Rugged instrumentation for reliable measurement and control

Applications By Industry

The HCS as a Diagnostic Tool

We know it is easier for many customers to communicate using MODBUS RTU protocol than HART protocol and that makes the HCS HART® Concentrator System a very popular tool.

 

HCS norails ppWe also know customers want more diagnostic information so they can access the health of their processes and instrumentation. HART Command 48 is what the industry and the HCS  uses to retrieve diagnostic information from the HART slave device, whether that is a transmitter or a valve positioner. The HCS will not implement Command 48 unless you turn on that feature by checking “Acquire Additional Status” on the HART tab of the configuration software.

Once enabled, if your HCS has firmware version 4 or earlier, the HCS retrieves Status bytes 0 through 5 and populates the diagnostic data into MODBUS registers. With 6 bytes by 8 bits each that is 48 pieces of information. Should you be using one of our newer HCS with firmware version 5 or higher, we pull 25 bytes or 200 bits of diagnostic data and allow it to be read by the MODBUS master.

Of course, the specific diagnostic information is under the control of the manufacturer of the transmitter or positioner, but the HCS makes it easily readable.

Are you or your customers taking advantage of this powerful tool?

 

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