Research Triangle Park, NC (August 28, 2006) - ISA's Wireless Systems for Automation standards committee announced today that it has completed nearly 20 use case studies from end users, and that the committee has over 50 use case studies pending and in progress. The use case study allows end users to describe their specific industrial wireless application requirements in their own words, and will provide structure to ensure adequate detail for the committee's working groups. The use cases that have been completed, and those in progress, cover a variety of industries, including oil & gas, water, nuclear, food processing, chemical, aerospace, and automotive. "As an end user, I'm thrilled to see the response of other end users from around the world," said Greg LaFramboise of Chevron.
"The use case solicitation, and the overwhelming response to it, will help the committee draft a standard that truly speaks to the needs of the end user community." The use case studies include data about site locations, objectives, applications, and tasks required for the wireless application functionality. The users provide thorough site descriptions, which describe specific variables about the location of deployment for a wireless system. Examples of locations studied might be an oil refinery, oil drilling platform, food and other forms of processing plants, a paper mill, etc. The studies also look at application, or what a wireless solution would accomplish.
Some tasks that wireless might accomplish include tank level monitoring, perimeter security monitoring, or temperature and pressure sensing. Finally, the use cases capture data about how individual tasks are accomplished and what type and Quality of Service (QoS) is required for each user. For example, a user might require periodic reporting of monitoring valves, alerting and alarming services, or device diagnostics and maintenance. An initial use case interview takes about an hour to complete, and subsequent interviews take less time. Each component of the process can be submitted by a different contact within the end user company.
End users are encouraged to volunteer to complete a study by contacting Lois Ferson, ISA Standards Manager, at [email protected], or by completing a survey located at www.isa.org/sp100survey .
