Wireless sensor network gateway with integrated intrinsically safe outputs for field-mounted access point antennas

Abstract

The wireless sensor network gateway (102) includes a safe side circuit (120), a dangerous side circuit (124), and an isolation circuit (122) supported by a housing (126). The safe side circuit (120) includes a safe side power circuit (140) and a safe side data input / output (I / O) circuit (142). The dangerous side circuit (124) includes a dangerous side power circuit (148) and a dangerous side data I / O circuit (152). The isolation circuit (122) separates the safe side circuit (120) from the dangerous side circuit (124). The isolation circuit (122) includes a power isolation circuit (154) that couples the safe side power circuit (140) to the hazardous side power circuit (148) and forms an intrinsic safety barrier between the safe side power circuit (140) and the hazardous side power circuit (148), and a data isolation circuit (156) that couples the safe side data I / O circuit (142) to the hazardous side data I / O circuit (152) and forms an intrinsic safety barrier between the safe side data I / O circuit (142) and the hazardous side data I / O circuit (152).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure are generally directed to a wireless sensor network gateway for powering and communicating with one or more access point smart antennas of wireless sensors located in a hazardous environment. Background Art

[0002] Industrial process field devices are used in industrial process control and monitoring systems to monitor industrial process variables using process sensors (e.g., pressure sensors, temperature sensors, etc.) and / or control one or more control devices (e.g., actuators, valves, etc.) that interact with the industrial process.

[0003] Typically, controlled or monitored industrial processes are located in hazardous environments, such as air environments with flammable gases or vapors, flammable liquids, combustible dusts, flammable fibers, etc., where there is always a risk of fire or explosion. According to the industry-accepted practice of classifying hazardous environments, environments that have or may have flammable concentrations of flammable gases or vapors under normal operating conditions are designated as Zone 0, Zone 1, or Division 1 areas, while environments where flammable concentrations of flammable gases or vapors may only occur under abnormal conditions are designated as Zone 2 or Division 2 areas. Environments where no flammable or combustible materials are present are generally referred to as non-hazardous or safe areas.

[0004] Typically, field equipment that will be located in hazardous environments must be constructed with explosion-proof protection using recognized technologies such as "intrinsic safety." Intrinsically safe devices prevent ignition of flammable gases by limiting the energy present in the electronics and ensuring that electronic components are far enough apart to prevent arcing in the event of an electrical fault. The heat generated by the electronics is also controlled. Equipment used in Zone 2 or Division 2 hazardous environments has less stringent requirements because flammable or combustible materials are present in ignitable concentrations only under abnormal conditions. Summary of the invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a wireless sensor network gateway, which is configured to be located in a non-hazardous environment and to power one or more antennas of a wireless sensor network located in a hazardous environment and communicate data with them. In one embodiment, the gateway includes a safe side circuit, a dangerous side circuit, and an isolation circuit. The safe side circuit includes a safe side power circuit configured to receive power from a non-intrinsically safe power supply, and a safe side data input / output (I / O) circuit configured to communicate data with a non-intrinsically safe device. The dangerous side circuit includes a dangerous side power circuit configured to transmit power to an antenna, and a dangerous side data I / O circuit configured to transmit a data signal to or from the antenna. The isolation circuit separates the safe side circuit from the dangerous side circuit. The isolation circuit includes a power isolation circuit that couples the safe side power circuit to the dangerous side power circuit and forms an intrinsic safety barrier between the safe side power circuit and the dangerous side power circuit, and a data isolation circuit that couples the safe side data I / O circuit to the dangerous side data I / O circuit and forms an intrinsic safety barrier between the safe side data I / O circuit and the dangerous side data I / O circuit. The housing of the gateway supports the safe side circuit, the dangerous side circuit, and the isolation circuit.

