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Bulletproof
Machine Design, October 2008
By Vishal Kakkad, Lantronix
No question that interest in wireless technology is on the rise, even for industrial uses. Experts predict the worldwide market for wireless devices in discrete manufacturing will grow 16% annually over the next five years. But the security of these networks is a mounting concern. Here’s how to keep hackers out of your industrial wireless networks.
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What a Mesh! Part 1—The Ins and Outs Of Mesh Networking
Sensors, November 2008
By Joel K. Young, Digi International
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.
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Designing Smart Energy Devices
Sensors, November 2008
By Skip Ashton, Ember
Article explains what the ZigBee SE profile is, how it accelerates engineering design, and what issues engineers need to consider when designing HAN products based on the ZigBee SE profile.
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RF instruments challenge PXI versatility
Test & Measurement World, November 2008
By Richard A. Quinnell
One of the most dynamic applications for PXI is its use in the testing of complex, high-bandwidth RF applications. Multi-module RF instruments could limit PXI’s versatility.
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Taking the IP Route
Control Engineering Asia, November 2008
By Madanmohan Rao
The push to extend wireless networking is making strides, thanks to moves in the IP networking and ZigBee space. A consortium of suppliers, the IP for Smart Objects (IPSO) Alliance, is pushing the wireless networking drive to small devices.
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Ask the question: making a strategic wireless decision
Process On-Line, November 2008
By Jeff Becker
The decision to implement wireless technology in an industrial facility is a strategic choice. So how can industrial plants truly begin to make sense of this new wireless world and choose which wireless solution (if any) is the right one for them? The answer can be found by asking the right questions.
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Instrumentation Moves from the Lab to the Factory Floor
Design News, November 2008
By Randy Frank
Portable. Battery-powered. Wireless. While these terms usually describe the latest consumer products, they are the enablers for taking laboratory-grade instrumentation into the factory.
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The next generation: Self-powered wireless sensor networks
Industrial Embedded Systems, November 2008
By Cees Links, Greenpeak
Wireless sensor network technology is moving forward by using less power, precluding the need to replace batteries, and enabling the use of energy harvesting.
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Wireless Starts to Mesh
Chemical Processing, November 2008
By C. Kenna Amos
Wireless use in the process industries has gone from wireless instrumentation to include enterprise-wide wireless solutions such as mobile operator, asset tracking, maintenance management, video and VoIP [voice over Internet protocol] telephony.
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Asset management leverages smart wireless devices
Plant Engineering, November 2008
By Laura Briggs and Joseph Citrano III, Emerson Process Management
Wireless field instruments produce device and advanced diagnostics, both of which offer operational and financial benefits to the end user. However, a means is needed to manage the intelligence they impart about their own health, and that of the equipment they are monitoring.
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Stranded Data: Wireless is the Key
Automation World, October 2008
By Wes Iversen
New wireless devices are emerging that can gather and report back on information that was previously stuck out in the field—promising savings for manufacturers
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Energy Harvesting—The Next Evolution for Wireless Sensors
Sensors, October 2008
By Troy Tanner, AdaptivEnergy LLC
As the power requirements of electronics decrease and the power output of energy-harvesting devices increases, the convergence of these trends makes wireless sensors an ideal application for energy harvesting.
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Automation Insights Network
By Rick Zabel, Publisher
Automation Insights Network is a select group of controls and automation professionals who agree to help us cover news, emerging trends and technologies on various automation topics. Every two months, we will ask people in the Network to share their observations, knowledge and expertise with us. We take that information, distill it, and pass it on to our reporters and editors for use in future stories.
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The Business of Wireless
Control Engineering Asia, September 2008
By Madanmohan Rao
With increasing investment by big players and more momentum in wireless standards, the business case for wire-free industrial solutions is becoming clearer.
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Wireless Condition Monitoring Arrives (and Just in Time)
Power Engineering, September 2008
By Harry Forbes, ARC Advisory Group
While wireless field transmitters for process measurement have been on the market for several years now, equipment condition monitoring systems have used wireless sensing only sparingly. New technology has been recently introduced with implications are for the power generation industry.
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Wireless choices for a new generation
Plant Engineering, September 2008
By Mike Bradley, Apprion
As the list of wireless applications grows, so does the list of wireless devices and systems that support these applications. The choices you make today will limit your options in managing your future as new wireless technologies become available.
