ISA accepts proposals to move wireless standards forward
By Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 10/1/2006 12:00:00 AM
The Instrument Society of America's (ISA) call for technical proposals on wireless communication standards in July prompted some two dozen technology vendors to present schemas before ISA working groups.
The ISA-SP100 Committee addresses wireless manufacturing and control systems in three areas:
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Environment in which the wireless technology is deployed;
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Technology life cycle for wireless equipment and systems; and
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Application of wireless technology.
The SP-100 proposals cover wireless communication in the automation and control environment, with a focus on the field level.
“There are two ISA technical working groups focusing on different aspects of the standard,” says Robert Shear, director of market development for Dust Networks, a group cochair. “SP100.11 deals with optimization for control, with some monitoring; and SP100.14 deals with optimization for monitoring, with some control.”
The standard solves issues associated with wireless-technology deployment for industrial automation. The intention is to define procedures for implementing wireless systems, directed to individuals responsible for the complete life cycle of such systems, including design, implementation, ongoing maintenance, scalability, and management of manufacturing and control systems.
The standards would apply to control-system manufacturers and vendors, practitioners and system integrators, and system users. ISA-SP100.11 focuses on industrial loop control, while ISA-SP100.14 focuses on monitoring and logging.
Proposals serve as baseline references for the groups' development of draft standards that will be posted for public review next year, with ratification in 2008.
