The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

Overview

Communication networks have historically been considered too unreliable to be used in critical applications within the industrial arena. But, advances in technology over the last decade have changed all of that. The new generation of networks are robust enough to handle critical industrial communication needs that would have been considered unthinkable just a few short years ago.

This course is an introductory-level discussion on networking techniques typically used in process control systems. Topics include general theory, physical and logical arrangements, some of the more common equipment, as well as terminology. It covers representative examples of what the student is likely to encounter in an industrial setting. It does not concentrate too specifically on any particular standard, but will familiarize the reader with fundamental ideas that will make it possible to pursue more in-depth study, should the student require it.

This course is written at a level that can be understood by engineers of all disciplines. No prerequisite knowledge of control systems or communication networks is needed to complete this course.

This course is recommended for control systems engineers, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, process engineers, chemical engineers, civil engineers and even structural engineers who have a need or a desire to learn the basics of control networks in an industrial setting.

The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of twenty (20) questions at the end of this course to obtain PDH credits.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

  · Communication nomenclature including the definition of baseband, broadband, bandwidth, bauds, and parity
  · ISO's OSI seven-layer model
  · Common network topology, including bus, star and ring types
  · Types of physical media including coax cable, twisted pair cable and fiber optic cable
  · Physical media arbitration methods, including token passing and multiple random access
  · Open and proprietary protocols, including ethernet, modbus, modbus plus, and datahighway plus
  · Network installation and troubleshooting

State Board Acceptance

This course can be used by professional engineers to fulfill PDH requirements mandated by state and provincial licensing boards. Decatur Professional Development is an approved provider of continuing education in all states that pre-approve course providers. In all other states that mandate continuing education for engineers, it is the individual engineer's responsibility to determine the suitability of activities for PDH credit. The state boards typically accept online* courses that cover technical, managerial** or ethical content and which are relevant to the practice of engineering. The course must have a clear purpose or objective with a content that will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge of the licensee's field of practice. For questions about your mandatory PDH requirements, visit the website of your state licensing board.

*Onlne courses are accepted by all state licensing boards that mandate continuing education. Other than New York (which limits online courses to 18 PDH) and Iowa (which limits online courses to 6 PDH), there are no limits placed by other states on the number of hours that can be earned through online continuing education. Consult with your state licensing board if you have any questions about the acceptability of online courses.

**The New York State Board of Engineers does not accept general office management courses, but will accept project management courses that are offered by an approved provider and that are technical in nature and contribute to the engineer's professional practice.