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System redundancy with WirelessHART
Plant Engineering, September 2008
By HART Communication Foundation
Wireless systems can provide redundancy to help prevent data loss. In the case of WirelessHART, redundancy is available at all levels of the network system.
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Open-source radio technology: Now available for process engineering
Plant Engineering, September 2008
By Gerrit Lohmann and Robert Schosker, Pepperl+Fuchs
WirelessHART provides the necessary step from proprietary solutions to an overall standard in process technology, which enables the use of radio technology without system breakdown.
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Will Wireless Replace Fieldbus?
Control, September 2008
By John Rezabek
Until we retire a generation of plant operators, I’m betting that hardwired instruments are going to be around.
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Wireless in Manufacturing 1: No Clear Infrastructure Winner
Managing Automation, September 2008
By Lauren Gibbons Paul
Despite the emergence of standards such as ISA100 for process industries, a unified wireless infrastructure for all types of manufacturing isn't happening any time soon. Manufacturers that want to take advantage of emerging wireless applications must cope with a variety of wireless infrastructure platforms, from cellular, to wireless LAN, to WiMAX. Registration required.
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Wireless in Manufacturing 2: Wireless Apps Take Wing
Managing Automation, September 2008
By Stephanie Neil
Now that industrial wireless networks are more reliable and secure, manufacturers are finding new applications and new ways to work. Registration required.
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Wireless in Manufacturing 3: The Human Side of Wireless
Managing Automation, September 2008
By Stephanie Neil
The key tool for getting information to a person, regardless of where that person is located in the plant, is wireless technology, be it RFID, sensor-based networks, or WiFi. Registration required.
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Five Questions to Ask When Designing an M2M System
Sensors, September 2008
By Daniel Collins, Jasper Wireless
Currently, millions of machines communicate with each other without human intervention and that number is set to grow. If you're designing an M2M system, here are five questions to ask yourself to ensure a successful outcome.
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ISA - Change the name to represent the industry
By Rick Zabel, Automation.com
The proposed name change of ISA (to "International Society of Automation") is up for a vote again during ISA Expo in Houston, October 14-16, 2008. Last year, the change was voted down, but I have yet to hear a compelling argument against the change. And there are many reasons for the change. If ISA is truly the global society of automation professionals, then its name should reflect its cause. It's time for a change!
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PROFIBUS hits new highs, PROFINET to follow?
By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor
This year's PTO General Assembly Meeting again was attended by an enthusiastic group of users, suppliers, and distributors that apply PROFIBUS and PROFINET technology. Michael Bryant, Executive Director, was master of ceremonies and forecasted PROFINET will be the leading Ethernet Technology for automation applications.
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Asset Tracking in Industrial Settings—A Review of Wireless Technologies
Sensors, August 2008
By Peter Fuhr, Apprion
Part 3: RSSI-, RuBee-, and UWB-Based Systems. Most wireless technologies are nowhere near the point of offering plug-and-play operation. Before you decide to use RSSI, RuBee, or UWB in a RTLS, make sure you know what you’re signing up for.
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Automating Pipeline Integrity Monitoring
Sensors, August 2008
By Colin Lippincott, FreeWave Technologies Inc.
Cathodic protection devices have been used for decades to monitor steel pipes for corrosion. A new family of radios is designed to automate this process, connecting directly to the corrosion monitoring system.
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A Practical Guide to Battery Technologies for Wireless Sensor Networking
Sensors, August 2008
By Joel Young, Digi International Inc.
Choosing the right battery can determine the success or failure of a wireless sensor networking project. Here's a quick rundown of battery technologies to help you choose wisely.
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Where are your assets?
Plant Services, August 2008
By David Berger
Most CMMS vendors have added fields and functionality to better collect GPS coordinates, as well as to integrate with the more popular GIS systems such as ESRI and Intergraph. This is especially valuable for CMMS users who work with a large and widespread asset base, such as utilities and pipeline companies, or where assets are constantly moving.
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Torque Telemetry Goes Digital
Machine Design, August 2008
By Brian Duffy and Chris Novak, Honeywell Sensing and Control
If you haven’t taken a good look lately at torque-measurement technology, it may surprise you. Digital RF technology leads the way to more accurate noncontact measurement of torque.
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Wireless Level Monitoring
Control Engineering, August 2008
Better inventory measurements, higher efficiency and safety, and environmental compliance are among results from three wireless level monitoring implementations.
