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Pinnacle Automation deployed a significant number of Woodhead/SST X-Links between 1999 and 2003, many of which were specifically configured to provide a gateway into the Siemens Westinghouse Teleperm XP (TXP) DCS.

Unfortunately,  Woodhead/SST ceased production on the X-Link in 2003 for business reasons as well as the unavailability of various integrated circuits.

While the X-Link can function for many years, some of the initial installed units have failed and no direct replacements are available.

Liaison Technologies, a division of Pinnacle Automation and has adapted its S5 model to replace or create a stand-by spares system for one or more operational X-Links.

Advanced Technology

The Liaison S5 represents a tremendous advance over the technology employed in the Woodhead/SST X-link.  Those advances represent tangible cost savings and added value.

The S5 has enormous flexibility in acquiring and transmitting data.  Data can be transmitted over many different channels using different protocols and according to user-defined “rules” to determine how and when that happens.  A value can be read from a source device and retransmitted to OPC enabled software, a DCS and remote hosts over serial links (using Modbus, DNP, etc…)

This allows users to “fine-tune” their data collection, removing much of the cost and many of the technical hurdles to getting critical data points.  In all but a few exceptional cases, new data points, data sources and hosts can be added with minor changes to an S5’s configuration and/or communication module additions.

Better Troubleshooting, Quicker Support

Most importantly, particular for operating facilities, the S5 has extensive diagnostics and remote access options.

Every S5 has built-in Ethernet to allow the unit to be connected to the plant LAN and permit operators to view the extensive  diagnostics from inside the control room on a standard PC with browsing software (IE6 or equivalent).

The diagnostics are structured to provide a view from the general to the specific—a one second glimpse of the pseudo-LEDs (emulation of the LEDs you would normally see on the remote data source itself) can tell an operator whether the system is operating normally or whether a problem exists.  From there more specific information about the nature and location of the problem can be elicited by referring to progressively more detailed reporting features.

In conjunction with Liaison support, getting to the bottom of a problem is far, far quicker than it ever has been—and that saves time and money.

Its also possible to make additions and other changes through the same remote viewing functionality, whether from the control room, or over telephone lines and/or secure LAN.

Super Spare

A single S5 can act as a spare for any number of operating S5s by simply selecting the appropriate configuration from a menu.  Your spare unit can be a water treatment link, a gas metering link or something else entirely by choosing a pre-validated configuration stored in non-volatile memory.

Obviously this reduces the cost of spares, but more importantly, when the “heat” is on to get up and running again, the spare is already preconfigured and pre-validated.   Considering that down-time for some operations can be measured in thousands of dollars per hour (and some, thousands per minute), the “super spare” concept isn’t simply a nice option, it’s a necessity.

Upgrade Process

Contact Liaison at (888) 641-6108 to discuss your particular situation.  In most cases we have your X-Link configuration on file, but an upgrade often provides an opportunity to improve the entire communication system, often at far less cost than one might expect.  Aside from the straight technical considerations, there can be considerable “soft” advantages in reviewing the communication architecture on which the X-Links reside--more and better data, quicker resolution of problems, and easier “skill transfer” between departing and arriving technicians.

Liaison provides “on-site” services to install, validate and document the upgrade.

  SST X-Link Replacement

Liaison contacted us about their super spare system  and as we were contemplating the proposal, our water treatment link to the DCS went down.

The next time any of our links go down, we’ll be ready.  We’ve pre-validated  the spare for every type of link we have so our Liaison S5 “super spare” can be swapped with any of our S5s or X-Links by connecting the communication cables, power and then selecting the right configuration project from a menu in the internet explorer browser.

The support is great.  Liaison personnel can dial-in to make changes, add points or upload software upgrades.  I’ve got enough problems, so its nice to not have to worry about the communications.

--Jim Robarge, Calpine Deer Park