The Experion® Process Knowledge System (PKS) platform high-performance plant-wide infrastructure includes:

• Honeywell HMIWeb technology-based user environment.
• Comprehensive set of OPC Client, Server and redundancy technologies.
• Limitless scalability with patented Distributed System Architecture (DSA) technology.
• Plant-wide open alarm and event system, eServer, comprehensive SCADA, integrated security and HVAC, and advanced third-party integration.  

Communication Infrastructure

Experion supports three different communication networks to connect the system’s supervisory layer (or Human-Machine Interface layer) with the control layer. The network types are:

• Fault Tolerant Ethernet (FTE): Designed as an advanced networking solution using Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) equipment and network hardware.
• ControlNet: An open network specification specifically designed for industrial control applications. Control Net can be deployed as Supervisory Control Network to connect the control layer with the supervisory layer of the system.
• Ethernet: An open network technology that is used to communicate the Ethernet/IP protocol through the single media Ethernet module.

Plant-Wide Open Alarm and Event System

Experion is the first system to incorporate a “from the ground up” open Alarm and Event system. This alarm system supports not only Experion, TotalPlant^® Solution (TPS), and application alarms, events and messages, but also provides full integration with third-party alarms and events via OPC. Comprehensive commenting and annotation capabilities are provided to capture “knowledge” as it happens in relation to alarms and events.

Comprehensive SCADA

Experion incorporates comprehensive SCADA functionality in the same platform with DCS. It is as comfortable on an off-shore platform as it is in the plant.

The Experion Platform

Includes thin-client HMI, redundant remote serial communications, low-bandwidth support, communications barometers, alarming and status displays, remote control monitoring, Distributed System Architecture plus many more subtle functions essential in genuine SCADA applications. Upstream and downstream, wet-end and dry-end, discrete and continuous can all be accommodated in a single system.

Server Redundancy

The Experion Server is optionally redundant, providing a high availability platform by enabling a pair of similarly configured servers to support each other in a primary/backup fashion. Should the Primary Server fail, a fully-functioning Backup assumes the Primary role. When redundant, Experion provides the ability to migrate from a current release to a next available software release without taking the system off-line. 

Electronic Signature Support

Experion provides enhanced capabilities to support the pharmaceutical industry and other American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated industries and their unique requirements related to regulations such as 21 CFR Part 11.  These features are specifically designed to meet the guidelines of 21 CFR Part 11, however, they are also useful to any user requiring the ability to absolutely trace all operator actions.