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Demystifying ZigBee and its Application
Control Engineering, August 2008
By John Schwartz, Digi International
Recently, a lot of attention has been given to 802.15.4 and ZigBee, but there is still some ambiguity as to what is different about them and what kind of networks or systems would benefit from these particular protocols.
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Controlling portable devices with FPGAs
Industrial Embedded Systems, July 2008
By Gary Sugita, Actel Corporation
As portable devices become increasingly feature rich, the task of managing and controlling various features within the device becomes more complex. Semiconductor vendors are giving designers a new breed of low-power FPGAs that can take on the complex task of interfacing and controlling a variety of HMI and miniature motor control functions.
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Think Things Are Small Now?
Control, August 2008
By Jeffrey R. Harrow, The Harrow Group
What might it mean to automation if virtually every sub-component in a machine or system could participate in a mesh network, within every device, to report its condition and allow it to tune its function based on the other sub-components around it?
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Not Playing Nice
Control, August 2008
By Walt Boyes
The ISA100 standard will not be an inclusive one. It will be unable to interoperate with WirelessHART and Zigbee, even though it uses the exact same radios. If you were waiting for the ISA standard to make everything right, you might as well stop. It isn’t going to happen. Not any time soon.
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The best Ethernet may be coming
InTech, August 2008
By Patrick McCurdy, Ira Sharp, and Nicholas Sheble
Advances in security, data transmission reliability, and environmental packaging have readied wireless Ethernet for demanding industrial applications.
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Wireless HART Signals a Change in Plants
Process Industry Informer, July/Aug 2008
By Gareth Johnston and Alan Munns, ABB
HART 7 gives plants a real incentive to consider wireless. Article examines the advantages and typical applications of a wireless instrument network, whether now is the right time to consider a wireless project, and how a WirelessHART instrument network works.
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Square One
Industrial Networking, Summer 2008
The old “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” mantra still holds. So, even though many devices will likely bust and fail soon, and despite all the hype and node growth surrounding fieldbuses, Ethernet and now wireless, it’s still no surprise to find that a significant majority of all installed control and automation systems still rely on point-to-point hardwiring.
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Wireless HART’s Price Point
Industrial Networking, Summer 2008
By John Rezabek
The HART Foundation recently approved a standard for wireless HART, and one of the benefits for end users is the ability to “access stranded diagnostics.” But what about the old-school method for extracting HART diagnostics, the HART mux?
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Signal Variables Shape Wireless
Industrial Networking, Summer 2008
By Don Talend
infrastructure hardware and transmission frequency depend largely on transmission speed, amount of data, distance and obstructions.
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State of Manufacturing & Automation in the U.S. Looks Good
Could it be that high fuel prices, the weak dollar and crises in the U.S. manufacturing industry are creating opportunities? Andy Chatha of ARC Advisory Group thinks so. He says the U.S. industry has suddenly become competitive on the world market, and companies are no longer moving operations overseas. Instead, many are expanding their facilities, and he predicts a boom in automation right here in the U.S.
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Asset Tracking in Industrial Settings—A Review of Wireless Technologies Part 2
Sensors, July 2008
By: Peter Fuhr, Apprion
Radio-frequency identification (RFID), GPS, and chirped frequency wireless are part of the technologies that can enable industrial real-time location systems (RTLS). Each has its own strengths, weaknesses, and unique infrastructure requirements.
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Smart-but-Simple Wireless Sensor Networking
IEN, July 2008
The term smart-but-simple refers to a new generation of wireless sensor networking (WSN) products. Today, WSNs are gaining acceptance in a wide variety of industrial applications ranging from tank level to motor vibration to relief valve monitoring.
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Breaking rocks intelligently: instrumentation and control trends in quarrying
South Africa Instrumentation & Control, July 2008
By Andrew Ashton
Technologies like wireless, GPS, laser and radar technology are becoming par for the course in quarrying.
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Honeywell 2008 Users Group - Heroes Gather in Phoenix
By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor
The 33rd annual Honeywell Users Group Conference was held June 15 - 19, 2008 at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, AZ with over 700 customers in attendance. According to Honeywell Vice President/General Manager, "The conferences super hero theme, Power to Perform, highlights the heroic efforts of process industry professionals to perform well despite rising costs and resource constraints."
