Industrial Wireless Communications Using a Single Transmitter and Multiple Receivers

Water treatment plant

In planning a wireless installation for connecting process measurement instruments and equipment to monitoring and control stations, keep in mind that it is not necessary to maintain a one-to-one relationship among receivers and transmitters. A transmitter broadcasts the process signal on a designated channel. All the receiving devices set to that channel will receive the 256 bit encrypted signal. Each can decrypt the signal and convert the value to a common industrial analog signal for use as needed. The key takeaway is to recognize that once the process signal is transmitted, you have the ability to receive and use the signal anywhere within range of the transmitter. Effective range can extend from a few feet to several miles.

The beneficial applications for industrial wireless are limited only by your imagination and ingenuity. Share your ideas and challenges with the industrial wireless experts at Analynk, combining your own process knowledge with their application expertise to develop an effective solution.

Defending Industrial Control Systems From Cyber Threats

Industrial control system data cannot be protected by
a fence around the plant site.

Industrial control system owners, operators, and other stakeholders should be aware of their exposure to malicious intrusion and attack by individuals or organizations intent on inflicting physical damage, stealing information, or generally wreaking havoc throughout an industrial operation. The risk of intrusion, regardless of the size or type of facility, is real and deserves the focused attention everyone involved in the design and operation of industrial control systems.

The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, part of the US Department of Homeland Security, ...

serves as a central location where a diverse set of partners involved in cybersecurity and communications protection coordinate and synchronize their efforts. NCCIC's partners include other government agencies, the private sector, and international entities. Working closely with its partners, NCCIC analyzes cybersecurity and communications information, shares timely and actionable information, and coordinates response, mitigation and recovery efforts. (from www.us-cert.gov/nccic)

The Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT) is a division under NCCIC. It has published a set of seven basic steps toward establishing a more secure industrial control system. I have included the publication below, and it is interesting and useful reading for all involved in industrial process control.

Having a fence around an industrial site, with a guarded entry gate, no longer provides the level of security needed for any industrial operation. Read the seven steps. Take other actions to build your knowledge and understanding of the risks and vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity is now another layer of design tenets and procedures that must be added to every control system. It will be a part of your company's best practices and success, now and in the future.

There are uncountable legacy controllers and communications devices throughout industrial America. All need to be reassessed for their vulnerability in the current and upcoming security environment. When reviewing your processes and equipment, do not hesitate to contact Analynk Wireless for assistance in your evaluation of our products.

Defending industrial control systems from cyber attack from Analynk Wireless, LLC

Wireless Communications for Industrial Automation Continues to Expand Because It Performs

Wireless communications capabilities for process control
extend beyond WiFi

Wireless connection between a sensor and control or monitoring station is not new anymore. Products have matured, familiarity with the technology is widespread. Certainly, there are still large swaths of industrial installations that do not utilize the technology. This can be for any number or reasons, but new industrial technology tends to follow a predictable course throughout its adoption. There will be innovators and early adopters that can justify higher risks with the prospect of great returns. Many industries and companies will wait until perceived technological difficulties with implementation are overcome and products become more mainstream and easy to apply. That is where industrial wireless is today. Assembling complete working systems is a straight forward operation. Costs are comparatively modest. It's easier to visualize a payback.

Let's review some of the benefits a wireless installation can bring.

• Safety: Wireless connections can reduce personnel exposure to hazardous environments or situations that previously required human intervention or a manual gauge or instrument reading.
• Easy Scale-up: Adding points on a network is generally a simple incremental process.
• Operational Advantage: When deployed to replace manual instrument or gauge readings, real time data for diagnostics and efficiency measurements are now available. Information that is more accurate, timely, and consistent will produce better results.
• Installation Savings: Installation of wireless connected assets has been reported to be up to 10 times less expensive than wired installation. The reduced space and planning for cables and conduit can make what were once complex and time consuming operations much quicker and easier.
• Mobility: Wireless technology allows for real time connections to mobile platforms. Whether within a plant, on the road, or on the high seas, there are wireless products that can make the connection.
• Distance: Don't just think WiFi, think radio, think satellite, think cellular. Connections can be established across very long distances using standard products from the industry.
• Conversion of Legacy Devices: Many existing in-place devices can have their wired connections replaced with a wireless version. This accommodates a staged transition from wired to wireless in facility.

