Physical Layer Fault Tolerance for Foundation Fieldbus Network

The open all-digital communications protocol FOUNDATION Fieldbus offers a wide range of benefits to process control systems through data reliability, diagnostics, interoperability, and distribution of controls to an unprecedented level. However, lack of media redundancy on its H1 networks can compromise the availability of view and control of a critical process. In this thesis a novel approach is proposed to add fault tolerance by achieving media redundancy on H1 networks. It presents an H1 topology framework capable of detecting and handling a break in the network to allow control and communication to continue uninterrupted. A test network with a functional prototype was constructed to evaluate real-world control application in fully redundant settings. Results showed that continuity of control and supervisory view to the process remained uninterrupted when a cable break is induced, resulting in a fault tolerant H1 network.