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Tridium Niagara Summit Attendance Increases 52%!
By Bill Lydon - Contributing Editor
The Tridium 2008 Tridium Niagara Summit titled, "Carry the Vision Forward", was held at the Saddlebrook Resort, Wesley Chapel, Florida May 4-6, 2008 with a record number of attendees and sponsors with 667 in attendance and 50 sponsors participating in the event.
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Better Manage Your Business, Your Plant
Control, June 2008
In-plant wireless technology isn’t just about communicating and integrating process information flows. It’s also about enabling a broad range of business and plant management applications - some well-defined and already at work, and some as yet to be imagined.
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Think Beyond the Wire
Control, June 2008
Wireless technology is not a complete replacement for wires, at least not for a while. But it is already enabling new tools that give you the freedom to solve problems you could not address cost-effectively in the purely wired world. The possibilities are limitless.
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Boost Your Workforce Productivity
Control, June 2008
When it comes to enhancing overall workforce productivity, wireless technology delivers in another important way. Upfront, wireless can slash the time and effort necessary to add a new measurement point or integrate a formerly isolated PLC or tank farm.
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Don't judge a supplier by its name
By Frank Hurtte, Contributing Author.
For those of us who live and breathe the rarified vapors of technology based automation, it's pretty hard to fathom how life existed without electronic automation. Yet, it has been a short 30 years since the venerable PLC became anything more than a novelty outside of the Big 3 in Detroit. Sometime in the late 1970s, microprocessors changed our lives forever. Since those early days, the power of these tiny chips forever changed the way we think about manufacturing.
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Go mobile to improve your CMMS system
Plant Engineering and Maintenance, May 2008
By Kris Bagadia
Mobile computing offers a proven strategy for efficiently populating data into a CMMS system. Many maintenance departments have adopted mobile technology to collect data. Rather than sending skilled technicians out in the field with a clipboard, they're given mobile devices with a full list of their work orders, detailed job plans and asset histories—readily available at their fingertips.
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Wireless transmits technology to new frontiers
Plant Engineering, May 2008
By Darvin Kaelberer, Banner Engineering
Recent innovations in radio transmission make wireless a rugged, reliable solution for demanding applications.
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Regional Manufacturing Expos Prove Most Valuable
By Thomas R. Cutler
Deciding which conferences, webinars, and expos are worthwhile for manufacturing engineers and buyers to attend often feels like a dangerous yellow brick road, never knowing quite what to expect.
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Industrial Networks - Plethora of Choices
By Jim Pinto
Companies have lots of choices for installing and using industrial networks. They have to choose not only what's available today, but also be aware of emerging standards. It's important to have a strategy going forward.
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Enabling seamless WiMAX fabric
Test & Measurement World, May 2008
By Ron Wilson and Rick Nelson
WiMAX stands poised to extend coverage in PC networking and mobile phone communications as semiconductor makers roll out WiMAX chipsets and as test-equipment vendors offer the lab instrumentation and production ATE systems necessary to test the chipsets and the products they populate.
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6 Key Mobile Adoption Drivers for the Chem Processing Industry
Chem.Info, May 2008
By Joe Granda, Syclo
Leading-edge organizations that have adopted mobile technology as a best practice are realizing a new level of efficiency, which is reflected in their operations and on their bottom line. Author outlines the six main benefits of mobile technology in chem. processing.
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Make the most of WirelessHART
Chemical Processing, May 2008
By Gareth Johnston and Alan Munns, ABB
HART 7 gives plants a real incentive to consider wireless. Authors examine the advantages and typical applications of a wireless instrument network, whether now is the right time to consider a wireless project, and how a WirelessHART instrument network works.
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M2M: Moving Towards Mainstream
Industrial Automation Asia, May 2008
By Augustine Quek
M2M most commonly refers to Machine-to-Machine but has sometimes been referred to as Man-to-Machine, Machine-to-Man, Machine-to-Mobile and Mobile-to-Machine. M2M also means Mobile-to-Mobile for wireless telemetry or telemetric technologies. M2M technologies continue to find new applications with ever expanding markets.
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Wireless Sensor Networks for Building Automation
Industrial Embedded Systems, May 2008
By Rainer Wischinski, Spinwave Systems
The new wave of wireless sensor networks will change the building automation industry by reducing costs and increasing flexibility, making the use of sensors to establish and maintain highly energy-efficient building operation affordable in an increasing number of existing and new applications. (Registration required to read text).
