Video: Commoditizing wireless communication

ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute aims at making users forget about wireless standards so they can concentrate on applications, beginning with instrumentation.

By Peter Welander June 15, 2011

While users interested in deploying wireless field instruments may still need to be concerned about having to choose which wireless protocol to adopt, the groups responsible for the protocols would probably like to get past that point. Once you don’t have to think about the protocol, you can concentrate on new and better ways to use the technology.

In an interview at Honeywell User Group, Andre Ristaino from the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute and Philip Ng from Honeywell discuss how wireless device communication can be commoditized so you don’t have to think about that aspect of the process. This gives you the freedom to consider new deployments such as personal protective equipment that can keep better track of where people are in a hazardous environment.

The discussion harks back to earlier comments by Patrick Schweitzer on how network designers can create systems capable of handling things we haven’t even thought of yet. A daunting task, certainly, but it’s good to know that some people in our industries are trying to look ahead when so many users seem bogged down with 30-year-old systems.

www.isa100wci.org

Peter Welander, pwelander@cfemedia.com

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