Level Measurement & Control


New generation of 80 GHz radar sensors meet individual requirements

November 2022 Level Measurement & Control

Endress+Hauser is relaunching the Micropilot range of 80 GHz radar sensors. When developing the new Micropilot FMR60B, FMR62B, FMR63B, FMR66B and FMR67B, one thing was paramount: the customer’s requirements. When it comes to challenges such as measuring points that are difficult to access, dusty environments or extreme process temperatures, the new generation provides a solution. What’s more, wizards operated via the SmartBlue app make the sensors easier to use.

Apart from tried and tested digital communication protocols such as HART or Profibus, the new generation also relies on innovative communication technologies such as Ethernet-APL. The enhanced measurement performance of the new radar chip, combined with the smart ‘Heartbeat Technology’ monitoring function, helps to increase productivity. The new Micropilot generation offers solutions that make individual customer processes simpler, more efficient and safer.

Simple in every respect

The range of new-generation 80 GHz radar sensors for level measurement provides solutions for virtually any radar application. Thanks to the compact device design, it can be used in confined installations. Suitable versions are also available for challenging process conditions such as aggressive media or extreme temperatures.

Commissioning and operation of the Micropilot range are straightforward and intuitive. Users are guided through the process by integrated assistants (wizards), thus preventing errors and enabling the devices to be operated without much training. Parameter configuration and subsequent proof testing are also guided.

Thanks to a Bluetooth interface, the devices can be conveniently controlled remotely via Endress+Hauser’s SmartBlue app. In conjunction with Heartbeat Technology, processes can thus be monitored continuously, and verifications performed in less than three minutes while the process is running. Furthermore, the devices use the entire range of digital communication options such as Ethernet-APL, Profibus PA and HART. These new communication options, together with the new user interface, and the numerous wizards, make for easier operation.

With the HistoROM mobile data memory, measuring point parameters are transferred to the new sensor without error when the electronics are replaced. The device is repaired quickly and smoothly without the need for specialised user knowledge.

Maximum safety for staff, plants and processes

Systematic errors, unintentional operating errors and process anomalies all pose risks to plant safety. The new Micropilot radar family meets all safety requirements. It has been developed in accordance with IEC 61508, using Endress+Hauser’s 20 years of SIL expertise, and can therefore be used in SIL2 or SIL3 applications, for example with homogeneous redundancy.

Furthermore, operating sequences guide the user step by step through commissioning, parameter configuration or SIL proof testing, thus preventing systematic errors, and increasing safety. Thanks to the existing Buetooth interface, function checks or changes to settings can always be performed remotely from outside the danger zone via the SmartBlue app. The innovative communication option, Ethernet-APL, also allows the device to be monitored and operated for the first time via an integrated web server. The new colour display ensures safety at a glance by changing from green to red in the event of an error and thus providing a quick status overview.

Another function designed to eliminate systematic errors is the automatically generated checksum (CRC), which is generated from all the safety-related parameters and noted in the test report. Changes to an individual parameter can thus be identified from the checksum, making it possible to see at a glance if a parameter has been changed, thus significantly speeding up inspections.

Increased efficiency and measurement performance

Not only does the 80 GHz Micropilot range offer the highest level of safety, the measurement performance of the in-house developed radar chip also increases the productivity of industrial processes.

In addition to the measurement performance, Heartbeat Technology developed by Endress+Hauser enables productivity gains. It provides reliable diagnostic and monitoring data and enables predictive maintenance thanks to its constant monitoring of anomalies such as foam or build-up. Device verifications can be performed in less than three minutes without having to remove the device and without interrupting the process.

The patented radar accuracy index (RAI), combined with Heartbeat Verification, now enables traceable verification according to DIN ISO 9001 for the first time, resulting in a considerable reduction in the effort and costs associated with calibration and documentation, and significantly extending calibration cycles. State-of-the-art communication options such as Profibus PA, HART and Ethernet-APL further increase plant availability. Ethernet-APL fully enables digitalisation in the process industry and throughout all lifecycle phases. Thanks to easy integration into asset management systems and smart self-diagnostics, plant shutdowns are largely avoided and production output is increased.


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