One of the first steps when implementing an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) application is designing, purchasing, installing and commissioning a wireless infrastructure. Bob Karschnia, VP of Wireless, Emerson Automation Solutions, explains the procedures involved in his article, Wireless Infrastructure: If You Build It They Will Come in CiO/CxO magazine, starting with the design phase:
There are multiple industrial wireless standards, but WirelessHART is the clear leader. A typical WirelessHART network consists of a gateway communicating wirelessly to one or more sensors. The gateway communicates via a hardwired link, usually Ethernet, to a control and monitoring system. Vendors like Emerson that support the standard can provide assistance to plants designing their initial wireless IIoT applications at low or no cost.
Once the design is completed for the wireless IIoT application, hardware needs to be purchased. Bob says the cost of the infrastructure should not be entirely allocated to the first IIoT application, as many typically follow once the infrastructure is in place.
After the system is designed and purchased, it must be installed. Every system will require at least one gateway, which is hardwired to the control and monitoring system. Bob notes the big difference between wireless and wired IIoT installations is the ease of installation for wireless sensors as compared to wired sensors.
In existing plants and facilities, installation costs for hardwiring and input hardware can be very substantial, making many otherwise beneficial IIoT applications not practical. Wireless sensors don’t required hardwiring back to the control and monitoring system, and don’t need to use spare or new input hardware at the system. They also don’t need power wiring because they come with their own power module.
After the system is installed, it’s ready for commissioning. WirelessHART networks recognize each wireless sensor and self-configure the network. Software testing tools are available from Emerson to manage the network and help troubleshoot any problems. Bob says a big part of commissioning is determining just how the new data collected by the wireless sensors will be turned into actionable information.
In some cases, this just requires adding a critical alarm point to an existing display screen in the control room. In other cases, data analytics may be required to extract full value from the new sensors. Emerson has software tools available to interpret sensor data, analyze it and suggest action.
Many new applications will come to light once the industrial wireless infrastructure is installed, and the marginal costs of adding each new application will be low enough to result in a very quick ROI.
Joel Galmor
Modernization Consultant