Engineering Practice

Best Plant Wiring Practices

for Signal Integrity
To make the most of process control signals, signal integrity must be maintained from
the process all the way to the instrumentation, making proper wiring essential
Clayton Wilson don’t think twice about
Yokogawa

D
spending top dollar for
espite a large uptick in the quality instrumentation
deployment of wireless to run their processes,
networks in plant measure- but little thought is
ment and control applica- given to the wiring car-
tions, numerous hard-wired systems rying the signal from the
continue to be placed into service process to those instru-
each day. Plant technicians still spend ments. In new installa-
several hours on the phone or, more tions, the cost of wiring
often now, virtual conferences, with can be a significant por-
instrument-and-control system sup- tion of the instrumenta-
pliers in attempts to track down the tion package.
seemingly inevitable signal gremlins If proper installation FIGURE 1. A 4–20-mA current loop is a very robust carrier signal
that no one can quite pinpoint. Yet, of the wiring is ignored,
the plant human-machine interface any gains one was try- field wiring can run several hundred
(HMI) proves that there is phantom ing to achieve by purchasing new feet. Such long runs increase the
noise, resulting in inaccurate control. instrumentation can be marginal- likelihood that electrical interference
The good news is that there are tried ized by unwanted noise in the sig- could affect the signal. Typically, the
and proven wiring practices from ex- nal wires. In existing installations control room is much kinder to con-
perience with 4–20-mA signals that where performance may have been trol signals, but the high concentra-
can preempt these sorts of myster- compromised by noise, upgrading tion of computers, two-way radios
ies — and the accompanying finger instruments may mask the problem and other electronic equipment does
pointing between suppliers and end- to some extent if the instrument is provide opportunities to degrade
users. Those finding themselves in of good quality, but it could be a di- signal quality.
the midst of such problems can use saster if a budget model is selected. There are many pieces of equip-
the same practices to rapidly track Maintaining the integrity of the con- ment and natural phenomena that
down root causes. trol signals should be a primary goal can interfere with measurement sig-
The need to accurately measure of any instrumentation installation. nals. Equipment can create an elec-
process variables and control pro- tronic hazard for the instrumentation
cess equipment is paramount in to- The industrial environment installed in the environment and the
day’s automated facilities. Instrumen- Often, instrumentation is in the field signals that pass through it. Since
tation forms the brains in modern next to an oven, another piece of this environmental hazard typically
automation plants, and its wiring and equipment or, at least, somewhere cannot be eliminated, the effects on
sensors are the nerves that connect on the plant floor. A reality that instrumentation must be understood
the remote areas of processes to the makes these areas a problem is the so that they can be isolated and ei-
brain. It controls and monitors the harsh electrical environment to which ther removed or, at least, minimized.
operation of the equipment in your equipment located there is exposed. It is well understood how audio sig-
plant. In many cases, the signals that Unfortunately, this is the area where nals in high-fidelity equipment must
are being monitored are in the millivolt process variable measurements be cared for to achieve the best
range. To make the most of the con- must be made. The process sen- sound quality — process instru-
trol signals that are being read from sors and their wiring are most likely mentation is no different. By under-
the process, signal integrity must be near heavy electrical equipment or standing the ways that noise affects
maintained from the process all the motor contactors. They could even your control system, you can take
way to the instrumentation. be exposed to static discharge from the necessary steps to avoid these
Many times, shop managers welding equipment. Many times, problems in your system.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM APRIL 2025 33

