Siemens has unveiled the next generation of its benchmark in multi-functional motor control and protection: SIMOCODE pro C. This unit gives you everything you get from SIMOCODE-DP, but gives a range of cost-saving benefits.

But it is SIMOCODE pro V that really redefines the concept of modularity. The breadth of functionality and data access (including true power monitoring) is scaled to match your requirements precisely, giving you access to a previously unheard of level of detail. All via PROFIBUS-DP.

SIMOCODE pro is a flexible, modular motor management system for motors with constant speeds in the low-voltage performance range. It optimizes the connection between the control system and motor starter, increases plant availability and allows significant savings to be made for the startup, operation and maintenance of a system.

When SIMOCODE pro is installed in the low-voltage control cabinet, it is the intelligent interface between the higher-level automation system and the motor starter and includes the following:

• Multifunctional, solid-state full motor protection, independent of the automation system
• Flexible software instead of hardware for the motor control
• Detailed operational, service and diagnostics data
• Open communication via PROFIBUS DP, the standard for fieldbus systems

When it was introduced some ten years ago, SIMOCODE-DP replaced the need for space-eating, high-density relay panels with its microprocessor-based motor management system that communicated over Profibus-DP. It revolutionized traditional Motor Control Center (MCC) structure by combining the circuit overload protection and control, formerly separate entities, as well as integrating communications capability. It did this all in one convenient package.

There is a huge amount of savings in both space and installation time requirements. SIMOCODE eliminates the tremendous amount of wiring that was required between the MCCs and the I/O cabinets. This is because the SIMOCODE modules have their own on-board I/O, and the I/O cabinets have been replaced with individual points in each bucket.

A second feature of SIMOCODE is much easier integration between the automation system of a process and its control system. With SIMOCODE, the system installer needs only pull a single Profibus-DP cable to the MCC to provide the communications connectivity. Combined with the robust nature of the RS-485 network, the startup and commissioning have been greatly simplified.

Siemens didn’t stop there, however. Integrating automation and control has been further simplified by the fact that with SIMOCODE only one motor management tool needs to be utilized for each load, except for variable frequency drives. This means the engineers save time on programming the logic into the automation system.

In many ways, the SIMOCODE pro motor management system emulates a “mini-PLC” by giving the programmer an ample amount of simple local logic in the SIMOCODE base unit. This built-in local logic can be used to configure basic discrete function control and other more powerful analog logic functionality. In fact, with SIMOCODE ES Professional, each check box in the configuration tool can represent twenty-five lines of ladder logic that do not have to be programmed at the actual controller level. This helps to dramatically reduce the overall engineering time for a project, and takes burden and overhead off the PLC/DCS system.

A third powerful feature of SIMOCODE is the amount of information it can monitor, collect and communicate. Traditional I/O solutions were very limited, but with SIMOCODE, a high degree of detail on status and performance of each motor load is now possible. This includes measured values like actual motor current, motor voltage, loss of load Cos’, RTD temperatures and even analog input mA values.

With the system’s simple-to-read display, these values can be displayed as well as displaying service and statistical data such as number of starts, number of stops, motor run time, and number of overload trips. Because of the SIMOCODE pro large itemized binary status reporting capability, faults, warnings, motor direction, phase status, overload status, hardware problems and even reporting an open circuit event on one of the analog inputs is possible. All this information gives the end-user the ability to troubleshoot a motor load failure before the failure actually occurs.

A fourth and very important feature is the fail-safe security of built-in redundancy. Although this is usually done at the Distributed Control System (DCS) level with dual processors, dual code, and dual networks, SIMOCODE pro gives end-users the ability to do cellular process control should there be an automation system or network failure.

At the occurrence of such an event, SIMOCODE pro takes over its single function until the automation system gets back online. Component level redundancy for certain applications is already a standard practice; however it requires engineering time and integration of many discrete devices. Now SIMOCODE pro gives a more elegant bump-less transfer of control by maintaining the portions of the process that must continue throughout interruptions, and it works immediately out of the box.

For more information, contact IBT.