Glossary · Electrical engineering and control panels
Marshalling cabinet
Also known as: Marshalling panel, Cross-wiring cabinet
German: Rangierschrank
In process automation, a marshalling cabinet is an enclosure in which field cables are terminated and cross-wired (marshalled) to the I/O modules of the control system, decoupling the field cable order from the I/O channel assignment.
- Control panels
- Process industry
In one sentence
A marshalling cabinet cross-wires field cables to control system I/O, decoupling field cabling from I/O channel assignment.
Example
Multicore cables from the field junction boxes land on terminals in the marshalling cabinet, where cross-wiring connects each signal to its assigned DCS I/O channel.
How it applies
- Engineering: Marshalling allows field installation and control system engineering to proceed independently, but adds terminals and wiring. Configurable I/O technologies, in which channel types are set in software, reduce the need for cross-wiring.
- Commissioning: Loop checks run from the field device through junction box and marshalling to the I/O channel. Errors in cross-wiring are a frequent finding.
- Documentation: Marshalling cabinets depend entirely on accurate terminal plans and cross-wiring lists. Changes must be updated in the drawings immediately; outdated marshalling documentation is a serious maintenance risk.
Marshalling cabinet vs. system cabinet
The marshalling cabinet holds field terminals and cross-wiring. The system cabinet holds controllers and I/O modules. In smaller installations both may be combined.