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32014 • Q4 • IndustrIal networkIng

C O N T E N T S

network Connections Free From wiresTested wireless topologies and devices ensure secure access

Build redundancy Into Your wired system KISS is still the best advice to follow when building a network

BY Ian VerHaPPen

7 FIrst BIt Swan Song

8 PaCkets ISA100 Wireless

Standard Gains

IEC Approval

11 Bus stoP Strip, Crimp, Poke

or Screw?

21 ParItY CHeCk Manage Network

Conflict

22 BandwIdtH Fiberoptic Cables

Get Easier to Install

25 ProduCts

26 terMInator Wireless Overcomes

Rough Terrain

Features

ColuMns & dePartMents

CoVer storY

INDUSTRIAL NETWORKING is published four times annually to select subscribers of CONTROL and CONTROL DESIGN magazines by PUTMAN MEDIA INC. (also publishers of CHEMICAL PROCESSING, FOOD PROCESSING, PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING and PLANT SERVICES), 555 W. Pierce Road, Suite 301, Itasca, IL. (Phone: 630/467-1300; Fax: 630/467-1124.) Address all correspondence to Editorial and Executive Offices, same address. ©Putman Media 2014. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or part without consent of the copyright owner. INDUSTRIAL NETWORKING assumes no responsibility for validity of claims in items reported. Single copies $15.

wireless unboundGather data and signals from difficult-to-reach devices

BY leslIe gordon, senIor teCHnICal edItor

o P t I M I z e 1 2

r e s e a r C H 2 3

e V a l u a t e 1 8

Volume XIII, no. 4

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t e r m i n a t o r

JIM MONTAGUeEXECUTIVE EDITOR

jmontague@putman.netl

IT nEVER hURTs TO

ask fOR sOmEThIng

yOU nEED OR aRE

CURIOUs abOUT, EVEn

If yOU haVE TO ask

REpEaTEDly.

F i r s t b i t

One Of the sucky things abOut becoming an adult is you begin to lose people, and many things that used to seem permanent are revealed to be fragile and fleeting. i’ve watched more than a few useful publications close over the years, usually due to a lack of revenue, support, confidence and belief, and now Industrial Networking has reached the end of its road, too. sadly, you’re reading the last issue.

as it’s been explained to me, the world of industrial networking has evolved to the point that many formerly proprietary and highly engineered components have become more standardized, lower-cost commodities, or they’re headed in that direction. as a result, they’re so similar in form and function that few of their former differentiating characteristics remain, so they no longer require help to point out their relative advantages.

for example, i heard a home Depot radio ad a couple of years ago that offered 1,000 ft of cat 5e cable for about $20. This was unremarkable until i realized that the commercial hadn’t even mentioned the word “ethernet.” The company and its copywriter presumably estimated that just saying “cat 5e” was enough to alert a general listening audience that they were selling ethernet cable. now, that’s real product recognition and market penetration, but then i never heard another cable ad like it. Most supermarkets and convenience stores usually don’t spend much on advertising staples like milk, bread and eggs either.

Despite these economic and other realities, i still hate shuttering this magazine. even before i went to work for it, i appreciated its plucky attitude and no-nonsense devotion to delivering useful information on fieldbuses, ethernet, wireless and all the cables, connectors and other hardware and software that support them. i hope that i’ve helped provide some of that useful information.

so what do you do without your quarterly issue of Industrial Networking? Well, we’ll still be covering many networking topics in our monthly Control and Control Design print magazines. and, truth to tell, with all the websites, blogs, chatrooms, Linkedin groups, twitter feeds and other resources devoted to industrial networking, you may not even notice that this little magazine is gone.

but i think you will, at least indirectly or unconsciously. That’s because we’ve sorted

through mountains of nebulous statements, downright hype and other baloney to find the few, best examples of instructive experiences, beneficial innovations, best practices, lessons learned and other advice on selecting and implementing the most productive networking technologies in a host of applications. unfortunately, the internet and all its websites and other online sources contain more smoke and mirrors than all the print sources ever did, and now you’ll have to navigate through more of it on your own.

Luckily, if we could boil things down, then you can, too. Deprived of a news source, any community can do the job itself because the same tools are available to everyone. not surprisingly, i’ve found that researching on the Web can give some useful, initial, partially baked answers, but then some follow-up can help zero in on precisely what’s needed. Online discussions may be enough, but i still depend on telephone conversations with sources for the give-and-take needed to secure more specific answers. There’s no reason any reader can’t do the same, and many are no doubt doing it already. however, others may need a reminder that it never hurts to ask for something you need or are curious about, even if you have to ask repeatedly. being a pest just comes naturally to some of us.

Of course, video conferencing, Webex, skype and other tools can make asking these questions even easier. so get cracking. i’m pretty sure that i never researched and wrote a story that readers didn’t have to make more inquiries about to arrive at a solution they could use in their own applications.

finally, i probably shouldn’t be mentioning this yet, but one potentially positive epilogue to Industrial Networking’s demise is that some of the resources that went into it will be redirected into a new publication covering intelligent manufacturing, industry 4.0 and the internet of Things. i think it’s supposed to come out about twice per year at first, but i don’t have all the details yet.

Personally, i think this could be an excellent idea because if there was ever a topic that needed some clearing up and specifics, it’s this new smart manufacturing monster. With a little luck, we’ll be back helping readers cut through the baloney in this realm, as well.

swan song

72014 • Q4 • IndustrIal networkIng

IN14Q4_07_FIRSTBIT.indd 7 10/29/14 12:26 PM

ISA100 Wireless Standard Gains IEC ApprovalAs of mid-september, ANsi/isA-100.11A-2011, “Wireless systems for iNdustriAl Automation: process Control and related Applications,” has been unanimously approved by the international electrotechnical Commission (ieC, www.iec.ch) as an international standard and will be published by year’s end with the designation ieC 62734, according to the international society of Automation (isA, www.isa.org).

since its initial approval by the American National standards institute (ANsi, www.ansi.org) in 2011, isA100.11a-compliant devices have found wide global use, with more than 130,000 connected devices reported in 2012 and more than 1 billion hours of operational service at customer sites.

isA100.11a was originally developed with international collaboration following isA’s open consensus process as accredited by ANsi, which requires participation and voting by experts from multiple stakeholder groups including end users and suppliers. isA100 voting members overwhelmingly voted to approve isA100.11a.

isA100.11a/ieC 62734 provides reliable and secure wireless operation for monitoring, alerting, supervisory control, open-loop control and closed-loop control applications. The standard defines the protocol suite, system management, gateways and security specifications for wireless connectivity with devices supporting limited power consumption requirements. The focus is to address the performance needs of process manufacturing applications, which include monitoring and process control where latencies on the order of 100 ms can be tolerated, with optional behavior for shorter latencies.

ieC 62734 uses internet protocol version 6 (ipv6), adheres to the osi model and uses object technology—all necessary to support the industrial internet of Things (iot). in addition, the standard fully supports the etsi eN 300 328 v1.8.1 european union specification taking effect in 2015. Current industrial wireless products branded as isA100 Wireless already meet this requirement.

ieC 62734 is supported by the isA100 Wireless Compliance institute (isA100 WCi) under the isA100 Wireless brand. isA100 WCi conducts conformity assessment for isA100 Wireless (ieC 62734) products, develops complementary specifications and facilitates collaboration in the isA100 Wireless technical ecosystem.

Use of BYOD Spreads, but Holdouts RemainACCordiNg to iHs teCHNology (WWW.iHs.Com) ANAlysts toby ColquHouN ANd tom moore, manufacturing workers are jumping on the bring-your-own-device (byod) bandwagon, thus reshaping information technology in both business offices and the manufacturing sector with employee-owned smartphones and tablet pCs playing an increasingly important role in factory settings.

Wireless network connections in global factories are projected to rise from 2.1 million in 2012 to 3.4 million by 2017, according to Colquhoun and moore. Helping enable the rise of byod is the growing use of wireless networks and industrial ethernet in factories and the networking of industrial automation equipment using standard wireless networking technologies such as Wi-fi or bluetooth.

more than half of all organizations surveyed recently by iHs technology allow their employees to use a personal wireless communications device on the factory floor now or plan to allow it within three years. to support the use of such devices in manufacturing, industrial automation vendors are developing applications that operate on ios and Android devices.

but all is not roses with byod. despite its usefulness in manufacturing, byod presents a range of challenges. unlike industrial pCs, consumer mobile devices are not designed to endure the stresses commonly encountered in manufacturing, such

PI North America has launched a pair of online forums at us.profinet.com that are available to the public. Moderated by Profibus and Profinet experts at the Profi Interface Center in Johnson City, Tennessee, and supervised by PI North America, the forums provide a centralized location for questions and answers on all things Profi.

