The Measurement, Control & Automation Assn. (MCAA) hosted a breakfast briefing at Octobers ISA Expo in Houston, at which Revathi Advaithi, Honeywell Industrial Measurement & Controls general manager, and its business director, Dave Kaufman, discussed results of a customer input study aimed at helping instrumentation manufacturers address the needs of customers for wireless technology.
According to Honeywell, the key findings in that feedback are:
- Security and safety are critical
- Network communications must be robust and reliable
- Uptime relies on predictable power management in all environments
- A need for one multi-functional, multi-speed wireless infrastructure investment to minimize installation, training, and security costs
- Scalable, control-ready architecture that connects to existing systems to protect investment
- One global open industry standard for trusted, open, cost-effective choices
Kaufman reviewed seven customer goals for wireless device networks:
- Cost containment for capital expense, operational expense, installation/maintenance and power management.
- Compatibility and interoperability/shared infrastructure, worldwide usability, capacity and scalability.
- Performance measures for reliable communication, adequate reporting rates, closed-loop requirements.
- Quality of Service attributes should be timeliness/successful throughput, delivery ordering, and recovery action.
- All-or-none security in non-messaging aspects of network security, messaging security and pedigree.
- Local wireless access to field devices.
- Coordination with other bodies/system management to conserve effort and time synchronization.
