What are the most common Fieldbus wiring errors?
There are two very common wiring errors that will cause operational difficulty if not remedied. The first is a short from the shield to one of the Fieldbus conductors. Although this may not immediately cause communication errors, it ground references (since the shield is grounded) the Fieldbus pair and makes it much more susceptible to electrical interference. The second most common problem is an incorrect number of Terminators. There should be two and only two Terminators on each Fieldbus segment. Since the Fieldbus installation will likely be installed by contractors who are unfamiliar with Fieldbus, we recommend a Segment Checkout Procedure BEFORE powering up or commissioning the segment. Many host suppliers have such procedures. The Fieldbus Foundation also publishes an engineering document for Fieldbus that contains such a procedure.