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Wireless Technology Migration: Mitigating Risk and Increasing Supply Chain Efficiency
IEN, May 2008
By Peak Technologies
Many supply chain management solutions rely on wireless technology for Automatic Identification/Data Capture (AIDC) to ensure supply chain efficiency. With the rapid evolution of wireless networks, along with compliance issues and ever-changing logistics, migration to advanced wireless systems is inevitable.
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ABB is powered up and running at high efficiency!
By Bill Lydon
The products and services shown at ABB Automation World in Houston, Texas along with the enthusiasm of the ABB employees and users would seem to explain why the company’s 1st quarter 2008 earnings beat investment analysts’ consensus by over 40%. The three-day trade show and conference ran from April 29 through May 1 in Houston, Texas. There was a great deal of energy and enthusiasm at the event which showcased ABB products, ABB services, partner products, and over 300 workshops/training sessions.
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Wireless: Bluetooth vs. Bluetooth
Control Engineering Europe, May 2008
Most industrial applications require more than a standard Bluetooth wireless solution. Looking at traditional Bluetooth technology versus industrial Bluetooth technology can illustrate necessities for tough industrial applications.
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Wireless Technologies: All In The Mix
Industrial Automation Asia
By Joel Young, Digi International
Can a wireless solution in the commercial and industrial world be cost effective? Considering consumer perceptions and commercial realities, the answer now is a resounding ‘yes’. More and more today, many organisations are beginning to mix multiple wireless technologies.
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Standards Used By Standards Used By Wireless Sensor Networks Wireless Sensor Networks
By Louis Sirico, et al, Industry Wizards
One of the biggest challenges facing companies deploying wireless sensors are t disparate standards, protocols and methods of communication and data formats. Here’s a synopsis of the wireless world.
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Wireless: Beauty and the beast
Intech, April 2008
By Patrick Schweitzer
The user community wants simplicity, robustness, education to understand this new world, and coexistence among all players to make 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.
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Wireless Security On The Plant Floor
Industrial Ethernet Book, April 2008
By Wally Gastreich
The goal of wireless network implementations is to provide benefits identical to common wired networks and protect the network and resources from security related issues. Here’s how to secure a plant floor wireless network.
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Industrial Wireless: Unplugged Version Of The Factory Network
Industrial Ethernet Book, April 2008
Industrial environments are uniquely different from those in the office and home. High temperatures, airborne particulates, multiple obstacles and long distances separating equipment and systems present a special challenge in communicating with sensors, transmitters, and other data communication devices.
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The Elephant in the Room
Control, April 2008
By Walt Boyes
The elephant is the fact that the industry needs direction, best practices, engineering documentation and all of the infrastructure to begin to design, specify, procure, install, start up and commission wireless devices.
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Which Way Wireless?
Control, April 2008
By Dick Caro, CMC Associates
Why WirelessHART and ISA100.11a, Release 1 should be merged.
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In 2008, wireless a no-brainer
Intech, April 2008
By David Savells and Brent McAdams
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.
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Tracking wireless
Intech, April 2008
By Peter Fuhr and Nacer Hedroug
Vendors are touting several technologies as optimal for industrial asset tracking, especially end users in petrochemical (on-shore/off-shore), pharmaceutical manufacturing, power systems (generation and distribution), and pulp and paper processing. Here’s how to track wireless assets in industrial settings.
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An overview of Wireless Device Adoption in the European Process Industry
By Karthikeyan Balasubramaniyam, Frost & Sullivan
Wireless devices are gradually entering into the European process industries. A plethora of challenges, such as proving greater reliability and security, need to be overcome if these devices are to witness higher penetration into the process industries.
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Challenges to the Wireless Future
Control Engineering Asia, March 2008
By Madanmohan Rao
While the wireless wave may indeed be coming, valid concerns remain over technical standards and low awareness levels amongst IT executives. CE Asia interviews Hesh Kagan of Invensys.
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Coping with Higher-Priced Energy
Automation World, March 2008
By Harry Forbes, ARC
The first step in coping with energy price increases is to refine the existing energy measurements within a manufacturing operation. New and less-expensive technologies for electric-power measurement using wireless mesh networks should be on the market in the near future.
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Instrinsic Safety Obsolete Yet?
