Tokyo, Japan - April 8, 2013
Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces the introduction of a new "Wireless Anywhere" business concept on the plant-wide use of ISA100.11a*1 compliant wireless communication technologies for both monitoring and control applications. Yokogawa will aggressively promote this concept to widen the use of ISA100.11a-compliant products and related services. This augments our existing "Grow" concept, which encourages the introduction of wireless communication technologies by making a case for their inherent reliability, flexibility, and openness.
The ISA100.11a standard ensures high reliability, application flexibility, network expandability, and compatibility with a variety of wired communication standards such as FOUNDATION™ fieldbus, HART®, and PROFIBUS. "ISA100.11a full functional" field wireless network systems and devices make use of state-of-the-art dual redundant technologies that enable a much higher level of reliability, and allow massive scalability and long-range communications.
By following up on the Grow concept with this announcement of the Wireless Anywhere concept, Yokogawa is advocating the use of "ISA100.11a full functional" field wireless systems throughout plants. To this end, Yokogawa will pursue the following three initiatives:
For continuous processes that need sophisticated wireless control technologies, Yokogawa released the world's first ISA100.11a compliant system devices and transmitters in July 2010, giving customers an expanded range of device choices. In July 2012, Yokogawa released a reliable, large-scale field wireless system for plant use.
Such systems ensure responses in real time by making use of state-of-the-art dual redundant technologies and can be quite large in scale, supporting connections to up to 500 field wireless devices. The data update time is 5 seconds when the system consists of a host system and 500 field wireless devices, and 1 second with a host system and 200 field wireless devices. The field wireless devices are proven to be able to communicate over distances up to 10 km*2, 20 times the range of conventional systems.
*1 A wireless communication standard for the industrial automation industry established in September 2009 by the ISA100 Committee of the International Society of Automation (ISA)
*2 With a high-gain antenna. Local regulations may restrict the use of such antennas with field wireless devices.
Yokogawa's global network of 90 companies spans 55 countries. Founded in 1915, the US$4 billion company conducts cutting-edge research and innovation. Yokogawa is engaged in the industrial automation and control (IA), test and measurement, and other businesses segments. The IA segment plays a vital role in a wide range of industries including oil, chemicals, natural gas, power, iron and steel, pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, and food. For more information about Yokogawa, please visit the company's website www.yokogawa.com
The flexibility of wireless solutions enables less investment in infrastructure while providing greater insights into plant operations.