 ter has some out- verting transmission signals to 4–20
put resistance that mA is a very good way to minimize
contributes to the noise in process control signals.
circuit. In proportion
to the loop resis- Wiring for signal integrity
tance, a transmitter’s Signal integrity can be affected
input resistance, also by wiring and shielding practices
commonly known as (Table 1). Wiring your process using
input impedance, can twisted-pair cabling provides a sig-
almost be considered nificant level of protection from noise
as infinite. A transmit- that may be coming from outside of
ter’s typical output re- the process. In this type of wiring, a
sistance could be be- pair of conductors in the same circuit
tween 3 and 5 meg is twisted together for the purpose of
ohms (MΩ), whereas canceling out external electromag-
FIGURE 2. Even induced noise has a small effect in the loop the loop resistor is netic interference. Since noise that is
fixed at 250 ohms picked up by the wire along its path
Ensuring signal quality (Ω). Under normal to the control panel affects both
The easiest way to ensure good sig- conditions, the transmitter acts as a wires equally but oppositely, a good
nal integrity is to employ signal con- current source. Its resistance is not control device can reject the noise
ditioners. Signal conditioners play considered when dropping voltage. and recover the signal fully. This is
an important part in instrumentation When an additional voltage source called common mode rejection.
installations by ensuring that the — such as unexpected noise — is It is tempting to run all the wir-
signals measured by sensors in the introduced to the loop, the voltage is ing through a single conduit. The
field are transmitted to the control dropped across each of the resistors best advice in this situation would
instruments representing the same in the loop in proportion to its magni- be, “Don’t do it!” This practice is an
conditions as were measured in the tude. If we remember the superposi- open invitation to additional troubles
process. The long distances a sig- tion theorem, the 5-MΩ resistance of and sorrows. The magnetic coupling
nal must travel between the process the transmitter is no longer a current or induced voltages caused by the
and the control instrumentation offer source, but a resistive load on the proximity of high voltage and cur-
ample opportunities for electromag- circuit with respect to the noise. The rents next to your signal wires can
netic interference. signal conditioner becomes a pas- induce some very high voltages on
Signal conditioners provide two sive component in the circuit and ab- them. These voltages, at a minimum,
primary functions: maintaining signal sorbs most of the noise voltage with could interfere with your process
integrity and signal isolation. Even its 5-MΩ load — whereas the 250-Ω and, at a maximum, damage the in-
though a single instrument can pro- resistor on the receiving device re- puts on your instrumentation. Most
vide both functions, there are distinct ceives only a tiny fraction. For ex- signal conditioners have input cir-
and individual benefits that each one ample, if the noise voltage source in- cuitry designed to prevent damage
provides. The most common use of duced a voltage of 100 volts, Ohm’s due to high transients. While your
a signal conditioner is signal con- law would dic-
version. The most common conver- tate that the TABLE 1. SIMPLE SOLUTIONS FOR REDUCING UNWANTED NOISE
sion, even in today’s digital age, is to signal condi- The Source of Unwanted Possible Solutions
change a process signal from its orig- tioner would Noise
inal form and transmit it as an electri- absorb 99.995 Twisted-pair wiring
cal signal over 4 to 20 milliamps (mA). volts, whereas Capacitive coupling
(static discharges / Wire placement / segregation
A 4–20-mA current loop is a very ro- the control in- lightning)
bust carrier signal that is virtually im- strument will Wire shielding
pervious to noise (Figure 1). It has tra- receive 5 milli- Twisted-pair wiring
ditionally been the preferred method volts (Figure 2). Induced voltage Signal / power wire segregation
of signal transmission over long dis- This is 1/200th Fix ground loops
tances. Why does a 4–20-mA loop of the 1-volt
Wire shielding
have such good noise immunity? It minimum that Radio frequency
has to do with the transmitter. can be mea- interference Isolation
(2-way radios)
All the resistive components in a sured across Quality equipment selection
circuit drop voltage in proportion to the 250-Ω Wire shielding
their part of the total resistance in resistor on a Large voltage transients Isolation
the circuit. The more resistance a 4–20-mA loop. Wire placement / segregation
loop component has, the more volt- This demon-
Single point wire shield grounding
age it will drop in the circuit — that’s strates one rea- Ground loops
Ohm’s law. Every current transmit- son that con- Isolation

