IEC approves WirelessHART as first international wireless standard for process automation

Final IEC vote confirms broad global acceptance of WirelessHART by end users and suppliers, says HART Communication Foundation.

P+F introduced these WirelessHART components in September 2009. See other WirelessHART products and news .

P+F is launching its WirelessHART device line, using the system’s interoperability to work with other manufacturers.

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) approved the WirelessHART specification as a full international standard (IEC 62591Ed. 1.0), according to the HART Communication Foundation on April 6. The unanimous vote on 26 March 2010 by the IEC National Committees of 28 countries confirms the broad global support for WirelessHART technology as the international standard for wireless communication in process automation, the HART organization said.

"The overwhelming approval by IEC fulfills the request of users for a single international wireless communication standard that is supported by major automation suppliers," says HART Communication Foundation executive director, Ron Helson. "WirelessHART technology has been confirmed by both users and suppliers to be a technically sound, reliable and secure solution for wireless communication in process automation."

Suppliers of WirelessHART compatible products include ABB, Emerson, Endress+Hauser, Pepperl+Fuchs, Siemens and others

Released in September 2007, WirelessHART is an open and interoperable wireless communication standard designed to address the critical needs of industry for reliable, robust and secure wireless communication in real-time industrial process measurement and control applications, HART Communication Foundation says. WirelessHART is a backward compatible, evolutionary enhancement to the HART Communication Protocol, the leading communication technology for intelligent process measurement and control field devices and systems with more than 30 million devices installed and operating in process plant applications around the globe, the organization explains. www.hartcomm.org

Also read:- Backward compatibility vs. future proofing ;

– News and comment: Can WirelessHART and ISA100 converge? from March 31 2010; and
– Wireless: Converge ISA100.11a with WirelessHART? from May 27, 2008.

– Edited by Mark T. Hoske, editor in chief, Control Engineering , www.controleng.com.