Designing HART feature into our 4-20 Xmitter

If you're going to do this, you should either private label a HART-certified transmitter or join the HCF. HCF dues, if I remember correctly, are graduated based on company size...so you'd pay a lot less as a small company than your larger competitors do. If you want to go directly to WirelessHART, Airsprite Technologies and Pepperl+Fuchs are making OEM kits...

Walt Boyes

Editor, Control Magazine

www.controlglobal.com

mailto:wboyes@putman.net

a QUESTION ON APPLICATION.

How would a wireless system perform within a steel structure such as a ship's hull. Would the steel completely absorb all RF signals or would line of sight transmission still be possible. The assumption being that deck to deck communications are not possible. How about within same deck level? In which case some sort of hard wired link from deck to deck might be feasible.

Thanks. We looked at a module from Fint but its cost prohibitive and difficult to tie into our 4-20's. I'll check the Airsprite and P+F offerings you mention. So, there's no other way to offer a HART compatible device (where we buy the SMAR or ASI chips and do our own design) w/o joining HCF? I guess this explain why relatively few companies offer HART.

While looking up Hart I found out Omega instrument company uses that system extensively. Would one of their 4-20 modules work in your application or ar you a manufacturer of modules and want to roll your own?