[0006] Another embodiment of the gateway is configured to supply power to and communicate data with multiple antennas of a wireless sensor network located in a hazardous environment. The gateway includes a safe side circuit, a dangerous side circuit, and an isolation circuit. The safe side circuit includes a safe side power circuit configured to receive power from a non-intrinsically safe power supply, and a plurality of safe side data input / output (I / O) circuits, each of which is configured to communicate data with a non-intrinsically safe device. The dangerous side circuit includes a dangerous side power circuit configured to transmit power to multiple antennas; and a plurality of dangerous side data I / O circuits, each of which is configured to transmit a data signal to or from one of the multiple antennas. The isolation circuit separates the safe side circuit from the dangerous side circuit. The isolation circuit includes a power isolation circuit that couples the safety side power circuit to the hazardous side power circuit and forms an intrinsic safety barrier between the safety side power circuit and the hazardous side power circuit, and a plurality of data isolation circuits, each of which couples one of the plurality of safety side data I / O circuits to a corresponding one of the plurality of hazardous side data I / O circuits and forms an intrinsic safety barrier between the plurality of safety side data I / O circuits and the corresponding plurality of hazardous side data I / O circuits. The housing of the gateway supports the safety side circuit, the hazardous side circuit, and the isolation circuit.

[0007] This summary is provided to introduce some concepts in a simplified form, which are further described in the detailed description below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all of the disadvantages noted in the background technology. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a simplified diagram of an industrial process sensor network including a wireless sensor network gateway according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 2 is a simplified diagram of an exemplary gateway according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present disclosure for converting Figure 2 Simplified diagram of a gateway connected to multiple antennas for power and data connections.

[0011] Figure 4 is a simplified diagram of an example of a wireless sensor network including an exemplary gateway according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present disclosure for converting Figure 4 Simplified diagram of a gateway connected to multiple antennas for power and data connections.

[0013] Figure 6 According to the embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 4 Simplified diagram of a gateway.

[0014] Figure 7 is a simplified illustration of an example of a wireless sensor network gateway according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 8 is a simplified diagram of a wireless sensor network for an industrial process control system according to the prior art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Elements identified with the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. However, various embodiments of the present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and these embodiments will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0017] As used herein, the term "hazardous environment" refers to an environment that has been classified as hazardous (e.g., an environment classified as Zone 0, Zone 1, Zone 2, Division 1, or Division 2), where electronic field devices must meet specific explosion-proof safety standards, such as intrinsic safety standards. As used herein, the term "non-hazardous environment" or "safe environment" refers to an environment that has been classified as non-hazardous, where field devices do not need to meet explosion-proof safety standards, or an environment classified as Zone 2 or Division 2, where explosion-proof requirements are less stringent.

[0018] Figure 8 300 is a simplified diagram of a wireless sensor network 300 of an industrial process control system according to the prior art. In the system shown, a wireless process variable sensor 302 is installed in a hazardous environment 304 and is configured to wirelessly communicate data with an access point smart antenna 306. Antenna 306 is also typically located within hazardous environment 304 and close to sensor 302 to achieve optimal network performance. Therefore, both sensor 302 and antenna 306 must be configured as intrinsically safe devices in order to operate in hazardous environment 304.

[0019] The wireless sensor network gateway 310 is used to power the antenna 306 and route the data signal transmitted from the antenna 306 to the non-intrinsically safe (NIS) device 312. Due to the power required to operate the gateway 310 provided by the NIS power supply 314, it is impractical to design the gateway 310 to meet the intrinsic safety requirements of hazardous environments because the restrictions on voltage, current and power are strict. Therefore, the gateway 310 must be located in a zone 2 or 2 area where the explosion-proof requirements are not so stringent or in a non-hazardous environment 316.

[0020] Data signals may be transmitted between the antenna 306 and the gateway 310 via a wired data connection 318, and power may be supplied from the gateway 310 to the antenna 306 via a wired power connection 320. To ensure that the antenna 306 meets intrinsic safety standards for the hazardous environment 304, intrinsic safety barriers 322 and 324 are provided along the connections 318 and 320 between the gateway 310 and the antenna 306 within the non-hazardous area 316.

[0021] Figure 8The partitioned gateway 310 and intrinsically safe barriers 322 and 324 arrangement shown in generally corresponds to conventional configurations of wireless sensor networks 300, such as those formed using an Emerson 1410D gateway and an Emerson 781 remote link (smart antenna). However, one of the main disadvantages of this partitioning approach is that it requires the customer to purchase and install appropriate intrinsically safe barriers 322 and 324 between the gateway 310 and the antenna 306. Such barriers 322 and 324 suitable for a particular application may be difficult to find and expensive to purchase and install. The embodiments of the present disclosure provide solutions to these and other problems and provide advantages over conventional wireless sensor network gateways 310.

