ISA's standards committee on wireless systems for automation, ISA-SP100, has just issued calls for proposals (CFPs) to encourage a variety of experts to collaboratively create a new series of wireless communication standards for industrial monitoring and control.
The ISA-SP100 committee is establishing standards, recommended practices, technical reports, and related information that will define procedures for implementing wireless systems in the automation and control environment with a focus on the field level. Guidance is directed towards those responsible for the complete life cycle including the designing, implementing, on-going maintenance, scalability or managing manufacturing and control systems, and will apply to users, system integrators, practitioners, and control systems manufacturers and vendors.
Two working groups of ISA-SP100, WG3 and WG4, have simultaneously issued calls for proposals not only to provide input to the committee but also to encourage a variety of experts, who may not be members of ISA-SP100, to participate in this process. The CFP process is intended to solicit input that addresses and helps solve critical issues associated with the deployment of wireless technology for industrial automation. During the evaluation process, preference will be given to proposals where sufficient technical detail and performance data is readily available to assess the validity of claims.
One of the working groups, WG3 developing the ISA-100.11 series, is focusing on wireless communication standard(s) optimized for industrial loop control. Typical applications include: automatic, direct control of primary actuators for process loops in a plant; controlling flow, temperature, pressure; cascaded loops controlling a process variable (such as low frequency temperature loops); coordinated interlocks between automation cells; closed loop speed controls for rotating equipment; and mobile workers with handheld devices manually initiating process actions.
The second working group that just issued a CFP, WG4 preparing the ISA-100.14 series, is developing wireless communication standard(s) that will be optimized for monitoring and logging. Typical applications include: process monitoring, equipment health monitoring, asset management, file uploading/downloading, validation, and potentially open-loop control.
The approach used by both groups will be open and collaborative, with the goal of achieving consensus when possible. The intent of the process is to create the best possible wireless communication standard(s) for industrial monitoring and control.
The calls for proposals are available on the ISA web site at www.isa.org/community/sp100.