Analynk Wireless manufactures a broad range of wireless communications equipment for industrial process control and automation. Share your wireless connection challenges and ideas with the experts at Analynk and start benefiting from the technology. It's not new anymore. It's mainstream.

Developing a Useful Alarm Strategy

Industrial process at pharmaceutical plant

Industrial process control operators and designers have the capability to measure many aspects of machine operation and process performance. Determining the elements to measure, method of measurement, and how to handle and process the derived information can be challenging, but can also impact the security, performance, and safety of an operation. A plan for monitoring, reporting, and responding to abnormal process conditions, if properly developed and executed, can yield real benefits to a process operator. A protocol that is not well conceived may produce a negative operational impact by creating events that unnecessarily draw resources away from productive endeavor. That protocol, or plan, is often referred to as an alarm plan.

There are numerous forces that can influence the development and implementation of an alarm plan. Each operation must incorporate its own set of external regulatory requirements, internal procedures and policies into a complete alarm protocol. Distilling that macro description down to a workable set of procedures and response tasks is where the real work begins. There is, however, a basic framework that can help organize your thinking and focus on what is most important.

• What parameters define the process or operation?
  Produce a schedule of every non-human element that is required to make the process function. This will require drilling down through every machine and material that is part of the operation. Expect the schedule to be extensive, even huge. If it is not, consider that your analysis may not be reaching deep enough. The goal here is to create an overview of what makes the process work and provide a tool for systematically studying the process elements and gleaning possible commonalities or relationships among them. Consider disregarding things that cannot be measured, since that prevents the derivation of data for evaluation. Review the completed schedule and decide which parameters shall be measured and evaluated for proper performance.
• What level of measurement is needed for each monitored parameter?
  An assessment of the needed accuracy, frequency, and resolution for parameter measurement will help define the requirements for instrumentation or other devices used to monitor a particular item. The goal is to make sure the monitoring device is capable of detecting and delivering information of sufficient quality to make decisions.
• Define the limits of acceptability for each monitored parameter.
  Until the endpoint of the process or operation, each step is likely dependent in some way on previous steps. The output of each step becomes the input of the next. While this, in many cases, may be an oversimplification, it is important to consider the relationships between the

  

  High speed filling operation

  tasks and operations that comprise the process. Monitored parameters should relate to the successful completion of a process step, though not necessarily be a direct indicator of success. The maintenance of the parameter within certain bounds may be used as an indicator that a component of successful completion was properly attained. Defining limits of acceptability may involve an element of subjectivity and will likely be customized to accommodate the process. Each organization shall evaluate their operation and determine limits based upon intimate process knowledge and experience.
• Define abnormal operation for each monitored parameter.
  Abnormal operation may not necessarily be any value not within what is considered acceptable. Consider abnormal to be the range of values that would be cause for notification of the operator, or even automated or human intervention. Note that the definition of unacceptable or abnormal operation might appropriately include filters or defined relationships with other parameters. An example of a simple filter is a time delay. If the measured variable exceeds the specified limit for 2 seconds, it make not be significant. If the threshold is exceeded for 2 minutes, it may be cause to take action. As with the limits of acceptability, developing the definition of abnormal operation for each parameter will be customized for each process.
• Provide a defined response for every alarm occurrence.
  If it is important to monitor something, then it is likely important to do something when things get out of hand. Human executed alarm response should be concise and uncomplicated, to reduce the probability of error. Automated response should be designed in a manner that provides for functional testing on a regular basis. The scope of the response will be specific for each process, with the level of response depending upon factors determined by the process operators. Response can be as simple as annunciating the condition at a monitoring station, or as dire as shutting down part or all of the process operation.
• Review every alarm occurrence
  Each alarm event should be logged and reviewed. Consider whether the event detection and response was adequate and beneficial. If the results were less than expected or desired, assess whether changes can be made to provide improved results in the future. The alarm plan is unlikely to be perfect in its first incarnation. Be prepared to reevaluate and make changes to improve performance.

