THE WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK BUYER S GUIDE How to select a solution that will reduce energy consumption, boost business operations and improve the bottom line
T H E W I R E L E S S S E N S O R N E T W O R K B U Y E R S G U I D E 2 About This Guide If you are considering moving to a wireless sensor network you are not alone. Demand for these solutions is skyrocketing as technical innovations make it faster, easier and more cost-effective then ever for businesses to reduce costs and improve operations. This paper was created to help you break through the market noise by presenting useful evaluation criteria and solution characteristics to consider, and by helping you prioritize the capabilities that can best meet your needs. With this Guide, you can establish your own evaluation checklist of capabilities that matter most to save time as you assess solutions, and choose the best solution for your organization.
T H E W I R E L E S S S E N S O R N E T W O R K B U Y E R S G U I D E 3 The High Cost of Inefficiency Every year, businesses in the United States spend over $1.5 billion just on electricity to compress air, according to the US Department of Energy. But with the average compressed air system running at only 30 to 50% efficiency, the level of waste is staggering. Even worse, that is just one measurement point out of literally hundreds that determine a company s ability to use resources efficiently. U.S businesses absorb $40 billion per year in lost productivity and increased costs because crucial process and environmental data is not effectively captured and analyzed. Most businesses do make some effort to evaluate energy use, process costs and product quality, and to ensure compliance with stringent government regulations. Still, fully 90% of actionable process and environment information process data remains uncollected. Automatic data monitoring is generally not built into the systems that must be evaluated, so companies are forced to look elsewhere for solutions. Unfortunately, wired monitoring systems are expensive and unrealistic in challenging physical environments, and manual monitoring has proven simply to be cost-prohibitive. As a result, businesses simply do not have the information they need to make their operations more efficient, more environmentally sensitive and ultimately more competitive. Wireless Sensor Networks: Delivering a Wealth of Information Fortunately, that is changing. Wireless sensor networks have eliminated the technical limitations that kept industrial and commercial firms from collecting vital data. These networks incorporate many small, affordable sensors that relay real-time information from process systems and environments to a central repository where the data can be analyzed. Fast to deploy and easy to use, wireless sensor networks can support a broad range of applications, making it easy for companies to collect a wealth of information that was previously unattainable. Understandably, demand for this technology is growing quickly, and the market is responding with a variety of solutions. Today, a company that is considering a wireless sensor network can choose from a variety of products from diverse vendors with different technical approaches. This paper has been prepared as a guide for anyone considering implementing a wireless sensor network. It explores key points about the technology and offers insights into how to evaluate wireless sensor networking solutions and the important characteristics that no wireless network should be without.
T H E W I R E L E S S S E N S O R N E T W O R K B U Y E R S G U I D E 4 Advantages of Wireless Sensor Networks Perhaps the single most important benefit and the reason for its rapid adoption in industrial settings is its ability to perform well in challenging locations or large physical spaces where running wires is impractical or impossible. That means a business can finally collect the vital information it needs to operate at peak efficiency, which can yield very powerful results for a company. Consider these real-life implementations: An aluminum manufacturer dramatically improved production throughput by identifying a previously unknown bottleneck in a cooling station. A medical technology company increased product throughput and decreased labor costs by reducing a manual temperature performance test from three hours to just 30 minutes. A flood mitigation and cleanup firm slashed labor, travel and administrative costs by 80% by deploying a network that collects humidity and moisture readings remotely, and automatically prepares and delivers insurance paperwork. These companies are not alone, nor are their stories unusual. Wireless senor networks offer tremendous benefits, including: Clear, measurable ROI within less than a year Remote monitoring of data Comprehensive energy monitoring and trend analysis to identify and resolve problem areas quickly Real-time assessment to improve response times and reduce failures and downtime Low cost of ownership, requiring minimal effort or training for deployment and ongoing maintenance Mobile applications Retrofitting older facilities Leveraging legacy monitoring/sensor systems Alarms and alerts
T H E W I R E L E S S S E N S O R N E T W O R K B U Y E R S G U I D E 5 Must-Have Characteristics The excitement and innovation surrounding wireless sensor networks is good news for consumers, because the growing demand makes vendors work harder to develop effective products. Carefully examination and evaluation of all the options will ensure that you end up with a solution that is right for your company s unique requirements. In general, there are certain characteristics that should be non-negotiable. These include: Reliable Network Topology A frequency hopping, spread spectrum, mesh network is critically important because it delivers the very highest level of data transmission reliability. Frequency hopping, spread spectrum eliminates the effects of interference by spreading the transmission over a range of frequencies and randomly hopping from one frequency to another. If a transmission is blocked on one channel it moves to a clear channel and retries. In a mesh network data hops throughout the network until it reaches the final destination. In the event a node becomes overloaded or unavailable, a mesh network will automatically reroute the traffic to its destination without outside intervention. No other network topology can provide this level or reliability. Self-Healing, Self-Managing Functionality Systems that are simple to install, configure and maintain can ensure rapid ROI. A self-configuring, self-healing network offers tremendous advantages, particularly in companies with changing requirements, the need to relocate sensors at will or that have an environment with moveable production equipment. The goal should be to spend more time collecting information, not setting up the network. Multiple Application Support Many monitoring products are single application systems that specialize in one certain measurement, such as food storage or humidity monitoring. The reality, however, is that most companies have multiple monitoring requirements. Investing in multiple systems can be costly and make it difficult to get a comprehensive dashboard view of the operation. A flexible network supports multiple applications on the same infrastructure and provides more valuable, comprehensive results. Scalable Architecture Having the ability to scale allows a company to start small with just a few measurements points and add as necessary, without having to modify the underlying infrastructure. Given the incredibly wide range of data that can be collected, this is a smart investment in anticipation of future requirements. A scalable architecture that allows additional sensors to be added easily, without significant advance planning or technical reconfiguration, is most valuable and should be able to increase in scale to thousands of points.
