Wireless Technologies Sponsored by
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Wireless Technologies Sponsored by |
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Thanks to Emerson
Process Management for the following links;
Emerson's PlantWeb University now includes a wireless
curriculum
- This is a fantastic resource.
Wireless Widens the View - Jonas Berge - A wider window into the plant is now possible as previously "difficult to access" field data becomes easier to collect and transmit with the latest wireless technology. The practical and economical barriers to collecting more information from the plant floor and surrounding areas have been dramatically lowered by the emergence of reliable wireless field communications systems. The technology of transmitting information from stand-alone instruments can be put to use today, even in plants with legacy control systems. Information that was previously difficult or impossible to access in the past is now easily collected and transmitted from wireless devices to the plant control system.
Wireless Technology & Best Practices to Reduce Project Costs - Mark Menezes - Benefi ts of wireless seem obvious – “no wires”. Despite this, fewer than 1% of installed measurements in process plants and mills are wireless. Fortunately, real and perceived obstacles to wireless deployment are being overcome with improved technology, most recently the “self organising network”. Other obstacles are not based on technology, but on the lack of security, standards, and consensus on appropriate applications, so are best addressed with a discussion around “best practices”. Users can now consider adding measurements previously impossible to cost-justify, improving safety, reliability, efficiency and environmental compliance.
Asset Management Leverages Smart Wireless Devices - Laura Briggs/Joseph Citrano III - Smart Wireless Devices generate diagnostics that extend the value of asset management systems.
10.09
Wireless
Networking in Plant -Dick Caro - The advantages of a mesh network
are redundancy, increased total distance, and removal of the line-of-sight
restriction. The reduced cost of Ethernet-based networks is driving this fast,
low-level, and low-cost technology to the field and shop floor. Another Ethernet
side effect is the application of wireless technology in the Wi-Fi group of
wireless protocols. Wi-Fi is essentially wireless Ethernet. Any higher-level
application layer and user layer can communicate via Wi-Fi at data rates up to
600 Mbps, without knowledge of the fact that it is on a radio link. From the ISA
and InTech.
Wireless:
The Golden Age of Asset Management - Peter Zornio
discusses the advancement of standards based
field wireless technology.
Deploying
Industrial Wireless Solutions - Wireless technology has not been widely
adopted for in-plant applications. Concerns about reliability, security, and
battery life of wireless devices have slowed adoption of wireless options even
where traditional wired solutions were cost-prohibitive or operationally
difficult. That's changing as improvements in wireless technology address these
concerns.
Self-Organizing
Networks: Wireless Topologies for In-Plant Applications
-The topography of a wireless network is simply the way network components
are arranged. It describes the physical layout of devices, routers,
and gateways, as well as the data flow paths between them. Three
of the most common wireless topologies for in-plant applications are star,
mesh, and cluster-tree. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses
of each, you can determine which topology is best for your specific
application.
Wireless
Technology Is Ready For Industrial Use
-Thanks to Maintenance Technology and our sponsor MooreHawke.
Wireless technology now provides secure, reliable communication for remote
field sites and applications where wires cannot be run for practical or
economic reasons. In this article, Moore Industries Applications Engineer
Gary Mathur, discusses what must be considered when looking at wireless
strategies.
