SIS controllers(logic solvers) - Safety Instrumented Functions and Systems

PLC (Programmable Logic Controllers)

plc
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sivaranjith
Mar '18
What is SIS?
A Safety Instrumented Function, or SIF, is one or more components designed to execute a specific
safety-related task in the event of a specific dangerous condition. A Safety Instrumented System, or SIS,
is a collection of SIFs designed to bring an industrial process to a safe condition in the event of any
dangerous detected conditions. Also known as Emergency Shutdown (ESD) or Protective Instrument
Systems (PIS).

SIS controllers:
Control hardware for safety instrumented functions should be separate from the control hardware used
to regulate the process, if only for the simple reason that the SIF exists to bring the process to a safe
state in the event of any unsafe condition arising, including dangerous failure of the basic regulatory
controls. If a single piece of control hardware served the dual purposes of regulation and shutdown, a
failure within that hardware resulting in loss of regulation (normal control) would not be protected
because the safety function would be disabled by the same fault.

Safety controls are usually discrete with respect to their exit signals. When a process needs to be closed
for safety reasons, the steps to implement the shutdown often take the form of opening and closing
certain valves completely instead of partially. This type of all-or-nothing control action is more easily
implemented in the form of discrete signals that activate solenoid valves or electric motor actuators.

A specially designed digital controller responsible for the execution of instrumented safety functions is
often referred to as a logical solver, or sometimes as a safety PLC, in recognition of this discrete output
nature.

An example of a safety-specific programming instruction is the GuardLogix DCSRT instruction, which

compares two redundant input channels for agreement before activating a “start” bit which may be
used to start some equipment function such as an electric motor:
sis controller
In this case, the DCSRT instruction searches for two discrete inputs to be in the correct complementary
states (Channel A = 1 and Channel B = 0) before allowing a motor to start. These states must not conflict
for a period of time greater than 50 milliseconds or, otherwise, the DCSRT instruction will set a “Fault
Present” (FP) bit. As you can see, the contacts of the C-shaped pushbutton are connected to two
discrete inputs in the GuardLogix PLC, which gives the PLC a dual (complementary) indication of the
state of the switch.

Safety controls are usually discrete with respect to their exit signals. When a process needs to be closed
for safety reasons, the steps to implement the shutdown often take the form of opening and closing
certain valves completely instead of partially. This type of all-or-nothing control action is more easily
implemented in the form of discrete signals that activate solenoid valves or electric motor actuators. A
specially designed digital controller responsible for the execution of instrumented safety functions is
often referred to as a logical solver, or sometimes as a safety PLC, in recognition of this discrete output
nature.

The Allen-Bradley line of programmable logic controllers from Rockwell has the dominant market share
of PLC, a version of the ControlLogix 5000 series called GuardLogix is manufactured specifically for
security system applications. Not only are there differences in hardware between standard and safety
controllers (for example, redundant processors), but some of the programming instructions are unique
to these safety-oriented controllers.