A potentially explosive atmosphere exists when a gas, vapor, mist, or dust, alone or in combination, occurs in situations where it may ignite under specific conditions. A "hazardous" or "classified" area are places with highly combustible atmospheres that are potentially explosive.
Local and international regulations exist to minimize the risk posed in explosive atmospheres by the energy contained in and required by operating networks and IoT products. A gradual harmonization of these regulations continues to be structured and defined by the IEC and European and US standards.
Industry associations and standards bodies continue to work together to resolve classifying explosive materials and establish standards for the safe operation of networking equipment and IIoT (Industrial Things Internet) products in hazardous areas. Because different organizations perform the work in other areas, understanding which criteria are applicable under different conditions can be difficult.
Aruba Networks has been at the forefront of wireless networking in industrial environments. Their white paper entitled "BUILT TO BLAST: Industrial Internet of Things Hazardous Environment Infrastructure" discusses the various types of dangers, criteria, and conditions that need to be considered before deploying wireless network infrastructure in explosive environments. You can download the white paper here.
The growth of connected industrial IoT devices moves in unison with initiatives to improve operations, maximize efficiency, allow better inventory management, and enhance plant safety. Understanding the unique requirements of wireless networking and communications in hazardous areas is critical. If you have questions about applying wireless networking and instrumentation in hazardous areas, feel free to contact Analynk Wireless. Check out their website at https://analynk.com for contact information.
