oration announces the introduction of a new
Use of the wireless communications compliant with the ISA100.11a*1 standard, also called ISA100 Wireless, has expanded with the announcement by Yokogawa Electric Corp. of its “Wireless Anywhere” business concept, a plant-wide use of wireless communications for both monitoring and control applications. Yokogawa says it will aggressively promote this concept to widen the use of ISA100.11a-compliant products and related services. "This augments our existing 'Grow' concept, which encourages the introduction of wireless communication technologies by making a case for their inherent reliability, flexibility, and openness," said a spokesman.
The ISA100.11a standard ensures high reliability, application flexibility, network expandability, and compatibility with a variety of wired communication standards such as Foundation fieldbus, Hart, and Profibus. “ISA100.11a full functional field wireless network systems and devices make use of state-of-the-art dual redundant technologies that enable a much higher level of reliability, and allow massive scalability and long-range communications," said the spokesman.
By following up on the Grow concept with this announcement of the Wireless Anywhere concept, Yokogawa is advocating the use of “ISA100.11a full functional” field wireless systems throughout plants. To this end, Yokogawa said it will pursue the following three initiatives:
1. Modularizing wireless components to accelerate product development. Yokogawa will develop modularized wireless components that incorporate the various technologies in its field wireless devices. This will make it easier for vendors to implement the ISA100.11a technology in new sensor products and accelerate time to market. By the end of 2013, Yokogawa plans to begin releasing new field wireless devices with these components.
2. Promoting adoption of the ISA100.11a standard. Yokogawa will work with other members of the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute (ISA100WCI) to increase the number of WCI member companies and promote acceptance of the ISA100.11a standard, thereby expanding the field wireless market. To make a wider range of ISA100.11a-compliant products available to the market, Yokogawa may supply modularized components to other vendors.
3. Facilitating host connectivity for both wired and wireless field networks. To encourage the use of field wireless systems in both monitoring and control applications, Yokogawa will seek to improve the effectiveness of plant-wide field digital networks by making it possible for wired and wireless field devices and systems to connect with host monitoring and control systems. This will necessitate the development of technologies that will ensure host systems and field devices can communicate with each other using a variety of protocols. For example, an ISA100.11a-compliant adapter would enable a wired field device to link up with a wireless network.
