英文原版为前面余辉发表，应广大朋友要求，将其翻译成中文，如有纰漏，请指正。（这些问题提出比较早，在1999年前，所以里面很多问题的回答现在看来有点不合实际）

什么是现场总线基金会？
现场总线基金会一个由处于全球领导定位的控制和仪表供应商共同组建的组织。其目的是加速独立、开放、互操作的现场总线规范的开发进度和被业界所接受，以及为需要使用该总线的自动化厂商提供相关硬件和软件技术。
What is the Fieldbus Foundation?
The Fieldbus Foundation is a consortium of leading controls and instrumentation suppliers throughout the world. Its purpose is to accelerate development and acceptance of a single, open, interoperable fieldbus specification, as well as hardware and software technology for companies that wish to implement it in their automation products.
现场总线基金会与其他现场总线有何本质区别？
现场总线基金会通过大量努力来建立一个独立的、国际化和可被接受的协议。本组织会员几乎涵盖了全球所有仪表和控制设备主导厂商和一些主要用户，来确保基金会现场总线（FF）技术在商业上获得成功。
What differentiates the Fieldbus Foundation from other fieldbus initiatives?
The Fieldbus Foundation brings critical mass to the effort to establish a single, internationally acceptable protocol. The organization, which represents nearly all of the major instrumentation and control suppliers worldwide as well as many of the major users, will ensure that its FOUNDATION fieldbus technology will be successful in the marketplace.
什么是基金会现场总线？
基金会现场总线（FF）是一种双向通信协议，用与现场仪表和控制系统之间的通信。
What is FOUNDATION fieldbus?
FOUNDATION fieldbus is a bi-directional communications protocol used for communications among field instrumentation and control systems.
为何具有独特性？
基金会现场总线（FF）是唯一能够满足ISA SP50要求的数字化现场总线协议，也是唯一满足本安相关严格要求的协议，能够用于危险区域、不稳定过程控制和不易调整环境。
与其他协议不同，基金会现场总线为功能块的精确和周期性执行提供控制和通信同步，而不需要通信时间戳的引入。根据时间调度在设备间传输数据来支持功能块调度和报警时间戳的现在检测。功能块的使用支持基本的测量和控制特性，可在不同的厂商设备之间实现这些操作。因此，可以节省操作培训、维护和工程实施的时间。控制工程师能够使用功能块来解决问题，无需了解10到20个厂商提供的不同功能块细节。
Why is it unique?
FOUNDATION fieldbus is the only digital fieldbus protocol developed to meet the ISA"s SP50 requirements, and is the only protocol that meets stringent, mission-critical demands for intrinsic safety and use in hazardous areas, volatile processes and difficult regulatory environments.
Unlike other protocols, FOUNDATION fieldbus provides explicit synchronization of control and communication for precise, periodic execution of control functions without deadtime or jitter introduced by communications. It delivers time distribution to fieldbus devices for support of Function Block scheduling and alarm time-stamping at the point of detection. The use of Function Blocks allows basic features in measurement and control to be consistently implemented in devices from different manufacturers. Thus, the time required for operator training, maintenance and engineering will be reduced. Control engineers will be able to apply Function Blocks to solve problems without becoming experts in using the Function Blocks of 10 or 20 different vendors.
其优势是什么？
支持不同厂商的现场仪表和系统之间互操作，基金会现场总线使用户能灵活添加新设备到现场总线，而不影响当前控制功能函数的运行。可以在不停车的情况下改变工厂操作流程。
基金会现场总线的其他优势还包括减少线缆、单个现场仪表提供多个变量、增强现场级控制、简化集成和维护。总之，现场总线将成为柔性制造、提高生产力和产品质量、改进生产流程的关键要素。
What are its benefits?
By enabling digital interoperability among field instruments and systems from a variety of companies, FOUNDATION fieldbus offers users the flexibility to add new devices with the confidence that active control functions on the fieldbus will not be disrupted. Changes to improve plant operation can be made without waiting for a scheduled plant shutdown.
Other benefits of FOUNDATION fieldbus include reduced wiring, multi-variables from a single field instrument, enhanced field-level control, simpler integration and easier maintenance. Ultimately, fieldbus will be the key to greater manufacturing flexibility and productivity, higher quality products, and improved regulatory compliance.
现场总线互操作如何定义？
互操作指能够在现场总线网络上增加仪表，仪表间能互相通信且能够被控制系统统一管理。用户能够通过一个操作接口操作整个工厂，同时能够通过一个维护应用软件来维护所有设备。基金会现场总线协议和其应用软件为不同厂商间的现场设备和主机应用软件之间互操作提供了唯一的解决方案。
How is interoperability defined in relation to fieldbus?
Interoperabilit