NIST/NeSSI Communications and Microfluidics Workshop

30 July 2003

Hosted by

Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory, NIST

Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, NIST

NIST Main Campus

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Attendees:

Kang Lee, NISTDavid Ross, NIST

Eugene Song, NISTMike Tarlov, NIST

Robert Johnson, Telemonitor, Inc.Mel Koch, CPAC

Bill Seitz, CAN in AutomationWilfred Voss, IXXAT, USA

Laurie Locascio, NISTSam Arcara, Honeywell

Peter van Vuuren, ExxonMobilRob Dubois, Dow Chemical

Bob Sherman, CircorDon Young, ChevronTexaco

Frank Ruiz, Parker Hannifin Bob Nickels, Honeywell

Steve Doe, Parker HannifinKen Reid, Parker Hannifin

Rick Ales, Swagelok (Secretary)Dave Simko, Swagelok

Richard Fravel, Brooks Instruments

Executive Summary:

Both the Communications and Microfluidics workshops were exploratory in nature and consisted of an extensive exchange of technical information. After the NeSSI team presented the communications requirements, Kang Lee presented an overview of the IEEE1451 and Bill Seitz presented an overview of the CAN Open protocol, we concluded that additional investigation of using IEEE1451 and/or CAN Open as the NeSSI bus solution should be conducted, with additional meetings to be scheduled as warranted.

The Microfluidics projects at NIST are geared more to discrete yes/no diagnostics rather than continuous process control sensors that would be typical in a NeSSI application. There are some common micro fluidics technologies shared by these different applications so we agreed to continue monitoring the progress of each group through the Center for Process Analytical Chemistry (CPAC) organization.

The NeSSI stakeholders made invaluable contacts that could provide informal access to NIST programs in the future.

Action Items:

Create communications architecture and control diagrams to illustrate functional partitioning an application of various protocols for the NeSSI Bus. Rick Ales, Bob Nickels, Bill Seitz and Robert Johnson consult. Due 9/29

Bill Seitz agreed to investigate a previous failed project to create an intrinsically safe version of CAN bus. Due 9/29

Meeting Minutes:

8:30 Welcome & Introductions – Kang Lee:

Expectations: The purpose of the meeting is an exchange of technical information and to determine common ground between ongoing NIST projects and NeSSI platform requirements. The process is: first the NeSSI stakeholders present the analyzer communications and micro sensor requirements; then Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, NIST and CAN in Automation (CiA) present potential communications solutions; concluded by the Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory, NIST presenting a series of summary reports covering their ongoing micro fluidics projects.

8:50 30,000 ft Overview of NeSSI – Peter van Vuuren:

See attached Presentation. Key Points:

  1. Overview of analyzer, shed, and sample system
  2. What’s wrong? Nothing, but best we can do with current tools. Could be better!
  3. Analyzer shed expensive; lots of infrastructure
  4. Custom sample systems
  5. Poor standardization
  6. Many man-hours to design
  7. No Smarts
  8. NeSSI is better -- more representative and validated sample
  9. Smart enabling technology
  10. Standardize sample systems
  11. Easy to build
  12. Opportunity
  13. Reduced analyzer infrastructure cost, typically 57% of cost to build.
  14. Reduced Sample Handling System (SHS) cost, ??% of cost to build.
  15. Reduced cost to own; manpower + spares typically $1.5M over 15 years.

9:15 Where we want to go, NeSSI Gen II – Rob Dubois:

See attached Presentation. Key Points:

  1. Background of intrinsic safety (IS) technology.
  2. Rational for implementing IS to enable “By-line” analyzers
  3. NeSSI roadmap
  4. IS NeSSI bus product in 2004
  5. Generation III starts in 2005
  6. Review of the NeSSI Gen II spec.

9:40 Where we are, NeSSI Gen I – Dave Simko:

See attached Presentation. Key Points:

  1. ANSI/ISA 76.00.02 standard defines an open fluid interface.
  2. Lego® like construction.
  3. Overview of commercially available mechanical components and flow channel products
  4. Two example sample systems implemented with NeSSI compliant components.

