Digital communication and smart instruments build efficiency
Modern instrumentation provide diagnostic information beyond basic process data, empowering informed decision-making and proactive maintenance
For decades, control system instrument data was constrained to single analog process variables communicated via individual 4-20mA current loops. Modern instrumentation advances, particularly digital communications, now provide a wealth of additional diagnostic and other information, enabling operational insights unachievable with simple 4-20mA measurements alone.
Modern device-level network media options — like HART® over 4-20mA, WirelessHART®, Ethernet-APL® and Bluetooth® — provide the ability to transmit data bidirectionally between an instrument and its host system. Various communication methods are selected based on the target field devices, depending on the intended application.