Honeywell Process Solutions (www.honeywellprocess.com ) was named the Best Industrial Wireless Provider at the 2014 Asian Manufacturing Awards (AMA) for its OneWireless platform. Winners of the AMA were chosen by an independent panel of judges from Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and North America.

Keith Nosbusch, chairman and CEO of Rockwell Automation (www.rockwellautomation.com), delivered a keynote presentation at the Internet of Things (IoT) World Forum 2014 in Chicago. His topic was how industry is at a major inflection point, driven by the convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) and enhanced by the industrial IoT.

Analysts at IDC (www.idc.com) predict the global networking equipment industry will involve the merging of wireless and wired networking infrastructures and that the merger will require companies to boost device visibility and improve cloud IT infrastructure.

PA C K E T S

Bits & Bytes

8 IndustrIal networkIng • Q4 • 2014

iHs

16%

46%

7%11%

20% In use now and will continue to be used for next 3 years

In use nowbut will be

discontinuedin the next 3 years

Don’t know

Not in use and no plans to adopt in the next 3 years

Not in use but will be adopted in next 3 years

IN14Q4_08_09_PACKETS.indd 8 10/29/14 12:27 PM

92014 • Q4 • IndustrIal networkIng

as vibration, heat, water and electrical interference. Moreover, the limited battery life of personal communications presents problems, such as the need to recharge devices in the middle of a shift.

Security also remains an issue. Integration of smartphones and tablets into the company network adds a potential new point of vulnerability for hackers to exploit. Furthermore, smartphones or tablets that contain sensitive company data and are lost or misplaced could fall into the wrong hands, and employees who resign or retire may retain company information on their devices either accidentally or on purpose.

Company policies on the use of BYOD vary and are still very much a work in process, and, despite the hype about the usefulness of smart devices on the factory floor, a significant number of companies

remain unconvinced that the risks and complications surrounding their use are worth the reward.

According to the IHS Technology survey, 46% of manufacturers surveyed allow BYOD in their plants and plan to continue to allow it for at least three years, and another 11% plan to adopt its use with three years. However, 20% of those surveyed don’t allow it now and have no plans to do so within that three-year window, and another 7% allow BYOD now, but are planning to discontinue its use. Indicative of the newness of the BYOD phenomenon and the uncertainly surrounding its use in manufacturing, fully 16% of those surveyed don’t know what their company’s policy is or what its plans are for either allowing or forbidding it in the future.

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HART-Fieldbus Foundation Marriage CompleteTHe FInAl STep In COnSTruCTIng A SIngle OrgAnIzATIOn to lead process automation communications and integration technologies was completed at the end of August when the members of both the HArT Communication Foundation (www.hartcomm.org) and Fieldbus Foundation (www.fieldbus.org) approved the merger proposed by their respective boards.

The new organization, called FieldComm group, will be led by a board of directors composed of representatives of the collective companies from the current boards of each foundation. Hans-georg Kumpfmueller has been elected as the inaugural chairman of the board. Kumpfmueller will lead the direction of the FieldComm group and oversee the addition of FDI llC in mid-2015.

Kumpfmueller has served as a leader in setting the course of device integration in his role as chairman of the FDI board and as CeO of sensors and communication at Siemens. He says the merger is “a major step forward for the process industries by leveraging the strengths of each protocol and adding the value of the next-generation integration strategy.”

The board has appointed Ted Masters as president and CeO of FieldComm group. He currently serves in the same capacity with the HArT Communication Foundation.

During the transition and integration of the two organizations, richard Timoney will serve as executive vice president of FieldComm group. Timoney currently is president and CeO of the Fieldbus Foundation.

FieldComm group will consolidate offices in Austin, Texas, and function as a single entity beginning Jan. 1, 2015. until that time, the HArT Communication Foundation and Fieldbus Foundation will continue to operate independently.

Ted Masters is president and CEO of

the new FieldComm Group.

IN14Q4_08_09_PACKETS.indd 9 10/29/14 12:28 PM

C

M

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CM

MY

CY

CMY

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industrial-networking-1114.pdf 1 10/7/2014 10:34:43 AM

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t e r m i n a t o r

The garage door opener: whaT an enduring automation achievement. It’s control over wireless, right? Modern ones are “multivariable,” and you can bring your own device (BYod), controlling actuator, lighting and locks from a smartphone. But, aside from the phone, this application has been around for decades. wireless automation has been commonplace for generations.

Mine stopped mid-lift one day, and it appeared the lights all went out at the same instant. It sure looked like a breaker tripped. But a voltmeter revealed every breaker was passing power, so, even if the scribbled circuit labels were wrong, power should be present at all the fixtures. It wasn’t until after a couple days of manual garage-door rassling that the real culprit emerged: a bad outlet. The 40-year-old outlet had ceased passing power to daisy-chained fixtures downstream, including the garage door opener and lights.

The outlet employed another decades-old technology—poke-to-terminate, back-stab connections. If you’ve ever done any household wiring, perhaps you’ve been intrigued by these handy mechanisms, a hole where you can insert a stripped solid conductor of the proper gauge. once you poke it in, you’re done—it isn’t coming out. It’s important to use only the proper gauge, such as 14 awg and only solid wire. If you ever need to remove the conductor, there’s (sometimes) a spot for a screwdriver blade that presumably will free the wire. In my case, Mongo (me) had to smash the receptacle to get the old conductors out. new receptacle installed—automation restored! But I didn’t use the poke-to-terminate holes; instead I used the even-older-school screw connections. Sweating in tight spaces and with College gameday beckoning, why not use the quick and easy method? after all, it took nearly 40 years for the original receptacle to fail; that’s not a horrible MTBF.

Try posing the question to a journeyman electrician or your favorite (successful) handyman, and you’re likely to be admonished like it was inscribed on stone tablets—never, ever use the back-stab, spring-clamp terminations. It seems these guys and gals have been on many a call where, like me, a fault was traced to the cheap and expedient wiring method.

The sullied reputation of the cheap household wall outlet, unfortunately, colors our perception of precision-manufactured terminations designed for industrial networks. Many of us operate in a harsh climate (ours is cold), and we’re on the lookout for technologies that will improve the speed and accuracy of craftspeople who have to function in it. Tubular-clamp screw terminal blocks have been a mainstay for decades, and making such terminations is an expected skill for most experienced electricians. But the task invariably requires hours of gloves-off work in a fixed location, where inclement conditions take their toll on productivity. what if you could make wiring faster and easier without compromising signal integrity and long-term reliability?

highly engineered, push-to-terminate technology has been around for more than 10 years, and its ancestor, the spring-clamp terminal block, even longer. we’ve grown accustomed to seeing spring-clamp terminals appear on compressor skids where high vibration is the norm, so why do they get the kibosh for a less stressed application? The newer, poke-to-terminate varieties are available from our favorite terminal block suppliers, and there are millions if not billions deployed in many industries. The current offerings accommodate wire gauges down to 26 awg, and many accept a stranded wire without a crimp-on ferrule. There are flavors that are a one-shot deal—once the wire is inserted, it’s not coming out without breaking the terminal. Maybe that’s what you want for hazardous areas where arcing and sparking is a concern. You can get some that release with a small flat-blade screwdriver, and there are varieties that have built-in levers or pushbuttons for releasing the conductor. Look for terminals that are constructed with substantial barriers between terminations and conical holes for funneling one or more conductors into the clamp. The “cone” also helps keep stray strands from contacting other conductors.

Curmudgeonly electricians may still insist on screw terminals for residential power, but if you want your people to consider poke-to-terminate technology, it’s easy to get samples from the factory or a distributor. we don’t have 40 years to “test” the technology, so try them in your least-forgiving environment and see how they compare.

Strip, Crimp, Poke or Screw?

112014 • Q4 • IndustrIal networkIng 112014 • Q1 • IndustrIal networkIng

B U S S t o P

What if you Could

make Wiring faSter

and eaSier Without

ComPromiSing Signal

integrity and long-

term reliability?

John Rezabekjrezabek@ashland.com

IN14Q4_11_BUSTOP.indd 11 10/29/14 12:30 PM

By LesLie Gordon, senior TechnicaL ediTor

12 IndustrIal networkIng • Q4 • 2014

IN14Q4_12_17_COVERSTORY.indd 12 10/29/14 12:36 PM

132014 • Q4 • IndustrIal networkIng

Over the years, industry has implemented wireless technology with relative degrees of caution, depending on the application. Complaints about wireless’ steep learning curve have hindered certain users, applications and plants from using it, as have valid worries about security and concerns about the reliability of devices, such as transmitters that quit for no apparent reason. That said, many users are adopting wireless technology in increasing numbers because it lets them gather signals and data from places where they couldn’t get them before. This helps cut costs, improve safety, boost productivity and manage assets better.

