What This Product Does

The NCS-IF105 does the opposite of what its sibling FI105 does. Where the FI105 takes fieldbus signals and turns them into 4-20mA, the IF105 takes analog signals and puts them onto a fieldbus network.

It accepts up to four channels of 4-20mA or 0-20mA analog inputs and converts them into FOUNDATION Fieldbus (FF) H1 digital signals. That means you can take existing analog transmitters—pressure, temperature, flow, level, you name it—and bring them into a FF control system without swapping out the transmitters themselves.

It’s a transition device. Use it when you’re migrating from analog to fieldbus, or when you need to keep both systems running side by side. You don’t have to replace your current analog instruments. The IF105 integrates them into a digital fieldbus environment.

Who Uses It

Control engineers upgrading older plants to FF. System integrators working on mixed analog-digital projects. Plant operators who need to bring analog signals into their DCS without adding extra I/O cards. Maintenance teams who want to keep existing analog instruments while moving the control system forward.

The use case is straightforward: you have analog devices, you’re moving to FF, you don’t want to replace everything at once. This converter bridges the gap.

Key Specifications

All numbers here come directly from the manual:

Hardware and Installation

The physical setup is similar to the FI105. It uses the same mounting options:

• Pipe mounting flat bracket (vertical pipe, around Φ50mm)

• Plate mounting angle bracket (panel or dashboard)

• Pipe mounting angle bracket (horizontal pipe, around Φ50mm)

Wiring is straightforward. Power and signal share a single pair of bus cables. The terminal board is on the rear cover side. If you’re using a 4-wire transmitter, the manual shows specific wiring for CH1 through CH4. For 2-wire transmitters, there’s a separate diagram.

Grounding: shield of the bus cable is floating on the converter side, grounded on the bus power side. Signal wires should be single-point grounded. Keep bus cables away from high-power equipment lines—standard practice for fieldbus installations.

Internal Architecture

The IF105 has the same modular structure as other Microcyber fieldbus products:

• Terminal board – connects fieldbus and analog inputs

• A/D board – converts analog input signals to digital data

• Communication card – core component, handles FF communication and control

• Isolation board – power and signal isolation between boards

• LCD card – optional display for function block parameters

The LCD board mounts on the communication card and can be rotated in four directions. The communication card ties everything together—terminal board, isolation board, instrument board, and LCD board.

Function Blocks (FF Standard)

The IF105 implements the standard FF function block set:

This is a full FF device. It doesn’t just convert signals—it participates in control strategies.

Configuration

You can configure the IF105 using the same tools as other Microcyber FF devices:

• Microcyber Configurator software

• NCS4000 DCS

• NI-FBUS Configurator (National Instruments)

• DeltaV (Emerson)

System requirements: Windows 2000 or XP, NCS-LD105 Linking Device, H1 bus power, H1 terminal matcher.

Calibration

The manual describes two-point calibration for each channel:

1. Input a standard current signal (e.g., 4mA) to the channel

2. Read the actual value from PRIMARY_VALUE (e.g., 3.9mA)

3. Set transducer block mode to O/S

4. Change SENSOR_CAL_METHOD to “User Trim Standard Calibration”

5. Write the desired value (4mA) to CAL_POINT_LO

6. If no error, low calibration is successful

7. Set mode back to AUTO

8. Repeat for high value using CAL_POINT_HI

A few important notes from the manual:

• Calibration value must stay within sensor maximum range

• Too large a difference between calibration value and actual value will cause failure

• High-point calibration follows the same procedure as low-point

LCD Display Configuration

By default, the LCD shows PRIMARY_VALUE from channel 1 of the transducer block. You can change it to display parameters from other function blocks.

Configure it through six parameters (X = 1 to 4, for up to four display groups):

1. BLOCK_TAG_X – function block tag name (e.g., “AI1”)

   • Must be exactly 32 bytes. Pad with spaces if shorter.

2. RELATIVE_INDEX_X – parameter index (e.g., 8 for OUT parameter of AI block)

3. SUB_INDEX_X – parameter subindex (e.g., 2 for OUT.VALUE)

4. MNEMONIC_X – text to show on LCD (max 16 bytes)

5. DECI_PNT_NUMB_X – decimal point position

6. ACTIVE_X – set to TRUE to activate the display group

If configuration is wrong, the LCD shows CONFIG_ERR. Set mode to O/S, correct the parameters, switch back to AUTO.

Jumper Settings

There are three hardware jumpers:

The RST jumper does exactly what it says—return everything to factory default. Use it when you need a clean start. WP is useful for locked-down installations where you don’t want accidental changes.

Maintenance Points

If you’re not getting communication, the manual suggests checking:

• Bus cable connections

• Polarity of bus power

• Shield grounding (single point)

• Bus power: should be 9-32V

• Noise levels on the bus (specs are detailed: peak-to-peak limits at different frequency ranges)

• Network topology

• Terminal matcher

• Main trunk and branch length

Address conflicts: factory default is a temporary address from 0xF8 to 0xF8. If multiple devices have temporary addresses, some won’t communicate.

If you’re getting reading errors:

• Check for short circuits or open circuits

• Check grounding

• Check terminals for moisture

• Check cable routing (keep away from EMI sources)

• Check function block configuration

If it still doesn’t work, replace the transmitter.

What This Product Is Good For

Mixed analog-digital installations. You’ve got a FF control system but you’re not ready to replace all your analog transmitters. Drop an IF105 in, wire up to four analog devices, and they show up on the fieldbus as FF devices.

Retrofit projects. Older plants often have a mix of analog and digital equipment. The IF105 brings analog signals into the FF world without requiring new wiring or new instruments.

Phased migrations. Move to fieldbus one area at a time. The IF105 lets you keep analog equipment online while building out the FF infrastructure. When you eventually replace the analog devices with FF versions, you can repurpose the IF105 elsewhere.

Multi-channel input. Four channels per unit. One converter handles up to four analog transmitters. That’s useful for panel installations or skid-mounted equipment where space is limited.

About Microcyber

Microcyber Corporation was founded by the Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The company developed the first domestically certified fieldbus protocol stack and the first TÜV Germany-certified safety instrument in China. They co-created the EPA and WIA-PA standards, both now IEC international standards. Their products are used in over 200 large-scale automation projects globally and are adopted by companies including Emerson, Rotork, and Bifold. ISO 9001 and ISO/TS16949 certified.

If you need a reliable converter to bring analog signals into a FOUNDATION Fieldbus network, the IF105 is a straightforward, proven solution.

Ordering Info

Available options:

• LCD display (6-digit numeric + 5-character LCD)

• Display configuration via function block parameters

Mounting accessories:

• Pipe mounting flat bracket

• Plate mounting angle bracket

• Pipe mounting angle bracket

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Download User Manual (V2.0)