Emerson forges ahead with WirelessHART integration

Oct. 8, 2007
From the press release this morning: Integration of Emerson's self-organizing Smart Wireless field networks with its PlantWeb® digital plant architecture will become even easier with the release of Version 10.3 of Emerson's DeltaVâ„¢ digital automation system.Emerson is committed to ease-of-use for its customers' applications of Smart Wireless technology. In the new release, the 1420 gateway becomes a node on the DeltaV control network permitting it to be auto-sensed and auto-conf...
From the press release this morning: Integration of Emerson's self-organizing Smart Wireless field networks with its PlantWeb® digital plant architecture will become even easier with the release of Version 10.3 of Emerson's DeltaVâ„¢ digital automation system.Emerson is committed to ease-of-use for its customers' applications of Smart Wireless technology. In the new release, the 1420 gateway becomes a node on the DeltaV control network permitting it to be auto-sensed and auto-configured in the DeltaV Explorer. In addition, HART alerts from WirelessHART devices will be passed directly through to the AMSâ„¢ Suite: Intelligent Device Manager, eliminating the need for an additional Ethernet network. AMS Device Manager delivers predictive device diagnostic information to the control room and to the maintenance shop so that both plant functions are seeing the same information and are able to quickly troubleshoot any issues before they become problems. Today the connection between the Model 1420 wireless gateway is via OPC or Modbus communications protocols. With the release of the version 10.3, wireless I/O from the 1420 WirelessHART device appears as native I/O in the DeltaV system ushering in a new era of wireless DCS I/O. "While we are shipping a fully functional wireless interface today, we've made the interface even easier to use," said Duncan Schleiss, vice president of marketing for the process systems division of Emerson Process Management. "By engineering the 1420 interface to be a node on the controller highway, we will deliver the easy product integration and configuration that is the hallmark of our DeltaV system architecture." The DeltaV system version 10.3 enhancements are scheduled to be released in early 2008.