Consider the case of reliance industries (www.ril.com) in india. The company was having problems obtaining reliable tank-level and temperature readings at its Baroda GOp olefins plant in Gujarat due to difficulties stemming from retrieving transmitter signals of tank levels and temperatures from the farthest sites in its petrochemical complex. The existing wired setup was remotely located and needed continuous troubleshooting and maintenance.

“reliance already had a suitable honeywell distributed control system (dCs), so it installed the company’s Onewireless network with solutions such as Xyr 6000 wireless transmitters to gain control of data, streamline tasks and improve overall efficiency,” says mahendra upadhyay, instrumentation manager at the Baroda GOp plant. Onewireless is a standards-based, industrial, wireless mesh network that complies with the isa100 standard and is intended to extend process control networks to the field, allowing transmission of more information to central locations.

Obtaining temperature and level signals wirelessly from Baroda GOp’s remote sites lets reliance eliminate cable and labor costs. also, wirelessly monitoring and controlling tank liquid volume ensures data accuracy for planning and scheduling. The implementation also improves employee safety because personnel no longer need to travel to remote locations to monitor tank levels.

“a real trend has process companies requiring such standards-based approaches to wireless as Onewireless,” says vibhor tandon of honeywell process solutions (www.honeywellprocess.com) in india. “its compliance with isa100 wireless allows it to use a tunneling technology that enables communication of other protocol data over the isa100 network. For example, users can extract hart data from their wired hart devices using the Onewireless adapter (Owa) that securely sends the hart data over the isa100 wireless network to the hart clients like honeywell’s Field device manager (Fdm) or emerson’s ams.”

wireless is headed toward developing a protocol for the internet of Things (iot), as well as one for a way to handle big data, says tandon.

Tipping poinTOnce a wireless technology hits a tipping point in the consumer world, industry adopts the technology and advances it, explains

mike Fahrion, product management director and iot strategist at B&B electronics (www.bb-elec.com). “a lighter, smaller version of Bluetooth called Bluetooth low energy (le) was recently developed for sensors,” he says. “in consumer applications, Bluetooth targeted applications in retail grocery stores place tiny, battery-powered beacons that send out their ids. holders of frequent shopper cards can download an app for their smartphones that works with the technology to help users navigate the store and get special offers.”

The idea in industry is to place similar sensor tags on the factory floor for use as an operator interface. “so, instead of companies putting expensive custom-built hmis on a machine, an operator with an ipad can walk up to the machine and use the tablet as a virtual hmi, using short-range communications to the device over Bluetooth le,” says Fahrion. “Or a technician can walk up to a cabinet and doesn’t have to open the door to see what the oxygen level or temperature is inside.”

FlexibiliTy is Keymany companies want to use wireless to give them more flexibility and control in extreme conditions. One example comes from aggreko (www.aggreko.com) in Glasgow, scotland, which provides large and temporary power installations in remote locations. in one installation, aggreko replaced ethernet cables laid in cable trenches between its generators with wireless ethernet using B&B’s Ghostbridge wireless ethernet bridge to make aggreko’s entire sCada system wireless. The wireless devices installed on the generators are connected to modbus tCp serial servers, and they relay data wirelessly between the transformer units and the sCada master. since going wireless,

remote but secure

Figure 1: Cabinets for remote stations in an energy distribution application in belgium include systems that provide a secure remote link from the central control room to the remote sites.

IN14Q4_12_17_COVERSTORY.indd 13 10/29/14 12:36 PM

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14 INDUSTRIAL NETWORKING • Q4 • 2014

Aggreko has reduced installation and de-installation time and costs and improved reliability since it’s no longer susceptible to vehicle traffi c over the cable trenches.

How is the system installed? A simple power over Ethernet (PoE) device is installed inside the generator and the transformer. � is allows the antenna to take its power straight from the Ethernet cable without the need for additional power supplies. An Ethernet cable is then taken from the original Ethernet connection and plugged into the wireless device, which is mounted on top of the container with supplied mounting brackets. An omni-directional antenna is installed and plugged back into the SCADA marshalling panel, allowing a secure, site-wide wireless connection.

Benefi ts of the approach include the capability to monitor electrical data and engine information remotely, as well start and stop generators and reset active alarms remotely.

In other applications, where monitoring a remote location with a wired network would be diffi cult, a cellular network can provide an alternative network connection for a solar-powered sensor. For example, to monitor the Eyja� allajökull volcano in Iceland, the Icelandic Meteorological Offi ce didn’t try to run cables out to the site because of its harsh conditions, which included seismic activity, lava fl ows and ash fall. Instead, it used a cellular network in which solar panels powered the sensors and the GPRS/EDGE cellular routers. Routers from B&B’s Czech Republic-based subsidiary, Conel, connected the devices to the network.

REALLY REMOTE MONITORING“Years ago, wireless was used mostly in applications that were just too far away and costly to wire with traditional 4-20 mA wiring,” says Ira Sharp, product marketing manager at Phoenix Contact USA (www.phoenixcontact.com). “Fast forward, and wireless today also allows doing things that would never be possible with wire, such as taking a tablet onto the plant fl oor to wirelessly connect to an asset, upload and download new code, and perform troubleshooting on a PLC or control system.”

For example, in an energy distribution application for a nationwide energy supplier in Belgium, Phoenix Contact built the cabinets for the remote stations. � e system includes Phoenix ILC controllers as the control equipment and mGuard 3Gs industrial routers for a secure remote link from the central control room to the remote sites (Figure 1).

BASICS OF INDUSTRIAL WIRELESSA variety of wireless technologies are used in industrial applications, and the type applied depends on their diff erent applications. WirelessHART and ISA100.11a standards are based on the IEEE 802.15 standards and use unlicensed 2.4 GHz band frequencies. These technologies have low power requirements and are relatively short range. They’re suitable for sensor-type devices for process control and instrumentation. Certain wireless technologies have been traditionally used for long-haul SCADA applications and remote site connectivity:

• VHF/UHF radios use proprietary standards and licensed frequencies (150-470 MHz) and have very low data rates (65 Kbps).

• Frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) radios use proprietary standards, unlicensed frequencies of 900/2,400 MHz and up to 1.1 Mbps data rates.

• Cellular radios, such as GSM/CDMA (3G), LTE (4G) and IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX) use licensed and fee-based frequencies (700-3,600 MHz) with data rates up to 100 Mbps.

• 802.11a/g (Wi-Fi) uses unlicensed frequencies of 2.4/5 GHz and line-of-sight communication, and its data rate depends on the distance (up to 54 Mbps).

• IEEE 802.11a/g/n technology is used for the most demanding applications with real-time I/O, peer-to-peer, safety control and mobile HMI. Data rates can reach 300 Mbps.

IN14Q4_12_17_COVERSTORY.indd 14 10/29/14 12:37 PM

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In most cases, the 3G mobile network links the sites to the control room.In another application, a machine builder might ship a machine to

seven diff erent states and four diff erent countries, continues Sharp. “Wireless technology lets us log in to any one of the control systems,” he says. “So when I’m dealing with the builders on the phone, I can

MONITOR PRODUCTIVITY

Figure 2: Wi-Fi is being used in a manufacturing application to collect monitoring or control information from the diff erent stations for productivity monitoring.

IN14Q4_12_17_COVERSTORY.indd 15 10/29/14 12:37 PM

16 IndustrIal networkIng • Q4 • 2014

look at what’s actually going on in the system real time. This helps to prevent sending a technician on an airplane to various facilities. In most cases, the capability involves using cellular technology, and the nice thing about cellular is it can be used almost anywhere in the world, so it really does allow you to have a long reach to all assets.”

Similarly, system integrator Patti Engineering (www.pattieng.com) in Auburn Hills, Michigan, reports that it often uses Phoenix Contact’s wireless technology in water and wastewater projects. “We’re currently working on a water application involving 29 wells across a city,” says Steven Palmgren, PE, vice president of Texas operations at Patti Engineering. “A well is basically just a pump. The city wanted to monitor current draw, or how much power a well is drawing, because that information indicates how well the pump is working. We put a Phoenix Contact Radioline 900 Mhz radio in each location, which lets us remotely monitor various process parameters and tell the pump when to turn on and off. We set up implementations, so our customers can operate the system themselves.”

