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Joint Effort Delivers Backhaul Architecture Model

IndustrialNetworking.net
01/30/2013

In a collaborative effort, the Fieldbus Foundation and International Society of Automation standards committee ISA100 approved a backhaul architecture model to support multiple industrial communication protocols running over a shared wireless backhaul network in process automation systems. This is a key milestone, with the wireless backhaul identified as critical by both groups.

ISA100 leaders established the ISA100.15 Wireless Backhaul Networks Working Group almost five years ago to develop standards and technical reports to address one or more dedicated or shared wireless backhauls to support technologies running multiple applications. At the same time, Fieldbus Foundation end user members identified the wireless backhaul as critical for Foundation for ROM development.

The two groups joined forces on wireless networks to expedite the completion of the architecture model, combining Fieldbus Foundation application protocol expertise with ISA100 communication networking resources. ISA will publish the work as technical report ISA-TR100.15.01, Backhaul Architecture Model: Secured Connectivity over Untrusted or Trusted Networks, within the ISA100 family of standards.

"Working together, dedicated engineers have a developed a solution meeting industry requirements for a wireless backhaul transport network to facilitate interoperability, end-to-end security, and end-to-end quality of service in industrial wireless installations," said Penny Chen, principal systems architect with Yokogawa and co-chair for the ISA100.15 working group.

Plans are underway for a series of field demonstrations using the Foundation for ROM wireless high-speed Ethernet (HSE) backhaul, according to Dave Glanzer, Fieldbus Foundation's director of technology development and co-chair of the working group. Major end users hosting the demonstrations include Reliance Industries, Petrobras and Saudi Aramco. Additional end user sites in Japan and Europe are expected to join the program. The field demos will offer a look at the full functionality of Foundation for ROM, including wireless device integration, remote I/O integration and wireless backhaul capabilities.

Foundation for ROM, designed to enable fieldbus connectivity to remote I/O, integrates ISA100.11a, WirelessHART, wired HART, and wired H1 protocols into a single standard environment. It provides a way to bring large concentrations of discrete and analog field I/O back to the control room using HSE communication. It also employs EDDL and function blocks.