[0022] Figure 1 1 is a simplified diagram of an industrial process sensor network 100 with a wireless sensor network gateway 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The network 100 also includes one or more intrinsically safe access point smart antennas 104 (e.g., Emerson 781 remote link) and one or more wireless sensors 106, which are designed according to intrinsically safe standards to allow them to be placed in hazardous environments 108. The sensors 106 can be configured to detect, measure, or relay process variables (e.g., pressure, temperature, level, etc.) of the industrial process. The sensors 106 communicate data signals wirelessly (e.g., RF signals) with the antennas 104.

[0023] The gateway 102, which is configured to be located within a Zone 2, Division 2, or non-hazardous environment 112, supplies power to the antenna 104 via a wired power connection 114 and communicates data with the antenna 104 via a wired data connection 116. The gateway 102 generally includes a safe-side circuit 120, an isolation circuit 122, and a hazardous-side circuit 124. A housing 126 of the gateway 102 supports the circuits 120, 122, and 124 and may enclose some or all of the circuits 120, 122, and 124.

[0024] The safety side circuit 120 is generally configured to connect to a non-intrinsically safe power source 128 and a device 130, similar to Figure 8 Thus, the safety-side circuit 120 can facilitate data signal communication between the antenna 104 and the non-intrinsically safe device 130 and power the antenna 104 using power received from the non-intrinsically safe power source 128 .

[0025] Dangerous side circuitry 124 is generally configured to provide power to the circuitry of antenna 104 via wired power connection 114 and facilitate data communications with antenna 104 via wired data connection 116. Isolation circuitry 122 is configured to provide an intrinsic safety barrier between dangerous side circuitry 124 and safe side circuitry 120 such that power and data connections 114 and 116 and electrical signals passed along data connections 114 and 116 to antenna 104 meet the intrinsic safety standards required of antenna 104. In some embodiments, connections 114 and 116 are provided in a single cable extending between gateway 102 and antenna 104.

[0026] In one embodiment, the gateway 102 can be connected to a computer control unit 132, which can be located remotely from the gateway 102 in a control room 134, such as Figure 1 The control unit 132 may be communicatively coupled to the gateway 102 via a suitable physical communication link such as a two-wire control loop 136 or a wireless communication link. Thus, the control room 134 may function as a non-intrinsically safe device 130 that transmits data signals to and from the antenna 104 via the gateway 102.

[0027] Communications between the control unit 132 and the gateway 102 may be performed over the control loop 136 according to conventional analog and / or digital communication protocols. In some embodiments, the control loop 136 comprises a two-wire 4-20 mA control loop, wherein a process variable or other value detected by one of the sensors 106 and transmitted to the gateway 102 by the antenna 104 may be represented as a level of loop current I flowing through the control loop 136. Exemplary digital communication protocols include, for example, those according to The communication standard modulates the digital signal onto the analog current level of the two-wire control loop 136. Other purely digital technologies may also be used, including FieldBus and Profibus communication protocols.

[0028] The gateway 102 may be powered by any suitable power source 128, such as an AC power mains, Power over Ethernet, a battery, a generator (solar panel, wind turbine, etc.), or another power source. In one embodiment, the control room 132 may form a power source 128 by supplying power to the gateway 102 using a current I flowing through a control loop 136, such as Figure 1 shown.

[0029] Figure 21 is a simplified diagram of an example gateway 102A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the secure side circuit 120 of the gateway 102A includes a secure side power circuit 140 and a secure side data input / output (I / O) circuit 142. The power circuit 140 operates to receive power 144 from the NIS power supply 128, and the data I / O circuit 142 operates to communicate data signals 146 with the NIS device 130, which may include a control unit 132 ( Figure 1 ) and / or other equipment.

[0030] In one embodiment, the dangerous side circuitry 124 of the gateway 102A includes a dangerous side power supply circuit 148 that supplies power 150 to the antenna 104 via the power connection 114. In some embodiments, the dangerous side power supply circuit 148 processes the power 150 (e.g., regulates or limits the power, voltage, and / or current) before discharging it via the power connection 114.