The Missing LinkAs wireless devices push into more remote locations, some are benefiting from using extended-life batteries, while others are getting power from solar and other methods. “The problem with 2.4 GHz (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ZigBee) is that they’re being loved to death, and so many devices are being added to them that interference is inevitable,” says Jim O’Callaghan, president of EnOcean (www.enocean.com). “Wireless sensor networks need more reliability, and the beauty of using sub-gigabit networks like ours is that they avoid the high-density networks and their interference.”

EnOcean manufactures energy-harvesting and storage devices that allow users to implement self-powered wireless networks. These products include energy harvesters, ultra-low-power timers and measurement assessment devices. These communicate via the firm’s internationally standardized EnOcean radio protocol, which runs at 902 MHz in North America and at 868 MHz in Europe.

This technology has its place in areas such as Cascades’ (www.cascades.com) cardboard factory in Montreal, Canada, which had 25 gas-fired unit heaters originally controlled by mechanical thermostats. The company wanted to reduce heating costs and improve employee comfort by centrally managing temperature setpoints according to schedules. The challenge was to integrate the heaters into the existing BACnet IP building management system. Because installing miles of conduits and wires throughout the large facility would be costly and cause downtime, the company went with wireless.

The project’s contractor installed the “missing link” between the heaters and the building management system using EnOcean relays, which were controlled wirelessly by SmartStruxure Lite (formerly CAN2GO) wired and wireless controllers from Schneider Electric and equipped with embedded BACnet IP gateways without extensive wiring costs or significant downtime. In the factory, 16 heaters are now controlled by EnOcean-based relays communicating with SmartStruxure Lite controllers. All in all, the contractor estimated a total savings of labor and materials reached $45,000 for a 25-controller project.

“The system let us centralize temperature

control and generate energy savings,” says Fabien Demougeot, engineering technical supervisor at Cascades. “The installation was done without disrupting our operations, which would have been impossible with traditional wired control solutions.”

DifferenT PaThsAnother approach to getting wireless data from different areas comes from Red Lion (www.redlion.net), which gives users the capability to connect, monitor and control devices, explains Diane Davis, director of networking product management at Red Lion. “We don’t take wireless down to the sensor level, and there’s no Zigbee, Bluetooth or HART communications,” she says. “Our technology is 802.11n wireless, and we’re seeing it used in multiple ways. A good example is automatic-guided vehicles for parts delivery in an automobile factory, which move around a track. You have the Wi-Fi being used on the vehicles themselves as stations, like your laptop moving through an office environment, attaching itself to a wireless access point. Wireless frees the vehicles from being tethered. In addition, more and more wireless devices are being used for monitoring, from phones to iPads and other devices, as well as connecting remotely to the back office for data acquisition and control.”

In addition, Wi-Fi can be used in a manufacturing application to collect monitoring or control information from the different stations for productivity monitoring (Figure 2).

In contrast, Pepperl+Fuchs’ (www.pepperl-fuchs.us) main focus is WirelessHART-enabled devices that monitor field instruments in the process industry. WirelessHART lets users put equipment anywhere they want and not worry about whether they have enough wires or enough room in the conduit, reports Robert Schosker, Pepperl+Fuchs’ product manager. “Users also don’t have to worry about running wires or burying them in a ditch only to have the application move,” he explains. “Wireless equals freedom from wires.”

An application example comes from a device used to measure a tank level. “When a food production facility’s process was

antenna sends all

figure 3: at the Tüpraş refinery, a device sends oil tank temperature and level data wirelessly via various components to the control system, ensuring the transmission of correct readings.

IN14Q4_12_17_COVERSTORY.indd 16 10/29/14 12:39 PM

running, it pulled water from a tank to help keep equipment cool,” says Schosker. “A freestanding radar gauge sat in the tank. As the processes started to ramp up, the tank required more and more water but it couldn’t keep up because it was being filled by off-site wells. The company had to send in technicians to turn on a variable-speed drive (VSD) to pump more water in the tank and keep the reservoir up. At this point, all operations were manual. The idea was to make the level gauge wireless via one of our adaptors and feed data back to the controller, which would then feed the facility’s PLC. The adaptor gave the level height to the Modbus card which, in turn, drove VSDs that automatically turned on the pumps at the off-site wells.”

In another application involving level gages, Tüpraş’ (www.tupras.com) refinery in Izmir, Turkey, used an Emerson Process Management tank gauging system including 85 wireless radar level gauges (Figure 3). The gauging system is intended to provide accurate, reliable level measurements on the refinery’s most critical oil-movement tanks.The Izmir facility has a refining capacity of 11 million tons per year and storage capacity of 1.9 million m3 in 164 tanks, including 44 lube-oil storage tanks that were already being monitored using wired level gauges.

On other tanks, however, the existing gauging system sometimes gave incorrect readings because of the fact that the cables were damaged during excavations in the field. In addition, support personnel were not always available.

Tüpraş first considered replacing the older system with additional wired level gauges. However, because the tanks are spread over a large area and existing cabling and junction boxes were below par, the high cabling and installation costs of this approach made wireless technology a more suitable approach.

“Ground conditions make excavation for new cable runs difficult,” says Ali Erener, project chief engineer at Tüpraş Izmir. “Emerson’s Smart Wireless solutions let us minimize costs for cabling, cable trenches, conduits and cable trays. Going wireless also gives us the flexibility to add more devices in the future, both for level and temperature

measurements, as well as for tank water control and nitrogen pressure control at our blanketing tanks, which are remotely located from the control room. The WirelessHART field network at the Izmir refinery will have a node for each tank, including a radar level gauge installed with an antenna unit, a Smart

Wireless THUM Adapter, and a multiple spot temperature sensor to enable accurate volume calculations. Temperature and level data will be sent wirelessly to a Smart Wireless gateway, which acts as the network manager and provides an interface to the refinery’s inventory software or control system.”

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E V A L U AT E

18 IndustrIal networkIng • Q4 • 2014

KISS IS StIll the beSt advIce to follow when buIldIng a networK

Build Redundancy Into Your Wired System

There is The common assumpTion ThaT redundancy always leads to improved system reliability, and in most cases this is certainly true, which is why it’s often the first step used with control systems to help achieve the target of 100% availability. however, to be effective when designing redundant systems two important principles must be followed: Kiss (keep it system-simple) and avoid common-mode failures. a good corollary is to implement standards, whether these are industry standards or your own internal corporate standards, which include preferred supplier lists. This is because standardizing on one supplier makes it possible to effectively implement supplier-specific protocols. since all the supplier’s equipment supports the “proprietary” protocol, it becomes a corporate standard protocol. in the case of ethernet ring protocols, this is still an important consideration (Table 1).

Why does redundancy increase reliability? The simple answer is mathematics. When two devices or components are connected in series, then the system availability is simply the product of the availability of the two components.

conversely, when two devices are connected in parallel, which is effectively what we’re doing when implementing a redundant system, the combined availability is calculated as 1-(1- a)2 where a is the availability of the component.

consequently, not only do we benefit from the fact that we’re subtracting the availability from unity, but also the result is squared, so it improves exponentially.

Though hardware redundancy does result in a genuine improvement in system availability, it’s not always by the degree that the theory predicts, mainly due to common-mode failures in nonredundant elements and lack of diagnostics coverage.

Mean TIMe To RelIaBIlITYin addition, there can be a risk that introducing hardware redundancy can result in much more complexity and may only make a marginal improvement in overall availability. an example where this may be true is if the original hardware element is itself simple with a high availability or long mean time to failure (mTTF). however, introducing redundancy involves the addition of complex hardware just to perform the fail-over function. as a result, the component count and number of interconnects needed to implement it are ridiculously high, so overall mTTF actually decreases. This situation may be a rare occurrence, but it’s still one to be mindful of. hence, the Kiss admonishment.

unfortunately, there are multiple standards by which mTTF calculations

can be performed, and, of course, each standard provides different results. so, when using information on a supplier’s website, always be sure that you’re comparing calculations using the same methods.

one of the more widely used calculation methods for electronic equipment reliability is based on the 1991 miL-hdBK-217 (www.sre.org/pubs/mil-hdbk-217F.pdf) published by the u.s. dept. of defense. most recently updated in February 1995, it contains failure rate models for a wide range of electronic components, including integrated circuits, transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, relays, switches and connectors, or, in other words, all the pieces used to manufacture the equipment we use to build control systems.

