Ethernet in the Substation – Why?
Not so very long ago every major vendor of relays, remote terminal units (RTU), meters and programmable logic controllers (PLC), to name but a few intelligent electronic devices (IED) used in substations, had their own communications protocol. What this often meant was that most of the IED’s were incompatible even at the physical layer interface […]
Industrial Communication
Standard communication infrastructure for mission critical applications By D Kowensky, H3iSquared Ethernet is now the backbone for industrial communication systems due to its flexibility to adopt legacy systems and combine different systems to make use of a single backbone infrastructure. Ethernet is commonly used throughout the world for different purposes under different applications. Ethernet originated […]
Precision Time Protocol in Utility and Industrial Networks
Ethernet is rapidly becoming the standard for networks on utility and industrial sites, both for monitoring and automation. Previously Ethernet was considered non-deterministic, however with the development of protocols such as traffic prioritization and VLANs, as well as functions within managed network devices such as broadcast throttling it is slowly changing to a more deterministic […]
Using Wireless Ethernet in Harsh Environments
With the proliferation of Ethernet in the Industrial, Utility and ITS industries, wireless Ethernet is also being used more often, especially for extremely remote sites and sites where only a few end devices need communications to the network. Wireless, however, does not provide as stable a “physical” connection as a wired network does. For this […]
Evolution of Communication Mediums in the Industrial and Utility Environments
Communication in the industrial and utility sectors has evolved substantially over the last couple years, due mostly to the proliferation of Ethernet as the technology of choice for communication networks. In this editorial we will look at the evolution of different mediums for communications. Before the use of Ethernet in the industrial and utility sectors, […]
Designing and Implementing Ethernet Networks
In recent years Ethernet has proliferated as the network of choice for running automation on industrial, utility, ITS (Intelligent Transportation Solution) and military sites. In some cases sites have been upgraded slowly, with a main backbone being put in place and then extended to provide network coverage for edge devices. In other cases the full […]
IV&C and Longwatch – Providing unparalleled live Safety, Security and Process Monitoring and Playback
With the growing requirements for safety and uptime in today’s utility, industrial, military and ITS (Intelligent Traffic Solutions) sites and solutions, remote monitoring and recording of events has become critical. It’s one thing to see a SCADA screen showing that a motor has started, however it is much safer and practical to be able to […]
Different Wireless options for Ethernet Communication in Utility and Industrial Automation Environments
A strong communication network is now regarded as one of the most important infrastructure layouts for anyone to have. Without communication, it would not be possible to remotely start/stop or monitor any processes. According to the IEEE standard, the maximum recommended distance for a cable such as Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) is 100m. This poses […]
Substation and Distribution Data Integration
Leveraging Available IED Information The trend toward deploying more intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) in substations and within the distribution grid is stronger than ever. However, in many utilities, different departments working to solve specific problems have deployed these devices in a piecemeal fashion. Often, a unified vision for substation automation and data acquisition has been […]
Longwatch and IV&C – Advanced Industrial, Utility and ITS IP Monitoring Solutions
Newton, MA – February 2, 2011 – Industrial Video and Control (IVC), a leading supplier of cameras and video systems for industrial, military, and commercial applications, announced the acquisition of Longwatch, a developer of video management software for industrial automation and process control applications. IVC, based in Newton, MA, is known for its industrial camera […]