, the traditional 4-20 mA signal is used to communicate one process variable, while additional process variables, configuration parameters, and other device data are transferred digitally using the HART Protocol. The 4-20 mA analog signal is not affected by the HART signal and can be used for control in the normal way. The HART Communication digital signal gives access to secondary variables and other data that can be used for operations, commissioning, maintenance, and diagnostic purposes. The instrument power is provided by an I/O interface or external power source.

Typical Point-To-Point Wiring

Multidrop The multidrop mode of operation requires only a single pair of wires and, if applicable, safety barriers and an auxiliary power supply for up to 15 field devices. All process values are transmitted digitally. In multidrop mode, all field devices are assigned polling addresses and the current through each device is fixed to a minimum value (typically 4 mA). Use miltidrop connection for supervisory control and installations that are widely spaced, such as pipelines, custody transfer stations, and tank farms.

The Handheld Terminal in the graphic below can be connected anywhere on the segment; at the I/O terminals, at any of the devices or anywhere on the wiring segment.

HART Commands
The HART Command Set provides uniform and consistent communication for all HART-enabled devices. The command set includes three classes: universal, common practice, and device specific (Table 1). There are 35-40 data items that are standard in every HART registered device. Host applications may implement any of the necessary commands for a particular application. Universal All devices using the HART Protocol must recognize and support the universal commands. Universal commands provide access to information useful in normal operations (e.g., read primary variable and units). Common practice commands provide functions implemented by many, but not necessarily all, HART communication devices. The HART specifications recommend devices to support these commands when applicable. Device specific commands represent functions that are unique to each field device. These commands access setup and calibration information, as well as information about the construction of the device. Information on device-specific commands is available from device manufacturers or in the Field Device Specification document.

Common Practice

Device Specific

SUMMARY TABLE

Universal Commands

Common Practice Commands

Device-Specific Commands

Identify device

Read device variables Write PV damping value Write PV range values Set PV upper range value, lower range value Enter / exit fixed current mode Perform self-test Perform device reset

Read or write low-flow cut-off Start, stop, or clear totalizer Read or write density calibration factor Choose PV ( mass, flow, or density ) Read or write materials or construction information Trim transducer calibration PID enable Write PID setpoint Valve characterization Valve setpoint Travel limits User units Local display information

Read manufacturer ID code, device type, device ID, extended device status, configuration change

counter Read primary variable (PV) and units Read loop current and

percent of range Read dynamic variables and loop current Read dynamic variables classification Read of write up to 32character tag, 16-character descriptor, date

Read additional device status Set PV zero Write PV units Trim loop current zero and gain Write PV transfer function Write PV transducer serial number Read or write dynamic variables assignments Burst mode control, write burst mode command number Lock device, read lock state Squawk, find device Transfer service, transfer control Catch device variable

Read or write 32-character message Read PV transducer information Read or write final assembly number Read or write polling address and loop current modes

Field Device Specification The Field Device Specification is written as a reference document and includes the listing of the device specific commands for each device and is written by the device developer. The Field Device Specification specifies the capabilities, features, and operation of the Field Device as viewed from a HART perspective. The Field Device Specification is an important reference document for Host Application designers, System Integrators, and Users. This document can be used as a reference guide to identify all commands available in a specific device including the device specific commands and functions that are unique to that device. These commands access setup and calibration information, as well as information about the construction of the device. The Field Device Specifications are available for download for some products in the Product Catalog section of the HART Communication Foundation website.

Device Descriptions

Device Description (DD) files are the HART standard for interoperability of HART devices with host systems. The HART device suppliers provide a DD file for each HART device and the DD file combines all of the information needed by the host application into a single structured file. HART host applications can use device descriptions (DD) to obtain information about the variables and functions contained in a HART field device. The DD file includes all of the information needed by a host application to fully communicate with the field device. HART Device Description Language (DDL) is used to write the DD. The DD identifies which commands (universal, common practice and device specific) are supported by a device as well as contains the format and structure of all device-specific commands. A DD for a HART field device is roughly equivalent to a printer driver for a computer. DD files eliminate the need for host suppliers to develop and support custom interfaces and drivers for supporting each device. A DD provides a picture of all parameters and functions of a device in a standardized language. The DD will provide information for a DD-enabled host application to read and write data according to each device's procedures. DD source files for HART devices resemble files written in the C programming language. DD files are submitted to the HART Communication Foundation (HCF) for registration in the HCF DD Library. Quality checks are performed on each DD submitted to ensure specification compliance, to verify that there are no conflicts with DDs already registered, and to verify operation with standard HART hosts. The HCF DD Library is the central location for management and distribution of all HART DDs to facilitate use in host applications such as Distributed Control Systems (DCS), safety systems, asset management systems, PCs and handheld terminals. There is a DD revision associated with each device revision to support its full capabilities. If the current DD revision is not available, the functionality of the previous level will be available. The Table below indicates that a device of a certain revision working with a DD of a previous revision will only provide the device functionality of the previous revision. Device Revision 5 5 DD Revision 5 4 Device Functionality 5 4