[0031] The hazardous side circuitry 124 of the gateway 102A may also include hazardous side data I / O circuitry 152 that facilitates communication of data signals 146 between the antenna 104 and the gateway 102A via the data connection 116. The hazardous side data I / O circuitry 152 and / or the safe side data I / O circuitry 142 may be configured to implement data communication standards such as RS-485, FOUNDATION Fieldbus, Fieldbus Intrinsically Safe Concept, and IEEE 802.3cg / APL / 2-WISE, for example, when communicating the data signals 146 with the antenna 104 and / or the device 130.

[0032] The isolation circuit 122 of the gateway 102A includes a power isolation circuit 154 that couples the safe side power circuit 140 to the hazardous side power circuit 148 and forms an intrinsically safe barrier between the safe side power circuit 140 and the hazardous side power circuit 148. The intrinsically safe barrier of the power isolation circuit 154 can prevent power from being directly propagated between the safe side power circuit 140 and the hazardous side power circuit 148, and / or convert the non-intrinsically safe input power 144' received from the safe side power circuit 140 into intrinsically safe power 144". The hazardous side power circuit 148 optionally processes the intrinsically safe power 144" output from the power isolation circuit, and then transmits power 150 to the antenna 104 along the power connection 114.

[0033] The isolation circuitry 122 of the gateway 102A also includes a data isolation circuit 156 that couples the safe-side data I / O circuitry 142 to the hazardous-side data I / O circuitry 152 and forms an intrinsically safe barrier between the safe-side data I / O circuitry 142 and the hazardous-side data I / O circuitry 152. In some embodiments, the intrinsically safe barrier of the data isolation circuitry 156 creates a barrier that prevents electrical signals from propagating directly between the safe-side data I / O circuitry 142 and the hazardous-side data I / O circuitry 152. This isolation prevents current or voltage spikes at the safe-side data I / O circuitry 142 from reaching the hazardous-side data I / O circuitry 152 and the antenna 104.

[0034] In some embodiments, the gateway 102A is configured to power and communicate with multiple access point smart antennas 104 . Figure 3 1 is a simplified diagram showing power connections 114 and data connections 116 for connecting gateway 102A to multiple antennas 104, such as antennas 104A and 104B, which communicate with corresponding sensors 106A and 106B, respectively. To simplify the illustration, only the dangerous side power circuit 148 and dangerous side data I / O circuit 152 of gateway 102 are shown.

[0035] In one embodiment, power may be supplied to antenna 104 using separate power connections 114A and 114B from a single power path formed by safe-side power circuit 140, power isolation circuit 154, and hazardous-side power circuit 148. Alternatively, separate separate power paths may be provided for each antenna 104 of network 100.

[0036] Data communication between a single data channel formed by the safe-side data I / O circuitry 142, data isolation circuitry 156, and dangerous-side data I / O circuitry 152 of gateway 102A and each of the plurality of antennas 104A and 104B may be facilitated by a data connection 116 in the form of a common data communication bus extending from the dangerous-side data I / O circuitry to each of the antennas 104A and 104B, such as Figure 3 As shown. The gateway 102A can provide data communications with additional antennas 104 in a similar manner. Thus, data communication protocols such as Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus, and FISCO can be implemented using separate branches from the bus 116 to each of the multiple antennas 104. The IEEE 802.3cg / APL / 2-WISE communication protocol can be implemented by including an APL field switch for multiple access point smart antennas 104 in a single data channel (e.g., in the dangerous side data I / O circuit 152).

[0037] Figure 41 is a simplified diagram of an example of a wireless sensor network 100 including an exemplary gateway 102B according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The gateway 102B and the gateway 102A ( Figure 2 ) is that multiple data communication channels (e.g., 0-n) are included, each channel being formed by a set of connected safe-side data I / O circuits 142, data isolation circuits 156, and dangerous-side data I / O circuits 142. Each of the data communication channels is configured to transmit data between a corresponding device 1300-n) and a corresponding antenna 1040-n). Each of the data communication channels can be described in the above-mentioned manner with respect to the gateway 102A (formed by the safe-side data I / O circuits 142, data isolation circuits 156, and safe-side data I / O circuits 152. Figure 2 ) operates in the manner described for a single data communication channel.

