HART Communication Foundation releases first open wireless communication standard for process measurement and control

(Austin TX USA – 7 September 2007) - The HART® Communication Foundation (HCF) announces the official release of the HART 7 Specification. The HART 7 Specification enables many new capabilities for communication with intelligent field devices including WirelessHART™, the first open wireless communication standard specifically designed for process measurement and control applications. The HCF membership approved the HART 7 Specification in June 2007, following an extensive review and approval process. Today, the HCF Board of Directors authorized release of this new standard.

“With official release of the HART 7 Specifications, the WirelessHART standard is now publicly available and manufacturers can begin implementing this new capability into their products and process solutions. I expect that products complying with this new standard will be available from multiple manufacturers in early 2008,” says HCF Executive Director Ron Helson.

WirelessHART technology addresses the critical needs of the process industry for simple, reliable and secure wireless communication in the real world industrial plant environment. It is easy to use, easy to deploy, and fully backward compatible with existing instrumentation and host systems, preserving the investment in HART-enabled devices, tools, training, applications and work procedures used today.

“WirelessHART provides the same experience that users know and expect from HART-enabled products, protecting the global installed base of 24+ million HART devices,” says Helson.

WirelessHART communication builds on established and field-proven international standards including the HART protocol (IEC 61158), EDDL (IEC 61804-3), IEEE 802.15.4 radio and frequency hopping, spread spectrum and mesh networking technologies. The new technology addresses the issues users face in the process plant environment and seamlessly integrates existing devices into HART-enabled systems.

WirelessHART technology was developed from user input through the combined, cooperative efforts of HCF member companies and leaders in wireless technology, including ABB, Adaptive Instruments, Crossbow Technology, Dust Networks, ELPRO Technologies, Emerson Process Management, Endress+Hauser, Flowserve, Honeywell, MACTek, MTL, Omnex Control Systems, Pepperl+Fuchs, Phoenix Contact, Siemens, Smar, Yamatake and Yokogawa.

HART Communication is the global standard for smart process instrumentation with an installed base of more than 24 million devices worldwide. The HART Communication Foundation provides worldwide support for application of HART technology.