Control, March 2008
By John Rezabek
The emergence of digitally integrated instruments, stricter environmental regulations and wireless access to diagnostics are converging to make “live maintenance in normally hazardous atmospheres” a rare occurrence. Shouldn’t end users ponder whether the value of an IS installation is still worth the added complexity, effort and expense?
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Fieldbus: Growing Globally
Control Engineering, March 2008
By Peter Welander
While considered mainstream technology, fieldbus adoption in process industries is still far from commonplace. The picture for users remains upbeat, but incomplete in many respects.
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Going the (Short) Distance With Wireless
Machine Design, February 2008
By Darvin Kaelberer, Banner Engineering
Wireless technology, which is frequently used in factories and other industrial settings where I/O must be sent from a remote area to an operator located several miles away, can also make sense if data only has to travel a few feet.
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Setting the scope for ISA100 standard
Plant Engineering, February 2008
By Paul Sereiko, AirSprite Technologies
ISA100.11a – the component of ISA100 that is involved with wireless transport of field transmitter measurements – is focused on process automation, but will not exclude factory automation or monitoring applications.
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Obtain the Full Capabilities of Hart
Automation World, February 2008
By Ed Ladd
Even though many users are beginning to understand the value of the information that resides in their Hart devices, accessing that information is the trick. 85% of the devices currently in the field are connected to legacy, analog-only I/O systems that cannot understand the encoded Hart digital information. Wireless might help.
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Going Green … with Wireless
Control Engineering Asia, January 2008
Industrial companies are increasingly adopting wireless sensor network (WSN) technology for green reasons, not just operational efficiency. These include reduction of the environmental impact of their processes, and optimization of energy utilization.
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Going Wireless is More Than Just Eliminating Cables
American Machinist, January 2008
There are three significant problems with gathering shop floor data: First is that it can increase labor costs; second, implementing an automated data capture system is often difficult and expensive; third, a system you implement today may not meet tomorrow’s needs.
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A Better View of the Plant
Automation World, January 2008
By Rob Spiegel
New HMI tools are taking data from programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and displaying it throughout the enterprise via Web browsers. Likewise, HMI systems are sending intelligible information from the enterprise down to the shop floor.
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2008 Pinto’s Pointers – Technologies & Markets
by Jim Pinto
Because of its fragmentation, low volumes and conservative customer base, industrial automation is relatively slow to change. In the broad automation markets, there are pockets of technology and market growth that deserve special review. Here are Jim Pinto’s pointers and prognostications regarding the top automation technology and market trends that will gain traction in the coming year.
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Tiny, wireless and self-energized
Plant Services, January 2008
By Sheila Kennedy, contributing editor
A new generation of sensors is poised to revolutionize predictive maintenance. New software and emerging technologies are simplifying condition monitoring and streamlining the process of predictive maintenance.
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Mixing Multiple Wireless Technologies
Sensors On-Line, January 2008
By:Joel K. Young, Digi International Inc.
With the variety of wireless technologies available, outfitting an industrial environment for wireless communications may involve mixing and matching technologies to find the optimal solution. Here are the issues to consider to make your mix a successful one.
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Improving Plant Production with Wireless Condition Monitoring
by Jim Ralston, ProSoft Technology
Mechanical failure of motors, drives and other vital electromechanical equipment are among the most common reasons for production stoppages. Fortunately, recent advancements in vibration monitoring and data analysis have lead to condition monitoring systems that can accurately detect a problem before failure, thus reducing costly machine shutdowns and maximizing production output.
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Control Technology for Future Generations
By: Ron Bernstein, Executive Director, LonMark International
The concept of a control networking architecture, which provides fair competitive bidding on all levels of a system and over the life of the system, is something the user market has been demanding for years. LON and other network protocols, such as BacNet, ModBus, and Zigbee, have been developed to deliver on this need
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Standards & Successes Emerge
Control Engineering Asia, November 2007
By Madanmohan Rao
A number of case studies of successful industrial automation design and implementation are emerging in the field of intelligent embedded wireless sensor network (WSN) solutions.
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Topologies for Wireless Instrumentation
Control Engineering, November 2007
By Peter Welander
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.
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First Wave of Wi-Fi Certification Hits
Industrial Networking, Winter 2007
More than 140 products complying with 802.11n draft 2.0 have been Wi-Fi certified since the Wi-Fi Alliance’s testing program began in June. This first wave of products enables enterprise users to select interoperable next-generation Wi-Fi gear.