[0038] Figure 5 1 is a simplified diagram showing power connections 114 and data connections 116 for connecting gateway 102B to multiple antennas 104, such as antennas 104A and 104B, which communicate with corresponding sensors 106A and 106B, respectively. To simplify the illustration, only two of the hazardous-side power circuits 148 and hazardous-side data I / O circuits 152 of gateway 102B are shown.

[0039] In one example, power 150 may be supplied to multiple antennas 104A and 104B from hazardous side power circuit 148 using separate power connections 114A and 114B. Additional antennas 104 may be supplied with power in a similar manner.

[0040] Data communication between each risk-side data I / O circuit 152 of gateway 102B and multiple antennas 104A and 104B may be facilitated via separate data connections 116A and 116B, each connected to one of the data communication channels of gateway 102B. Gateway 102B may provide data communication with additional antennas 104 in a similar manner.

[0041] Figure 6 is a simplified diagram of a gateway 102B according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 The features shown in may be applied to gateway 102A where applicable.

[0042] In one embodiment, the safe side power circuit 140 includes a fuse 160 configured to open the circuit in the event of a power surge. The safe side power circuit 140 may include one or more connectors 162 for connecting the safe side power circuit 140 to one or more cables 164 that may be connected to the NIS power supply 128.

[0043] One embodiment of the power isolation circuit 154 includes a transformer 166 that prevents power 144' from being transmitted directly from the safe side power circuit 140 to the hazardous side power circuit 148. The transformer 166 receives power 144' from the power source 128 on the input side and delivers power 144" to the output side. In some embodiments, the transformer 166 is a step-down transformer that releases power 144" on the output side at a lower voltage than the voltage of the power 144' received on the input side.

[0044] The hazardous side power circuit 148 may include a fuse 170 configured to open the circuit in the event of a surge and / or a voltage output regulating circuit 172. The voltage output regulating circuit 172 may operate to regulate the voltage of the power 144″ to form a power 150 that meets the intrinsically safe power requirements of one or more antennas 104 receiving the power 150. The voltage output regulating circuit 172 may take a variety of forms and may include power limiting components such as Zener diodes and resistors. The hazardous side power circuit 148 may also include a connector 174 for connecting one or more cables to form one or more power connections 114.

[0045] Each of the one or more secure side data I / O circuits 142 of the gateway 102B may include a power limiting circuit 176 configured to limit the current and / or voltage of the data signal 146 transmitted between the corresponding NIS device 130 and the data isolation circuit 156. The power limiting circuit 176 may take various forms and may include current, voltage, and / or power limiting components (e.g., resistors, fuses, Zener diodes, etc.). In some embodiments, the secure side data I / O circuit 142 includes a connector 178 for connecting the secure side data circuit 142 to one or more cables 180, which may be connected to the NIS device 130.

[0046] Each of the one or more dangerous side data I / O circuits 152 of the gateway 102B may include a power limiting circuit 182 configured to limit the current and / or voltage of the data signal 146 transmitted between the data isolation circuit 156 and the corresponding antenna 104. The power limiting circuit 182 may be formed in a similar manner to the power limiting circuit 176 described above and include current, voltage, and / or power limiting components (e.g., resistors, fuses, Zener diodes, etc.). In some embodiments, the dangerous side data I / O circuit 152 includes a connector 184 for connecting to one or more cables to form the data connection 116.

[0047] Each of the one or more data isolation circuits 156 of the gateway 102B may include a galvanic data isolation circuit 186 that provides complete galvanic isolation for the dangerous side data I / O circuit 152 and the corresponding antenna 104. This allows the wiring forming the data connection 116 to be simplified and resilient to transient potentials and ground potential differences. In addition, the data isolation circuit 156 and the dangerous side data I / O circuit 152 can be configured to tolerate unintentional disconnection, interconnection, and grounding of the data connection wiring, thereby allowing the wiring of the data connection 116 to be mixed in a standard low-cost cable 188. This reduces the installation cost and complexity of the wiring.

