Deadlines for the ISA Communications Division two Spring Symposia are quickly approaching.
The first event this April in Troy (Detroit) Michigan is a joint offering with the ISA100 WG16 committee that will be two half-days focused on Wireless applications in the Factory environment. Key topics at this event include: Wireless for Factory Automation User Requirements, Secure Wireless Sensor Networks,
IEEE P1451.1.4 and Smart RFID use for Factory Automation, and Emerging Wireless Technologies for Factory Automation.

The primary message being delivered by the champions of wireless is that it will enable full access to the rich information contained in today’s smart instruments and in particular the diagnostic information thus providing you the benefits of complete predictive maintenance. Of course it is never quite this easy.

Convergence—or not, that’s the question...

Much has been made of the “end-user revolt” early this year at the ISA100 meeting held jointly with the ARC Forum in Orlando. The group of large end-users (in the sincere and correct belief that they were also representing the views of smaller end-users in general) told the major automation vendors that they were tired of wireless wars and they wanted a sincere convergence effort between WirelessHART, now IEC62591, and ISA100.11a-2009. This revitalized the ISA100.12 committee, which had been established to explore convergence.

This announcement came out of the Honeywell Users Group conference in Phoenix this morning.

Our fearless, intrepid reporter, Jim Montague, has gone into the scary lair of that most dangerous of crime fighters, James Bond, and come back with a report. First important piece of news. James Bond is really Jason Urso of Honeywell. And he has the goods on your process automation problems--or at least some of them.

Don't miss the next exciting episode. 

Here's a capsule update on the wireless standards war.

Siemens has become the latest major field device vendor to release products certified to be WirelessHART (see the press release below). Most of the major field device vendors have now got products that are either in the certification process or in the final release to shipping.

Our U.K. correspondent, Andrew Bond, says that while following the soap opera of the ISA/WirelessHART standards wars may make for a good read, the real action in wireless is happening much closer to home--literally. In the February issue of Bond's  Industrial Automation Insider, he reports that "home automation system shipments will approach 2.8 million in 2011." Here's Bond's take on what these numbers mean, not just for those of us with disappearing tv remotes, but for, perhaps, the factory floor:

Our U.K. correspondent, Andrew Bond, says that while following the soap opera of the ISA/WirelessHART standards wars may make for a good read, the real action in wireless is happening much closer to home--literally. In the February issue of Bond's  Industrial Automation Insider, he reports that "home automation system shipments will approach 2.8 million in 2011." Here's Bond's take on what these numbers mean, not just for those of us with disappearing tv remotes, but for, perhaps, the factory floor:

The commercialization of products based on the ISA100.11a wireless standard took several steps forward at the ARC World Industry Forum this week in Orlando. "ISA100.11a is unique," said GE's Justin Smith to a gathering of industry media, "because its requirements were determined by end users in an open consensus process, with 23 of 24 end-users voting to approve the standard."

"We wanted something that could be enhanced and customized to the needs of every site," said ExxonMobil's Pat Schweitzer and committee co-chair.

Here's a reality check for everybody who thinks that the choice is between WirelessHART and ISA100 and Zigbee. This is a press release from Bob Eckery at EnOcean:

EnOcean's Emergence as Wireless Leader Evidenced by Real Shipping Products