Fieldbus Training

Today, the word Fieldbus has become generic, it does not refer to only FOUNDATION Fieldbus, it may mean any kind of fieldbus, including but not limited to Profibus PA, Profibus DP, ASi bus, Device net and all other kinds of device buses. It is essential that when one refers to Fieldbus one understands that it may be any kind of Fieldbus (as a technology) and not a particular kind of Fieldbus (such as FOUNDATION Fieldbus).

Fieldbus technology though not new has only recently started becoming used in a large degree. This is because not only due to the conservative nature of many plant owner/operators, it is also that existing legacy instruments and systems now have started reaching the end of the plant lifecycle and owners are now looking at upgrading to something better. This is where Fieldbus is getting to be important. Understanding it could lead to better design while doing the changeovers and also increased job opportunities who have the right skills. The right skills are gained by a mix of proper training and on the job learning. The best way to start training is to get started with an e-learning course that covers Fieldbus technology in general. There is a great e-learning course that covers generic fieldbus technology, plus the ins and outs of FOUNDATION Fieldbus, Profibus PA and ASi bus here. You can take a look at the demo before you decide to go for it.

Note: FOUNDATION Fieldbus, Profibus, ASi are all registered trademarks owned by various organizations.

Fieldbus Training -elearning versus classroom training options

When it comes to training related to Fieldbus technology, there are several options. One can go in for either a traditional classroom type training course or a modern e-learning course. Regarding classroom courses, there may be several levels at which training is imparted. Many training courses focus only on the "mechanics" of the training such as for example such as how to connect a typical transmitter to a segment or how to change its configuration via a HHC. This is of course useful but it does not give any kind of knowledge that would help one understand the technology behind it and make the best use of it, nor any background of how to design/specify/order/implement/install a Fieldbus network and after selecting a particular Fieldbus technology, such as for example FOUNDATION Fieldbus or Profibus PA.
There are of course other detailed training courses in the classroom format but only a few are scheduled in any given year.
A better option is e-learning; however beware of vendors that pass on only some technical information about their own products and call it "training". You should get access to training that is vendor neutral, explain all the different types of Fieldbus technologies available in the market (not just for example FOUNDATION Fieldbus), be accessible at all times and also be interesting to go through. For example many vendors put some information on their website and call it as e-learning. No doubt it is 'e" (i.e. electronic) but how differnt it is from a printed book- not at all!
A real e-learning course will have animations (that explain how the technology works), videos or graphics, photos and real life examples from operating plants. Such a course should also be available either on your desktop or accessible via your mobile or tablet online. It should also offer certification, so that your current or prospective employer knows that you have not only gone through the training, but also got assessed by an online exam.
Is such a course available today? Of course. You can download the Fieldbus training course from here.