New Datasheet Application for Control System Instrumentation Datasheets

HOUSTON, Texas, July 12, 2005 – Plant Design Automation Consulting (PDAC) today announced PDAC Instrument Datasheets, a new software application for creating and managing specification datasheets for instrumentation devices.  PDAC Instrument Datasheets enhance the ability of small engineering organizations, especially in operating plant environments, to create and maintain instrumentation datasheets and a corresponding instrument index using corporate and industry standard formats.

For plant owners, PDAC Instrument Datasheets enable engineers to keep up to date information in a reliable and readily available format.  Using datasheets formatted in Microsoft Excel, the ability to quickly assimilate the software into existing engineering operations is accomplished with only a few minutes of informal end user training.

The PDAC Instrument Datasheet system uses a relational database to provide a robust instrument index that defines instrument attributes, drawing references, calibration ranges, associated equipment, systems, links to drawings, and more.   The user friendly interface also permits the end user to sort and filter the instrument index as needed to provide an efficient engineering tool.

Officially licensed datasheet formats from the Instrumentation, Systems and Automation (ISA) society are available with the software in both the ISA S.20 and TR.20 formats, which are easily customizable to support corporate/project and vendor requirements.  Non-ISA formatted datasheets are also available for instrument types not addressed by the ISA standards.

Included with the system is the capability to automatically build an instrument index and populate instrument datasheets using data extracted from larger, more complex instrument database systems such as the SmartPlant Instrumentation (i.e.. INtools) system from Intergraph.  This capability offers the end user in an operating facility a cost effective means to leverage the data produced on major capital projects by engineering contractors without having to endure the ongoing expense, training and complexities of maintaining the large systems used by engineering contractors. 

“Through PDAC Instrument Datasheets, engineers are offered the best of all worlds - the ability to use local or industry standard datasheet formats, an integrated instrument index capability, and the ability to receive data from an engineering contractor without the big price tag associated with the large systems.  For end users who need the benefits of a properly managed instrument index and datasheets but do not have the large budgets required to a step up to the bigger, overly complex commercial systems, PDAC Instrument Datasheets are a perfect fit.  And I believe this is the first time I believe anyone has offered the capability to extract instrument index and datasheet information out the big expensive systems,” said Tim Rennie, president of PDAC.

PDAC Instrument Datasheets reduce engineering time and cost by offering an easy path forward for managing an instrument index and the corresponding instrument datasheets.  The application significantly reduces the cost of implementation required as compared to that for larger systems that offer all the bells and whistles attractive to large engineering contractors.  The management of the application can be accomplished without having to add additional personnel for the database management or application support.  The software is designed to run on Windows XP operating system.

PDAC Instrument Datasheets will be available in the fourth quarter of this year, 2005.

About PDAC, Inc.

PDAC, Inc. is an industry recognized resource for subject matter expertise in the fields of plant design automation, project management and data migration/conversion, serving clients worldwide in the process, refining, chemicals, power and energy related industries.  Experts in the application of computing technology to the engineering process, PDAC has delivered millions of dollars in cost savings on projects, and has provided breakthrough capabilities in the organization of engineering work for leveraging High Value Engineering.  For more information, visit www.pdac.com.

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access and Microsoft SQL Server are registered trademarks for technology owned and licensed by Microsoft Corporation.  SmartPlant Instrumentation and INtools are registered trademarks of the Intergraph Corporation.