Because of the age of miL-217, one consequence is that the underlying data doesn’t reflect the most recent advances in the reliability of the above components. as a result, it often provides pessimistic results, so many companies are moving to aT&T Bell Labs’ Bellcore (Telcordia) standards: Tr-332 issue 6 (1997) and sr-332 issue 3 (2011). They’re based on simplified miL-217 but have the ability to incorporate real-world data to correct the theoretical models.

in addition, thermal cycling refers to the temperature changes the chips see due to changes in ambient temperature, as well as heat produced from other components on the same boards in the enclosure. duty cycle is the on/off operation of the equipment. as a result, the iec 62380 standard’s models can handle continuous working, on/off cycles and dormant applications and include failures related to component soldering in the calculated failure rate.

all these models, however, give us an indication of the reliability of the devices or nodes in a control system, but not of the network itself. Because ethernet is now the most commonly used network to link nodes together, system reliability also becomes a function of how we can make ethernet-based communications between these devices or nodes reliable. unfortunately, ethernet’s broadcast nature doesn’t permit physical loops and effectively forbids redundant communication paths. consequently, like any good group of engineers, we’ve developed ways to circumvent this limitation—at the price of increased complexity.

network redundancy can be achieved at both the data link layer (Layer 2) and the network layer (Layer 3). Layer 2 redundancy is provided by switches within a Tcp/ip subnet, while Layer 3 redundancy is done by routers, routing traffic via different Tcp/ip subnets. naturally, routing means higher overhead and lower performance, and, because industrial networks have a need for speed, they tend to rely on Layer 2 redundancy options for reliability.

by Ian verhappen

IN14Q4_18_20_FEATURE2.indd 18 10/29/14 12:44 PM

192014 • Q4 • IndustrIal networkIng

From Trees To ringsOne simple form of redundancy is Link Aggregation Control Protocol (IEEE 802.1ad) that provides the ability to bundle groups of switch ports between switches to form one link with the aggregated bandwidth of the individual links by splitting the communications across multiple paths. With link aggregation or link redundancy, in the event a single connection fails, the remaining links keep working with reduced bandwidth. Since the most likely reason that a cable fails is due to a mechanical disruption, the physical links (cables) should be routed via different paths, or there is the risk that multiple link failures will occur when the cable is damaged, thus circumventing the benefits of link aggregation.

One of the first protocols developed in the early 1990s to implement redundancy was the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP). Though it can handle different network technologies, including mesh, the failover time for this protocol can be as long as 10 seconds. Due to the time required to converge on a new configuration, STP has a practical limit on the number of switches between endpoints in the network. The original request for comment (RFC) for STP recommended that the number of hops (the number of bridges or switches between any two devices) should be no more than seven.

STP has generally been replaced by the improved Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) that was defined in 1998. Because the failover time will vary depending on the particular implemented topology and the location of the individual failure, neither STP nor RSTP can provide deterministic failover.

STP and RSTP both allow Ethernet to connect by putting selected links into standby to prevent data loops from overloading the network. Without this capability, the circular connections

that make up the mesh and ring topologies would bog down the network and ultimately lead to a complete communications failure. Standby links are activated to “heal” the network when a link fails. RSTP networks support a larger number of switches—20 in a path—and the typical failover time is around 1 second. The time difference between STP and RSTP to recover or rebuild the network is great, but RSTP is still slow for many industrial applications.

A very common approach to provide redundancy for industrial networks is to use a ring, in part because it’s a much lower-cost option than building a mesh between all the nodes. The HiPER-ring protocol first released by Hirschman and Siemens in 1999 has been adopted as IEC 62439 as the Media Redundancy Protocol (MRP).

MRP requires that one of the switches is configured in the role of media redundancy manager (MRM). While maintaining one port closed to normal data, the MRM sends frames out of one of its ring ports and receives them on its other ring port, thus communicating in both directions. All other switches on the network act as media redundancy clients (MRCs).

success wiTh subrings and redboxesAlong with many proprietary ring technologies, MRP also has the ability to support subrings. Depending on the support that’s included by your hardware vendor, some switches can be configured as subring managers (SRMs), allowing them to take part in two rings. The two switches then take part in two rings, the original ring being known as the basis ring. The subring will need to have at least one other switch since there needs to be a switch taking the role of MRM for the subring. The subrings also need to be configured on different VLANs, so further configuration is required to share traffic between the rings.

Table 1: options for network redundancy

ProTocol ToPology max devices neTworking equiPmenTreconFiguraTion

Time

sTP (ieee 802.1d-2004) mesh/TcP any sTP-compliant 60-300 seconds

sTP (ieee 802.1d-2004) mesh/udP any sTP-compliant 40-150 seconds

Trunking TcP 200 - 1000 standard switch 100-200 ms

Trunking udP 200 - 1000 standard switch 0-10 ms

rsTP (ieee802.1d-2004) ring 40 switch with rsTP support >2 seconds

rsTP (ieee802.1d-2004) any any switch with rsTP support >2 seconds

mrP (iec62439-3, clause 2) ring 50 device supports mrP 10, 30, 200, 500 ms

PrP (iec62439-3, clause 4) double, any any standard switch 0 ms

hsr (iec62439-3, clause 5) coupled rings 512 device support hsr 0 ms

To help understand the differences between network redundancy options, this table from “applying PrP and hsr Protocol for redundant industrial ethernet” (www.netmodule.com/en/technologies/interfaces_networks/iec62439) by Thomas siegrist summarizes the various protocols.

IN14Q4_18_20_FEATURE2.indd 19 10/29/14 12:44 PM

E V A L U AT E

20 IndustrIal networkIng • Q4 • 2014

One weakness of loop topologies is that they can recover completely from only one failure. Conversely, a partial or full mesh network has multiple backup links which, if properly designed, can support two or more links to fail.

Similar to the fieldbus standard, there are a number of clauses in IEC 62439, each covering a different protocol related to network management. The Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP) IEC 62439-3 is implemented in the end devices where two independent paths that are completely separated and are assumed to be fail-independent are configured to exist between these end devices. Once the paths have been created, a source node with PRP functionality simultaneously sends two copies of a frame, one over each of two ports. The two frames travel through their respective separate networks until they reach a destination node. Because each frame took a separate route, they will arrive at the target device at slightly different times. The destination node accepts the first frame of a pair and discards the second, taking advantage of a sequence number in each frame that’s incremented for each frame sent.

Because PRP is implemented in software in the end nodes that can be installed on any platform supporting standard operating systems, the switches in the network don’t need to have any PRP functionality. In fact, an end device, typically a sensor, with PRP functionality is a double-attached node (DAN), which can maintain a connection to both networks that share the same MAC and IP address.

A standard device with a single network interface—a single attached node (SAN)—can only be attached to one network. Such a device has no redundant path in the event of network failure between it and another SAN. A device called a redundancy box (redbox) can be used to connect standard devices or networks of

standard devices to both networks. The high-availability seamless redundancy (HSR) receiver removes unicast frames from the ring, while the sender removes multicast and uni-broadcast frames.

A redbox has three external Ethernet ports. Two of the ports are connected to a redundant network, which in the case of HSR discussed below is a ring, while one port is a traditional Ethernet port. When forwarding frames to the ring, the redbox duplicates each frame and sends two duplicates to the ring, one in both directions. When forwarding frames from the ring, the redbox forwards the first copy and removes the one that arrives later.

Because all frames are sent twice over the same network, even when there’s no failure, when compared to RSTP, only about half of the network bandwidth is available to applications relying on HSR rings. As a result, in large implementations, consideration needs to be given to increasing the network speed from 100 MBps up to 1 Gbps, depending on the architecture.

In contrast to PRP (IEC 62439-3- Clause 4), with which it shares the operating principle, HSR was standardized as IEC 62439-3 Clause 5 and is one of the redundancy protocols selected for substation automation in the IEC 61850 standard. Like PRP, HSR is application-protocol-independent and can be used by most industrial Ethernet implementations that use the IEC 61784 suite.

Similar to PRP, HSR functions with zero switchover time, but unlike PRP, it doesn’t require two parallel networks. Rather, as the name implies, it takes the form of a ring or a structure of coupled rings, with the result that it’s less flexible than PRP at the installation stage. HSR rings can also be connected via a redbox to a standard RSTP or MRP redundant network as a backbone or even to a PRP network using two redboxes.

A double redbox, quadbox or quadruple port device is used to connect two HSR rings to each other. As one quadbox would itself be a single point of failure, two adjacent quadboxes are typically used between HSE rings. As you can see, there are a number of options to increase the overall reliability of industrial networks by implementing redundancy in a variety of different ways and different combinations.

