ABB has released the 2013 version of the Freelance decentralized process control system. The most obvious new feature of Freelance version 2013 is the newly developed AC 900F controller, which expands the portfolio of controllers available for Freelance with higher communication speeds, more memory for process data and higher processor performance. It is compatible with the existing controllers and configurations with a few exceptions, such as Foundation Fieldbus, and can run without restrictions.

The AC 900F has four built-in Ethernet and two serial ports that support both Modbus TCP and IEC 60870-5-104 remote control protocols on Ethernet. A Profibus master module includes line redundancy, enabling high availability without risk of failure. A single AC-900F controller supports up to 1500 I/O and up to ten direct I/O modules. The AC 900F supports the import of updates and configurations as well as backing up the project configuration via an SD card. In the 2013 Freelance version, the engineering tool has also been further developed for an optimized planning process. This software can be used to configure the system. This software is compatible with all previous versions of the Freelance hardware.