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Project
HART-Enabled Interfaces
Application
Industrial Communication Devices
Customer Need
The HART industrial communication protocol is the most prevalent digital communications interface used today for smart transmitters and actuator devices. This digital communications allows plant operators to retrieve additional information from the field devices for maintenance, asset management, diagnostics, and normal process monitoring. Plant personnel have the need for portable devices that communicate via HART. Additionally, many older plants cannot take advantage of smart transmitters and field actuators as the control systems are not HART-enabled. These interface devices allow plant personnel access to this enhanced data.
AVID's Solution
AVID has helped our client become the standard HART interface against which all other HART devices are measured. Using a highly customized discrete solution for the HART front end with an advanced ASIC for the protocol has allowed our customer to deliver HART interfaces with serial, USB, and Bluetooth connection to laptops and PDAs. Participating in the HART standard's committees has allowed us to not only develop products, but also contribute to the standard and compliance requirements. More recent development has been in the Wireless HART area where we have participated in the draft standard. We have completed a Wireless HART adaptor design which allows existing HART devices to communicate over the new wireless HART network. Innovations in low power design and power management have resulted in a loop powered device with 1V insertion loss. Additionally, the product has been designed for compliance with hazardous location requirements. The housing provides for mounting to the spare port of a smart device.
Value Added or Technologies Applied
- Participation in the Wireless HART Standards Committee and Working Groups
- Product Specification
- Product Packaging and Device Interface. Material Selections Compliant with Standards
- Hardware, Firmware, and Mechanical Design and Documentation. Advanced Antenna Design
- Prototype and Validation
- PC Application and Device Drivers
- Engineering Build for Agency Test and Field Trials
- FM, ATEX Submittal and Support
- Production Test System Development
- Manufacturing Support
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