Telemetry has long been based around interfacing radio equipment into the control and instrumentation field. This has traditionally been a modular implementation using discrete radio units, controllers and signal conditioning for analog and digital interfaces to the field.
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists has now developed the Teleterm range of products to solve several key issues in the wireless monitoring and control space, some of which are:
• Power availability at each location site.
• Licence-free application of wireless networks.
• Mixed input and output signals – both analog and digital.
• Easy expandability – small I/O to large I/O counts.
• Programmability in IEC 61131 languages or plug-and-play configuration.
• Ability to log data on SD cards.
• Communications options for other devices, e.g. RS-232, RS-485, Ethernet and Modbus protocols.
Power options for the remote wireless unit
Modern systems do not need the overhead of provisioning for a standard power supply voltage; they need to be powered from the most suitably available power source at the location. For instance, 85-264 V DC with battery backup might be required at a pump, solar power and battery backup at a reservoir, 9-30 V DC with battery backup at the field equipment, and 9-30 V DC with instrumentation power backup at the control room.
Licence-free wireless
The ability to apply wireless networks without the need for licensing is a major benefit to the adoption of wireless to solve the various plant challenges associated with cabling communications. It allows a plant to save on cabling and associated costs, extend signal-reach for remote locations, save implementation time, and relocate outstations easily when required.
Flexible I/O and field communications
One of the challenges is catering for different I/O signal types. Having I/O channels which are configurable as inputs or outputs, and either analog or digital, achieves space optimisation and simplifies field connections. Expanding an outstation to larger I/O counts is also important.
Using the ubiquitous Modbus protocol by default opens up simple connections to many other intelligent field devices, like analytical instruments, power meters, water meters, and so on. Connecting a supervisory system is further simplified by using an Ethernet port.
Configuration and data logging
Field stations can be configured in a plug-and-play fashion to send data on a change of state or according to a time cycle, ensuring optimal use of the radio bandwidth. Polling for data is an inefficient method of data collection and not at all suitable for wireless networks. Being able to leverage edge computing techniques, by having a programmable device offload the processing burden from the supervisory system, further optimises network traffic for efficiency.
SD-card logging is standard on every Teleterm device to capture data even when the network is interrupted and ensure there are no data gaps in supervisory historical data storage.
A PC-free supervisory wireless operations station
For many years, PC-based HMI scada systems were the only tool in the instrumentation and control engineer’s toolbox. Plant process visualisation and control was firmly in the domain of the DCS for large plants, and scada for medium to small plants.
Omniflex EasyView OIT/HMI displays are available in a range of sizes, with touchscreens and plant-hardened HMI technology suitable for both the control room and factory floor. This is a boon for plant engineers applying wireless control and automation, as it allows them to distribute resources where necessary (reducing control room operators’ workloads) and aggregate control to central points (bringing only key parameters back to the control room).
The Easyview range of HMIs provides engineers with a rich set of capabilities to better run the plant. They are simple to use, can be applied as a local machine OIT and networked with another HMI as a supervisory station.
Bring your own giant display!
The EasyView technology provides HDMI Full HD (1080p) capability to use large wall-mounted displays (HDMI-capable displays or even TVs with 55-inch or 65-inch screens), effectively creating a giant screen that can visually service an entire control room, together with desk-mounted touchscreens for operator controls – no PCs required. Imagine your plant’s KPIs displayed front and centre, keeping plant personnel focused at all times.
| Tel: | +27 31 207 7466 |
| Email: | sales@omniflex.com |
| www: | www.omniflex.com |
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