Video listen in: Honeywell upgrades OneWireless platform, anticipates ISA100.11a standard

-- Control Engineering, 7/16/2008

Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) has announced an updated version of its OneWireless network equipment that anticipates the coming ISA100.11a industrial wireless communication standard. The company says this new release is the process industries’ first mesh network with ISA100-ready hardware. The network can be upgraded to the ISA100.11a standard, when it is completed, through an over-the-air software update.

“Manufacturers have been asking for a secure and reliable multi-functional wireless network that can handle the thousands of devices they use within their plants,” says Harsh Chitale, vice president of strategy and global marketing for Honeywell Process Solutions. “Until now, the only way to do so was with proprietary systems. The ISA100.11a standard will allow OneWireless users to achieve this vision using a standards-based network.”

The release reportedly extends Honeywell’s product line of transmitters with a new XYR 6000 digital input wireless transmitter. OneWireless supports a broad range of both wired and wireless transmitters, including corrosion, gauge pressure, differential pressure, high-level analog input and temperature transmitters. As a single network supporting both sensors and IEEE 802.11-based applications, it also supports mobile worker devices, such as Honeywell’s IntelaTrac PKS and Experion Mobile Station, which can improve plant safety by helping customers quickly locate employees.

In addition, the company says this new release expands the interface capabilities of the system, supporting HART diagnostic capabilities. HART is commonly used by asset management applications such as Honeywell’s Field Device Manager. OneWireless system management software makes any XYR 6000 transmitter communicate to existing HART-enabled applications in the same manner as to a wired HART device, highlighting the multi-protocol capabilities of the system.

—Edited by Peter Welander, process industries editor, peter.welander@reedbusiness.com,
Control Engineering Process Instrumentation & Sensors Monthly
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