The Emerson launch of their Wireless Offering in Europe was held in the historic city of Bologna. (see press releases in right hand column.) This was a most significant place to launch such a product and concept as it is the birthplace of Marconi, discoverer of Wireless. Indeed the representatives of the 60 or so European publications were treated to the unique experience of a tour of the Villa Griffone, his childhood home, now a museum, where in his teenage years he started his experimenting, and, ultimately his success in transmitting signals over distances without the use of connecting cables. See also note on Nicola Tesla at the bottom of our Wireless Page It is a good idea that we should sometimes take time to consider the extraordinary advances that have been made in technology and how the insight and passion of young people like Guglielmo Marconi have made our world a better place. Simple and perhaps obvious ideas make such a difference and the young Marconi made a comment to his Mother - Anne Jameson, of the Irish Distillery family - that he was amazed that nobody else had thought of it. Now in the present day we listen to the Radio, and use our mobile phones without a thought of this young teenager experimenting in the attic of the family house without whose vision this might be impossible. "The tectonic plates are moving!" exclaimed Jim Nyquist (right), President, Europe Emerson Process Management, in his presentation to Journalists which he provocatively entitled "No wires no limits!" He briefly outlined the sometimes contradictory business conditions facing all process manufacturers. Things like keeping plants in mature markets competitive and effectively and safely operating new facilities in emerging markets with a less experienced workforce; managing wide variations in raw material cost and quality; retaining knowledge in company and of course meeting changing regulations. Despite the undoubted advances in modern technology there is still much we don't know, even within our own plants. For instance corrosion inside kilometers of pipes or full information on leaks and releases that could damage the environment and cost millions of Euro in fines. "The 'Age of Wireless' provides the eyes and ears to move facilities to the next level" he stated. Emerson started investing in next generation, in-plant wireless programme in 1998 and as of this year have completed 3 years of customer trials in actual industrial plants. From this they have assembled a large body of knowledge particularly from customer feedback. There trials included five major oil companies, two chemical manufactures and an O&G field operator. All this research unearthed seven wireless requirements in process industry. Cynics might say that they might have known these requirements without any research but research is just that, re-search and doesn't necessarily unearth new information but rather it shows us information already there. The requirements are reliability, low installed cost, industrial grade security, in accordance with approved standards, stress-free, control capability and low power. Like all requirements some will assume greater and others less importance as the application of wireless expands throughout industry. For instance the area of low power, which really is the problem of prolonging battery life, will only be important in areas where power is not available in a plant. The most interesting part of the Emerson scheme of things is the concept of what they call "self-organising." This allows for no single point of failure using a time syncronised mesh protocol (TSMP). Each point is communicating with each other point rather than only with and to the "gateway" into the central control room. The area that has attracted most attention is in the area of cost savings which can be up to 90% in savings Ð since the use of signal cables is obviated. However there are other savings possible in the area of operation such as self monitoring of sensors themselves so that one can check the status of a transmitter without having to go out into the plant. Standards are important obviously and along with other manufacturers Emerson is participating in the various forums who are working to develop standards especially the ISA SP100 group which has a target of June 2008 to publish theis standard. However they have guaranteed to "protect your wireless investment by providing a guaranteed upgrade path to the future industry standard." The installation of most wireless involves "nothing special, it just works" and in addition there is a seamless integration between the wired and wireless world as far as a plant operator is concerned. The wireless option will be used in the monitoring area fairly easily and will gradually infiltrate into the more sophisticated areas of control as people become more familiar with the reliability associated with wireless devices. Perhaps the most extraordinary result of research by Emerson and other pioneers in this new application of wireless technology however is in the virtual flood of ideas coming in from potential users. "I could use it in this or this applicationÉ." Try it yourself and add to the list! The opportunities are real. Without the Limits of WiresÉ. Imagine What You Could See and Do Utility Usage Relief Valves/Stacks Corrosion Rotating Equipment Vibration Safety Shower Usage Fire, Gas, Smoke Operator