Other Links
6.10
Wireless Security and Standards Are Still Hurdles to Potential Users
-Industrial Wireless Worries: Security and Standards Delay Adoption and User
Affinity- Ian Verhappen - Industrial wireless networks
are the "next big thing" for industrial automation and industrial
networking in particular. However as with all new technology, the adoption rate
often lags both the level of coverage in the press and, of course, the number of
purchase orders that companies developing the technology need to recover their
investment, at least in the short term. Experience has shown that any new
technology in the industrial arena follows the traditional chasm model of early
adopters and major companies that install small-scale pilot plants or test
systems to see how it works and understand the technology. The results of these
small-scale tests then form the basis of corporate standards and practices for
larger-scale rollout and adoption of the new technology. A recent study by ON
World (www.ControlDesign.com/onworld)
confirms that this trend is being repeated for industrial wireless. As a result,
it is unlikely that large-scale adoption of industrial wireless will take place
until the middle of this decade. If the challenges of security and standards are
not addressed, this date likely will move farther into the future - from
Industrial Automation Networks and www.controldesign.com
8.10
Enhancing
Oilfield Operations through Wireless Technology -Ed Morrison
- Advancement in directional drilling technology has changed the way oil and gas
production companies design and manage well locations and associated well site
automation. Multiple wells require multiple production tanks. Environmental
concerns and increasing regulation over hydrocarbon fluids stored in remote
tanks require production companies to redefine or find new ways of automating
wellhead control to prevent tank spills. The next generation of wireless
monitoring and control products provide sophisticated monitoring capabilities
and fail safe networks to address these needs. Whether automating field
locations with a single well, multiple wells or remote facilities, wireless
monitoring and control systems offer many advantages over hard wired systems -
from O&G and OleumTech Corporation.
8.10WirelessHart
Signals a Change at Plants - Gareth Johnston and Alan Munns -
Wireless technology is so much a part of our lives that we use words like
"Blue Tooth" and "WiFi" systems with confidence and
familiarity. So why has it taken so long for industry to take adavantage of the
benefits a wireless connection can offer? - from ABB
7.10
Integrating
Wireless Instrumentation with SCADA Systems can drive Operational Efficiency and
Reduce Deployment Costs - Hany Fouda - The use of
wireless instruments in pipelines and gas production operations has been gaining
momentum over the past few years. Driven by cost cutting measures and the need
to gain more operational visibility to meet regulatory requirements, wireless
instruments eliminate expensive trenching and cabling while providing access to
hard-to-reach areas using self-contained, battery-powered instruments. However,
SCADA engineers and operators are facing the challenge of integrating wireless
instrumentation networks with other communication infrastructure available in
the field. Managing and debugging dispersed wireless networks presents a new
level of complexity to field operators that could deter them from adopting
wireless instrumentation despite the exceptional savings. This
paper looks into the particular ways in which operators can tightly integrate
wireless instrumentation networks with SCADA and realize the full benefits of
such an integrated solution - from Control Microsystems Inc
7.10
ISA100
– THE Standard for Wireless Systems for Industrial Automation -
Wayne W. Manges - The ISA100 committee arose from an uproar from end users who
had tried various wireless offerings available and found them all to be lacking
in some important aspect. The conclusion was that a standards organization was
needed to wade through the hype and arrive at a viable approach to successfully
deploying wireless in the harsh environments familiar to the ISA member
community. The first ISA members to come to the table were from the process
industries (petrochemical, chemical, pharmaceutical, water, wastewater, etc.) so
the first activity to emerge became focused on that marketand is now known as
ISA100.11a. This paper looks at the reasons that the community demanded the
development of the standard, what attributes were important to those early
voices, and what early outcomes are emerging from the committee established. The
concepts established early in the formation of the ISA100 (formerly SP100)
committee still ring true and carry the group forward in producing the group’s
“work products” including technical reports, normative standards, and
guidance documents. The committee established early goals related to
universality, transparency, and “future-proofing”. Today’s committee
carries forward with over 500 members, greater than 10 sub-groups, and many
weekly telephone-enabled conferences - from IDC
7.10
Industrial
Wireless Ethernet Systems: Implications & Applications for the Smart Grid
- Peter L. Fuhr, Ph.D. - Electrical systems worldwide are being
upgraded and/or expanded by the introduction of demand-response systems,
alternative energy sources (wind, solar, etc), and home metering. The net result
is a wide cross-sections of technologies that are intertwined into what is being
called the Smart Grid. Potential applications for industrial wireless ethernet
systems in this arena abound - and will be reviewed - from IDC
7.10
The
Technology behind the ISA100.11a Standard - The ISA100.11a
standard was architected based on end user’s requirements and feedback. This
presentation offers insights into how these requirements are implemented
in the underlying technology foundations.
