Research ArticleControl and communication co-design: Analysis and practice on performance improvement in distributed measurement and control system based on fieldbus and Ethernet

•Issues of improving control performance for NCS in a different perspective were addressed.•DTD in Ethernet-fieldbus hybrid network used in the experimental system was investigated.•Method reducing DTD in PLC or PAC in the presented hybrid network by way of IEC61499 was proposed.•Cascade Smith predictive control with BPNN-based identification to reduce DTD was proposed.

In this paper, improving control performance of a networked control system by reducing DTD in a different perspective was investigated. Two different network architectures for system implementation were presented. Analysis and improvement dealing with DTD for the experimental control system were expounded. Effects of control scheme configuration on DTD in the form of FB were investigated and corresponding improvements by reallocation of FB and re-arrangement of schedule table are proposed. Issues of DTD in hybrid network were investigated and corresponding approaches to improve performance including (1) reducing DTD in PLC or PAC by way of IEC61499 and (2) cascade Smith predictive control with BPNN-based identification were proposed and investigated. Control effects under the proposed methodologies were also given. Experimental and field practices validated these methodologies.