When you hear "EFM data", you probably think of well-known Oil & Gas devices like ABB TotalFlow, Fisher ROC, or OMNI Flow and their native protocols, or perhaps Enron Modbus. However, the Oil & Gas industry is quickly embracing the DNP3 protocol for its speed and security in pipeline monitoring.
Current generation Emerson devices, like the FB1000 and FB2000 Series Flow Computers or FB3000 RTUs, support secure DNP3, which is the recommended protocol by Emerson. But how can you extract both real-time data as well as EFM alarm, event and flow history data from them? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
In this blog, you’ll learn about the powerful capabilities of the DNP3 protocol and how you can use the TOP Server DNP3 Driver and Software Toolbox EFM Exporter for Emerson FB Automation Platform together to efficiently and accurately provide automated, scheduled liquid and gas real-time and accounting data retrieval from your Emerson Devices and export that EFM data to the FLOWCAL CFX format.
What is DNP3?
Let’s start by clarifying some commonly used terminology. In DNP3, the term "outstation" refers to remote computers found in the field, while the term "client" refers to the computers in the control centers.
DNP3 is a versatile protocol designed to provide accurate and reliable real-time data and file retrieval, particularly in critical infrastructures. Initially developed for use in the electric utility industry, DNP3 has since been adopted by other sectors, such as wastewater, oil and gas, and transportation, due to its efficient use of bandwidth, robust error checking, security, and status as an open and public protocol.
DNP3 was specifically designed to optimize the transmission of data acquisition information and control commands. One of DNP3’s defining features is its ability to reduce network traffic and optimize communication by decoupling the scan rates between systems like OPC client-server connections (e.g., OPC Quick Client to TOP Server) and DNP3 client-outstation connections (e.g., TOP Server to DNP3-enabled devices). This separation ensures that data transmission is efficient and tailored to the needs of each system.
Additionally, the protocol is most commonly implemented in a mode that transmits only data that has changed, leveraging unsolicited operations while maintaining organized and predictable communication.
DNP3 also supports “on-demand” polling for situations requiring immediate data retrieval. This means a client can request data from an outstation at a specific time or under certain conditions, as opposed to continuously. However, this polling method may reduce the protocol’s efficiency advantages. To address diverse needs, the TOP Server DNP3 Client Driver supports both on-demand polling and unsolicited reporting, enabling users to customize their systems accordingly.
Why DNP3?
As we’ve already discussed, DNP3’s design is particularly suited for environments where reliable communication is critical, such as SCADA applications in networks with low bandwidth, poor quality, or extensive coverage. It ensures robust performance regardless of the communication medium, TCP, UDP, or serial, using CRCs and message framing to assure data integrity and reliability.
A standout feature of DNP3 is its event-driven reporting, which as mentioned earlier, transmits data only when significant changes or predefined events occur. This includes unsolicited messaging, where an outstation automatically sends updates when certain conditions are met, and report-by-exception communications, which limit transmissions to instances of notable changes or abnormalities. These capabilities make DNP3 highly efficient for bandwidth utilization while ensuring timely alerts for critical events.
DNP3’s standardization and scalability further strengthen its appeal. It is a non-proprietary protocol with well-documented features, including support for independent conformance testing, making it a low-risk choice for critical systems. Its large address space and continued evolution ensure compatibility with existing implementations and adaptability for future growth.
An evolution from the original DNP SaV2 security mode that has been around for years, the protocol's most current secure authentication standard, SAv5, addresses the growing need for cybersecurity in industrial and utility environments. SAv5 verifies the authenticity of commands, ensures message integrity, prevents malicious replay attacks, and protects against unauthorized access through mechanisms such as cryptographic hashes, challenge/reply authentication, and session keys.
Session keys are updated regularly (every 10 minutes by default) and exchanged securely via a highly secure local USB connection. This enhanced security is vital for compliance with upcoming U.S. government regulations for critical industries and is already supported in both SaV2 and SaV5 modes by DNP driver solutions like TOP Server and KEPServerEX.
EFM Exporter for Emerson FB Automation Platform
As stated before, in addition to real-time data acquisition, the DNP3 protocol supports file retrieval from outstations. The Emerson FB Automation Platform devices provide real-time data for HMI, SCADA & historians, which the TOP Server or KEPServer-EX DNP OPC Drivers can be used to retrieve.
But when it’s time to get the historical data from the devices, it is this DNP file transfer capability that Emerson utilizes with FB Automation Platform devices to provide a secure method for measurement data retrieval (meter configuration, history records, alarm records, and event records). TOP Server and KEPServerEX DNP3 Suite OPC Servers natively support this file retrieval capability and can be used by Software Toolbox’s EFM Exporter for Emerson FB Automation Platform utility to gather data from outstations through secure file transfers. Once this EFM data is retrieved, the exporter software converts this data to CFX files, which can be used by Quorum Software’s FLOWCAL Measurement Data Management System.
The file retrieval and CFX exports can be automated and scheduled to for unattended background operation, requiring no user interaction after configuration, while providing useful troubleshooting data via logs and the Windows Event Log for easy access. Additionally, the streamlined configuration takes full advantage of the Emerson FB Automation Platform device capability to provide information about its meter and history configuration. The EFM exporter inherits the meter configuration from the RTU or Flow Computer and automatically provides relative output files based on the configuration without user configuration requirements to match the device configuration.
Conclusion
We hope this blog post has provided insight into what makes DNP3 such a powerful, secure protocol. With our DNP3 Driver for TOP Server and our EFM Exporter for Emerson FB Automation Platform, you can take advantage of this protocol’s best features and easily convert your historical flow data to CFX files.
For more information on DNP3 and best practices with TOP Server, check out our resources below:
- Blog: Understanding DNP3 Polling Behaviors
- Guide: TOP Server DNP3 Suite Background and Best Practices
- Video Tutorial: Data Collection from DNP3 RTUs & Devices
Be sure to contact our team with your questions and subscribe to our blog for more automation knowledge.
Ready to retrieve historical data from your FB Automation Platform devices? An extensive PDF user’s guide for configuration, operation, and setup of the product installs alongside the EFM Exporter. Request your EFM Exporter free trial today!