After doing all this work to make sure your network is robust, don’t forget the balance of your infrastructure, such as power supplies, or all you have done is relocate the weakest link to another location that may in fact be of lower reliability—for example, a single bus power supply that’s down for maintenance or a UPS that’s not maintained or is undersized.

All your efforts and additional system complexity could make the situation worse rather than better. In the end, it still comes down to understanding your system and implementing good engineering practices, which in most cases still means KISS.

Ian Verhappen is an ISA Fellow, Certified Automation Professional and recognized authority on industrial communications technologies with more than 25 years experience. He can be reached at iverhappen@gmail.com or via his blog at http://community.controlglobal.com/kanduski.

Acronym Definition

DAn Double attached node

HSr High-availability seamless redundancy

iP internet protocol

mrc media redundancy client

mrm media redundancy manager

mrP media redundancy protocol (iec 62439-2)

PrP Parallel redundancy protocol (iec 62439-3)

Quadbox Quadruple port device (two redboxes)

redbox redundancy box

rStP rapid spanning tree protocol

Srm Subring manager

reDunDAncy AcronymS

IN14Q4_18_20_FEATURE2.indd 20 10/29/14 12:44 PM

t e r m i n a t o r

Have you ever been on a public Wi-Fi hotspot such as a coffee shop or airport with the signal strength indicator on your mobile device or laptop indicating a nice strong signal but then not been able to log on the network? The likely reason is that there are more people trying to get connected than you have connections available. Though frustrating, this situation is not critical. However, if the same thing were to happen when a wireless industrial device needs to connect to send a process update or alarm, the consequences could be much more severe.

as engineers, we’re expected to anticipate these sorts of situations and plan accordingly, not only for the conditions when the system is installed, but also for the reasonably foreseeable future. So how might we be able to accomplish what is a seemingly impossible task? The answer, though to some an enigma, is management.

Much like we have area classification drawings to help us plan for the hazardous conditions that might occur, if we divide our facility into areas based on the approved usage of the license or iSM bands, we will be able to manage the number of devices making demands on any one system.

The iSM bands in north america are separated into three primary frequencies:

• 900 MHz: operating between 902 and 928 MHz with a 26 MHz bandwidth and, as of 2006, 30 channels;

• 2.4 GHz: operating at 2.400 to 2.4835 GHz with a 100 MHZ bandwidth with 16 channels; and

• 5.8 GHz: operating at 5.725 to 5.875 GHz with a 150 MHz bandwidth with 14 channels.

As we also know, the 2.4 GHz bandwidth suffers from the most congestion in part because that’s where the IEEE 802.11 a-n radios (Wi-Fi, cellular); IEEE 802.15.4 (industrial wireless protocols including WirelessHART, ISA100.11a, Zigbee and bluetooth) all operate, and as a result, it’s where we’re most likely to run into difficulties.

So how will bandwidth classification drawings solve the problem?

a set of bandwidth classification drawings can be developed for your facility, so you can specify that, within certain areas of the plant, all or portions of frequencies are assigned to specific applications. For example, the 5.8 GHz frequency will be used for Wi-Fi communications in

conference rooms and public areas, and then turn off the 2.4 GHz radios in these areas. This will also have the side benefit of controlling network access and reduce cybersecurity risks, as well. The 2.4 GHz frequency in the office environment will then be available for staff or cellular use.

in the plant, you can continue by specifying that 5.8 GHz is for Wi-Fi and those potential future roaming operators, while 2.4 GHz is reserved for process control/automation applications.

because signal distance is proportional to frequency, the 900 MHz band can then be reserved for the longer connections across a facility, such as between the access points in a tank farm or in the process plant.

if separation by frequency is insufficient, the resolution of the separation can be managed to the channel level. However, if you’re planning on or already experiencing this level of demand, remember that, because all channels overlap, you can’t assign adjacent channels to adjoining physical areas; they must typically be three channels apart. of course, with careful planning you can keep all the neighbors three channels apart and still use all the channels available. That’s definitely when you need the bandwidth classification drawing to help keep track of it all.

as you can see, this information can be presented on a single drawing or as a series of drawings with each frequency on a different drawing. This means you can represent the sphere or area that’s assigned to a particular application, use or group.

Though not a very technical solution to a technical problem, managing networks by assigning them in advance in this or a similar way not only provides a path to resolve any conflicts should they arise, but also provides clarity on who or what applications take precedence, should a situation develop.

Ian Verhappen is an iSa Fellow, certified automation professional, and a recognized authority on industrial communications technologies with 25+ years’ experience predominantly in the hydrocarbon industry. He offers consulting services specializing in industrial communications, process analytics and heavy oil/oil sands automation.

Manage Network Conflict

212014 • Q4 • IndustrIal networkIng 212014 • Q4 • IndustrIal networkIng

If separatIoN

by frequeNCy Is

INsuffICIeNt, the

resolutIoN of the

separatIoN CaN be

MaNaged to the

ChaNNel level.

pa r i t y c h e c k

IAN VERHAPPENiverhappen@gmail.com

IN14Q4_21_PARITYCHECK.indd 21 10/29/14 12:46 PM

When selecting a

fiberoptic cable,

realize that most

of the cost lies in

the other netWork

components.

Hank Hogancontributing editorhank@hankhogan.com

22 IndustrIal networkIng • Q4 • 2014

b a n d w i d t h

22 IndustrIal networkIng • Q4 • 2014

For industrial networks, the Future holds more fiber and greater bandwidth. in the past, more fiberoptic cable would also have meant more headaches, since terminating a cable and connecting it has traditionally been a labor-intensive affair requiring special skills. however, advances have alleviated this problem and produced tougher and more easily installed cables, thereby allowing fiber to push deeper into industrial networks.

as this happens, it’s important to realize in selecting an optical fiber that most of the cost lies in other network components, says robert reid, senior product development manager at cabling and infrastructure manufacturer Panduit (www.panduit.com). “it’s really the electronics that dominate the cost. it’s the transceivers that plug into the switches that dominate the cost.”

single-mode optical fiber, the type used in long-haul communications, is cheaper than the multimode fiber found in data centers and industrial networks. however, reid says that a single-mode transceiver is at least three times the cost of the multimode version. hence, in places where connections are plentiful and runs not too long, such as data centers and plant floors, a multimode fiber solution is less expensive overall.

no matter the fiber type, though, it must be protected from a plant floor environment that can include vibration, oils, temperature extremes and possible water washdowns. if many fibers are being run, the best solution might be to put them through a protective metal conduit. if only a handful of connections are needed, it might be best to use a metal armored cable.

still better for such cases might be a protective plastic enclosure such as the electrician-friendly type introduced last year by Panduit. it is lighter than metal, offers a better bend radius and doesn’t need grounding. as for terminating and attaching the fiber, that can be done in as little as 20 seconds by technicians using a special tool, says reid.

another example of cable advances comes from optical fiber solutions provider oFs (www.ofsoptics.com), which offers cabling specifically geared for the industrial market, according to natasha Juhasz, market product analyst. For instance, consider its graded-index, hard-coat silica (GihCs) fiberoptic products. due to the

gradually changing refractive index in the glass, signals come out cleaner as they travel down the fiber, which makes the data transmission rate faster in an industrial setting as compared to legacy, step-index designs, says Juhasz. she adds that the resulting greater bandwidth is one reason why oFs cabling allows for communications to be more deterministic and closer to real time than the competition.

like other optical cabling, the company’s graded index fiber glass core is surrounded by a silica cladding and further encased by a hard and thin protective coating. The two play a role in setting the optical and mechanical characteristics of the fiber, as well as its plant floor ease-of-use.

“our fiber is thicker. with a 230-micron diameter, it’s noticeably easier to handle than traditional fibers with a 125-micron cladding,” Juhasz says. For reference, human hairs are around 100 microns across.

Graded-index, polymer-coated fiber, the generic name for what oFs makes, is in the process of being made a part of connection standards set by odVa (www.odva.org), the automation networking technology industry group. Juhasz expects that to happen in 2015.

a third example of fiberoptic cable innovation comes from aFl (www.aflglobal.com), which engineers, makes and installs fiberoptic products and associated equipment. when it comes to industrial automation, Craig stratton, aFl’s business development manager for harsh- environment fiberoptic cables, notes that what goes to a machine on the plant floor may need to be armored and meet fire-resistance ratings. aFl has an armored fiberoptic cable that is similar to the flexible, metallic tubing used for copper.

aFl also has a new product that can be used in industrial settings. The enterprise air-Blown Cable solution consists of small-diameter optical fiber cable with as many as 48 strands of glass. This bundle can be sent through a microduct installed in a tray or a raceway, or connected to a ceiling. it allows easy installation, according to stratton.

