There are various reasons for deploying wireless technology into a hazardous area. In almost all cases, the goal is to achieve connectivity and gain more visibility within the hazardous area in question. As businesses operating in these environments strive to achieve their digitalisation goals, more and more wireless radio devices have entered the market. Some common use cases for wireless connectivity in hazardous or industrial settings include: Personnel or asset tracking Automatic mustering in the event of an emergency Security/ access control Condition monitoring Remote maintenance using video collaboration Inspection and maintenance management VoiP or Push to Talk using mobile phones Job scheduling Incident reporting and management With the development of Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) revolution, the list of use cases continues to grow as all businesses strive to gain […]

Extronics CEO, John Hartley had the pleasure of joining Howard Doherty, VP of sales at Cassia Networks recently to discuss the new ATX2000 Bluetooth gateway designed for hazardous areas. Extronics and Cassia Networks have brought together their collective expertise in wireless networks to develop an elegant BLE gateway for hazardous areas. The Extronics iWAP XN3 hazardous area wireless enclosure powered by the ATX2000 BLE gateway from Cassia Networks, allows users to access critical hazardous area data. Connecting smart sensors for applications such as condition monitoring is a key challenge for process industries, especially when that data is from within a hazardous area. Listen to the podcast and learn more about how the ATX2000 can help businesses collect smart sensor data at scale in hazardous areas. Listen to Podcast

Connectivity is increasingly central to modern processing workflows as the trend towards digitalisation continues across the board. Many facilities have already achieved key milestones on the road towards greater interconnectivity thanks to the growing availability of high-performance Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices. However, there are dangers associated with leveraging wireless infrastructures in industrial environments. Intrinsically safe galvanic isolators are one of a suite of protection solutions designed to enable users to safely access hazardous area data, which is an extremely valuable resource for any company looking to drive efficiency and productivity without compromising safety. RF in Hazardous Areas—Why Intrinsically Safe Isolators are Needed Radiofrequencies (RF) cover a spectrum from radio wavelengths through to gamma rays with a generally accepted bandwidth of 9KHz to 60GHz. This is the agreed-upon area of RF as covered by […]

Why do process industries represent a wireless networking challenge? The first thing to understand is that sites can cover vast areas often with large outdoor spaces. The outdoor areas vary from areas—such as tank farms and storage yards—to busy processing units packed with dense metallic structures. It is also significant that hazardous areas are likely scattered throughout these outdoor environments away from the main office buildings. Hazardous area wireless networks are difficult enough to deploy without the requirement of spanning multiple disparate locations. Deploying Wi-Fi in process areas like this is no easy task. Each project is different due to the nature of the environment and the intended use case in each area. Hence custom wireless solutions are often the go-to solution for hazardous area wireless networking. But where do you start with a custom […]

Wireless networks for hazardous areas are becoming increasingly commonplace as the digitalisation of process industries gains pace. There are many considerations to be made for hazardous area wireless devices, including the right way to calculate its maximum radio frequency (RF) power. Additionally, it is important to assess if this max RF power is below acceptable limits for specific hazardous areas. Your choice of wireless device must have suitable Ex approvals to prevent the risk of ignition from electrical faults, sparks, or hot surfaces. The device will either be Ex-approved or it will be installed in a wireless enclosure system that provides the Ex protection. Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) Levels in Hazardous Areas There are maximum EIRP (Effective Isotropic Radiated Power) levels allowed in hazardous areas. This affects the deployment of hazardous area wireless devices. […]

Are your devices certified for use in hazardous areas? Practically every wireless device manufacturer serving harsh industrial environments has been asked that question before. It is being posed more frequently than ever thanks to the IoT revolution. Process industries are increasingly adopting strategies for improved digitization across their sites and facilities. This naturally leads to questions about safety certification. If you are one of the few manufacturers who hasn’t been asked about safety-certified wireless devices already, don’t worry, it is only a matter of time. A common misconception among buyers is that standard wireless devices can be easily certified retrospectively. This is rarely the case. Getting an existing device approved to standards required for hazardous areas is no easy process. It isn’t low cost or quick to do either. Here we will run through some […]