Wireless Field Network Reliability

Emerson’s Smart Wireless field networks leverage self-organizing techniques to automatically optimize connectivity and achieve greater than 99% reliability. This approach ensures the greatest network integrity by allowing devices to communicate with each other thereby eliminating the need for direct line-of-sight between the instrument and the communications gateway. Since each device serves as a network connector, there is no single point of failure. The network continuously monitors paths for degradation and repairs itself.

Emerson’s Smart Wireless products deliver greater than 99% reliability by employing five methods of diversity:

1. Time Diversity

Data transmission is scheduled intelligently to minimize collisions and recover from losses.

2. Coding Diversity

Separation of specific transmission from the noise of other communications.

3. Frequency Diversity

Wireless devices dynamically choose different channels of operation to avoid jamming and interference from other wireless systems.

4. Path/Space Diversity

Mesh networking to provide redundant communication paths between two or more wireless devices.

5. Power Diversity

Control the transmission power of radio links to the minimum level where destination devices can receive the signal.

Wireless Plant Network Reliability

Similar to the Wireless Field Network, the Wi-Fi Wireless Plant Network also uses mesh technologies to provide a self-organizing and self-healing network. The intelligent mesh protocol dynamically optimizes the best route to the wired network within the mesh, mitigates interference and ensures high network capacity.

If interference occurs, the network automatically re-routes to a better communication path. In the event of an access point failure or blockage, there is a coverage hole in the system. When the system detects such a hole, wireless LAN controllers automatically adjust power on adjacent access points to cover the area where the failed access point provided service. It also supports quality of service (QoS) for all data applications.