The exercise of developing a comprehensive alarm plan will help to build understanding of process operation for all involved parties. This article is but a brief synopsis of the subject, intended to get the reader on the path of developing a useful alarm plan. Your alarm plan should an extension of process operation decision making, and have a goal of enhancing safety and reducing loss.   

Product Update - RoHS Compliant Hazardous Area Antenna

Model CTX Antenna
All Analynk hazardous area antennas are
now RoHS compliant

Analynk Wireless announces that the company's entire line of hazardous area antenna products are RoHS compliant. These rugged antennas are intended for global application in the industrial process control field. Analynk hazardous area antennas are UL listed for Class 1, Groups C & D and have ATEX/IECEx Certification. A range of frequencies are available: 900MHz, 2.4GHz, Cellular, GPS, GLONASS, Iridium and dual bands. Ideal for dual band access points.

More information is available by reaching out directly to the product specialists at Analynk. Share your industrial wireless challenges with them and work toward a good solution.

Protect Process Instrumentation From These Five Sources of Damage

Device protection contributes to process success 

The performance of every process is critical to something or someone. Keeping a process operating within specification requires measurement, and it requires some element of control. The devices we use to measure process variables, while necessary and critical in their own right, are also a possible source of failure for the process itself. Lose the output of your process instrumentation and you can incur substantial consequences ranging from minor to near catastrophic.

Just as your PLC or other master control system emulates decision patterns regarding the process, the measurement instrumentation functions as the sensory input array to that decision making device. Careful consideration when designing the instrumentation layout, as well as reviewing these five common sense recommendations will help you avoid instrument and process downtime.

Process generated extremes can make your device fail.

Search and plan for potential vibration, shock, temperature, pressure, or other excursions from the normal operating range that might result from normal or unexpected operation of the process equipment. Develop knowledge about what the possible process conditions might be, given the capabilities of the installed process machinery. Consult with instrument vendors about protective devices that can be installed to provide additional layers of protection for valuable instruments. Often, the protective devices are simple and relatively inexpensive.

Don't forget about the weather.

Certainly, if you have any part of the process installed outdoors, you need to be familiar with the range of possible weather conditions. Weather data is available for almost anywhere in the world, certainly in the developed world. Find out what the most extreme conditions have been at the installation site....ever. Planning and designing for improbable conditions, even adding a little headroom, can keep your process up when others may be down.
Keep in mind, also, that outdoor conditions can impact indoor conditions in buildings without climate control systems that maintain a steady state. This can be especially important when considering moisture content of the indoor air and potential for condensate to accumulate on instrument housings and electrical components. Extreme conditions of condensing atmospheric moisture can produce dripping water.

Know the security exposure of your devices.

With the prevalence of networked devices, consideration of who might commit acts of malice against the process or its stakeholders, and how they might go about it, should be an element of all project designs. A real or virtual intruder's ability to impact process operation through its measuring devices should be well understood. With that understanding, barriers can be put in place to detect or prevent any occurrences.

Physical contact hazards

Strike a balance between convenience and safety for measurement instrumentation. Access for calibration, maintenance, or observation are needed, but avoiding placement of devices in areas of human traffic can deliver good returns by reducing the probability of damage to the instruments. Everybody is trained, everybody is careful, but uncontrolled carts, dropped tools and boxes, and a host of other unexpected mishaps do happen from time to time, with the power to inject disorder into your world. Consider guards and physical barriers as additional layers of insurance.

