Fieldbus
Fieldbus is a family of industrial digital communication protocols that connect field devices such as sensors, actuators, and controllers over a shared network. It replaces traditional point-to-point analog wiring with a single digital bus, reducing cabling while carrying richer device data and diagnostics.
Fieldbus networks let many devices share one cable and exchange not just process values but configuration, status, and diagnostic information. Established standards include PROFIBUS, FOUNDATION Fieldbus, and CANopen, each tuned to particular industries and timing needs. Fieldbus matters because it lowered installation cost and enabled intelligent field devices, laying the groundwork for modern industrial Ethernet networks while still operating widely in process and discrete manufacturing plants today.