9:55 An Intrinsically Safe NeSSI Bus – Rick Ales; (abbreviated)

See attached Presentation. Key Points:

  1. Desire to leverage commercial success of CAN silicon.
  2. Exploring a possible DeviceNet solution
  3. Open to alternative solutions.

10:00 Break:

Mel Koch distributed NeSSI Information CDs.

10:20 Introduction to IEEE 1451 – Kang Lee:

See attached Presentation. Key Points:

  1. IEEE 1451 Overview
  2. Market Driver: migration to distributed control with intelligent sensing architecture.
  3. Objective: Make it easy for transducer manufacturer to interface to a multitude of network protocols.
  4. Provides a common, smart transducer interface between the transducer and the Network Communications Application Processor (NCAP) ie. CAN Open, DeviceNet, Ethernet etc.
  5. Self describing, embedded Transducer Electronic Data Sheets (TEDS)
  6. Meta TEDS – describes common parameters
  7. Channel TEDS – describes channel parameters
  8. Calibration TEDS – storage format of calibration parameters.
  9. Smart Transducer Interface:
  10. Analog
  11. Digital
  12. Wireless – not yet appropriate for mission critical applications.
  13. IEEE 1451 Standard status:
  14. 1451.0 in progress --??
  15. 1451.1 Published – NCAP definition, Transducer Independent Interface.
  16. 1551.2 Published -- microcontroller interface and TEDS format
  17. 1451.3 in progress -- multi-drop microcontroller interface and TEDS format
  18. 1451.4 in progress -- mixed-mode analog and digital signals
  19. 1451.5 in progress – wireless microcontroller interface.
  20. 1451.6 to be proposed – intrinsically safe NeSSI bus.
  21. IEEE 1451 Demo
  22. CAN Open
  23. Ethernet

11:15 CAN Open and CiA – Bill Seitz:

See attached Presentation. Key Points:

  1. CAN Open has been integrated with Transducer Independent Interface (IEEE1451.1)
  2. Object oriented Device Model
  3. IEC 1131 Application Profile -- Idioms (Software)
  4. IEEE1451 TEDS Device Profile – Dictionary (Software)
  5. CAN Open Application Layer – Language and Grammer (Software)
  6. CAN Data Link Layer – Alphabet (microcontroller Hardware)
  7. Physical Layer – Media (driver hardware)
  8. CAN in Automation (CiA) manages the CAN Open standard.
  9. CAN Open is extremely flexible, only Network management is fixed.
  10. CAN Open is an open standard that includes both users and vendors alike.
  11. Conformance testing available through CiA.
  12. Propose that a NeSSI Special Interest Group be formed in CiA to implement a CAN Open appropriated for application as the NeSSI Bus.

12:10 Lunch:

1:10 Communications – Open discussion:

  1. How to get CAN Open Intrinsically Safe? New Silicon needed?
  2. Estimated $500K for new Intrinsically Safe (IS) driver chipset -- ref. Steve Corrigan of Texas Instruments (TI).
  3. Previous attempt to develop/commercialize IS CAN bus by TI, but effort never got to market. Was it technical or commercial issues? (unknown)
  4. Bob Nickels reported on preliminary IS CAN tests:
  5. Test Conditions:
  6. Various configurations up to 250 ft. cable length
  7. 10 to 20 devices driven through a zener barrier
  8. Test devices are SDS CAN nodes with a modified FET driver
  9. Preliminary test results: reasonably low error rate over the time interval tested.
  10. Conclusion: given certain constraints, useable CAN communications might be possible through a passive IS barrier.
  11. How to form NeSSI Special Interest Group within CiA?
  12. Need to inform the various vendors who participate as they see fit. Possible to set up a teleconference with potential interested vendors? Bill Seitz to explore.
  13. What issues does CAN Open address and where does it fit?
  14. Three bus architecture:
  15. Sensor Bus -- Implemented in LIN Network (very low level Automotive sensor network)
  16. Control Bus – CAN Open
  17. Data Bus – EtherNet
  18. SAM (Sensor Actuator Manager) gateway between Control and Data Bus.
  19. Use 1451 TEDS for Device Profile.
  20. IEEE1451 provides interoperability between transducers and network, if transducer to network interface is always contained within the device so that an all CAN is exposed, then 1451 is redundant.
  21. Need to evaluate functional partitioning to determine exposed interfaces.
  22. Define the indivisible lump!
  23. NCAP does Control???
  24. Which is preferred: Large Block or Small Block model, eg. MFC, sensor to control element interface not exposed, compared to discrete sensor and control valve.
  25. How to create a relation between the sensor and control element not clearly defined!!
  26. Create Control Diagrams that indicate exposed interfaces!
  27. NIST brainstorm IEEE1451 solution and reengage NeSSI, (via CPAC?)
  28. Get vendors involves:
  29. Pepperl + Fuchs
  30. Texas Instruments
  31. Others?
  32. Is there any potential NeSSI bus funding at NIST for instance through ATP (Advanced Technology Program).
  33. Provide Kang Lee a short, one sheet project proposal that he can “shop-around” for interest within NIST.

