The latest advances in ABB’s wireless technology at Hanover Fair

漢諾威展上ABB無線技術的最新技術

2007-04-25 - ABB last week showed off its most advanced wireless technologies for use in industrial automation at the world’s largest industrial fair in Hanover, Germany, including wireless communication for real-time connectivity between instruments and control rooms, and wireless power supplies that allow devices to operate without power cables or batteries.

2007-04-25——上周，ABB在全球最大的工業展覽會德國漢諾威展上展示了其應用于工業自動化的最高端無線技術，包括用于儀器和控制室之間實時連接的無線通信，以及允許設備無需電線或者電池就可以工作的無線供電技術。

ABB’s WISA (wireless interface to sensors and actuators) technology at Hanover Fair targeted applications in industrial automation and encompasses both wireless communication (WISA-com) and wireless power supplies (WISA-power). These help customers reduce the amount of complex cabling in their plants, cutting costs and commissioning times.

ABB的WISA（傳感器和制動器無線接口）技術在漢諾威展上把目標對準了在工業自動化上的應用，而且包含了無線通信(WISA-com)以及無線供電(WISA-power)。這些技術幫助客戶減少了在工廠里復雜的布線量，節省了成本和調試時間。

“Cabling is a common point of failure in automation systems, so its removal enhances reliability and reduces downtime,” said Peter Terwiesch, Chief Technology Officer at ABB. “It’s particularly practical in harsh environments.”

ABB首席技術官Peter Terwiesch表示：“電線是自動化系統常見的一個失敗點，所以它的移除增強了可靠性，減少了停工時間，在惡劣的環境里它尤其實用。”

If cabling is removed, device mechanics can often be simplified because strain and wear on the wires no longer needs to be avoided, and the possibilities for remote monitoring systems are expanded.

一旦電線可以移除，設備的結構往往就可以簡化，因為無需再避免電線的拉力和磨損，而遠距離監控系統的可能性也就增大了。

Wireless communications
無線通信

Wireless is useful in production cells and assembly lines (for example, power train or motor assembly, production machines); robot applications and material-handing (for example, palletizers); packaging machines; and machines for the food and beaverage industry (proportioning machines).

無線技術主要用于：生產設備和裝配線（例如，傳動系或者電機裝配、專用機床）；機器人應用和材料傳遞（比如，碼堆機）；包裝機器；以及食品和飲料工業的機器（比例配料機械）

ABB sensors equipped with WISA technology communicate using the IEEE-standard radios, as used in Bluetooth devices. To accommodate the hundreds of devices found in a typical industrial plant, ABB developed its own communications protocol based on duplex Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) technology and frequency hopping, which enable data to side-step interference from neighboring devices and achieve 99.99 percent reliable transmission.

ABB具有WISA技術的傳感器利用IEEE標準的無線電通信，和在藍牙設備上使用的一樣。為了適應一般工廠里的眾多設備，ABB是基于雙重的時分多址連接技術(TDMA) 和跳頻技術開發其通信協議的，從而使數據可以避開鄰近設備的干擾，達到99.99%的可靠傳輸率。

Wireless power
無線供電

Because of the large number of devices involved, ABB rejected the idea of battery power for many of its wireless sensors and developed an ingenious solution in the form of a rotating magnetic field generated by electric cables that surround the work area. The sensors pick up energy from the field and convert it into usable power to drive monitoring and communications functions.

因為涉及的設備數量較多，ABB否決了對其眾多無線傳感器利用電池供電的理念，而是開發了一個獨創性的解決方案，通過工作領域周圍的電線產生的旋轉磁場供電。傳感器從磁場獲得能量，從而轉化成可用的電力，推動監測和通信功能。

Thanks to high-volume production of consumer electronics, the cost of wireless technology has fallen significantly in recent years and, although it is widely applicable, WISA technology does not address all the needs of wireless factory automation.

由于消費電子的大量生產，近些年來無線技術的成本已經大大下降，而且，盡管其應用廣闊，WISA技術也無法滿足無線工廠自動化的所有需要。

Different types of sensors will need different types of networks and ABB has teamed up with FESTO and Millennial Net in an informal collaboration that aims to meet these challenges head on. ABB and FESTO will provide expertise in wireless sensor and actuator technologies. and Millennial Net expertise in mesh networking.

不同類型的傳感器需要不同類型的網絡，而ABB已經與FESTO和 Millennial Net一起進行了一個非正式的合作，對付所面臨的這些挑戰。ABB和FESTO將提供無線傳感器和制動器方面的技術，而Millennial Net則提供網狀網絡方面的技術。

Broad application
應用廣闊

The technology used in the WISA family of products has many uses, from controlling pumps and valves to directing spot-welding robots. ABB has a long history in wireless technology and is well placed to broaden the applications of its proven technologies.

應用于WISA產品家族的技術具有許多用途，從控制泵和閥門到指揮點焊機器人。ABB在無線技術方面具有很長的歷史，可以充分地擴大其經過驗證的技術的應用范圍。

（本文由中華工控網翻譯，轉載請注明出處，更多中英對照資料請進異域來風http://world.gkong.com）