Rounds Water Quality/Effluent Instrument Diagnostics Valve Diagnostics Spills & Leaks Heat Exchangers & Filters Ground Faults ....your ideas Emerson will shortly start an in-plant Smart Wireless design contest aimed at inspiring process engineers to unleash their imaginations and creative engineering spirit by submitting innovative applications they have found where wireless technology delivered new insight and business benefits. Their experiences, insights, and tips will form a foundation to speed wireless usage and benefits in the new age of wireless. As Jim said the tectonic plates ARE moving and we appear to be witnessing a seismic shift in process automation. And it all started in the attic of a country house outside Bologna when the curious grandson of an Irish whiskeu producer asked "Why not?" Read-out Signpost Wireless Page

Press Release 11th January 2007 Emerson Launches 2.4 GHz Smart Wireless Solutions for Mainstream Use in European Manufacturing Plants Extends PlantWeb® to previously unreachable data for improved availability and operational performance Industry's First Free Online Training On Wireless Technologies for Process Manufacturing Applications Emerson's PlantWeb® University broadens its Internet Engineering School with 19 new courses about using wireless technology in process automation. Emerson Process Management, the leading provider of wireless solutions to the process manufacturing industries, is offering 19 new online training courses on various aspects of wireless for process automation. Designed for anyone who uses automation to improve plant performance, the new courses are available free through PlantWebUniversity.com, Emerson's educational website. Five more courses will be available soon, and all 24 courses will later be translated into Spanish and Chinese. "Wireless is the next major development in process automation," said Jane Lansing, vice president of marketing for Emerson Process Management, "but most automation users have little experience with this technology in process applications. The new PlantWeb University courses will help them understand the basics of wireless technology, what it can do for them, and how they can put it to work in their own operations." Based on Emerson's experience in implementing its Smart Wireless solutions for customers, the courses are practical, concise, and free of marketing hype. Each can be completed in about 15 minutes and is available at no charge to anyone with an Internet connection anywhere in the world. Subject matter includes: what is wireless; wireless standards; wireless myths; self-organising networks; and wireless applications. Field-proven wireless networks engage seamlessly with existing DeltaV™ and Ovation® digital automation systems or legacy hosts. Many Emerson smart field devices are already compatible with wireless, including Rosemount® 3051S level, pressure, and flow transmitters; the Rosemount 648 wireless temperature transmitter; Emerson 1420 wireless gateway; and the AMS™ Suite: Intelligent Device Manager. Development is under way to expand this wireless family with FIELDVUE® digital valve controllers, Micro Motion® Coriolis flowmeters, and Rosemount analytical products. Established in 2002, PlantWeb University offers its 40,000 registered users more than 75 online courses as well as a library of articles and white papers. The easy-to-understand courses address subjects that affect all process industry operations, including operating efficiency, product quality, throughput, asset management, availability, maintenance, employee health, safety, fieldbus technology, and now wireless technology. More than 70 percent of users surveyed rated the training as "highly credible", with many calling it "the best free technical training on the World Wide Web." At PlantWeb University is a listing of all courses, including the new wireless technology courses, can be found. New visitors can register and select courses of greatest interest. Emerson Process Management has launched 2.4 GHz in-plant Smart Wireless solutions, enabling European mainstream manufacturing to move to the next level of reliability and operational performance. Emerson’s 900 MHz Smart Wireless solutions are already shipping in North America. By capturing information that was previously inaccessible, Emerson’s Smart Wireless networks extend asset optimisation and predictive maintenance, helping manufacturers avoid costly, unexpected process interruptions and shutdowns; optimise performance and the lifetime of processing equipment; and maximise production output. Response to safety incidents can be improved, and emissions reduced. Extending Emerson’s PlantWeb digital plant architecture, the company’s Smart Wireless solutions are the industry’s first to use self-organising network technology to deliver data at unprecedented levels of reliability from assets previously out of physical or economic reach. Field trials with several North American and European customers over the last three years have demonstrated greater than 99 percent network reliability and an installed cost that is as much as 90 percent lower than a wired equivalent. Emerson’s Smart Wireless solutions combine innovative self-organising wireless network technology and gateways with wireless-enabled industry leading Rosemount® measurement transmitters and AMS™ Suite: Intelligent Device Manager predictive