Re: [foxboro] FCP vs. ZCP? (forked from: network storm)

  • From: "Badura, Tom" <tbadura@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <foxboro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:53:18 -0600

Corey,
We also went the route of ZCPs over FCPs when upgrading from CPs / Nodebus 
about 2 years ago.  One reason was to make use of the existing racks and also 
at that time FCPs had limited I/O (FBM) to only 30 on the local base chain.  
Someone can also correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the ZCP 100Mbps 
fieldbus is only between ZCP and FCM.  It is still 2Mbps from FCM to FBMs.  At 
this point we have up to 40 FBMs on a ZCP and do use some DCI (Profibus) and 
intelligent xmitters (Foxcom) and have not had any problems to date (knock on 
wood).

We are currently considering adding ZCP and I am definitely interested in the 
response to your end-of-life question.


Tom Badura
Plastics Engineering Company
920-458-2121 x3366
tbadura@xxxxxxxxxx




-----Original Message-----
From: foxboro-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:foxboro-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Corey R Clingo
Subject: [foxboro] FCP vs. ZCP? (forked from: network storm)

"As a rule of thumb, I recommend FCPs over ZCPs in almost all cases."

Interesting comment.  We are evaluating migration options here, and so far 
have been assuming ZCP270s.  Aside from being able to use existing racks 
(which varies in importance from installation to installation, and may be 
superseded by other factors), the ZCP has a 100Mbps fieldbus.  That's 
overkill for sure, but I was worried that the 2Mbps fieldbus of the FCP 
might not be enough for the full 60-FBM complement, especially if using 
many FDSI or DCI FBMs.  The FCP advantages were simplified cabling and 
less installation space (since it mounts in an FBM baseplate or something 
similar).


But your statement below, that the ZCP lacks some software functionality 
that the FCP has, is news to me.  Are there plans to add it to the ZCP 
image?  Is FCP going to be the future direction (and in the process, will 
ZCPs get end-of-life'd faster)?  Are you going to have to keep them more 
environment-controlled than the FBMs (we have already seen by accident 
that the FBMs will not meet their stated ~140°F temperature ratings)?


Also, what is TDR/TDA?  Those are TLAs I haven't heard yet.


Thanks,
Corey Clingo
BASF Corp.
 
 
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