ValveLink®
Solo
| ValveLink®
Solo gives you the ability to work with HART® and FOUNDATION®
fieldbus FIELDVUE® instruments. ValveLink Solo provides an easy-to-use
environment on a personal computer for configuring, calibrating, and diagnosing the
operating characteristics of any Fisher digital
valve controller. |
 |
Using
ValveLink Solo, an
instrument engineer, maintenance technician or operations supervisor can obtain the
information needed to spot problems before they affect the process. ValveLink
Solo lets you determine which control valves need to be rebuilt during turn-arounds.
ValveLink Solo operates in conjunction with Microsoft Windows on a
personal computer to present the FIELDVUE instrument information with easy-to-interpret,
customizable windows displays. Context-sensitive help screens are available for
every window and for most individual fields. These on-line help messages explain the
various options available and show you how to complete the tasks. |
Communicate with both HART
and FOUNDATION fieldbus
FIELDVUE instruments with the same software
ValveLink
Solo remotely
communicates with HART FIELDVUE instruments over the
existing 4-20 mA signal wiring using the HART communication standard or
with FOUNDATION fieldbus FIELDVUE
instruments over the fieldbus H1 segment. Information for either
series of instruments is presented in a consistent, easy-to-interpret interface that
provides:
- A device connection view of all connected
instruments
- Monitoring of instrument operational
parameters and alerts
- Review and comparison of diagnostic graphs
- Instrument setup and calibration
- Tag group organization
- User security
- Data import and export
|
Reduce
device commissioning time
Save time by performing these commissioning tasks online:
- Perform loop checks (wire wring-out) online
- Automatically calibrate travel
- Automatically tune instruments using
Performance Tuner
- Verify dynamic response to input changes
|
 |
| ValveLink
Solo
includes a Setup Wizard that walks you step-by-step through instrument setup and
calibration. Setup Wizard asks basic questions about the valve and actuator to
simplify and speed commissioning. |
Reduce
process variability
With the Step Response test
you can evaluate how well the valve tracks an input change. By minimizing dead time,
dead band, and overshoot, process control is greatly enhanced. A Performance
Step test provides a predefined sequence of 29 steps. This test allows the user to
quickly evaluate valve and actuator response to signal change and determine maximum
deadband.
With the
Step Response test you can:
- Validate your current tuning parameters
- Obtain a numerical analysis for overshoot,
hysteresis, dead time, t63, and t86
- Define up to 30 steps
|
 |
|
Increase
field device effectiveness through access to real-time status and diagnostic data
|
With access to
the device status and diagnostics such as Dynamic Error Band, Drive Signal, Output Signal
and Step Response, you can identify emerging valve problems quickly and accurately. A high resolution (up to 8000
points) graphical presentation makes it easy to see the degradation in equipment
permitting better scheduling of maintenance intervals. |
Using the Valve Signature test, you can determine:
- Valve friction, dead band, and shutoff
capability
- Actuator spring rate and bench set
- Potential packing problems
|
 |
Use
Signature Series tests to benchmark valve performance
Current diagnostic tests also
can be overlaid with Signature Series tests taken when the valve was new.
ValveLink Solo
Signature Series tests are performed on Fisher control valves equipped with the FIELDVUE
digital valve controller. Tests may be ordered prior to or after shipment of the
valve. By importing Signature Series data into ValveLink Solo, you can compare
as-shipped performance with the valve's current operating condition.
Monitor valve
performance during process operation
ValveLink
Solo can help you
keep your facility working optimally with valve trending
capabilities. Trending provides an easy visualization of valve response to a control
system output using an electronic strip chart the user can configure.
Trending
provides the ability to:
- Trend input current, actuator pressure,
travel and temperature
- Zoom graph in critical areas
- Save all four variables so that the trend
may be viewed at a later date
- Trend multiple valves simultaneously
- View cycle counter and travel accumulation
vs time
- View travel histogram
- Archive up to 30 days of trend data
|
 |
|
|
 |
The
Travel Histogram shows you where the valve spends the majority of its time. This can help
you determine if the valve is sized correctly. |
Performance Diagnostics provides continuous monitoring of critical performance parameters
during normal process operations. The operator does not have to take the valve out of
service to perform this diagnostic.
