ABB's describes its new Industrial IT System 800xA High Integrity as a complete, scalable IEC/EN 61508 and IEC/EN 61511 compliant safety instrumented system (SIS) that spans the entire safety loop, including qqqSIL-rated AC 800M controllers, field devices, I/O modules and field actuators.

With safety and control now embedded within the same architecture, the System 800xA improves process availability while reducing risk to overall plant operation by providing a common high-integrity system for production control, safety supervision and production monitoring.
This flexible architecture provides the option of combining control and safety functions within the same controller or keeping control and safety functions separate within the same system.
"ABB's System 800xA provides a cost-effective way to integrate our process control and safety instrumented system functions in a unique, scalable hardware configuration, using common user application development tools," says Edward R Sederlund, process automation product manager at the Dow Chemical Company. "System 800xA's High Integrity controller, I/O, and revolutionary asame but separate' architecture will enable us to reduce project design, engineering, modification and lifecycle costs while helping to meet our safety requirements."
With safety and process applications executing within the same system environment, and even within the same controller, the System 800xA offers safe, instant interaction between applications.
This architecture, which could well be unique, eliminates the duality of system engineering and operations and their associated lifecycle costs, and leads to optimised project engineering, training, operations, maintenance and spare parts. System 800xA safety systems are delivered and supported in accordance with the strictest standards. Among others, System 800xA complies with IEC61508, IEC61511, EN954,
NFPA85 and NFPA72 standards.
In addition to product requirements, System 800xA meets the standards, required procedures and routines specified for safety system lifecycle management. All product components in System 800xA High Integrity have been certified by TUV prior to their announcement for sale. TUV Product Service is considered to be the foremost independent certification agency in the business.
Although integrated within a common environment, System 800xAs extensive diagnostics and certified firewalls eliminate common-cause failures of control and safety circuits.
Access management mechanisms embedded within the 800xA controller environment include: access control to applications, confirm operation and force control.
System 800xA offers a complete SIS (safety instrumented system), complying with the IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 standards and covering not only the alogic solver' but also the entire safety loop, consisting of field instruments, controllers, I/O modules and actuators.
Highly scalable, the System 800xA SIS provides the flexibility to match specific safety functions with actual plant needs.

For more information, visit www.abb.com/instrumentation