Which system involves sensors, logic solvers, and control elements designed to return an industrial process to a safe state after detecting certain conditions?

The correct choice identifies a Safety Instrumented System (SIS) as specifically designed to manage industrial processes in a safe manner. An SIS is engineered to monitor process conditions and take necessary actions to ensure safety when hazardous situations arise. It incorporates sensors that detect dangerous conditions, logic solvers that determine the needed responses, and controlled elements that initiate safe states to protect personnel and equipment.

In industrial environments, maintaining safety is paramount, and the SIS plays a crucial role in mitigating risks associated with equipment failures, human errors, or other hazards. By analyzing real-time data from sensors and executing predetermined safety measures, the SIS can effectively prevent accidents and maintain operational integrity.

The other systems do not possess the same focus on safety. For example, Data Distribution Service facilitates real-time data sharing between systems but does not specifically address safety in industrial processes. Similarly, Controller Area Network serves primarily in automotive and industrial applications for communication among embedded systems but lacks the safety-centric design of an SIS. Modbus, while a communication protocol used in industrial devices, does not inherently include safety mechanisms as part of its function. Therefore, the Safety Instrumented System is distinctive in its dedicated purpose of returning a process to a safe state when hazards are detected.