Managing Automation - October 2007 - (Page 33)

time, were expected by early September. The other major wireless automation standard in the works is the ISA’s 100.11a, also known as SP100. Far broader than the Wireless HART proposed standard, SP100 is expected to support multiple types of devices, including HART, Profibus, and Fieldbus Foundation devices. Unlike Wireless HART, SP100 proposes to address discrete as well as process manufacturing environments and to define wireless plant applications as well as wireless transmission of data. But, like Wireless HART, SP100 is expected to be based on mesh networking technology and to define functions for monitoring and analyzing network health and data qualSP100 proposes to address discrete as well ity. According to Larry Pereira, vice as process manufacturing environments chairman of the 100.11a marketing committee and vice president of marand to define wireless plant applications keting at SensorLogic, Inc., the ISA and wireless transmission of data. proposed wireless standard will initially use a checksum feature, commanagers to automatically collect operational mon in wired networks, to detect whether exdata from wireless gateways and apply busipected messages were, in fact, sent and ness rules to that data, alerting managers when received. While the checksum approach to renetwork performance and data delivery lag. liability and data quality may introduce too While such approaches can help manufacmuch performance overhead to satisfy closed turers improve the reliability of wireless netloop control applications requiring sub-100works and the quality of data they deliver, they millisecond response times, Pereira says, “it are all proprietary. That’s because standards will meet 90% of the reliability requirements of governing wireless automation protocols and manufacturers today.” other technologies — including approaches The SP100 draft is scheduled for managingautomation.com meant to ensure reliability and data quality — a committee vote in October, alare still in the works. Vendors say products though test procedures needed to RELATED ARTICLES: that conform to these emerging standards may confirm that products conform to M2M Speeds Up www.managingautomation.com/sr4 not appear before early 2009. the standard won’t be ready until While that may seem a long time to wait, the first quarter of next year, ISA ofSensicast Systems Inc.: Wireless Sensor Networks the good news is that the two primary orficials say. MORE MESH, LESS GUESS ganizations working on wireless automation In the absence of a finalized wirewww.managingautomation.com/ctw5 standards are both focusing heavily on techless automation standard that adEmber: Wireless Networks nologies and practices that can ensure reliadresses reliability and data qualiFINDING THEIR VOICE bility and data quality. ty, some manufacturers are taking www.managingautomation.com/Ember The HART Communication Foundation, an a go-slow approach to wireless industry consortium, for example, is working plant deployments. COMPANIES MENTIONED: on Wireless HART, part of the upcoming ver“Right now we’re holding off for fiApprion Inc. www.managingautomation.com/Apprion sion 7 release of the HART communication nalization of the standards,” protocol for process manufacturing industries. DuPont’s Morris says. “We want to Banner Engineering Corp. www.managingautomation.com/Banner Wireless HART is built on the 802.15.4 mesh study and understand the differences networking foundation, and it is expected to inbetween SP100 and Wireless HART, Dust Networks, Inc. www.managingautomation.com/Dust clude several features that will let network and we need time to evaluate prodmanagers monitor the performance of wireucts.” DuPont is evaluating wireless Emerson Process Management www.managingautomation.com/Emerson less networks and judge the quality of data automation products from Honeycarried over the network. The Wireless HART well and Emerson, he says. Honeywell www.managingautomation.com/Honeywell proposed standard, for example, provides for Still, Morris says, despite uncerways to monitor both device and current loop tainty over standards and reliabiliInvensys PLC www.managingautomation.com/Invensys signal health and to assess data quality at any ty, the potential of wireless networks given time, based on the health of the wireless is too strong to ignore. “In five years, SensorLogic, Inc. www.managingautomation.com/SensorLogic transport and devices. I believe every plant will have some The Wireless HART specifications, at press wireless,” he predicts. ■ that the message was sent and received. Similarly, sensor vendor Banner Engineering recently introduced SureCross, an industrial wireless networking product built around a star topology, which builds intelligence and bidirectional communication capability into each node, allowing it to check in real time with a central gateway to make sure each message was sent and received. If an expected message is not received, the system automatically sends out alarm messages, Banner Marketing Analyst Kaitlin Carter says. Apprion Inc., a vendor of wireless applications and management software and services, also offers tools that allow wireless network maonline 33 October 2007 http://www.managingautomation.com http://www.managingautomation.com/sr4 http://www.managingautomation.com/ctw5 http://www.managingautomation.com/Ember http://www.managingautomation.com/Apprion http://www.managingautomation.com/Banner http://www.managingautomation.com/Dust http://www.managingautomation.com/Emerson http://www.managingautomation.com/Honeywell http://www.managingautomation.com/Invensys http://www.managingautomation.com/SensorLogic

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - October 2007

Contents Take 1 Mailbox New Selling and Fulfillment Product Leads Plan to Transform Sterling Commerce Comtrol Closes Bizarre Chapter Involving Founder New Omron COO Outlines Four-Part Growth Agenda New Mfg. ‘Czar’ Will Have a Full Plate of Issues Lawson Embraces The Trend of Fewer Upgrades Notes Wanted: A Unified Infrastructure Needed: Greater Reliability Special Report: Innovation: Why Are So Many Coming Up Short? Transforamation: Beating the Odds in Global Supply Industries: Metals: Tracking Carbon Footprints Product Scan Advertiser Index Next

Managing Automation - October 2007

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