D/3 Distributed Control System

Overview
Documentation
News

The D/3 Distributed Control System provides highly reliable continuous and batch process control to industrial customers worldwide. D/3 includes comprehensive software applications, system wide redundancy, and online upgrades.

The D/3^® Distributed Control System (DCS) is a process control system that includes a comprehensive suite of software, redundant networks, and computing hardware. D/3 allows system wide redundancy and Online Upgrade capability – the ability to upgrade firmware without interrupting plant operations. It provides real-time access to and visualization of process information, equipment status, system status, batch status, and operational logs. Reporting functions facilitate batch, production, and shift change reports. D/3 is certified to operate on the latest Windows operating systems, and features intuitive configuration, management, and visualization tools.

Features

The ProcessVision Console as viewed on an iPad

Scalability
D/3 is scalable from a small pilot plant or single unit operation to an enterprise wide system encompassing multiple production facilities. All configuration for the entire system resides on a secure master configuration server that is accessible by hundreds of simultaneous users from locations around the world.

Continuous Control
Configure complex control strategies using intuitive graphical tools, or rapidly configure thousands of points using powerful text based editors.

Batch / Recipe / Sequence Control
Manage sophisticated batch control strategies with our powerful Sequence and Batch Language (SABL^®). Built-in recipe management, equipment allocation, and batch reporting features simplify development of the most complex control strategies.

Alarm Management
Comprehensive alarm management features include alarm inhibit, dynamic alarm management, alarm suppression, and alarm delay. Dynamically change alarm classification, category, destination, or priority. Display, filter, and sort alarms in multiple InstAlarm™ windows. All alarms are managed at the Process Control Module (PCM) level, eliminating the possibility of inaccurate alarms at the HMI level.

Data Historian and Trending
TrendR™ data historian can collect up to 10,000 points and store them on redundant servers. Data may be viewed on customizable VersaTrend™ or Web Enabled Console displays or exported via ODBC and OPC interfaces.

Object-Oriented Development
Simplify logic development and deployment with virtual device objects that are designed, written, and tested once but can be executed in thousands of instances. Users can easily manage complex automation projects with object-oriented logical device authoring, and can graphically create master devices for pumps, motors, and valves defining normal and abnormal logic for each device type. SABL is used to automate the most complex of plant operations and Unit Relativity minimizes the amount of software to be created, tested, validated, commissioned, and maintained.

System-Wide Redundancy
All system components, including servers, networks, PCMs and I/O modules, can be deployed in a redundant architecture to ensure the highest levels of system reliability.

Ethernet Connectivity
D/3 is built upon open standards and non-proprietary network technology. Both the backbone and I/O networks can be composed of off-the shelf Ethernet components. A single Ethernet card can simultaneously connect to multiple I/O families, including the NovaTech 8000 Series I/O, PLCs, and bus networks. Furthermore, the I/O network allows the pass-through of HART information from field devices to the PCM without any additional wiring.

Visualization
The D/3 Web Enabled Console provides a comprehensive visualization experience that includes customizable system status, alarm, trend, batch, recipe, report, analytical and graphic displays.