T H E W I R E L E S S S E N S O R N E T W O R K B U Y E R S G U I D E 6 Third-Party Connectivity No business operates in isolation, and an effective wireless sensor network solution must offer extensive facilities for connecting to external systems and third-party software packages already in use. Using industry standard protocols such as Modbus and OPC and WEB 2.0 connectivity through XML, SOAP, and ODBC ensures seamless connections with all control and business systems. Wireless Ethernet, as well as RS-232 and RS-485 connections, should be supported. End-to-End Solution Collecting the data solves only part of the problem; making sense of it is where the real payoff happens. Ideally, data should flow through the network gateway into a console that can display real-time information, historical data and facilitate certain administrative tasks. A solution should include the software needed to perform useful tasks, whether inside the firewall or accessible from a browser over the Internet. The SensiNet Solution from Sensicast All these solution characteristics are available today in one wireless sensor networking solution from Sensicast SensiNet. Sensicast provides comprehensive and cost-effective intelligent wireless sensor solutions to help companies improve their businesses and reduce costs. Sensicast s sensing solutions deliver crucial information in real time in plants and buildings across North America and Europe, providing robust and reliable monitoring of temperature, process, and energyrelated data; as well as predictive maintenance. A leader and pioneer in the field, Sensicast designed its flagship product, SensiNet, with three key goals in mind: 1. Reliable connectivity between application nodes and the Internet 2. Robust mesh networking (self-healing, self-configuring) 3. Regulatory-approved operation with amplified radio output power for longer range operation These three design parameters stemmed from the desire to ensure optimal performance in harsh RF environments, such as those found in older buildings, factories, steel mills, oil refineries, and other facilities that might not otherwise provide a benign radio environment.
T H E W I R E L E S S S E N S O R N E T W O R K B U Y E R S G U I D E 7 Ultra-Reliable SensiNet s patented wireless technology delivers 100% data reliability. In fact, SensiNet is designed specifically to provide reliable connectivity to and from Internet gateways through a potentially large number of radio hops, where radio connectivity between hops is presumed to be unreliable. To provide redundancy to overcome temporary, local connectivity issues, SensiNet maintains multiple routes to and from a limited number of gateway devices. This low overhead approach makes it easy for the product to reconfigure itself as devices and connectivity changes. Rapid Installation and Automated Management Installing SensiNet is remarkably simple. Its Zero IT Footprint design means the network can be installed, configured and put into operation immediately, without any help from the IT department. A sophisticated network management utility is also included for advanced set up and configuration of the network. This allows network operating parameters to be adjusted as necessary, if desired. SensiNet sensors are battery operated and last for up to five years. Since they are battery operated, they can be installed in the most difficult-to-reach places, and even on moveable equipment. Battery operation make SensiNet truly wireless. Unlike WiFi which generally has to be plugged in, SensiNet completely wireless or tether free. Once installed, the system is easy to maintain and operate without specialized training. The system is self-configuring and self-healing. New sensors can be added at will, without extensive technical planning or system reconfiguration. Simply install the device and the sensor will configure itself for the network, then immediately begin its monitoring task. A network management console provides tools for managing setup, network security, data reporting, and more. A graphical user interface provides a visualize reference for network topology. Single Platform, Multiple Applications Recognizing that businesses have a wide variety of measurement requirements, SensiNet is a single network system that implements many different applications simultaneously. Companies can install sensors to measure, for instance, temperature, voltage, asset security and contact closure and have all of those applications use the same mesh network, gateway and analytical software. Even better, while senior management can get a comprehensive view of overall readings, managers with specific areas of responsibility can see only those readings of value to them. So, for instance, the security office watches the integrated asset security readings while the quality control team monitors temperature in the