“The cable can be jetted with an air-blowing system that can install the fiber at a rate of about 200 ft/min. it enables a facility to add a physical layer network as the need for bandwidth presents itself,” he says.

fiberoptic cables get easier to install

IN14Q4_22_BANDWIDTH.indd 22 10/29/14 1:10 PM

232014 • Q4 • IndustrIal networkIng 232014 • Q4 • IndustrIal networkIng

R E S E A R C H

HIgH-speed ap/ClIentAWK-1131A IEEE 802.11n wireless AP/client features high-speed transmission rates up to 300 Mbps, as well as galvanic isolation technology that breaks ground loops to help prevent unwanted current caused by different ground potentials from entering the device. The device measures 2.29 x 4.53 x 2.76 in., and can operate on either the 2.4- or 5-GHz bands. It’s backward-compatible with existing 802.11a/b/g installations. Moxa Americas; 888/669-2872; www.moxa.com

Hart gatewayWirelessHART Gateway connects the wired structure and wireless network with its network management to organize and control the wireless network, and connect this to a control or SCADA system. Field device signals are received and passed on via the appropriate bus protocol. The gateway can be installed in Zone 1 areas and can support up to 250 WirelessHART field devices. Pepperl+Fuchs; 330/486-0002; www.pepperl-fuchs.us

wIreless aCCess poIntAllen-Bradley Stratix 5100 wireless access point (WAP) features a work group bridge, and lets engineers connect up to 19 IP addresses simultaneously. The device supports 802.11a/b/g/n, and has 3x4 multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) technology and three spatial streams. The 5100 lets users access production data from remote and difficult-to-reach areas.Rockwell Automation; 414/328-2000; www.rockwellautomation.com

wIreless pusHbuttonSureCross Wireless Q45 pushbutton with confirmation light and bidirectional communication lets operators send a digital signal and receive confirmation of its receipt. The device’s frequency-hopping signal ensures secure data transfer. It has a line-of-site range to 3,000 ft, and can run for up to five years on two AA lithium batteries, or be powered by a local 10-30 V supply. Banner Engineering; 888/373-6767; www.bannerengineering.com

TesTed Wireless Topologies and devices ensure secure access

Network Connections Free From Wires

ADVAnCES In InDuSTRIAl WIRElESS DEVICES AnD nETWORKS are everywhere. They’re allowing instant access to a variety of data. With a bit of attention to security, configuration and topology, viable wireless networks can be developed to make it happen.

According to Rob Snyder, product manager for the network infrastructure group at Rockwell Automation, “Manufacturers need to control moving equipment and gain access to data in fixed equipment without spending the time and money to wire or rewire. They increasingly need mobile access to production information. To meet these needs, automation vendors are delivering high-performance wireless access points and aggregation clients, such as work group bridges, to enable industrial wireless connectivity to machines and skids, allowing low-latency jitter communications from controllers to switches to I/O modules. Also, the wide adoption of the Ethernet/IP protocol on plant floors allows users to add wireless as a progression or extension of previous networking solutions. Ethernet/IP is standard, unmodified Ethernet built to seamlessly work with IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n. But beyond wireless-ready hardware and networks, industrial companies are becoming more familiar with the work required to design and deploy a wireless local area network (WlAn). Companies are providing tested

topologies and configurations, avoiding data packet delays, and ensuring secure access. End users can leverage guidance on wireless design considerations from major suppliers.”

Justin Shade, product marketing specialist, wireless, I/O and networks at Phoenix Contact uSA, adds, “using wireless for remote communication is becoming standard practice in the industrial arena. With the prices of copper cable and labor constantly on the rise, and the reliability of wireless communication becoming stronger and stronger, the use of wireless in previously manual applications is becoming more common. Here, wireless includes the many technologies that address different applications. For instance, high-speed technologies such as Wi-Fi or WlAn let users perform video surveillance or even real-time communications with machinery. More robust technologies such as 900-MHz frequency hopping, allow for the long- distance monitoring of more than 20 miles typically used to remotely monitor I/O and PlCs. In addition, cellular technology supports connecting anywhere in the world, letting users gain access to equipment instead of needing to make a trip to service it. Selecting the appropriate wireless technology for the application is very important because there is no one technology that fits every application.”

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24 IndustrIal networkIng • Q4 • 2014

R E S E A R C H

24

two In oneWireless modems for long-range Ethernet and serial data communications extend Ethernet networks into difficult-to-access locations. Special features provide dynamic network optimization and intelligent routing for high reliability, lower latency and deterministic power management. The units support 360 to 512 MHz and 928 to 960 MHz configurations. They can operate in access point/client configurations, and function as a network bridge/router or serve as a serial server (RS232/485).Weidmüller; 800/849-9343; www.weidmuller.com

wIreless MachIne networkIng Scalance W761-1 RJ45 access point and the Scalance W721-1 RJ45 client module work together to provide wireless machine networking from inside a cabinet. The modules can be rail- or wall-mounted, or directly mounted flush to the company’s distributed I/O devices. The units offer a slot for one of the company’s replaceable medium devices and PoE. The access point and the client module provide IP20 protection and up to 150 Mbit/s transmission rates. Siemens; 770/751-2000; www.automation.siemens.com

transducers go wIrelessModel BT4000 Series coupled flange drive transducers feature encapsulated, on-board electronics that provide strain gage bridge excitation, bridge output amplification, and provide amplified signal conversion into a 16-bit digital word. The units provide Bluetooth wireless rotary torque sensing in extreme high-vibration environments. The transducers measure torques up to 8,000 Nm at speeds up to 7,000 rpm, with analog voltage, digital or frequency signal outputs.SensorData Technologies; 586/739.4254 ; www.sensordata.com

Measures co2

IAQM-THCO2 is an IEEE 802.15.4 wireless sensor that’s compatible with DM-124 wireless Modbus networks, measures air temperature, relative humidity and CO2 levels. The device is Modbus RTU-compatible, which means that any PLC,

controller or PC connected to the DM-124 coordinator can retrieve data by using standard Modbus RTU commands. The sensor’s Config Tool software eases the process of configuring the device via radio.Advanticsys; +34 91 189 05 21; www.advanticsys.com

Wireless OutdOOr BridgeAPX-120N5 is a long-distance, point-to-point, preconfigured, wireless, outdoor bridge. The device comprises two units, is IP67-rated, and has a frequency range that complies with IEEE 802.11a/n. The bridge is also a powered device (PD) that complies with IEEE 802.3af. Each unit consumes 7.5 W of power with an output of 800 mW. Users need not log onto the wireless devices to set up software or configure a wireless network.Antaira; 844/268-2472; www.antaira.com

MusterIng towerIon mustering tower is a stationary access point for real-time personnel check-in to mustering areas during emergencies. During emergencies, the wireless, solar- powered device uses a visual strobe light to notify personnel they should proceed to the mustering area. Employees can check in via a wireless badge, eliminating the need for manual processing, and the tower’s Wi-Fi reader immediately updates the system that the employee is safe. Apprion; 650/934-5700; www.apprion.com

Pacs wIth wIreless lanWired+Wireless SNAP PAC industrial controllers have wireless LAN (802.11a/b/g) and dual 10/100 Mbps wired Ethernet interfaces, and can be used wirelessly, on a wired network, or both at once as part of a SNAP PAC System. Controllers can be used in infrastructure or ad hoc mode, and support 802.11i security standards including WPA2-AES plus WPA and WEP for backwards compatibility.Opto 22; 951/695-3000; www.opto22.com

IN14Q4_23_24_RESEARCH.indd 24 10/29/14 12:49 PM

READS MANY AT ONCEF190 UHF read/write head works with the company’s existing RFID control systems, enabling users to connect to standard protocols such as Ethernet/IP, Profinet TCP/IP and EtherCAT. The device can detect several products in a container at the same time using multi-tag reading and has a range of 0.2 to 1.5 m. Pepperl+Fuchs; 330/486-0001; www.pepperl-fuchs.us

WIRELESS I/O MODULESAdam-2000Z series wireless I/O modules use the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and support 2.4-GHz mesh networking for distributed monitoring systems. � e series includes Modbus/RTU gateway, router node, I/O and sensor device modules. It can connect up to 32 nodes, including router and end devices. Advantech; 888/576-9668; www.advantech.com/ea

