Research Breeds Familiarity
Not only are implementation plans increasing, but they seem to be fueled by a growing interest in wireless sensor networks for industrial monitoring. The survey found that 73% of respondents in August are researching wireless sensors for use in more rugged environments, compared to 64% who were interested in January.The researchers add that reliability of wireless sensor networking was the main reason respondents say theyre delaying deployment. Thirty-three percent report that reliability is their greatest concern about adopting wireless technologies.Despite these persistent worries, however, the survey also revealed that respondents had a strong understanding of which applications were appropriate for wireless sensor networks. The applications chosen as most appropriate were process (66%), environmental (61%) and machine (53%) monitoring/predictive maintenance, which were followed by process control (38%) and industrial safety monitoring (23%). In addition, the respondents reported that 2.4 GHz remains their favored wireless operating frequency. More than twice as many respondents selected 2.4 GHz (35%) in August, compared to 900 MHz (16%), which parallels results in January.Also, in the January survey, 69% of respondents confirmed that they plan to use their wireless sensors in harsh, radio frequency (RF) environments, while 46% added that battery-operated wireless sensors were important in their applications. Our latest survey clearly reveals the industrial sector's growing interest in wireless sensor networks and monitoring capabilities that work well within challenging RF [radio frequency] environments, says Paul Sereiko, Sensicasts CEO. Despite their wireless aspirations, both January and Augusts respondents report their present sensors are firmly grounded in traditional interfaces, including 4-20 mA, RS 232, RS 485, 0-10 V, discrete inputs, Ethernet, and HART analog (See Figure 3).
FIGURE 3: PRIMARY SENSOR INTERFACE SUPPORT |
What primary interface do your sensors presently support? |