Protocol Adapter for Industrial Wireless Field Instruments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial control systems face challenges in allowing field instruments with different wireless protocols to communicate effectively, often requiring separate wireless infrastructures for each protocol, such as ISA100.11a and W-HART, which increases complexity and costs.
Innovation Solution
An adapter device that provides wireless communication capability to field instruments by converting information from one protocol to another, enabling communication between field instruments using different protocols over a single wireless network, such as ISA100.11a and HART, through a controller with multiple interfaces and protocol conversion capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate wireless infrastructures are used for each wireless protocol (e.g., ISA100.11a and W-HART), then field instruments using different protocols can communicate, but device complexity and infrastructure costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter device serves as an intermediary between field instruments using different wireless protocols and the control system. It receives communications from field instruments via one protocol (e.g., W-HART), converts them to another protocol (e.g., ISA100.11a), and transmits them to the control system, thereby enabling protocol compatibility without requiring separate infrastructures for each protocol type
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter device is designed with multi-functionality to support multiple wireless protocols simultaneously. It can interface with field instruments using different protocols and translate between them, allowing a single unified wireless infrastructure to accommodate diverse protocol requirements rather than requiring dedicated infrastructures for each protocol
2Device complexity
If protocol conversion is implemented through a unified adapter device, then infrastructure complexity is reduced, but the adapter device's processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protocol conversion function is segmented and offloaded to a dedicated adapter device rather than being distributed across multiple infrastructure components. This concentrates the processing load in a single specialized device that is optimized for protocol translation, while the rest of the wireless infrastructure remains simple and unified
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple wireless networks are deployed for different protocols, then field instruments can operate with their native protocols, but network management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter device acts as a mediator that handles protocol translation between field instruments and the control system. This eliminates the need for multiple separate wireless networks, allowing network managers to operate a single unified wireless network while the adapter handles the complexity of supporting multiple protocols transparently
Data Source
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AI summary
A method includes coupling (502) an adapter device (120) to a field instrument (112, 112a-112e) in an industrial control system (100) to provide a wireless communication capability to the field instrument. The method also includes converting (514-516), by the adapter device, information from a first protocol native to the field instrument into a second protocol native to a wireless network. The method further includes transmitting (516) the information to at least one other device over the wireless network.