34 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM APRIL 2025

 comes into play. that is sensitive to voltage. At normal
An isolator is operating voltages, the MOV acts
one of the easi- as an insulator and will not conduct
est ways to elim- current. At higher threshold voltages,
inate a ground it responds like a conductor. This
loop problem. threshold voltage is determined by a
In its simplest doping process during the manufac-
terms, isolation turing process.
interrupts cur- Modern instrumentation uses a
rent flow be- wide variety of sensor inputs with
FIGURE 3. This diagram shows the proper positioning of a lightning arrestor tween the dif- varying voltage input levels. The use
ferent potentials of a general-purpose lightning arrester
in the grounds. would provide some protection, but it
digital recorder is charting chaos, at This is accomplished by inserting an is not optimal. Arrestors are designed
least you won’t have to worry about electrical or electronic device, such to work specifically with the particu-
replacing the entire instrument. as a transformer or a signal condi- lar input signals that are needed with
Ground loops. A ground loop is the tioner, to break the physical connec- their voltage requirements taken into
most common noise problem in large- tion between the two grounds. While account. The operating requirements
scale electrical systems. Ground the isolator interrupts the ground loop for protecting an instrument’s power
loops stem from poor grounding prac- circuit, it allows the desired control circuits would be different from those
tices. It is a major misconception that signal to be passed through unen- protecting its thermocouple input or
earth ground at one location contains cumbered. Isolation is a very cost- its Ethernet IP connection. Selecting
the same voltage potential as earth effective method for removing noise the proper arrestor ensures signal in-
ground at another location. Ground and transients due to ground loops. tegrity and solid protection for the in-
is an often-misunderstood electrical Lightning. One lightning strike in prox- strument are maintained.
concept. The ground potential where imity to your process could do consid-
you are currently located can be sev- erable damage to your process equip- Final thoughts
eral volts above or below the ground ment. The discharge from an indirect The probes, sensors and instru-
potential in another part of the build- strike could put several thousand volts mentation designed to operate your
ing. A nearby lightning strike could and high current on your power and processes for peak performance are
cause this potential to jump several signal wires. Typically, the further the often undermined by even the small-
hundred to thousands of volts. sensor and instrument are apart and est amount of electrical interference.
If your instrumentation is grounded the longer the wiring runs connecting Devising and implementing a strat-
in separate locations in your facility the two, the greater the chance of ex- egy to deal with environmental noise
where these ground potentials do periencing capacitive coupling from a will make the difference between a
exist, you could very easily be vul- lightning strike — and the higher the good process and an exceptional
nerable to a ground loop if your wir- voltages and currents are. one. Signal conditioners comprise
ing does not employ some type of In situations where the electronic that last step that allows an operator
isolation. Just the noise caused by equipment narrowly escapes de- to provide the very best in quality and
a ground loop can wreak havoc on struction, its circuits may become squeeze every bit of performance
your system. There is also the issue intermittent, or its performance may out of a system in which you have
of the induced voltages they create begin to deteriorate. A lightning ar- invested so heavily. ■
as they travel near and on signal rester is a type of signal conditioner Edited by Dorothy Lozowski
wires. A common sign that a ground that is used to divert induced voltages
loop exists is the presence of in- that may be large enough to damage Acknowledgement
duced 60-Hz power-line noise on the instrumentation. Lightning arrestors, All figures were supplied courtesy of
circuit. That can be easily measured when properly installed, redirect dam- Yokogawa
with a voltmeter. aging surges to ground where they
One way to eliminate ground loops belong (Figure 3). With the capabil- Author
is to employ a single ground concept ity to withstand 10,000 volts and up Clayton Wilson is a control
where no ground loops can be cre- to 5,000 amperes you will not be left products specialist at Yokogawa
(2 Dart Road, Newnan, GA
ated. All circuit grounds are returned with the unpleasant task of replacing 30265; Email: clayton.wilson@
to a common point. This is often equipment after a storm. yokogawa.com). Wilson has been
done through bonding and the use At the heart of it all, an arrester is a with Yokogawa for over 20 years,
and is an expert in process con-
of bus bars to carry all the ground switch that diverts high voltages and trol and automation, specializing
signals to a single point. In many fa- currents to a path to ground. There in discrete control applications in
many industries. He manages
cilities, this may not be practical due are many technologies that make up Yokogawa’s lines of loop controllers, PLCs and signal
to the physical size of the operation, this type of switch, but a very com- conditioners in North America. He also helps direct fu-
and this is where the use of a signal mon one is a metal oxide varistor ture product development, making Yokogawa’s instru-
mentation more applicable and easier to use.
conditioner designed for isolation (MOV). A MOV is a semiconductor

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM APRIL 2025 35