2:10 Break:

See attached Presentation. Key Points:

2:20 Microfluidics Workshop Session:

Dave Simko: Provided overview of micro channel requirements and how macro to micro connection fits into the NeSSI Platform.

2:25 Micro reactors – Mel Koch:

See attached Presentation. Key Points:

  1. MicroChemTec group creating micro reactors and need an interconnection method, possible to use NeSSI platform?
  2. Micro reactors used to produce pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals.
  3. Micro reactors used as sample intensification and ultimately process analyzers components on a NeSSI backbone.
  4. Micro reactors Sensor and Control opportunity for NeSSI?
  5. Same communications issues required as NeSSI Bus.

2:45 NIST Process Sensing Group – Mike Turlov & David Ross:

See attached Presentation. Key Points:

  1. Gas Composition – MEMS Sensors
  2. Micro Plate heater
  3. No discrimination for different gas
  4. Measure change in conductance is proportional to concentration.
  5. Fast Transient micro boiler
  6. Measure temperature transient
  7. Detect fluid by nucleation temperature
  8. Microfluidic systems
  9. Lab-on-a-chip goal – remote, portable and disposable
  10. Academic like research
  11. Devices:
  12. Mixers
  13. Separators
  14. Molecule detection
  15. Application
  16. Bacteria detection
  17. Water monitoring
  18. Fabrication – hot embossed micro channel imprinted into plastic substrate; plastic lid is annealed bonded to close micro channel.
  19. Mixing is a problem. No turbulence; only diffusion. Low Reynold’s Number. Mixing is improved by cutting “wells” in the surface of the micro channel.
  20. Reynold’s Number is critical.
  21. Highly viscous fluids are difficult to handle in a micro channel.
  22. Sample dilution may be a consideration.
  23. Currently getting from a macro channel to a micro channel using a pipette or a “
    sipper chip.”
  24. Chemically selective surface for Analyte recognition.

3:25 Microfluidics Discussion:

  1. Can NIST do simple process measurements like moisture in a micro sensor? EPA has set emission requirements, why is NIST not working on EPA required sensors like NOx, CO and O2?
  2. Priorities set by key research sponsors like the Department of Homeland Security (bio warfare) and health organizations like National Institute of Health (diagnostic tests).
  3. Each lab has a list of published project in the tech library, check with the individual researchers for details.
  4. The Microfluidics projects at NIST are geared more to discrete yes/no diagnostics rather than continuous process control sensors that would be typical in a NeSSI application.
  5. Currently it is undecided if micro fluidics/analyzer technology is better than traditional sensing techniques. Issues requiring further investigation:
  6. Failure modes, required redundancy. If a single sensor has a short life, can a device be made with a multiplicity of sensors to extend the device life?
  7. Can MEMS devices be made Plug and Play?
  8. Life vs cost trade-off?
  9. Are micro samples more or less representative than macro samples?

4:20 Meeting adjourn:

Minutes prepared by:

Rick Ales, Swagelok Co.

(440) 951-7100 x3366


NIST/NeSSI Workshop Minutes1 of 6

7/30/2003 Rev 1.0