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Wireless Conquers Conservatism
Industrial Networking, Winter 2007
By Mike Spear
While many parties can see the potential benefits of wireless, few want to be first to try out a technology that was then, and to a certain extent still is, largely unproven on the large scale. The conservatism of the chemical industry, of course, extends well beyond the lack of enthusiasm for process intensification techniques.
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It’s Not Easy Being Blue
Control Design, November 2007
By Loren Shaum, contributing editor
Bluetooth is a relative stranger to machine builders. In the past several years, it has become a wireless standard for short-distance consumer communications, but is it suitable for machine automation?
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Be sure about wireless
Plant Services, October 2007
By Shannon Erickson
Will wireless work in your application? One solution some wireless vendors offer is a detailed engineering analysis, involving coordinates, site maps, topographical maps, and so on. Another more empirical way to evaluate suitability is to take a demo system to the plant and try it out.
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Wireless Applications Coming to Light
Control, October 2007
By Jim Montague
Because wireless stories are scarce among the supposedly cutting-edge startups, it’s ironic that Emerson, Honeywell, Invensys and a few others are the ones coming up with specific case studies lately.
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Industrial Wireless: Solving Wiring Issues by Unplugging
By B&B Electronics
A wide array of data communication solutions can resolve challenges of using wireless in industrial environments.
This white paper provides a summary of the options available, with some corresponding pros and cons.
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Putting wireless to work in process operations
By Emerson Process Management
Wireless technologies offer process operations new opportunities for improvement. With a wireless strategy and architecture that align with your business needs, you can begin gaining the benefits today while facilitating additional applications in the future.
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Improving PID Control with Unreliable Communications
By Jianping Song, et al, Emerson Process Management
This paper identifies the poor dynamic response of standard PID algorithms in the case of lost communications. It proposes an enhanced PID algorithm to improve dynamic response under these conditions. The authors evaluated the enhanced PID algorithm under several wireless scenarios.
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The Industrial Wireless Wars
By Jim Pinto
This article is the best summary anyone can find anywhere on the important subject of Industrial Wireless. Most companies in the automation industry recognize Wireless as a new "inflection point" which will generate significant growth and market share for the industry leaders. The Wireless Wars are really marketing ploys to gain market-share through the differentiation of standards that support the majors’ market strategies
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Using Operator Interfaces to Optimize Performance of Industrial Wireless Networks
By Jim Ralston, Prosoft Technology
This article will explore 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.
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Wi-Fi…Why Now? Exploring New Wireless Technologies for Industrial Applications
By Patrick McCurdy and Ira Sharp, Phoenix Contact
This paper focuses on the industrial use of public standard IEEE 802.11 technology while providing a broad comparison of different spread spectrum wireless technologies currently deployed in industrial automation applications.
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Secure, low-power, IP-based connectivity with IEEE 802.15.4 wireless networks
Industrial Embedded Systems, June 2007
By David Culler, PhD, Arch Rock
IEEE 802.15.4 radios have gained in popularity, and various protocols are used over these radios for wireless connections. IP connectivity is desired for many of these wireless links, but it must be secure and low power. Author explores the case for 6LoWPAN in wireless sensor networks.
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Will VoIP migrate to mobile carriers?
Embedded Computer Design, June 2007
By Toufic Mobarak, MobileSphere
Author explores the ramifications of United States wireless carriers’ reaction to subscribers being lured into using alternative technologies that effectively bypass the carriers’ voice networks, reduce revenue, and undercut them in the marketplace.
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Combining DSPs and FPGAs in multimode wireless handset designs
Embedded Computer Design, June 2007
By Louis Bélanger, Lyrtech
Use of FPGAs in low-power handsets design is becoming more and more possible thanks to the benefits of shrinking silicon geometries. This article describes a modular DSP/FPGA development platform aimed at handset developers.
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The FMC Subscriber Race: Voice over Wi-Fi vs Femtocells
ABI Research, June 2007
Philip Solis, ABI Research principal analyst
With their ability to work with any handset, and their potential for encouraging high data use, femtocellsare very attractive when compared to VCC and UMA-based Wi-Fi services.
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Anatomy of a Red Team Attack
Automation World, June 2007
A Red Te |
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