Enhanced Device Descriptions Working in cooperation with Fieldbus Foundation, PROFIBUS and the OPC Foundation, the HART Communication Foundation is currently developing the enhanced Device Description Language (eDDL). The new HART eDDL extends the capabilities of DDL to provide an industry-standard solution for advanced visualization of intelligent device information to maintain the proven integrity of existing DD technology across all three communications technologies. HART eDDL enhancements include an improved user interface with support for menus, windows, tabs and groups and added graphic support for graphs, trends, charts and dial indicators. The eDDL further standardizes the user interface for managing intelligent devices and eliminates the need for Windows resource files, supplemental files, and other DD modifications previously required by some applications. The HART eDDL Specification has been successfully validated and is near completion.

The graphic above shows actual examples of what can be displayed using Enhanced Device Descriptions.

Multi-variable Device
Most HART devices provide multiple process variables, which can be used for monitoring or control to gain a better insight into the process. For example, a pressure transmitter provides pressure as its primary value (which is usually the 4-20 mA signal) but also could provide temperature as a HART digital Secondary Value. These variables can be used for control or monitoring applications. Using this additional HART data eliminates the need for additional instrumentation that may have been required to achieve a similar result.

Examples of multi- variable information by product type:

Multivariable Type DP Transmitter

Functions Pressure, Differential Pressure, Body Temperature, Environmental Temperature, Square Root, Mass Flow Flow Rate, Body Temperature, Integrated Flow, Totalization pH Value, Liquid Temperature, Cell Constants Valve Position, Actual Position, Actuator Temperature, Supply Pressure, Output Pressure Level, Interface level, Temperature, Delta level Mass flow, Volumetric flow, Temperature, Density, Totalizer

Magnetic Flowmeter pH Analyzer Valve Positioner Level Coriolis Mass Flow

Device Status and Diagnostics

One of the many benefits of HART technology is the ability to diagnose potential device problems either at the device, at the control system I/O, within the control system or anywhere in between. Each HART device has a 38-bit address that consists of the manufacture ID code, device type code and a device unique identifier. Two bytes of status, also called response code, are included in every message from a HART device. These two bytes convey three very useful types of information: Communication errors Command response problems Field device status

Field Device Status HART devices provide valuable status information, which not only indicates when the device is malfunctioning but also provides a description of the failure (like a temperature transmitter indicating "sensor break" as the reason for the malfunction). Device diagnostics and eight status alerts are automatically returned with every communication message. These status alerts may provide early warning of a potential device problem, can automatically detect range or configuration changes and validates the PV with the loop current thereby increasing the integrity of the control system information. This feature saves a lot of effort involved in debugging of process and instrumentation issues allowing troubleshooting and repair to be done quickly. Most HART field instruments provide both status information and diagnostic information. The HART protocol defines basic status information as information that is included with every message from a field device. Basic status information enables the host application to immediately identify warning or error conditions detected by the field device. Status messages also enable the user to differentiate between measurements that are outside sensor or range limits and actual hardware malfunctions. Examples of status messages are:

Field device malfunction Configuration changed Cold start More status available Analog output current fixed Analog output saturated Non-primary variable out of limits Primary variable out of limits
HART instruments can implement extensive, device-specific diagnostics. The amount and type of diagnostic information is determined by the manufacturer and varies with product and application. Diagnostic information can be accessed using the HART communication protocol. Host applications using DD files can interpret and display diagnostic information. Applications not using DD technology may require product-specific software modules to interpret diagnostic information. Many manufacturers offer special software applications for their own products. Some modules allow you to customize for specific products. Manufacturers of valve actuators have made extensive use of this capability to provide preventative and predictive diagnostic information that greatly enhances the value of their products as compared to conventional actuators. Several software applications are available that provide continuous communication with field

devices using a HART-compatible multiplexer and HART I/O. These applications provide realtime monitoring of status and diagnostic information. Field Device Status Codes

Bit No. Bit 7 Bit 6 Bit 5 Bit 4 Bit 3 Bit 2

Bit 1 Bit 0

Definition Device Malfunction The device detected a serious error or failure that compromises device operation. Configuration Changed An operation was performed that changed the devices configuration. Cold Start A power failure or Device Reset has occurred. More Status Available More status information is available via Command 48, Read Additional Status Information. Loop Current Fixed The Loop Current is being held at a fixed value and is not responding to process variations. Loop Current Saturated The Loop Current has reached its upper (or lower) endpoint limit and cannot increase (or decrease) any further. Non-Primary Variable Out of Limits A Device Variable not mapped to the PV is beyond its operating limits. Primary Variable Out of Limits The PV is beyond its operating limit.

