FieldComm Group (FCG) reported June 27 that it’s successfully approved physical layer conformity of ABB’s first vortex flowmeter (VortexMaster FSV400) and swirl flowmeter (SwirlMaster FSS400) with Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer (Ethernet-APL) communication interfaces, following a comprehensive series of tests.
Ethernet-APL (IEEE 802.3gc or 10Base-TL1) is a new Ethernet standard, ensuring full Ethernet and TCP/IP connectivity in hazardous environments at 10Mbit/s for field instruments over fieldbus Type A cables, such as those installed in many process plants worldwide. FieldComm Group and ABB are founding members of the APL project, working on technology development, standardization, and product testing and certification since 2015, along with other companies and organizations.
“Product certification is a cornerstone for assuring superior product quality and interoperability in industrial communication networks,” says Paul Sereiko, marketing and product strategy director at FCG.
Tilo Merlin, instrumentation platform manager and head of APL development at ABB Measurement & Analytics, adds, “This certificate is an important milestone on our journey toward a fully digitalized instrumentation and network-centric architecture. It means we can quickly roll out APL technology to other instruments based on the same platform. More specifically, pressure and temperature instrumentation is expected in 2025.”
