Sorry for my absence (for those actually missed me).  I promise, after I get back from my family vacation July 25^th, I promise to be more consistent with weekly blog entries after my vacation.  I’ve been saving up some very good material, and I’m sure you’ll find these thought provoking.

I've been debating for weeks now, how I could convey what happened at the recent SP 84 meetings held late June in Scottsdale, AZ.  How exciting could a standards group actually get?  Well, let’s just say, while temperature outside was hot (112 F), the passion that flowed during the work group (WG1, Safety fieldbus) that I participated in got even hotter.   

It all started as the committee reviewed submitted comments on the latest revision (#6).  For the most part of the meeting, it was all about crossing the T's and dotting the I's, which as you can imagine gets down right boring at times.  One particular gentleman (who I'll call Sparky) about blew a gasket when it was suggested that the group would “highly recommend” keeping the safety bus separate and independent from the safety bus.  While in practice he recongnized this is good, however he did mention that there are systems, busses, etc. that are certified today that can coexist, and why should this committee force users down “yesterday’s” approach…

The arguments of cyber security were thrown back at him, which he condemned that if that were the case, than NO SIS should ever “touch” a process control system for the fear of a hostile attack. 

I gotta run for now, but I think this will beckon much more on the topic of safety fieldbus, separation and independence…Just gotta settle o’l Sparky down…