Siemens has added new features to version 9.0 of the Simatic Process Device Manager (PDM) in order to facilitate swift commissioning and maintenance of field devices. Simatic Process Device Manager is a universal, manufacturer-independent tool for configuration, parameter assignment, commissioning, diagnostics and maintenance of smart field devices and components of all communication standards and field components.
The new version 9.0 offers excellent flexibility and plant availability by means of the plant-wide access to all field devices with secure server-client communication. For the very first time, maintenance personnel can assign parameters to the field devices throughout the entire plant using a standard browser. This enables them to decide flexibly, while they are moving around the plant, whether parameters need to be assigned to a stationary or mobile workstation. This greatly reduces waiting time for service engineers as well as time spent moving from one location to another.
With the new Simatic PDM 9.0 version, parameter data can be exported from the engineering station to individual Simatic PDM servers. This enables maintenance personnel to process field devices relevant to specific plant sections without access to the engineering station, offering the benefit of shared data storage. This enables a parameter assignment and functional scope test to be performed on local Simatic PDM stations at any time.
The new Simatic PDM portal and the new process device plant view offers enhanced user-friendliness and structured connection point information, enabling users to assign parameters and to monitor devices throughout the plant. Measuring points can be located quickly during maintenance. Service engineers can make adjustments to the process device plant view quickly and simply and release measuring points.
The Simatic PDM service and parameter assignment station can be used either locally or centrally. Both application scenarios can be combined in one system, e.g. an autonomous, stand-alone application in the field for the factory acceptance test (FAT) with centralized overall administration.