Network technology in the fields of industrial control has such a complex structure that unifies communication technology and information processing/control technology. The international standardization of upper-layer communication protocol has been grouped into TCP/IP and OSI. The development of optical transmission technology is removing essential defference between LAN and WAN.
Open protocol is suitable for upper-layer networks in the field of FA. There are many problems left to be solved for standard protocol to be used commonly in lower-layer networks.

Network systems have become more important as the infrastructure of automation systems. Network systems include open networks realizing multivendor systems and proprietary networks specializing in control use.
Fuji Electric has commercialized open-network MAP and Ethernet (TCP/IP) and has applied proprietary network DPCS-F, F-Net, and FFI to various products as fuji Electric's standard. The company has realized integrated control systems using these network systems as a core.

Field network systems is positioned at the lower layer of automation systems, aiming to connect controllers and field devices. The diversification of the field devices demands multifunction as well as fast response, reliability, and economical efficiency. Fuji Electric developed F-Net and FFI bus preceding other companies and applied them to various field devices as its standard. Other companies have prepared many field devices compatible with the above systems. The company also actively tackles international-standard field network systems toward open systems.

This paper describes the result of Fuji Electric's development concerning MAP network systems. The first content is the positions of full MAP and mini MAP in production automation systems and the detail of MAP development and current support products of Fuji Electric's the second is about MMS the core protocol of MAP with focusing on personal computer software. The second part also includes an outline of the conformance test for MMS, the supporting concept for FTAM and support library configuration of FTAM.

Network technologies for tele-control systems include not only communication circuit network technology, that is, the basic technology for tele-control apparatus, but also technologies for connection to the computer system of control station and to the equipment of power plants and substations. High-speed networks have come into use in these connection technologies.
This paper, retracing the technical developments of connection methods to computers, introduces present technologies and technical prospects for the near future.

The FFI system, the only field bus commercialized in the world, is a field instrumentation system using optical fiber for the physical layer. This system has been supplied to many users since 1985 and has contributed to rationalization and reliability improvement of field instrumentation making the best use of advantages of the field bus and fiber-optic transmission.
This paper introduces the FFI system from a viewpoint of networks for control systems. FFI realizes optical, digital transmission from fields to host computer systems, and draws attention in respect of international standardization.

This paper introduces two examples: The first is remote supervisory control using ISDN, citing an automated bank service corner. Taking advantage of ISDN characteristics, the system performs multiplex transmission of data and images and enhances response speed and feeling of presence. The second is an information network system for power consumers, citing automatic remote inspection of watt-hour meters. Various transmission lines such as telephone grids, CATV grids, and low-voltage power grids are selected according to meter installation environment, and field verification for nractical use is carried out.

Recent route service work for vendors has shown distribution efficiency lowering because of multikind small quantity sales and traffic jams. The vendor POS (point-of-sale information management) system based on network technology using telephone circuits and radio communications has been attracting attention lately as measures to solve this problem.
This paper describes an outline and features of vendor POS systems and radio vendor POS utilizing up-to-date "specific low-power radio."

Power control systems are distributed over a wide region. Demands for interconnection between the systems have become intense recently and connection between computers of different manufacturers and types have been required accordingly.
Fuji Electric and three manufacturers (Hitachi, Ltd., Toshiba Corp. and Mitsubishi Electric Corp.) jointly in corporation with Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. developed a computer network for power control systems applying the international standard open systems interconnection (OSI) for communications protocol. This paper outlines the contents.

This paper reviews the present status and trends of network systems in factory automation (FA) and describes considerations for networks for FA.FA systems in machining and assembly shops are cited as examples of network system application to FA. The structuring of total FA and CIM indispensably require a network (LAN) that executes high-speed data transmission between the FA devices and computers of various types. Fuji Electric's multivendor network systems is introduced with examples.

This paper describes the EIC integrated control system, its component networks and examples of application to off-site facilities in oil refineries.
The modernization of off-site facilities such as remote operation of pumps and valves, automation of oil transfer operation (automatic line-up, etc.) and automation with optimum scheduled operation, is pushed actively in oil refineries. Because the off-site facilities to be monitored and controlled scatter over the wide oil refinery, it is essential in their automation and integration how to structure networks level with process control and field control.

The world desires richness in life these days and demands improvement in services by the administration. The stage of utilities is shifting from construction for infrastructures to maintenance, and the application of networks was started to improve the quality of management.
This paper describes the status of network application in water and sewage works, roads, and other utilities citing some examples.

It is usual in petrochemical substations to adopt distributed control system (DCS) either in innovation or in new equipment.
Network technology is indispensable to the structuring of the DCS. It is not too much to say that system performance depends on network technology.
Citing examples of application to large- and medium-scale substations and connected generators, this paper describes an outline of the equipment and network systems.