In an interesting counterpoint to the successful ballot of the ISA100.11a draft, Honeywell today announced the OneWireless Wireless Gauge Reader. Developed jointly with Cypress Envirosystems, this is NOT an ISA100.11a device, but rather a low-power 802.11 device that uses the 802.11 radio in the OneWireless Multinode.
This highlights what I've been saying for quite a while, that there is not going to be one wireless solution even in plant level field sensor networks. We're going to have multiple solutions, as Honeywell has clearly shown. In a OneWireless system, an ISA100.11a field device will coexist with an 802.11 field device.
Here's the release:
HONEYWELL EXPANDS WIRELESS SOLUTION PORTFOLIO WITH GAUGE READER
OneWireless Gauge Reader Enables Real-time Diagnostic and Predictive Equipment Health and Inventory Management
PHOENIX, April 28, 2009 – The OneWireless™ Gauge Reader is the newest addition to Honeywell’s (NYSE:HON) family of wireless solutions for industrial manufacturers. The product wirelessly monitors manual gauge readings from existing dial gauges, allowing operators to analyze critical equipment health and process information and make decisions to improve plant operations. Honeywell jointly developed the product with Cypress Envirosystems, a subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor Corp., and it will integrate with Honeywell’s OneWireless mesh network designed to simultaneously accommodate thousands of field devices and multiple industrial protocols.
The OneWireless Gauge Reader non-intrusively attaches to existing dial gauges without requiring the plant to disrupt on-going processes or remove old gauges, break pressure seals or run wires. The device provides gauge measurement data that is displayed quickly on operator consoles in the control room, such as the Honeywell Icon Series, and on mobile field devices such as Honeywell’s Experion® Mobile Station. The control system can proactively send alerts to operators to notify them when gauges exceed certain limits. The additional data now available to the operator helps improve plant energy efficiency by monitoring compressed air, steam, water, exhaust and venting, and compiling data for energy audits and baselines.
“The Gauge Reader network was up and running in approximately three hours. In the first two weeks of using it, we were able to detect and develop corrective measures for a potentially costly issue in our plant that we never suspected with our daily manual gauge rounds,” said Mike Long, Control System Supervisor at Tri-State Generation and Transmission.
The OneWireless Gauge Reader also is ideal for temporary uses with consumable materials. For instance, plants can use the device to read inventory levels for gas cylinders that require periodic replacement. By monitoring the cylinder levels, plants can proactively determine when to replace the cylinder before the cylinder is empty and avoid unplanned downtime that leads to lost production.
“The reader’s monitoring capabilities allow plant operators to spend less time reading gauges and more time on other critical tasks, such as optimizing plant performance based on this additional data,” said Harsh Chitale, Honeywell Process Solutions vice president for strategy and global marketing. “It will help our customers analyze trends, save energy and streamline operator tasks.”
To learn more about the OneWireless Gauge Reader and other solutions that improve overall plant safety, reliability and efficiency, please visit www.honeywell.com/ps.