T H E W I R E L E S S S E N S O R N E T W O R K B U Y E R S G U I D E 8 food lockers. Users are able to access the SensiNet Services Gateway through any device operating a secure Web browser. Secure, ubiquitous access via the Web makes monitoring, report generation and archiving of data easy and yields productivity and cost-savings benefits. Building Block Approach for Maximum Scalability With SensiNet, networks can range in size from just a few measurement points to thousands of points. A series of common building block components can be mixed and matched to meet the exact requirements of the monitoring application and the physical layout of the installation. This building block approach makes it highly scalable, so additional sensors can be added quickly and easy, with no extensive technical planning or system reconfiguration. Each SensiNet services gateway can support up to 300 Smart Sensors. This approach provides the flexibility needed to build a small departmental system or a very large enterprise-wide system using the same basic SensiNet building blocks. SensiNet s dynamic auto-configuration capability lets the network automatically connect to new building block components as they are added. The three main building block components include: 1) Smart Sensors Battery-operated, long-mtbf, ruggedized components that interface directly with sensor probes to monitor a range of data types. 2) Mesh routers, which form the infrastructure 3) Services Gateway: Appliance delivering connectivity and data reporting by connecting the mesh network with legacy control systems (e.g. Citect, GE Intellution, Wonderware ); internal and Web-based applications (SOAP, OPC, XML)
T H E W I R E L E S S S E N S O R N E T W O R K B U Y E R S G U I D E 9 Focus on Access and Connectivity The SensiNet Services Gateway is a self-contained network management system that lets users directly access data collected by SensiNet. Built-in web-based applications connect users directly to the gateway. In addition, the Gateway s robust set of industry standard interfaces enables it to support hundreds of third-party monitoring and control software packages. The Gateway publishes data through a SOAP Web Service. This interface, based on industry standards, allows data collected by the SensiNet network to be easily integrated within existing applications, and fits easily into ASP business paradigms. The Gateway also provides interfaces for connecting to external OPC Servers as well as connectivity via ModBus TCP/IP. These industrial-oriented interfaces enable data to be used in a variety of third party HMI and SCADA systems, including those by Citect, Wonderware Iconics, RSView, Labview, GE Intellution and Honeywell EBI. A Complete Solution Today, SensiNet is a complete, ready-to-install wireless sensor network that works in industrial and commercial environments where wireless operations and high reliability are required. SensiNet was designed from the ground up to be a complete solution. Unlike single purpose systems that require complex systems integration and piecemeal interaction with multiple vendors, SensiNet is a turnkey solution that offers best-in-class technology at every level. This eliminates the installation and operation reliability problems associated with networks that are cobbled together with components from different vendors.
T H E W I R E L E S S S E N S O R N E T W O R K B U Y E R S G U I D E 10 Evaluation Checklist for Wireless Sensor Networks Use this checklist during your evaluation to determine how each product stacks up against the key must-have characteristics of an effective wireless sensor network. SensiNet Network Topology 100% data reliability Wireless mesh networking Ability to operate despite interference from other RF emitters Multiple channel diversity Ability to dynamically change message routes Long range through use of amplified IEEE 802.15.4 radios Support for ETSI rules Support for up to 256 hops Installation and Management Rapid installation Self-healing Self-managing Minimal IT footprint Software Applications Wonderware Labview RSView Iconics Citext OSI PI Intellution Microsoft Excel Data Sensing Capability Temperature Voltage Contact Closure Fluid Flow Motion Light Biomaterial Humidity Current Pressure Gas Flow CO, CO2 Vibration Battery Operation Battery-Operated Sensors Scalability Ability to scale from 1 to 1000s of sensors Automatic Configuration Connectivity OPC software interface ModBus TCP/IP support ASP interface Secure, Web Browser access Access control rights Remote monitoring Other Important Features Report generation Archiving
T H E W I R E L E S S S E N S O R N E T W O R K B U Y E R S G U I D E 11 Summary Demand for wireless sensor networks is growing fast because they quickly and economically help companies accomplish their two primary objectives: improving business operations and reducing costs. Robust solutions offer a wide range of monitoring capabilities and trend analysis. More importantly, wireless sensor networks can provide insight into overall operations and arm operations personnel with instant information to better track status, improve advance warning and alarm notifications, and reduce failures and downtime. As discussed in this paper, there are several must-have characteristics that can ensure an investment in wireless sensor network will deliver short-term ROI and long-term benefits. These include reliability, flexibility, scalability, ease of installation and maintenance, and connectivity. Sensicast, a leader in intelligent wireless sensor solutions, excels on every count. For more information on how Sensicast wireless sensor network solutions might benefit your organization contact us by e-mail: sales@sensicast.com or visit us at www.sensicast.com Sensicast Systems, Inc. 220-3 Reservoir St. Needham, MA 02494 www.sensicast.com Phone: 781 453 2555 Fax: 781 453 0601 General info: info@sensicast.com Sensicast Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Sensicast and SensiNet are registered trademarks of Sensicast Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.