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Introduction
The Cornerstone family of software products is
used worldwide to address a variety of application requirements. These include:
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Calibration management for smart and conventional instruments |
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Safety
and quality audit compliance |
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Direct
configuration of smart devices |
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On-line maintenance station in support of control system solutions |
This overview presents a general description that
will assist you in selecting the appropriate Cornerstone components for your application.
Individual pages, accessed from the summary description below or from the menu buttons,
contain the itemized definition for each Cornerstone product and option.
 Choose
a menu button for product details
Product Architecture
The Cornerstone software family architecture
allows you to configure your system to meet your application requirements.
Each system is
based on a Cornerstone "core" product. The core products are enhanced by adding
optional libraries and software components that provide special features.
- Cal Station
- is a full-function
instrument and asset management program, that is primarily focused on and dedicated to the test and calibration of all types of
process instruments. Cal
Station provides an extensive set of scheduling, tracking and recording functions for
managing instrument maintenance and calibration via printed calibration procedures and
manual entry of calibration data. In concert with optional Cornerstone CalLibs, Cal
Station provides a direct interface to intelligent documenting calibrators.
Through this interface, Cal Station accomplishes the download of user defined test
procedures into the calibrator, and the subsequent upload of calibration results for
automated archiving, display, reporting and export to other programs. Cal Station
handles smart instruments as conventional devices. That is, it does not have the
capability to communicate directly with smart instruments that is present in Base Station,
Field Station, and Configurator.
- Base Station
- is our
top-level product for HART smart instrument configuration and calibration management.
It is
the most comprehensive collection of Cornerstone features organized around
the HART protocol, and is the platform on which
the widest variety of Cornerstone HART and calibration options may be concurrently
installed for combined use.
Cornerstone Base
Station contains all of the integral functions and data base structures required to
support the entire spectrum of record keeping and communication alternatives that provide
calibration, history, reporting, data base management, docking management of intelligent calibrators, and on-line HART instrument communication systems and
network management.
- Field Station
- acts as a remote
satellite of Base Station for direct configuration and calibration
activities. Field Station accepts instrument configurations and calibration procedures downloaded from
a master Base Station. Running on a portable computer, Field Station software is used to
make HART instrument configuration changes, to perform and document calibrations, and
to upload the results back into the master Base Station via file transfer.
In addition to its HART communication capability, Field Station can be a
very effective complement to a central Base Station when conducting manual
calibrations in the field for conventional instruments.
- Configurator
- is the stand-alone core product
that is dedicated to the configuration and status management of HART smart instruments.
Configurator may be used as an enhanced, personal computer based replacement for handheld
communicators in the lab or in the field. Like Base Station, Configurator may also be used
with one or more of the Cornerstone Communication Interface Libraries (ComLibs) and with
Instrument Status Monitor (ISM). In this usage, Configurator provides single maintenance
station access to smart devices in the plant or field for configuration, diagnosis, status
retrieval, and DDE access by other Windows applications. It offers a full function, but
lower cost alternative to Base Station for HART configuration management applications that
do not require calibration management or instrument history.
- Status Monitor - For On-line Systems
- Powerful on-line instrument management systems can be constructed by adding our
Instrument Status Monitor option and one or more HART Multiplexer communication interface
libraries (ComLibs) to either the Base Station or Configurator core software.
This
system can continuously monitor hundreds or thousands of HART instruments that are attached
through a HART multiplexer or intrinsic safety barrier system that is wired in
parallel with your control system. With this on-line maintenance station, you can:
| Automatically build your instrument database |
| Access and modify instrument operational parameters |
| Detect, annunciate, and remedy field instrument problems |
| Schedule and manage calibration |
Model Support Libraries
("ModLibs") are
the optional libraries that understand how to talk to the various types and models of
smart instruments supplied by different equipment vendors. ModLibs make it possible for a
Cornerstone core product to read, process, display and modify the individualized
parameters and functions in a specific model of smart instrument. For example, ModLibs
implement customized support for the "transmitter specific" portion of the
command set within the HART protocol. Note that ModLibs are not required for basic
communication of common parameters. Generic HART communication is integral to each
Cornerstone core model that supports the HART protocol.
- Calibrator Interface Libraries
- ("CalLibs")
are the optional modules that provide interfaces to various models of intelligent
calibration equipment. On-line CalLibs enable the Cornerstone core model to automate the
performance of multi-point test and calibration. Docking CalLibs make it possible to
download test criteria and to upload results from portable calibrators used in remote
calibration activities. All CalLibs incorporate special logic to support custom parameter
setup and data validation for the individual model of calibrator.
- Communication Interface Libraries
- ("ComLibs") are
the products within the Cornerstone family that make it possible for a Cornerstone core
product to communicate with HART instruments over various forms of I/O hardware and
industrial networks. ComLibs incorporate the functions most users associate with
communications drivers and handlers. ComLibs are available for communications equipment
from several third party manufacturers used in both point-to-point and wide area (plant
wide) applications of smart devices.
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