Know moisture.

Electronics must be protected from harmful effects of moisture. Where there is air, there is usually moisture. Certain conditions related to weather or process operation may result in moisture laden air that can enter device enclosures. Guarding against the formation of condensate on electronics, and providing for the automatic discharge of any accumulated liquid is essential to avoiding failure. Many instrument enclosures are provided with a means to discharge moisture. Make sure installation instructions are followed and alterations are not made that inadvertently disable these functions.

Developing a thoughtful installation plan, along with reasonable maintenance, will result in an industrial process that is hardened against a long list of potential malfunctions. Discuss your application concerns with instrumentation specialists. Their exposure to many different installations and applications, combined with your knowledge of the process and local conditions, will produce a positive outcome.

Industrial Control System Cybersecurity Primer - White Paper

Industrial control systems present unique
cybersecurity challenges

The International Society of Automation is offering a free white paper entitled “What Executives Need to Know About Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity”. The article provides useful commentary and information that establishes the scope of cybersecurity in the industrial process control space and provides a basic framework for understanding how every process may be impacted by lax cybersecurity efforts. The author, Joseph Weiss, differentiates Industrial Control System (ICS) cybersecurity from that of organizational IT through a review of various attributes common to both types, including message confidentiality, integrity, time criticality, and more. Any reader’s awareness and understanding of the cybersecurity risks to their operation will be enhanced through this article. I finished reading the article wanting more on the subject, and ISA is certainly a resource for additional content.

A quote from the article...

“Cyber incidents have been defined by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as occurrences that jeopardize the confidentiality, integrity, or availability (CIA) of an information system.”

ICS cybersecurity extends beyond preventing malicious outside intruders from gaining access. It is an important part of maintaining the overall operating integrity of industrial processes. A holistic approach is advocated to identify physical risk factors to the process and its componentry (post on device protection), as well as vulnerabilities that may prevent exploitation by unauthorized parties. Weiss goes on to describe the role and qualifications of the ICS Cybersecurity Expert, essentially an individual that can function effectively as an IT cybersecurity tech with the added skills of an industrial control systems expert.

A synopsis of attack events is provided in the article, with the author’s conclusion that not enough is being done to secure industrial control systems and the risk exposure is substantial in terms of potential threats to personnel, environment, and economy. By providing your name and email address, you can obtain the white paper from the ISA website. Your time spent obtaining and reading the article will be well spent.

For any specific information or recommendations regarding our products and cybersecurity, do not hesitate to contact us directly. We welcome any opportunity to help our customers meet their process control challenges.

New Hazardous Area Wireless Antenna for GLONASS, Iridium, and GPS

CTX Series Industrial Wireless Antenna
for Hazardous Areas

Operators in the industrial process control field increasingly rely on wireless communication as a key element of their infrastructure. The ability to connect measurement locations, even mobile ones, to data logging and control centers has enhanced operation efficiency and enabled procedures and monitoring that were cumbersome or impractical in a totally wired environment. Analynk Wireless continues with their response to demand within the process measurement and control field to utilize wireless technology across an increasing array of application scenarios by releasing their latest Hazardous Area Explosion Proof Antenna. 

The latest version of the company's CTX/CTM series enables remote data links for customers using Iridium, GPS, and GLONASS. This new product adds to the company's already expansive line of wireless communication products specifically designed for industrial applications, providing wireless data links to mobile or remote locations.

Analynk's antennas are operable across a very wide temperature range and provide substantial impact resistance, signal output, and ratings for hazardous environments. A data sheet for the new CTX/CTM antenna is included below. You can always contact Analynk directly to discuss your application ideas and get recommendations for product and complete system configuration.

Hazardous Area Explosion Proof Antenna for GLONASS, GPS, and IRIDIUM from Analynk Wireless, LLC