Chapter 2. CPU Features & Specifications
GFK-2222AD
April 2018
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Field Agent
The Embedded Field Agent (EFA) port on the underside of CPE400 (Figure 3) is an Ethernet port dedicated
to the Field Agent functionality.
Figure 5 shows a typical Field Agent application, in which the role of the CPE400 Embedded Field Agent
(EFA) is to gather data locally, then securely transfer selected data to the Predix Cloud via the EFA port.
The PACSystems RX3i maintains control over the remaining Ethernet ports on the CPE400, as well as its
serial port. Data from the local environment, obtained via any of these ports, can be manipulated by the
RX3i PLC and tagged for use in the Field Control application.
The remote user with an acceptable security profile can then access data in the cloud from multiple
installations, aggregate selected data and make decisions based on the bigger picture. For instance, the
CPE400 could be installed in a control system monitoring a single wind turbine. The remote user might
be monitoring several hundred such turbines. With a suitable dashboard-style application on his
computer, the remote user could identify turbines that need to come offline for maintenance, or turbines
whose power generation output could be enhanced or retarded to fit demand.
Figure 5: Typical Field Agent Application