[0048] In one embodiment, the galvanic data isolation circuit 186 includes a suitable optocoupler 190 that prevents electrical signals from propagating directly between the safe-side data I / O circuit 142 and the hazardous-side data I / O circuit 152. The optocoupler 190 typically converts the data signal 146 received from the hazardous-side data I / O circuit 152 into an optical signal, transmits the optical signal through an optical path, converts the optical signal into an electrical data signal, and outputs the electrical data signal 146 to the safe-side data I / O circuit 142. Likewise, the optocoupler 190 may also be configured to convert the data signal 146 received from the safe-side data I / O circuit 142 into an optical signal, transmits the optical signal through an optical path, converts the optical signal into an electrical data signal, and outputs the electrical data signal 146 to the hazardous-side data I / O circuit 152.

[0049] Thus, the gateway 102 formed according to one or more of the above-described embodiments incorporates isolation circuitry 122 that renders the power connections 114 and the data connections 116 and the electrical signals transmitted therethrough intrinsically safe for termination of one or more antennas located in the hazardous environment 108. Thus, the gateway 102 does not require the additional external intrinsically safe barriers of conventional gateways 310, such as Figure 8 Barriers 322 and 324 are shown in FIG.

[0050] The intrinsic safety requirements that may be required for a given wireless sensor network may depend on the specific type of hazardous environment in which one or more smart antennas may be located. In addition, the intrinsic safety standards for a given hazardous environment may be different for different countries and may change over time. Therefore, it may be necessary to customize the circuitry of the gateway 102 according to the application of the gateway. In addition, it may be necessary to periodically update the circuitry of an installed gateway 102 to meet new intrinsic safety standards, or to repair faulty circuitry of the gateway 102.

[0051] Figure 71 is a simplified illustration of an example of a wireless sensor network gateway 102 that is configured to simplify customization and updating of circuits of the gateway 102, such as the isolation circuit 122 and / or the hazardous side circuit 124. In one embodiment, the housing 126 of the gateway 102 includes one or more module receivers, generally referred to as 200, each module receiver being configured to receive a corresponding module 202. In one embodiment, each module 202 includes at least a portion of the isolation circuit 122 and / or at least a portion of the hazardous side circuit 124. The modules can be inserted into corresponding module receivers to connect portions of the isolation circuit 122 and / or portions of the hazardous side circuit 124 to corresponding safe side circuits 120 to form an operational gateway 102. Connectors 204, such as tab and detent connectors or other suitable connectors, are used to secure each module 202 within its module receiver 200. Thus, the gateway 102 can be easily customized for a given application by inserting the modules 202 required for the specific application into the gateway, or the gateway can be maintained (updated, repaired, etc.) by replacing one or more existing modules 202 of the gateway (e.g., modules that do not meet current intrinsic safety standards or are malfunctioning) with new modules 202.

[0052] In one example, the gateway 102 includes one or more power modules 202A, which include a portion or all of the power isolation circuit 154 and / or a portion or all of the hazardous side power circuit 148, and the housing 126 includes a power module receiver 200A configured to receive the power module 202A, such as Figure 7 As shown. Thus, embodiments of the power module 202A include all or a portion of the power isolation circuit 154, and / or all or a portion of the hazardous side power circuit 148. When the power module 202A is removed from the receiver 200A, the remaining circuits of the power isolation circuit 154 and / or the hazardous side power circuit 148 can remain supported by the housing 126. When the power module 202A is fully housed in the receiver 200A, an electrical connection is formed between the safe side power circuit 140 and the power isolation circuit 154 and the hazardous side power circuit 148. Additional power modules 202A and corresponding receivers 200A can be implemented in the gateway 102 to provide multiple power supplies.

[0053] The gateway 102 may also include one or more data modules 202B, each data module including at least a portion of the data isolation circuit 156 and / or a portion of the dangerous side data circuit 152, and the housing 126 includes one or more data module receivers 200B, each receiver configured to receive one of the data modules 202B, such as Figure 7. Thus, embodiments of the data module 202B include all or a portion of the data isolation circuit 156, and / or all or a portion of the hazardous-side data circuit 152. When the data module 202B is removed from the receiver 200B, the remaining circuitry of the data isolation circuit 156 and / or the hazardous-side data circuit 152 may remain supported by the housing 126. When the data module 202B is fully housed in the receiver 200B, electrical connections are made between the safe-side data circuit 142 and the data isolation circuit 156, as well as the hazardous-side data I / O circuit 152.

