Emerson Introduces Industry’s First Pneumatic Valve System with Embedded Wireless Connectivity

“The AVENTICS G3 fieldbus platform is the first in the industry to offer wireless technology that puts valve system configuration and diagnostics at the control engineer’s fingertips,” said Enrico De Carolis, vice president of global technology, fluid control and pneumatics, at Emerson. “This offering furthers our quest to help manufacturers reduce production downtime and simplify valve system commissioning, while creating a path for using diagnostics/prognostics for analytics and advancing our offering of intelligent devices with IIoT capability.”

The new wireless ARM module and AVENTICS G3 fieldbus platform are ideal for pneumatic valve system applications in the automotive, food and beverage, tire, packaging and metalworking industries. The wireless ARM module provides easy access to the AVENTICS G3 fieldbus platform’s diagnostic and commissioning capabilities via an internal Wi-Fi access point and mobile website — even when the valve system is located inside a machine or on a ceiling. It offers the visual benefits of a hard-wired human machine interface (HMI) at lower cost and with higher flexibility. The wireless ARM module generates error notification for alarms, voltage levels, short circuits, module errors, open load errors and distribution errors to reduce system downtime.

The device has a small footprint that connects easily to the AVENTICS G3 fieldbus platform in the space of a jumper clip. It features three power settings for low-, medium-, or high-distance signals to ensure safe and secure access to data — regardless of where the valve system is mounted. Additional security benefits include wireless signal that can be turned off during configuration, multiple password options, and diagnostic and commissioning information provided with no control capability.

The wireless ARM module is compatible with Ethernet/IP DLR, and PROFINET protocols. Additional protocols are targeted for future release.

The wireless ARM module also protects the AVENTICS G3 fieldbus platform’s configuration information from a critical failure, including all settable node and attached I/O module parameters. Emerson also has introduced an upgraded ARM clip for the AVENTICS G3 fieldbus platform that is backwardly compatible to existing ARMs and G3 fieldbus platforms. The ARM clip improves system reliability by protecting configuration information from critical valve system failure.

The AVENTICS G3 fieldbus platform’s electronic parameters and settings are automatically stored in the ARM’s nonvolatile memory and then the ARM is automatically disconnected from power, to ensure stored information is not erased during a power spike or critical failure. “A replacement G3 fieldbus communication node can automatically download the required parameters from the ARM module,” said De Carolis. “This enables the valve system and production line to quickly resume operation without the need for recommissioning by a controls engineer, offering true ‘plug and play’ capability.”
The compact ARM module is easy to install in the space of an AVENTICS G3 fieldbus platform’s jumper clip without having to change the mounting.

For more information, visit www.Emerson.com/AVENTICS.