Wireless: Initial focus is WirelessHART, says P+F

Initial wireless focus for Pepperl+Fuchs is WirelessHART, though P+F also is open to ISA100.

By Mark T. Hoske July 14, 2009
Pepperl+Fuchs plans to offer WirelessHART adapters for field devices. P+F explained recently which process control applications are OK for wireless .

Initial wireless focus for Pepperl+Fuchs is WirelessHART.

Robert Schosker, product manager, at Pepperl+Fuchs, told Control Engineering that Pepperl+Fuchs is open to both the ISA100 set of standards and WirelessHART, though initial focus has been on WirelessHART because it was available first and has a large installed base through the wired HART protocol.

A lot of HART for wireless

Schosker says, "Wireless HART is very significant to users. Nearly 35% of the 24 million field devices installed worldwide speak HART, so with WirelessHART it is just adding another physical layer.

"All other tolls, principles, etc. are the same, and host integration is the same. Users don’t have to deal with new infrastructure, but instead are just extending it," Schosker says.

P+F has two WirelessHART products available.
See also in Control Engineering , System Integration: Wireless Standards .
– Mark T. Hoske, editor in chief, Control Engineering , www.controleng.com


Author Bio: Mark Hoske has been Control Engineering editor/content manager since 1994 and in a leadership role since 1999, covering all major areas: control systems, networking and information systems, control equipment and energy, and system integration, everything that comprises or facilitates the control loop. He has been writing about technology since 1987, writing professionally since 1982, and has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree from UW-Madison.