6.10
The
Wireless Option - Harcros Chemicals Rethinks Its Position on Valve Positioning
- Kurtis Jensen, Kevin Root
& Lloyd Hale - From the outside, a chemical plant may look like a series of
pipes, tanks, and railcars. However, within these plants, there are many valves
that are employed to move liquids throughout the chemical production process.
Some of these valves may be operated manually, which, generally speaking,
increases the chance that they may be left in a position that is unwanted. In
such a scenario, it would be advantageous to have some automated valve
monitoring capability to ensure the appropriate positioning of valves in
real-time. However, the complexity of hard wiring such valves is
cost-prohibitive. Hence, the evolution of industrial wireless systems has opened
up new opportunities for valve positioning applications in the chemical
processing industry - from www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
6.10
Introduction
to Wireless Technology - This video explains how
understanding technology capabilities and application requirements is important
when selecting a wireless technology for your application. You need to consider
three key factors when evaluating wireless technologies: bandwidth, range, and
power requirements. It provides an introduction to Wi-Fi technology based on
IEEE 802.11 and IEEE 802.15.4. Learn the core technology capabilities between
these wireless technologies to help select the right wireless technology for
your application - from National Instruments.
6.10
Selecting
the Right Wireless Technology - Understanding technology
capabilities and application requirements is important when selecting a wireless
technology for your application. The reasons to choose wireless include reduced
installation costs, installation and deployment flexibility, and the ability to
address new applications. Before selecting wireless, you first need to ensure
the bandwidth available with wireless meets your application requirements - -
from National Instruments.
What
a Mesh! Part 1 - The Ins and Outs Of Mesh Networking - Joel
K. Young - The first part of this two-part article discusses the basics: what do
you need to know about wireless mesh networking and what criteria you should use
when assessing a mesh networking technology.
What
a Mesh! Part 2—Networking Architectures and Protocols -
Joel K. Young
- In the second part of this two-part article we tackle
network architectures and compare and contrast point-to-multipoint, ZigBee PRO
(ZigBee 2007), 6LoWPAN, Wireless HART, and Digi Mesh networking protocols,
laying out their key characteristics, benefits, and limitations.
Both parts thanks to sensorsmag.com and
Digi International.
Making
a Smart Wireless Decision - Wireless networks have become an
essential part of communication in the last century. From the internet to mobile
phones, this invisible technology is now one of the world's favourite buzz
words. While consumers and commercial users tend to take immediate advantage of
wireless technologies as they become available, industrial users have
historically been a bit more cautious. This caution is generally due to concerns
related to critical infrastructure security and reliability. However, if the
right wireless solution is chosen, early adoptors of industrial wireless
technology can have the best of both worlds – security and reliability while
leveraging the efficiency and benefits of wireless technology - from Honeywell
Process Solutions and PACE.
Wireless
Devices in the Factory Automation – An Overview of Adoption Trends
Food
and Beverages Industries go Wire Free -Khadambari
Shanbagaraman - An increasing population and growing
consumer demand for packaged foods has forced food and beverages industry to
look at new technologies that provide flexibility, easiness of operation and
constant tracking of the production process. Complete transparency is required
along the production process for assuring consumers health and hygiene. This
demands continuous monitoring and efficient traceability of the entire
production process in the food manufacturing plant. Wireless devices provide
answers to the aforementioned requirements in the Food and Beverages industry-
from Frost & Sullivan.
Radio
Theory De-Mystified - Brian Cunningham -
With increasing demands placed on plant managers to reduce operating costs,
wireless is presenting attractive alternatives to buried cable and conduit runs.
