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Remote monitoring networks provide industries with the capability to automatically track and control various assets to improve operations while reducing costs. Wired remote sensing systems are the norm, especially in the oil and gas industry. In these configurations, sensors monitoring various assets are equipped with outputs that require hundreds of feet of wire to connect to a PLC. Analog 4-20mA current loop and Modbus interfaces are examples of communication protocols that can cope with long cable runs.
However, while offering advantages over taking manual readings from sensors or gauges, wired systems can pose limitations depending on the application regarding installation costs, sensor flexibility, and environmental influences. For example, if a remote monitoring application requires multiple sensors to monitor various parameters, a wired system requires each sensor be wired back to the controller using an interface port. For large systems, a wired system requires a large interface panel with many different interfaces.
A wireless system, on the other hand, will often have a digital communications interface (Modbus RS485), allowing for many sensors to be wirelessly “connected” to the controller through a single port. While beneficial when configuring a new controller, changing from a wired interface (with lots of individual input ports) to a gateway-based wireless system with a digital interface requires pre-planning. In lieu of making a complete changeover to a wired system, SignalFire supplies modules that can convert digital information into individual analog channels, simulating the existing analog interface. Although this is the easiest solution for a quick changeover and does not require any software changes, it does not utilize the vast increase in data and diagnostic benefits that come with changing the complete communications architecture to a wireless sensor control system.
Here are some factors to consider when evaluating a move to a wireless remote monitoring and control system instead of upgrading an existing wired system.