WIFI FOR M2MAirborneM2M 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi platform provides secure dual-band (2.4- and 5-GHz) Wi-Fi connectivity to M2M networks and works in a temperature range of -40 to 85° C. The technology comes as a line of industrial Wi-Fi access points (APXN) and Wi-Fi clients (ABDN), including Ethernet bridges, Ethernet routers and serial servers. It also comes in the form of embeddable access point (APMN) and client (WLNN) modules. Security features include network (EAP), wireless (802.11i and WPA2-PSK), access (authentication and firewalls), communication (SSH) and device (encryption).B&B Electronics; 800/346-3119; www.bb-elec.com

WIRELESS COMMAND STATIONWireless, battery-less industrial-grade single and multi-actuator command stations come with push-button, selector and key-operated switches. Available for 915-MHz operation, the CSA, FCC and IC-certifi ed controls have a nominal transmission range of 40 m inside and 450 m outside. � e unit’s life expectancy is more than 1 million operations.Steute Industrial Controls; 203/244-6301;www.steutewireless.com

GATEWAY WITH SMARTSSmart Wireless Gateway 1410 was designed for smaller networks (up to 25 devices) required for remote applications. Built-in layered security functions ensure that the network stays protected. Additional devices can be added quickly and easily without the need to confi gure the communication paths. � e gateway manages the network automatically and reportedly delivers greater than 99.9% data reliability.Emerson Process Management; 949/757-8500;www.emersonprocess.com

252014 • Q4 • INDUSTRIAL NETWORKING

P R O D U C T S 25

AD INDEX

ARC Advisory Group ....................................................10

AutomationDirect .......................................................... 2

B&R Industrial Automation .......................................27

CC-Link Partner Association .....................................28

Hilscher North America ................................................ 6

Mitsubishi International ............................................... 9

Moxa Americas ................................................................ 4

Newark ............................................................................... 3

ProSoft Technology......................................................17

Red Lion Controls .........................................................15

CONTACT US1501 E. Woodfi eld Rd., Suite 400N, Schaumburg, Illinois 60173

630/467-1300 • Fax: 630/467-1124industrialnetworking@putman.net

EDITORIAL TEAM Editor In Chief Mike Bacidore Executive Editor Jim Montague Managing Editor Nancy Bartels Digital Managing Editor Katherine Bonfante Associate Digital Editor Erin Massey Senior Technical Editor Dan Hebert Contributing Editor Hank Hogan Editorial Assistant Lori Goldberg

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PUBLISHING TEAM Group Publisher/VP, Content Keith Larson Director of Circulation Jack Jones VP, Creative Services Steve Herner

EXECUTIVE STAFF President & CEO John Cappelletti VP, Circulation Jerry Clark CFO Rick Kasper

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Dave Fisher • dfi sher@putman.net24 Cannon Forge Dr., Foxboro, Massachusetts 02035

508/543-5172 • Fax: 508/543-3061

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1501 E. Woodfi eld Rd., Suite 400N, Schaumburg, Illinois 60173630/467-1300 • Fax: 630/467-1124

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REPRINTSFoster Reprints

Jill Kaletha • jillk@fosterprinting.com866/879-9144 ext.168 • www.fosterprinting.com

IN14Q4_25_PRODUCTS.indd 25 10/29/14 12:51 PM

JOSE LUDENAjose_ludena@oxy.com

26 IndustrIal networkIng • Q4 • 201426 IndustrIal networkIng • Q4 • 2014

t e r m i n a t o r

The cosT benefiTs of

This wireless neTwork

include a 35%

reducTion in overall

deploymenT labor

cosTs and a 15%

reducTion in overall

maTerial cosTs.

Operating Oil and gas applicatiOns in north dakota can be difficult because of its unpredictable weather, limited and costly labor force, and remote locations. These were the main reasons engineers, technicians and operators at Occidental petroleum were happy when they recently automated more than 200 wells, tanks and other equipment near dickinson, north dakota, with wireless transmitters and other components.

These 200 well pads and their oil and water tanks are located in the harsh and often unforgiving terrain of the geological Bakken region. They’re widely dispersed, subjected to snow, ice and ambient temperatures that can shift by 80 °F in a day, and they typically require large amounts of hardware and costly labor to install and maintain. each well has six 400-barrel (bbl) tanks, including four for storing oil and two for storing water. The wells produce light crude oil and slightly salty water.

We needed to automate existing and new oil production facilities near dickinson for monitoring and control, so they could be operated remotely from a centralized control room. This project began in 2012 and included wells, oil and water tanks, heater-treating and well-monitoring systems, and a central tank battery with five 10-Kbbl, fixed-roof tanks, two lease automatic custody transfer (lact) units, two water injection pumps, three crude oil shipping/sales pumps, three flares, vapor recovery unit (VrU) and associated electrical infrastructure.

Because of our aggressive project schedule, the bulk of our well infrastructure, wireless upgrades and other construction had to be executed during the winter. Heavy snow and/or rain at any time during the year in north dakota results in muddy and hazardous driving conditions, making it difficult to reach facilities, and the state’s dOt often closes roads during inclement weather. We also had an aggressive central tank battery schedule, and our rapid deployment of wells and infrastructure also required us to build more than 120 of the pads in less than 18 months. Unfortunately, because there’s so much oil and gas-related development in this area, only limited resources are available locally, especially skilled labor, so resources are either brought in from out of state or hired from the existing pool at a premium.

to meet these challenges, we needed a wireless system that could be used for monitoring and control and didn’t need to fulfill sil-rated

functions, but still had to run reliability in sub-zero and icy conditions. some applications needed 4-second update rates, while others could run with 60-second updates. These wireless components also needed to have self-diagnostics, report on instrument health, and had to be self-healing. The main wireless-enabled components implemented on the wells include emerson process Management’s 3051s pressure transmitters, 6480 temperature transmitters, 3308 level transmitters and 2160 level switches.

The wireless components were installed by May 2012 and immediately reduced our installation complexity and commissioning resources needed. We eliminated the bulk of the traditional loop infrastructure, such as conduit, cable, terminal blocks and fuses, and greatly reduced the amount of necessary construction resources. We eliminated point-to-point checkout associated with traditional wired instrument loops, and we reduced personnel multitasking to bring systems online from installation to commissioning. We also increased data availability via WirelessHart. Our wireless mesh network provides reliability via its self-diagnosis and self-healing network, and it’s also easy to expand and add devices to the network.

The new wireless network on Occidental’s 200 wells in north dakota has greatly improved overall reliability. implementing wireless eliminated more than 96% of call-outs due to communication or equipment failure issues. it also eliminated electrostatic discharge issues while unloading vessels and inherently improved reliability by eliminating loose connections, cracked insulation, broken wiring and crushed conduit. also, communicating via WirelessHart provided data on device and overall system health.

Finally, the cost benefits of this wireless network include a 35% reduction in overall deployment labor costs and a 15% reduction in overall material costs. Our original estimate for automating a well pad with a traditional wired solution was seven days, but actual deployment time with wireless is now two days, and it can be even faster for multiple wells located at the same site.

Jose Ludena is senior facilities engineering advisor at Occidental petroleum (www.oxy.com) in Houston, texas.

26

wireless overcomes rough Terrain

26

IN14Q4_26_TERMINATOR.indd 26 10/29/14 12:54 PM

Ultra Fast aUtomation1µs rEsPonsE timE

< Replaces dedicated hardware< Freely programmable< IEC 61131, Function Block Diagram< Reduces CPU load< Reduces machine cycle time

Find out more.

TECHNOLOGYreACTION

www.br-automation.com/reACTION

IN14Q4_FPA.indd 27 10/29/14 1:48 PM

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You’ve implemented the local open network technologies in your products. But now it’s time to look further afield. Chances are these technologies leave a large part of the Asian market inaccessible. So how can you also capture that? CC-Link is a market leading technology for open automation networking in Asia. Adding this connectivity can lead to a significant business open automation networking in Asia. Adding this connectivity can lead to a significant business open automation networking in Asia. Adding this connectivity can lead to a significant business increase in critical markets such as China. Our Gateway to Asia (G2A) program offers a increase in critical markets such as China. Our Gateway to Asia (G2A) program offers a increase in critical markets such as China. Our Gateway to Asia (G2A) program offers a increase in critical markets such as China. Our Gateway to Asia (G2A) program offers a increase in critical markets such as China. Our Gateway to Asia (G2A) program offers a comprehensive package of development and marketing benefits to capture this additional comprehensive package of development and marketing benefits to capture this additional comprehensive package of development and marketing benefits to capture this additional comprehensive package of development and marketing benefits to capture this additional comprehensive package of development and marketing benefits to capture this additional comprehensive package of development and marketing benefits to capture this additional comprehensive package of development and marketing benefits to capture this additional market share.

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IN14Q4_FPA.indd 28 10/29/14 12:10 PM