SPI Interface Screens

Fisher Controls and Intergraph have developed an electronic interface with Intergraph’s SmartPlant Instrumentation (formerly INtools®) software.  Note that the "Fisher FirstVue" interface referenced inside of SmartPlant Instrumentation also applies to Fisher Specification Manager.

All of the data on the ISA Control Valve Specification Sheet (S20.50) as well as additional fields required for ISA Sizing are included in this interface. By electronically exchanging this large amount of data, significant savings in both time and money are possible. Also, data entry errors are reduced by eliminating the re-keying of data.

Here is how the process works in a typical implementation:

1. Process data should be entered in the Process Data module in SmartPlant Instrumentation.  The Process Data module manages the process data and applies it correctly to the spec sheet.  Control valve specification data is entered into SmartPlant Instrumentation specification form 70 (not the default control valve specification form).   Click here if you have not set up the Fisher interface for your SmartPlant Instrumentation project. Click here if you have set up the SmartPlant Instrumentation interface but specification form 70 is not available for your project.
2. Data is exported to a text file via the "Fisher FIRSTVUE" menu option within SmartPlant Instrumentation. (See "Interfaces-Export" under the "Tools" menu item within SmartPlant Instrumentation. This option should be available when a control valve is highlighted when browsing the SmartPlant Instrumentation index - click here for instructions on setting up the FIRSTVUE interface if it is not set up already for your project).
3. File is imported into Fisher Specification Manager.  No mapping file is needed if steps 1 and 2 above were followed.
4. Valves are sized and selected in Fisher Specification Manager.
5. Specification sheet data is exported from Fisher Specification Manager to a text file. 
6. Data from step 2 (from SmartPlant Instrumentation to Fisher Specification Manager) and step 5 (from Fisher Specification Manager to SmartPlant Instrumentation) can be compared with Fisher's file comparison utility. (This step is optional)
7. File is imported back into SmartPlant Instrumentation via the SmartPlant Instrumentation import module using the "FIRSTVUE" hot button. (click here for instructions on setting up the FIRSTVUE interface if it is not set up already for your project).

All of these steps can be performed by our customers. However, Fisher recommends that our Representatives be allowed to perform steps 3 through 5. This will allow our customers to achieve the maximum time and money savings possible. Data files can easily be exchanged via e-mail.

1. Certain fields must match for SmartPlant Instrumentation to import the data. If you're running the import module successfully, but your actual data sheet in SmartPlant Instrumentation does not reflect the imported data, check the fields below in your import file to make sure that the values are the values that you are expecting. Fisher software exports the values that were originally exported from SmartPlant Instrumentation. If the values in the Fisher export file are not expected values, you may have a problem with SmartPlant Instrumentation exporting blank or erroneous values in the first place. You may manually correct the values on the Fisher export file and then import. You may also want to contact Intergraph to correct the problems in SmartPlant Instrumentation. You may need to update your version with a service patch from Intergraph.

SmartPlant Instrumentation fields that must be present and matching in the Fisher export file in order to import data into SmartPlant Instrumentation:

2. The import module may tell you that "Case ID" or "Case Number" is a problem when running the import. SmartPlant Instrumentation made a change after the Fisher interface was built to accommodate for different process data cases. The import module looks for data to define which "case" you want the data to import to. To work around the issue, open the links for the FIRSTVUE interface in the import module. The calculation and spec sheet links include fields for "case" in the mapping. Map these to '' (two single quote marks). This will default the case value and satisfy the import module so that you can import the data.

3. When data imports into the wrong fields in the Fisher program: The interface built into SmartPlant Instrumentation is based upon the use of spec form 70 inside of SmartPlant Instrumentation. This is an ISA spec sheet for control valves. The user defined fields on the spec form 70 are mapped to field names used in the Fisher program. If another spec sheet is used or if spec 70 is modified on the project, the fields mapping may need to be corrected.

4. The export file from the Fisher program may be opened in excel. Please note if excel provides a warning that reads "File not loaded completely". This can occur if more that 256 fields were exported (function of the mapping used to export the values). If you get this warning, you are free to read the file in excel, but saving in excel will result in loosing fields that were beyond the 256 displayed. Note that you can use notepad or other text editing files to edit and save also.

5. SmartPlant Instrumentation has a utility that allows you to rename the units of measure when you export or import data. This mapping has already been done for the Fisher interface with spec 70, but will need to be done if you are using an import link other than the FIRSTVUE link (ie, a custom link to interface with a different spec form). Failure to use this renaming utility when using a link other than the FIRSTVUE link will result in a failed import when the data is imported into Fisher Specification Manager because Fisher Specification Manager will not understand the SmartPlant Instrumentation units of measure.

The utility is located in the import module. In order to access this, select the import link (ie, a custom link created for the project) that you would like to modify the units of measure for. Now select the system codes selection in the main menu. Now select Adapt UOM codes. This will provide a list of all of the units of measure used in SmartPlant Instrumentation with space to enter the matching Fisher Specification Manager units.

For a complete list of units used in Fisher Specification Manager, click here.  Also note that Fisher Specification Manager has a section for units mapping in it's mapping utility.  Units of measure can be mapped in the Fisher Specification Manager mapping utility as opposed to adapting the UOM codes in SmartPlant Instrumentation.

6. Process data fields are managed by the process module.  This controls the variations of data that are required for gas/vapor vs liquid, for example.  Failure to enter process data in the Process Data module will result in the omission of critical fields like compressibility and other fields that are critical to sizing control valves.

7. Be sure to close the csv file from Fisher Specification Manager prior to importing it into the import module. Failure to do so will result in an error similar to the one below. In this event, simply close the csv file and try again. This error can also be a result of conflicts with the file name (special characters or blanks in the file name or folder) or even if the path to the file name is too long. If your csv file is closed and you get this error, try renaming the file and folders in the path and moving the file to a directory with a shorter path. If the message persists, contact Intergraph support.

8.  Note that multiple Fisher fields can be mapped to import into a single field in SmartPlant Instrumentation.  The links in the import module can be written such that more than on Fisher field is mapped to a single SmartPlant Instrumentation field.  The import module will concatenate the two Fisher fields and assign the resulting value to the SmartPlant Instrumentation field.  Text can also be inserted as needed; for example, Fisher's lower and upper benchset values can be imported into a single SmartPlant Instrumentation field as 'minbenchrange'+' - '+'maxbenchrange' to import a bench set of '3 - 15' into one field for bench set in SmartPlant Instrumentation.