Performance evaluation of WirelessHART for factory automation

Abstract

The WirelessHART specification has given the industry access to their first open standard specifically aimed at wireless instrumentation for factory automation. For WirelessHART to be a viable solution for the process and automation industry, it has to provide a robust and reliable alternative to today's wired networks.This paper presents the results of a performance evaluation of a WirelessHART network deployed in an industrial environment. It also presents a performance analysis and deployment considerations for IEEE 802.11g coexistence. The conclusion of the paper is that a WirelessHART network is capable of reliable operation in an industrial environment, and when coexisting with three IEEE 802.11g networks.