Case study: WIRELESSHART vs ZIGBEE network

Abstract

This paper tackles industrial Control Systems where communication between different nodes is accomplished wirelessly. Many advantages can be gained by using the wireless technology. However, this kind of technology uses a non-deterministic algorithm to send the data. This may have a negative impact on the behavior of the control applications, especially on the temporary performance and the dependability requirements that a control system usually has to face. Two types of technologies are studied: Zigbee and WirelessHart. In this paper, we show by simulations and literature that WirelessHart technology fits better than Zigbee technology for industrial requirements.