The issue at stake in choosing this alternative is reliability, and trust must
be established before users will confidently invest in this technology. This
paper discusses the different types of radio that are currently in use with a
focus on spread spectrum in process control applications. An explanation of how
a radio works is followed by a discussion of fixed frequency, direct sequence
spread spectrum, frequency hopping spread spectrum and orthogonal frequency
division multiplexing technology. Emerging radio standards are reviewed and
there is a section on how to interpret specifications and how they differentiate
one radio's performance from another. Classes of criticality for wireless
applications will be studied. Range determinations, interference mitigation and
multipath are addressed, along with issues surrounding the multitude of
frequencies in use and the advantages and disadvantages of each - from the Wireless Industrial Networking Alliance.
HART
- The Logical Wireless Solution- The HART objective is
to establish a wireless communication standard for process measurement and
control applications, this page details the present status and huge
potential of this technology.
Why
WirelessHART™? - The Right Standard at the Right Time - This
paper summarises key aspects of WirelessHART, including several of the design
decisions that make it the right choice for wireless process automation.
The Wireless Industrial Networking Alliance (WINA) is a
coalition of industrial end-user companies, technology suppliers, industry
organizations, software developers, system integrators, and others interested in
the advancement of wireless solutions for industry. They have a useful series of
technical
papers covering various Industry Applications.
WINA, the
Wireless Industrial Networking Alliance have launched a new website
- Until now, there has been no single resource that provides
wireless networking information for industrial applications, making
research a challenge for end users because of the fast pace of technology
advances, new applications, and standards. WINA's website opens the lines
of communication for the Association's work on wireless solutions by
industry and by application, and has the capability to keep members of
industry informed about standards developments and upcoming technical
conferences through forums, discussion boards, and webinars.
This Resource Library has some excellent Wireless Technical Information
- Thanks to Millennial Net
Users fear wireless networks for control - Following is an item-by-item rebuttal of plant engineer’s vow: “Critical data will never transmit over a wireless link in my plant.” Fear and loathing on the technology trail - An excellent article From Dick Caro and the ISA/InTech
Wireless reliability in industrial automation - Two key considerations wireless technology and hardware device contribute to building mobile and wireless solutions that transform operations - From Scott Thie and Jeff White and ISA/InTech
Strategic Implementation of Wireless Technologies - The evolution in wireless technologies has opened the door to a new class of plant automation architecture that offers adopters a significant strategic advantage. Driven by substantial and measurable cost savings in engineering, installation, and logistics, as well as dramatic improvements in the frequency and reliability of field data collection, automation experts and IT professionals are presented with an opportunity to deliver a major, positive impact to their respective company’s bottom line - from FreeWave.
In 2008, Wireless a No-Brainer - David Savells and Brent McAdams - Advantages of wireless I/O go far beyond the cost of wiring: Economies of scale, fail safe, flexibility, reliability, diagnostics and low power consumption - Historically, regardless of the industry, hardwiring has been the only option available for users to connect remote instrumentation assets in the field.However, new technology enabling greater use of spread spectrum radios gives companies the ability to connect remote instrumentation in the field without the need for a costly, wired infrastructure - Thanks to ISA/InTech.
Users want Happy Union with Wireless, but Doubts Linger - Patrick Schweitzer - When it comes to wireless technology, the user community wants simplicity, robustness, education to understand this new world, and coexistence among all players to make this the wireless world of our dreams. Yet as wireless picks up momentum in the industrial marketplace, users are still confounded by the potentials and pitfalls a wireless world can bring -Thanks to ISA/InTech.
The following papers have been sourced from Phoenix Contact;
The
Reliability of Spread Spectrum Radio for Monitoring and Control in Industrial
Environments
Antennas
– A Brief Tutorial
Wi-Fi…
Why Now? Exploring New Wireless Technologies for Industrial Applications - Patrick
McCurdy, Phoenix Contact Inc.
Radio Waves - InTech Article
-Davis Mathews
Wireless
communication for tank farm applications - At this refinery,
engineers and technicians researched wireless communication possibilities for
increased efficiency and timer monitoring. They needed to determine whether
reliable data transmission via radio would stand up to an environment with a
high level of EMI, and if the cost of cabling a large area with remote storage
tanks could be reduced or eliminated - from Phoenix Contact.