Note: Voltage Mode Field Devices must use "Loop Current Fixed" and "Loop Current Saturated" to indicate the signaling voltage is fixed or saturated.

HART 6
Since 1989, all HART-enabled devices were designed to the HART 5 specification. To better support the continuously growing functionality offered by HART devices as they become more intelligent, the HART protocol has evolved to HART 6. The HART 6 protocol is 100% backward compatible - so current users of HART instruments and systems will have the assurance that those devices will be fully compatible with HART 6 products, protecting their investments. The ongoing support of HART technology and its enhancements by major global suppliers and Users paves the way for HART devices to continue to remain a significant contributor to automation solutions by providing additional device information to higher level systems. This information can then be used for asset management, device diagnostics, remote communication of parameter settings, multi-variable information and general device health intending to lower operating cost, improve efficiencies and enhance asset management. A HART 6 device includes HART 5 as a subset, so the migration from HART 5 to HART 6 is painless for the User: When connected to a HART 5 Master, a HART 6 device behaves like a HART 5 device and the HART 5 functions are fully available. When connected to a HART 6 Master, the extra functionality provided by HART 6 becomes available.

Major enhancements in HART 6 include:

Improved host integration by providing device family definition Expanded data and device status information improving host ability to act on diagnostic information 32 character tags for more flexibility and consistency with plant standards A updated Block Data Transfer to support the transfer of large blocks of data between masters and field devices New common practice commands to support commissioning and troubleshooting of HART devices in multi-drop and multi-pair cable installations

Wiring and Installation

In general, the installation practice for HART communicating devices is the same as that for conventional 4-20mA instrumentation. Individually shielded twisted pair cable, either in single pair or multi-pair varieties, is the recommended wiring practice. Unshielded cables may be used for short distances, if ambient noise and cross-talk will not effect communication. The minimum conductor size is 0.51mm diameter (#24 AWG) for cable runs less than 1,524 meters (5,000 ft.) and 0.81mm diameter (#20 AWG) for longer distances.

Typical Wiring Connection using a HART Field Device, a PC with a PC-based Application and a Handheld Terminal. Also shown is a required HART Interface or Modem - either RS232 or USB version. Grounding

To prevent interference by external signals, it is important to ground the system properly. In particular, the signal loop should be grounded, if at all, at one point only. The cable screening must be connected to ground, at one point only, and must not be connected to instrument or junction box cases unless these are isolated from ground. The single ground point will usually be at or near the host (for example, the control system). Power supply Power for a two-wire instrument loop is typically 24V d.c. As always, the voltage must be sufficient to provide the necessary lift-off voltage for the field device, taking into account voltage drops in the cable and load resistor, and a passive IS barrier if one is present. Smart devices may take up to 22 mA to indicate an alarm condition; use this value to calculate the worst loop voltage drop. There are additional communication-related specifications for the power supply for a HART loop; these are shown in the table below. The ripple and noise specifications are designed to prevent direct interference with the HART signals. The impedance limit ensures that HART signals see the power supply as a low impedance path, and prevents inadvertent coupling and crosstalk between multiple HART loops powered from a common supply. (The resistance of output fuses, if any, must be included, when measuring this value.) Power supply specifications
Maximum ripple (47 to 125 Hz) Maximum noise (500 Hz to 10 kHz) Maximum series impedance (500 Hz to 10 kHz) 0.2 V p-p 1.2 mV rms 10

Cable Length Most installations are well within the 3,000-meter (10,000 ft) theoretical limit for HART Communication. However, the electrical characteristics of the cable (mostly capacitance) and the combination of connected devices can affect the maximum allowable cable length of a HART network. The table below shows the affect of cable capacitance and the number of network devices on cable length. The table is based on typical installations of HART devices in non-IS environments, i.e. no miscellaneous series impedance. Detailed information for determining the maximum cable length for any HART network configuration can be found in the HART Physical Layer Specifications. The allowable cable length depends upon the cable capacitance and the number of network devices. Cable Length - feet (meters)

No. Network Devices 20 pf/ft (65 pf/m) 1 5 9,000 ft (2,769 m) 8,000 ft

Cable Capacitance pf/ft (pf/m) 30 pf/ft (95 pf/m) 6,500 ft (2,000 m) 5,900 ft 50 pf/ft (160 pf/m) 4,200 ft (1,292 m) 3,700 ft 70 pf/ft (225 pf/m) 3,200 ft (985 m) 2,900 ft