[0054] In some embodiments, the shape of the module receiver 200 is keyed to the corresponding module 202 to prevent the user from inserting the data module 202B into the power module receiver 200A, or inserting the power module 202A into the data module receiver 200B. For example, the external shape of the module 202 and the socket of the module receiver 200 can include features such as tabs and grooves that only allow the module 202 to be inserted into the intended module receiver 200.

[0055] In some embodiments, the gateway 102 may include a filler module that does not include circuitry and is used to block the open module receiver 200 .

[0056] The housing may include a cover 206, shown in phantom, for the module receiver 200. The cover 206 may be removed to install the module 202 within the module receiver 200 and then installed to protect the module 202 and the circuitry of the gateway 102 from environmental conditions.

[0057] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A wireless sensor network gateway for an industrial process, for monitoring or controlling a process variable of the industrial process, the wireless sensor network gateway being configured to be located in a non-hazardous environment and to power an antenna of a wireless sensor network located in a hazardous environment and to communicate data with the antenna, the wireless sensor network gateway comprising: A safety side circuit, the safety side circuit comprising: a safety-side power circuit configured to receive power from a non-intrinsically safe power source; and a safety-side data I / O circuit configured to communicate with a non-intrinsically safe device to send process variable data related to a process variable of the industrial process to the non-intrinsically safe device, the non-intrinsically safe device comprising an industrial process controller remote from the wireless sensor network gateway; A dangerous side circuit, the dangerous side circuit comprising: a hazardous side power supply circuit configured to deliver power to the antenna; and hazardous-side data I / O circuitry configured to pass data signals associated with the process variable data to and receive data signals from the antenna to communicate with a wireless field device of a type used to sense or control an industrial process variable and to send the process variable data to the wireless field device, the wireless field device being located remotely from the wireless sensor network gateway; An isolation circuit, wherein the isolation circuit separates the safe side circuit from the dangerous side circuit, and the isolation circuit comprises: a power isolation circuit coupling the safe-side power circuit to the hazardous-side power circuit and forming an intrinsic safety barrier between the safe-side power circuit and the hazardous-side power circuit; and a data isolation circuit that couples the safe-side data I / O circuit to the hazardous-side data I / O circuit and forms an intrinsically safe barrier between the safe-side data I / O circuit and the hazardous-side data I / O circuit; and A housing supports the safe-side circuit, the hazardous-side circuit, and the isolation circuit. 2 . The wireless sensor network gateway according to claim 1 , wherein the power isolation circuit comprises a transformer. 3 . The wireless sensor network gateway of claim 2 , wherein the data isolation circuit comprises a galvanic isolation circuit. 4 . The wireless sensor network gateway of claim 3 , wherein the galvanic isolation circuit comprises an optocoupler. 5 . The wireless sensor network gateway of claim 3 , wherein the hazardous-side power supply circuit comprises a voltage output regulating circuit configured to regulate a voltage of power delivered to the antenna. 6 . The wireless sensor network gateway according to claim 5 , wherein the safety-side power supply circuit comprises a fuse. 7 . The wireless sensor network gateway of claim 3 , wherein the data isolation circuit is configured to prevent electrical signals from directly propagating between the safe-side data I / O circuit and the hazardous-side data I / O circuit.

8. The wireless sensor network gateway according to claim 3, wherein the safety-side data I / O circuit and / or the hazardous-side data I / O circuit are configured to implement a data communication standard selected from the group consisting of: RS-485, FOUNDATION Fieldbus, Fieldbus Intrinsic Safety Concept, and IEEE 802.3cg / APL / 2-WISE.

9. The wireless sensor network gateway according to claim 1, wherein: The housing includes a module receiver; and The wireless sensor network gateway comprises: a module removably received in the module receiver, the module including at least a portion of the isolation circuit and / or at least a portion of the hazardous side circuit; and a cooperating connector configured to secure the module within the module receiver, When the module is received in the module receiver, an electrical connection is formed between the safe side circuit and the portion of the hazardous side circuit and / or the portion of the isolation circuit.

