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PEPPERL+FUCHS PROCESS AUTOMATION
WirelessHART™: From Technology to Products
NAMUR and the HART Communication Foundation have conducted a field test at the BASF plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany, which has been actively supported by Pepperl+Fuchs. WirelessHART was proven to be a sustainable technology that can be used in mobile and flexible applications.
The NAMUR recommendation NE124 defines the requirement for wireless communication in process automation. One of the stipulations is an open and interoperable standard that is supported by many vendors. Today, products based on only one standard – WirelessHART – are available. In order to seamlessly operate the network, all WirelessHART devices must be compatible and interoperable with each other. To ensure this, the HART Communication Foundation (HCF), NAMUR, and BASF teamed up with the leading manufacturers of WirelessHART products, including Pepperl+Fuchs, for a field test. With the help of BASF, NAMUR examined WirelessHART in terms of NE124. Pepperl+Fuchs took part in the field test with the WirelessHART Gateway and the WirelessHART Temperature Converter. The cooperation partner, Endress+Hauser, provided the WirelessHART Adapter, which will also be offered by Pepperl+Fuchs.
The results of the field test were positive, but also revealed areas for improvement. The wireless communication and the security mechanisms proved to be extremely robust. However, there was some negative feedback regarding complete field device integration and plurality of battery solutions. As an improvement, BASF and NAMUR proposed a reduction in the amount of key performance indicators to enable easy network diagnostics instead of relying on vast amounts of statistics. Furthermore, the progress to eliminate all negative aspects is moving ahead at full speed.
Pepperl+Fuchs sees the result quite positively. The core technology is established, and the wireless communication between devices of different vendors works well. Therefore, there is no fundamental obstacle that would hinder the use of WirelessHART. HOST integration has to be improved, but can be realized today as Pepperl+Fuchs offers all necessary DTM and DD versions.
As a specialist in communication infrastructure, Pepperl+Fuchs offers three different WirelessHART devices: The WirelessHART Gateway is the central access point and manages the wireless network. Furthermore, it forms the interface to different wired bus systems. On the field device side the WirelessHART Temperature Converter for local temperature measurement and the WirelessHART Adapter for upgrading any 4…20 mA or HART capable field device are available.
The results of the field test were positive, but also revealed areas for improvement. The wireless communication and the security mechanisms proved to be extremely robust. However, there was some negative feedback regarding complete field device integration and plurality of battery solutions. As an improvement, BASF and NAMUR proposed a reduction in the amount of key performance indicators to enable easy network diagnostics instead of relying on vast amounts of statistics. Furthermore, the progress to eliminate all negative aspects is moving ahead at full speed.
Pepperl+Fuchs sees the result quite positively. The core technology is established, and the wireless communication between devices of different vendors works well. Therefore, there is no fundamental obstacle that would hinder the use of WirelessHART. HOST integration has to be improved, but can be realized today as Pepperl+Fuchs offers all necessary DTM and DD versions.
As a specialist in communication infrastructure, Pepperl+Fuchs offers three different WirelessHART devices: The WirelessHART Gateway is the central access point and manages the wireless network. Furthermore, it forms the interface to different wired bus systems. On the field device side the WirelessHART Temperature Converter for local temperature measurement and the WirelessHART Adapter for upgrading any 4…20 mA or HART capable field device are available.