(2,462 m) 10 15 7,000 ft (2,154 m) 6,000 ft (1,846 m)

(1,815 m) 5,200 ft (1,600 m) 4,600 ft (1,415 m)

(1,138 m) 3,300 ft (1,015 m) 2,900 ft (892 m)

(892 m) 2,500 ft (769 m) 2,300 ft (708 m)

Allowable cable lengths for 1.02 mm (#18 AWG) shield twisted pair

Intrinsic Safety
Intrinsic Safety (IS) is a method of providing safe operation of electronic process-control instrumentation in hazardous areas. IS systems keep the available electrical energy in the system low enough that ignition of the hazardous atmosphere cannot occur. No single field device or wiring is intrinsically safe by itself (except for battery-operated, self-contained devices), but is intrinsically safe only when employed in a properly designed IS system. Intrinsic Safety Devices HART communicating devices work well in applications that require IS operation. IS devices (e.g., barriers) are often used with traditional two-wire 4-20 mA instruments to ensure an IS system in hazardous areas. With traditional analog instrumentation, energy to the field can be limited with or without a ground connection by installing one of the following IS devices:

Shunt-diode (zener) barriers that use a high-quality safety ground connection to bypass excess energy (Figure 1). Isolators (which do not require a ground connection) that repeat the analog measurement signal across an isolated interface in the safe-side load circuit (Figure 2).

Both zener barriers and isolators can be used to ensure an IS system with HART-communicating devices, but some additional issues must be considered when engineering the HART loop.

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

HART Multidrop Networks

The HART communication protocol enables several instruments to be connected on the same pair of wires in a multidrop network configuration (Figure 8). The current through each field device is fixed at a minimum value (typically 4 mA) sufficient for device operation. The analog loop current does not change in relation to the process and thus does not reflect the primary variable. Communications in multidrop mode are entirely digital.

Multidrop Configuration

Standard HART commands are used to communicate with field instruments to determine process variables or device parameter information. The typical cycle time needed to read information on a single variable from a HART device is approximately 500 milliseconds (ms). For a network of 15 devices, a total of approximately 7.5 seconds is needed to scan and read the primary variables from all devices. Reading information from multivariable instruments may take longer, as the data field will typically contain values for four variables rather than just one. The typical multidrop network enables two-wire measurement devices to be connected in parallel. Two-wire loop-powered and four-wire active-source devices can be connected in the same network. If both two-and four-wire devices are used in the same network, three wires must be used to properly connect the devices.

Summary
In Course 1 - HART Basics, we learned: HART technology enables two-way digital communication to occur between intelligent devices and connected host or control systems. That HART is an enabling technology meaning that it can be applied in many different application including control, monitoring, safety, asset management, etc. HART provides two simultaneous communication channels: the 4-20mA analog signal and a digital signal. The digital signal contains information from the device including device status, diagnostics, additional measured or calculated values, etc. The 4-20mA signal communicates the primary measured value (in the case of a field instrument) using the 4-20mA current loop. The digital communication part of the communication is a request-response communication protocol, which means that during normal operation, each device communication is initiated by a request from a host device. The digital signal is made up of two frequencies - 1,200 Hz and 2,200 Hz representing bits 1 and 0. Sine waves of these two frequencies are superimposed on the direct current (dc) analog signal wire to provide simultaneous analog and digital communications. A minimum loop impedance of 230 ohms is required for communication. HART devices can operate in one of two network configurations-point-to-point or multidrop. The HART Command Set includes three classes: universal, common practice, and device specific. There are 35-40 data items that are standard in every HART registered device. Host applications may implement any of the necessary commands for a particular application. The HART device suppliers provide a DD file for each HART device and the DD file combines all of the information needed by the host application into a single structured file. The DD file includes all of the information needed by a host application to fully communicate with the field device and access all of the information available from the device. The new HART enhanced Device Description Language extends the capabilities of DDL to provide for advanced visualization of intelligent device information. HART Protocol is backward compatible with the installed base of instrumentation and control systems in use today. A new HART-enabled device can replace an existing 420mA analog-only device of similar measurement capability without change to the host system or wire.

Most HART devices provide multiple process variables, which can be used for monitoring or control to gain a better insight into the process. Device diagnostics and status information are returned with every communication message. The installation practice for a HART communicating device is similar for a conventional 420mA instrument. HART communicating devices can be used in applications that require IS operation.

Future lessons will include: Control System Interfaces, Data Handling, Gateways, SCADA/RTU Systems, Multiplexers, Reading HART Data into Non-HART Systems, PC-based Configuration Software and how HART delivers benefits in all phases of the Plant Life Cycle.