Performance Diagnostics can
determine:
- Friction (sliding stem)
- Torque (rotary)
- Dead band
- Dead time
- Oscillatory behavior
|
 |
Trending of
these values is an additional feature provided by ValveLink software. This allows
the user to better determine a maintenance interval for the valve. Performance
Diagnostics are available upon user request or a pre-selected daily, weekly, biweekly, or
monthly schedule without user intervention.
Maintain a central
database and keep it up-to-date
DataSync is a tool that allows
you to merge multiple ValveLink software databases. This gives you the ability to:
 |
- Keep maintenance and operator databases
synchronized
- Replace, skip duplicate tags, merge and
purge tags you are synchronizing
- Synchronize over your LAN
- Synchronize using a cable connecting two
computers
- Import Valve Spec sheet from Fisher FirstVue
sizing and specification software
|
Simplify ISO9000
audit requirements
| ValveLink
Solo Audit Log captures and
logs events that occur within ValveLink Solo software by the user and time/date. Events
include valve and instrument configuration changes, calibration changes, and diagnostic
tests. Audit Log makes a great ISO9000 tool. For security, the log is
encrypted. The viewer can filter the display but cannot delete or modify data. |
 |
Configure,
calibrate and diagnose multiple FIELDVUE instruments from one location
Type VL2010 and VL2031 software communicates through a HART
multiplexer such as the HART Interchange or ELCON multiplexer, both available from Fisher
Controls. ValveLink Solo can also communicate with
FIELDVUE instruments using multiplexers available from other manufacturers such as MTL and Pepperl and Fuchs.
Multiplexer
support for ValveLink Solo allows operators to easily display key valve parameters.
Quality control personnel can capture critical valve and instrument variables used
for statistical process control. Process engineers and technicians can quickly
change instrument configurations during commissioning and track the changes.
Maintenance personnel can conduct diagnostic testing of the instrument and valve from a
centrally located PC during turn- around operations. Multiplexer support gives the
user the ability to monitor as many valves as required. The user has the ability to
decide which valves and which alerts are being scanned. Alerts are recorded in the network
alert log for later review. |
|
Connecting the PC
running VL2000 software to a multiplexer allows:
- Connecting up to 2500 valves
- Continual scanning of multiple valves for
alerts
- Configuring specific valves and alerts for
scanning
- Configuring, calibrating, monitoring and
diagnosing valves from one central location
- Maintaining a Network Alert Log showing
alert type, time on and time off
|
Automate repetitive
actions by setting up batches
With Batch Runner you can setup the
ValveLink Solo software to automatically run diagnostic
tests, calibrate, or upload configuration data to multiple valves with a user specified
routine. During a turn-around or production change over, you can upload
configurations, run the Performance Tuner to optimize tuning, or even reset the instrument
clock without any interaction by personnel. Batch runner reduces redundancy and
increases consistency by allowing the user to set up a batch once, then repeatedly run it
for different groups of valves.
Maintain system
security
ValveLink software security
enables:
- Individual Name and Password for user log
in.
- Assignment to a specific user group with
pre-determined privileges. Users can be restricted to specific valve groups.
- Secure logout.
ValveLink Solo can continue
to monitor valves in a secure mode. Login is restricted to authorized users.
|
 |
Integrate
information from HART-based FIELDVUE instruments into your existing DCS
ValveLink
Solo has the
ability to integrate information it receives into your existing Modbus compatible DCS.
Using the ValveLink Modbus interface, you can:
- Pass critical monitoring data to a control
system
- Display HART alerts on the DCS operator
console
- Display HART instrument travel, input
current, actuator pressure, or temperature on the DCS operator console
- Select which valves to view and the
information passed to the DCS
- Include valve parameters in DCS system trend
displays
|
|
