Honeywell TDC 3000X Advanced Process Manager

Introduction

The Advanced Process Manager (APM) is Honeywell’s most popular

and well established TDC3000 data acquisition and control device

for industrial process applications.

Like the Process Manager™ (PM), its predecessor, and the High

Performance Process Manager (HPM), its successor, the APM

offers a range of capabilities that meets today’s and tomorrow’s

process requirements. The APM offers highly flexible I/O functions

for both data monitoring and control. Powerful control functions,

including regulatory, logic, and sequencing control are provided

for continuous, batch, or hybrid applications.

An optimal toolbox of functions that can be configured and

programmed meets the needs of data acquisition and advanced

control requirements in a highly secure nd performance-intensive

manner. Of course, APM’s capabilities include peer-to-peer

communications and compatibility with industry-standard

communications protocols.

As shown in Figure 2. the APM is a fully integrated member of the

TDC 3000X family. Accordingly, it is capable of:

• Performing data acquisition and control functions, including

regulatory, logic, and sequential control functions, as well as

peer-to-peer communications with other Universal Control

Network-resident devices.

• Providing bi-directional communications to Modbus™ and

Allen-Bradley compatible subsystems through a serial interface.

• Fully communicating with operators and engineers at Universal

Stations, UXSs, and Universal Work Stations.

Procedures and displays are identical or similar to those used

with other TDC 3000X controllers, as well as to HPMand PM

point displays.

• Supporting higher level control strategies available on the Local

Control Network through the Application Module and host

computers.

• Using the same I/O and wiring as the PM and HPM, thus providing

cost-effective upward migration from existing PMs as well as the

capability to migrate to HPMs in the future.

Universal Control Network The communications channel for the

Advanced Process Manager is a local area network called the

Universal Control Network (UCN).

Introduced to TDC 3000X users in 1988. the UCN is the secure

path for process I/O connections to the TDC 3000X.

The UCN features a 5 megabit per second, carrier band communica

tion system with a token bus network. It is designed to be

compatible with IEEE* and ISO** standards.

consistent with the growth and direction of evolving international

standards, with appropriate Honeywell extensions for secure

process control applications.

The UCN uses redundant coaxial cables and can support up to 32

redundant devices. The UCN supports peer-to-peer communication

between devices on this network. This feature enables sharing

information among HPMs, APMs, PMs, Safety Managers, and Logic

Managers on the network, thus offering tremendous power and

flexibility in implementing advanced, coordinated control strategies.

Network Interface Module The Network Interface Module (NIM)

provides the link between the Local Control Network and the 

Universal Control Network.

Accordingly, it makes the transition from the transmission technique

and protocol of the Local Control Network to the transmission

technique and protocol of the Universal Control Network. The NIM

provides LCN module access to data from UCN-resident devices.

It supports program and database loads to the Advanced Process

Manager and forwards alarms and messages from the network

devices to the LCN. The NIM is also available in a redundant

configuration to provide automatic, continued operation in the event

of a primary failure.

LCN time and UCN time are synchronized by the NIM. The NIM

broadcasts LCN time over the UCN. The APM (as well as the HPM)

uses it for a number of time driven functions, such as sequence

of events reporting.

Functional Description

Functional Overview

Note: This Specification and Technical Data sheet covers the

Advanced Process Manager only.

For information about APM Input/Output Processors, which

are common to the PM/APM/HPM controller family, please refer

to IO03-500. Process Manager I/O Specification and Technical

Data.

The Advanced Process Manager is designed to provide flexible and

powerful process scanning and control capabilities. To do this, it

uses advanced multi-processor architecture with separate

microprocessors dedicated to perform specific tasks. As depicted in

Figure 3. the APM consists of the Advanced Process Manager Module

(APMM) and the I/O Subsystem.

The Advanced Process Manager Module consists of an Advanced 

Communication Processor and modem, Advanced I/O Link Interface

Processor, and Advanced Control Processor. A redundant APMM can

be optionally provided. The Advanced Communication Processor is

optimized to provide high-performance network communications,

handling such functions as network data access and peer-to-peer 

communications.

It also supports high-accuracy time stamps.

The Advanced Control Processor is the APM resource dedicated to

executing regulatory, logic, and sequence functions, including an

excellent user programming facility. Because communication and

I/O processing are performed by separate dedicated hardware,

the full power of the Advanced Control Processor can be applied

to control strategy implementation. 

The Advanced I/O Link Interface Processor is the APMM interface

to its I/O subsystem.

The I/O Subsystem consists of the redundant I/O Link and up to 40

redundant I/O Processors. These I/O Processors handle all field I/O

for both data acquisition and control functions. For example, the

I/O Processors provide such functions as engineering unit conversion

and alarm limit checking independent of the Advanced Process Manager

Module.

One IOP which illustrates the advanced capabilities of the APM I/O is

the Smart Transmitter Interface. The Smart Transmitter Interface

processor provides full bi directional communication to Honeywell

smart transmitters, supporting transmitter configuration and improved

data accuracy. This includes the recently introduced Multivariable

transmitter capability. All control operations are performed within the

Advanced Process Manager Module (optionally redundant), with all data

acquisition and signal conditioning being performed in I/O Processors.

For added control security, redundancy is available for several

analog and digital I/O processing devices.

The remote I/O option allows I/O Processors to be remote-mounted

up to 8 kilometers from the APM file. This option uses redundant fiber

optic I/O Link extenders.

The process engineer has complete flexibility of choice in the assignment

of point types and control strategies, within the maximum APMM design

limits.

These selections are implemented using the interactive tools provided

by both the TDC 3000X Universal Station and Universal Work Station.

Control Functions

The Advanced Process Manager Module (APMM) provides a variety

of control tools that can be customized to address a wide range of

process automation needs.

Functions, from I/O scanning through regulatory and logic control to

more advanced control, can be easily implemented through the APM.

Included are a sophisticated regulatory control package, fully integrated

interlock logic functions, and an advanced process engineer-oriented

Control Language (CL/APM).

CL/APM is an enhanced version of the Control Language implemented

by Honeywell in the Process Manager. This language facility includes the

sequence structures needed to handle batch or hybrid applications as

well as the computational capability needed for some continuous control

tasks.

Key to the power of this control capability is the sharing of the data within

the APM, and sharing of data from other devices on the Universal Control

Network.