Glossary Updates12 new terms added to the glossaries · October 2, 2026, 22:44 CEST
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Glossary · Industrial communication

FOUNDATION Fieldbus

Also known as: FF, Foundation Fieldbus H1, FF H1

German: FOUNDATION Fieldbus

In process automation, FOUNDATION Fieldbus is a digital fieldbus for field instruments and actuators, managed by the FieldComm Group. Its H1 variant runs over two-wire cables that can also power devices, and it allows control functions to run in function blocks inside the field devices.

  • Industrial communication
  • Standards
  • Process industry

In one sentence

FOUNDATION Fieldbus is a process-industry fieldbus (FieldComm Group) whose H1 variant powers devices and can run control in the field.

Example

In a refinery unit, a flow transmitter and a control valve on the same FOUNDATION Fieldbus H1 segment run the PID function block in the valve positioner.

How it applies

  • Engineering: H1 segments are planned with the power budget, cable lengths, spur lengths and the number of devices per segment in mind. In hazardous areas, intrinsic safety concepts limit the power available per segment.
  • Commissioning: Device descriptions (DD or FDI packages) are loaded into the host system, devices are assigned tags and addresses, and the link schedule is configured.
  • Operation: Rich device diagnostics support predictive maintenance, provided the asset management system evaluates them.
  • Documentation: The documentation team documents function blocks, parameters, device description versions and the segment layout, and states which host systems the device has been tested with.

FOUNDATION Fieldbus vs. HART

HART protocol adds digital communication on top of a 4–20 mA analog signal; the analog value remains the primary process variable. FOUNDATION Fieldbus is fully digital and can carry several process values and control functions per device.

By knowledge.aitechdoc.world · Published September 26, 2026 · Last reviewed

Source: AI TechDoc Knowledge editorial definition, based on IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-1 and FieldComm Group publications

Definitions follow the cited standards and specifications. Where a source is a copyrighted publication, such as an ISO, IEC or EN standard, the definition is a close paraphrase, not a verbatim quotation, so as not to infringe copyright. We recommend reading the original publication. The sections “How it applies” are editorial commentary by AI TechDoc Knowledge and are not part of any standard.

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