Oil
and gas processor goes wireless on the LAN -Proper data protection is a
mandatory requirement to ensure PAN communications' security and safety -
While security remains as the major concern in the use of a industrial
WLAN, or wireless local area network, it should be robust following a well
defined standard and meeting the industrial safety and security
regulations including premises protection and detection of rogue nodes
like unauthorized access points (APs)- From InTech and the ISA
The following papers are from MicroStrain;
Wireless
Systems Development for Distributed Machinery - Monitoring and Control -
Anthony J Seman III, Michael E. Donnelly, P.E., Stephen Mastro, Ph.D. - This
paper highlights the programs demonstrating the use of wireless technology for
monitoring and control of shipboard machinery during the past 10 to 15 years at
NAVSEA Philadelphia. This work includes the demonstration and testing of
wireless systems hardware and software, and also the development of suitable
architectures to fold such technologies into an overall ship machinery control
and human interface that is highly functional and affordable.
Wireless
Sensor Networks: Principles and Applications
-Chris Townsend, Steven Arms - Recent advances have resulted in the
ability to integrate sensors, radio communications, and digital electronics into
a single integrated circuit (IC) package. This capability is enabling networks
of very low cost sensors that are able to communicate with each other using low
power wireless data routing protocols. A wireless sensor network (WSN) generally
consists of a basestation (or “gateway”) that can communicate with a number
of wireless sensors via a radio link. Data is collected at the wireless sensor
node, compressed, and transmitted to the gateway directly or, if required, uses
other wireless sensor nodes to forward data to the gateway. The transmitted data
is then presented to the system by the gateway connection. The purpose of this
chapter is to provide a brief technical introduction to wireless sensor networks
and present a few applications in which wireless sensor networks are enabling.
Wireless technical
papers from MicroStrain , including strain gauges with wireless interfaces.
Power
Management for Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensors - The
objective of this work was to demonstrate smart wireless sensing nodes
capable of operation at extremely low power levels.
Frequency Agile Wireless Sensor Networks
- A wireless communications system capable of simultaneous,
high speed data communications from a variety of sensors.
Wireless
Strain Sensing Networks - A wireless communications system capable of
simultaneous, high speed data communications, particularly adapted for use
with conventional foil strain gauges.
Wireless
Strain Measurement Systems - Applications and Solutions - This article
summarizes the development of wireless micro-displacement & strain
sensing systems for medical, civil structural, automotive, and aerospace
structural health monitoring (SHM) applications.
The
Beginner's Guide to Cellular Technology
- The use of cellular technology for industrial
applications is on the rise, but it can be difficult to differentiate between
all of the options, standards, and carriers. Before deciding on a cellular
solution, there are some basics that every system integrator needs to know. This
article thanks to moxa.com covers;
- What 1G, 2G, and 3G really mean
- Understanding CDMA, GSM, GPRS, etc
- Important questions to ask
- How to apply this knowledge
ControlGlobal.com's
Walt Boyes talks wireless with Honeywell's Dave Kaufman, director of
Vibration Energy Harvester-Powered Wireless Condition Monitoring - John Parker - Perpetuum Ltd - This interesting application note describes the steps necessary to design the power supply and energy storage circuit of a wireless condition monitoring sensor node.
This concise Question and Answer Article covers Wireless Advantages, Pitfalls, Best Practices, Wireless Terms, Security, Future, Comparison with Hard Wired Systems, Frequency and Operating Range - from Geof Brazier and BSB Wireless.
Industrial Wireless Networking- In this Industrial Wireless Networking webinar you'll learn all about the latest Wireless technologies in use for Industrial Wireless applications including IEEE 802.11 (Wireless Ethernet) , Bluetooth, and other wireless technologies.
