ABSTRACT

This chapter contains a theoretical and analytical comparison of WirelessHART and ISA100.11a, from a technical and systematical point of view. WirelessHART and ISA100.11a are both on the quest to become the de facto standard for wireless instrumentation in the process industries, each being backed by different leading automation providers. Both WirelessHART and ISA100.11a use a combination of time division multiple access (TDMA) and frequency hopping for medium access. WirelessHART and ISA100.11a have a fundamental difference on the field device level that influences the possible network topologies for the two standards. WirelessHART and ISA100.11a are inherently different regarding the operational flexibility and configuration possibilities that the specifications allow for. Both WirelessHART and ISA100.11a rely on a centralized security manager for the authentication of new devices and the generation and management of security keys throughout the lifetime of the network. For open-loop control, WirelessHART and ISA100.11a should be able to deliver the low latency and high reliability as required by the applications.