10. The wireless sensor network gateway according to claim 9, wherein the module comprises one of the following: at least a portion of the power isolation circuit and / or at least a portion of the hazardous side power circuit; and At least a portion of the data isolation circuit and / or at least a portion of the dangerous-side data I / O circuit.

11. A wireless sensor network gateway for an industrial process, for monitoring or controlling a process variable of the industrial process, the wireless sensor network gateway being configured to be located in a non-hazardous environment and to power and communicate data with a plurality of antennas of a wireless sensor network located in a hazardous environment, the wireless sensor network gateway comprising: A safety side circuit, the safety side circuit comprising: a safety-side power circuit configured to receive power from a non-intrinsically safe power source; and a plurality of safety-side data I / O circuits, each safety-side data I / O circuit configured to communicate with a non-intrinsically safe device to transmit process variable data associated with a process variable of the industrial process, the non-intrinsically safe device comprising an industrial process controller remote from the wireless sensor network gateway; A dangerous side circuit, the dangerous side circuit comprising: a hazardous-side power supply circuit configured to deliver power to the plurality of antennas; and a plurality of hazardous-side data I / O circuits, each hazardous-side data I / O circuit configured to transmit data signals related to the process variable data to and receive the data signals from one of the plurality of antennas to communicate with a wireless field device of a type used for sensing or controlling an industrial process variable and to transmit the process variable data to the wireless field device, the wireless field device being located remotely from the wireless sensor network gateway; An isolation circuit, wherein the isolation circuit separates the safe side circuit from the dangerous side circuit, and the isolation circuit comprises: a power isolation circuit coupling the safe-side power circuit to the hazardous-side power circuit and forming an intrinsic safety barrier between the safe-side power circuit and the hazardous-side power circuit; and a plurality of data isolation circuits, each data isolation circuit coupling one of the plurality of safe-side data I / O circuits to a corresponding one of the plurality of hazardous-side data I / O circuits and forming an intrinsic safety barrier between the plurality of safe-side data I / O circuits and a corresponding one of the plurality of hazardous-side data I / O circuits; and A housing supports the safe-side circuit, the hazardous-side circuit, and the isolation circuit.

12. The wireless sensor network gateway of claim 11, wherein the power isolation circuit comprises a transformer.

13. The wireless sensor network gateway of claim 12, wherein each of the data isolation circuits comprises at least one galvanic isolation circuit.

14. The wireless sensor network gateway of claim 13, wherein the galvanic isolation circuit comprises an optocoupler. 15 . The wireless sensor network gateway of claim 13 , wherein the hazardous-side power supply circuit comprises a voltage output regulating circuit configured to regulate a voltage of power delivered to the antenna.

16. The wireless sensor network gateway according to claim 15, wherein the safety-side power supply circuit comprises a fuse.

17. The wireless sensor network gateway of claim 13, wherein each of the data isolation circuits is configured to prevent electrical signals from directly propagating between the connected safe-side data I / O circuit and the hazardous-side data I / O circuit.

18. The wireless sensor network gateway of claim 13, wherein each of the safety-side data I / O circuits and / or each of the hazardous-side data I / O circuits is configured to implement a data communication standard selected from the group consisting of: RS-485, FOUNDATION Fieldbus, Fieldbus Intrinsic Safety Concept, and IEEE 802.3cg / APL / 2-WISE.

19. The wireless sensor network gateway according to claim 11, wherein: The housing includes a module receiver; and The wireless sensor network gateway comprises: a module removably received in the module receiver, the module including at least a portion of the isolation circuit and / or at least a portion of the hazardous side circuit; and a cooperating connector configured to secure the module within the module receiver, When the module is received in the module receiver, an electrical connection is formed between the safe side circuit and the portion of the hazardous side circuit and / or the portion of the isolation circuit.

20. The wireless sensor network gateway of claim 19, wherein the module comprises one of the following: at least a portion of the power isolation circuit and / or at least a portion of the hazardous side power circuit; and At least a portion of the data isolation circuit and / or at least a portion of the dangerous-side data I / O circuit.

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