maintenance software, all seamlessly integrated with DeltaV™ and Ovation® automation systems or with legacy hosts. Self-organising networks are highly reliable because they allow wireless devices to serve as alternate communication paths, providing redundancy that enables over 99% of field network messages to reach their destination Ð no easy task in the “canyons of metal” that make up today’s manufacturing facilities. Networks using Emerson’s technology are scaleable from 5 to 100,000 devices. Installation of Emerson’s Smart Wireless solutions requires no complex site surveys or special tools. The solutions are designed to support SP100 control and monitoring application classes 1 to 5 on the same network, and have been proven by customer use for classes 3 to 5. Emerson’s SmartPower™ innovations enable battery life of 5 to 15 years depending on application. Industrial grade security of Emerson’s wireless networks has been validated in extensive field trials and through review by independent security experts. Encryption, authentication, verification, anti-jamming and key management techniques are used in a robust security approach. “Manufacturers hate surprises in their facilities, and have long wanted to have eyes and ears on every asset to know what is really going on in their operation,” said John Berra, president of Emerson Process Management. “Until now, there was no easy, reliable and economical way to reach all of the assets that needed monitoring. We’ve completed three years of customer field trials. In those trials, we’ve seen customers quickly discover and remedy problems that would otherwise have gone undetected.” Emerson’s Smart Wireless solutions can be deployed in various process manufacturing segments, including refining, oil and gas, chemical, pulp and paper, and water and wastewater treatment. In addition, the technology can be applied to remote monitoring of oil and gas well-heads, pipeline stations, and production platforms. Emerson’s global SmartStart™ wireless service experts help customers realise the full potential benefits of Smart Wireless solutions. They help with first start-up, including a full network health assessment to ensure robust communications plus verification of device functionality through the chosen output (Modbus, OPC, Ethernet, etc). “Wireless measurement technology will help users see and control more of what happens in their plants,” said Harry Forbes, an analyst with the ARC Advisory Group. “Besides huge savings in installation costs, this will drive fundamental process and automation improvements that are not possible with wired measurements.” “That’s what makes this the most fundamental improvement in process automation in decades,” continued Forbes. “ARC believes there is pent-up demand for wireless in both new and existing applications. Emerson’s strong brand and leading market position validates that the era of wireless measurement has arrived.” Emerson is working with equipment vendors, customers, and industry associations, including the Wireless HART® working group of the HART Communications Foundation and ISA SP-100, to develop wireless networking standards that meet the requirements of industrial monitoring and control, enabling the widespread adoption of wireless sensor networking technology. Emerson is guaranteeing an easy upgrade path for compliance to the industry standard when it is completed. To make it even easier for customers to reach the next level of business improvement, Emerson is introducing the SmartPack™ starter kit, consisting of SmartStart services; from 5 to 100 wireless Rosemount flow, pressure, level, or temperature transmitters; a wireless gateway; and an AMS Intelligent Device Manager software application for predictive diagnostic information access through the wireless gateway. By following easy best practices, the completely assembled, configured, and tested starter kit network will establish itself right out of the box, with no additional user input or set-up. “We are excited about making the 2.4 GHz Smart Wireless solutions available in Europe, following the high level of interest in 900 MHz Smart Wireless solutions following our launch in North America,” added Berra. “The experience and benefits demonstrated by field trials has created confidence and high interest in joining the age of wireless, and realising the new level of performance it promises; we’re thrilled to announce the technology for Europe.” More information about the newest additions to the Smart Wireless portfolio Emerson’s unique on-line PlantWeb University has added nineteen 15-minute courses that present a practical introduction to the technology and applications of in-plant wireless for operators, engineers and management. Also, within the next few months, Emerson will start an in-plant Smart Wireless design contest aimed at inspiring process engineers to unleash their imaginations and creative engineering spirit by submitting innovative applications they have found where wireless technology delivered new insight and business benefits. Their experiences, insights, and tips will form a foundation to speed wireless usage and benefits in the new age of wireless. Release on EPM's DeltaV site (See American launch details). This page has some illustrative pictures and diagrams.

Wireless transmitting sensors at the European launch of Emerson's offering launch in Bologna (I)