AMETEK Drexelbrook has announced significant enhancements to its Universal V product family, bringing the platform in line with evolving industry standards for digital communication, fault diagnostics, and device configuration. The Universal V now supports HART® 7 communications, NAMUR NE43 diagnostic signaling, and integration with PACTware™ through FDI Device Packages — three upgrades that collectively strengthen the transmitter's position in modern process control environments.
What Is the Universal V?
The Universal V is the fifth generation of Drexelbrook's RF admittance and capacitance continuous level measurement system, built on more than five decades of field-proven experience. It is available in two models. The Pro model uses Drexelbrook's patented Cote-Shield™ technology to reject the effects of conductive coatings on the sensing probe, making it suitable for the toughest applications involving sticky, viscous, or coating-prone materials. The Lite model is an entry-level RF capacitance option designed for cleaner, non-coating applications where Cote-Shield™ is unnecessary.
Both models operate as two-wire, 4–20 mA loop-powered transmitters with measurement spans from one inch to 800 feet and no dead zones. The platform handles process temperatures from cryogenic ranges up to 1000°F and pressures from full vacuum to 10,000 PSI. Over 125 probe types are available, and the Universal V maintains backward compatibility with earlier Drexelbrook systems, including the Universal IV, Universal III, and RCT Series — existing probes can stay in the tank during an upgrade. Hazardous area approvals include FM, FMc, ATEX, and IECEx, with SIL 2 safety integrity (SIL 3 in redundant configurations). Built-in AutoVerify™ continuous self-testing and Manual Certify™ validation round out the core feature set.
HART® 7 Communications
HART (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer) is one of the most widely deployed digital communication protocols in the process industries. While earlier HART versions have been the backbone of smart instrument communication for decades, HART 7 introduced several meaningful advances.
HART 7 expanded support from four to eight process variables in a single message, reflecting the growing trend toward multivariable field devices. It also introduced time-stamped data for process variables, diagnostics, and configuration change events — supporting better forensic analysis when something goes wrong. Report-by-exception and automatic event notification reduce unnecessary polling traffic, and per-variable status indications give control systems more granular insight into data quality.
For Universal V users, this means richer diagnostic data flowing back to the control room, more efficient communication, and better compatibility with modern asset management platforms.
NAMUR NE43 Diagnostics
NAMUR NE43 is a widely adopted recommendation from NAMUR (the German-based User Association of Automation Technology in Process Industries) that standardizes fault signaling for 4–20 mA analog transmitters. Its purpose is straightforward but critical: it lets PLCs and DCS systems reliably distinguish a valid process measurement from an instrument fault.
Under NE43, the normal measurement range extends from 3.8 mA to 20.5 mA, providing headroom beyond the standard 4–20 mA span for legitimate overrange and underrange conditions. When the current drops to 3.6 mA or below, the system interprets it as a low-side fault — typically a cable break or sensor failure. A signal at 21 mA or above indicates a high-side fault such as a short circuit or serious device malfunction.
Without standardized fault signaling, a failed transmitter could be misread as a valid process value, potentially leading to unsafe conditions or costly process upsets. Incorporating NAMUR NE43 into the Universal V gives plant operators an industry-recognized method for detecting instrument faults at the analog signal level — complementing the digital diagnostics available through HART.
PACTware™ FDI Integration
PACTware is a manufacturer- and fieldbus-independent software tool that has served as a mainstay of field device configuration for more than two decades. Traditionally, it relied on DTMs (Device Type Managers) built to the FDT specification to communicate with individual instruments. With version 6.1, PACTware added support for FDI (Field Device Integration) Device Packages, creating a unified environment that works with both FDT/DTM and FDI technologies in a single application.
FDI Device Packages offer advanced device health reporting aligned with NAMUR NE107, HTML5-based user interfaces, offline configuration, and built-in access to device documentation. For the Universal V, FDI integration through PACTware means engineers and technicians can configure, monitor, and troubleshoot the transmitter using open-standard tools without proprietary software — a meaningful step toward easier interoperability in multi-vendor environments.
New England Support Through Piping Specialties, Inc. / PSI Controls
For facilities and engineering teams throughout New England, Piping Specialties, Inc. and its PSI Controls division provide local support for Drexelbrook. Founded in 1975 and headquartered in Portland, Maine, with an additional office in Danvers, Massachusetts, PSI Controls serves as the New England representative for AMETEK Drexelbrook — providing application engineering, product selection, and technical service for the full range of Drexelbrook level measurement technologies, including the enhanced Universal V.
What This Means for End Users
Together, these enhancements make the Universal V a more capable and easier-to-integrate instrument. HART 7 delivers richer, time-stamped process data. NAMUR NE43 provides standardized fault detection at the analog signal level. PACTware FDI opens the door to vendor-neutral device management. For plants running RF admittance level measurement in demanding applications — from chemical processing and oil refining to water treatment and food production — the updated Universal V offers a clear path to better diagnostics, safer operations, and simpler maintenance.