Topologies for Wireless Instrumentation - To set the stage for wireless instrumentation, do you know how to get the signal from instrument to control system? Here’s a nuts-and-bolts guide to orchestrate your options for permanently mounted instrumentation - from Control Engineering.
Network, Organize Thyself - Industrial environments could benefit from reliability of self-organizing wireless networks - Gabe Sierra, Dan Carlson, Bob Karschnia, and Brandon Robinson - When process personnel hear the term wireless instruments, they immediately think, great, no wires. But how do you know if you are receiving good data on time, every time? To go a step further, what are the limitations of self-organizing wireless network reliability, and where should you apply it in a dynamic industrial environment? Can wireless field devices ever be reliable enough for today's complicated industrial environments - from ISA and InTech.
Radio Frequency Identification
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The following references are from our valued sponsor Abhisam
Software - RFID Case Study ebook -This excellent 61 page technical reference has details on 25 different RFID applications from around the world. The password to the document is "abhisam". The world's first FREE RFID e-learning course which is a no obligation , no strings attached, absolutely free RFID course, that can be downloaded to your own PC and you can view it without any restrictions at all! Plus it's a REAL e-learning course, NOT somebody's stale Power-Point presentation! It has plenty of flash based animations, graphics and text, with a self-assessment test. The visuals help you learn key concepts QUICKLY and EASILY. - Technical Paper on How to Achieve FDA Compliance on the Pedigree Requirement -E-learning course on RFID - This course clearly explains RFID technology, how it works, how it is ages ahead of bar coding and how it is applied to various businesses and industries. It includes basic concepts, RFID Physics, RFID Systems, Middleware and Systems, RFID and Applications and RFID Security and Privacy. - M-learning course on RFID - This is a mobile ebook, which you can download to any mobile smart phone that runs Windows Mobile OS, Palm OS , Symbian OS or Blackberry. Alternately a PC version is available- This quiz book contains a set of 30 questions related to RFID technology.The level of difficulty for each question is different. Some are very elementary, whereas others require a better knowledge about RFID technology to answer correctly. |
OTHER LINKS
Converting
serial networks to Ethernet communications - New
communications technologies have emerged that provide high-speed wireless
Ethernet communications to field applications. From InTech and ISA.
RFID-
The Technology and its Potential - An excellent 51 page
document from Interaction Design
Institute Ivrea.
Guidelines
for Securing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Systems- A
154 page technical guideline from the national Institute of Standards and
Technology.
Improving
Plant Production with Wireless Condition Monitoring - Jim Ralston - Machines
may be in remote locations where network infrastructure is not available, or on
moving platforms where hardwired network connectivity is not practical, this
paper highlights that wireless communications is a networking alternative that
offers installation cost savings, quicker deployment and even improved
reliability in certain situations - ProSoft Technology, Inc
Using
Operator Interfaces to Optimize Performance of Industrial Wireless Networks -
The performance of wireless networks can change over time due to increased
performance demands, changes in the radio frequency (RF) environment and changes
in the physical environment. This article explores the use of a wireless
diagnostic OLE for Process Control (OPC) server technology to embed diagnostic
information in human machine interfaces (HMIs), thus optimizing industrial
wireless network performance - ProSoft Technology, Inc
Wireless
Security on the Plant Floor -Wally Gastreich - Wireless
networks can consist of many radio types based on the radio frequency and the
modulation methods. Radios may be required to obtain a license to operate in an
area or be part of the FCC approved unlicensed ISM band. Radio technologies in
the ISM band are most commonly available supporting either “open” or
proprietary standards. It is within the “open” standards such as 802.11
where most security issues are prevalent, this document discusses this - -
ProSoft Technology, Inc
11.09Wireless
Technologies take Personnel Safety in the Process Industries to a New Level
- In modern times the Process Industries have implemented many strategies
to improve the operational safety of plants to protect personnel and the
surrounding environment, to the extent that accidents are thankfully few
and far between. From Extronics.
