Yokogawa Releases ISA100.11a-based YTMX580 Multi-input Temperature Transmitter

09/12/2011

Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces release of the YTMX580 multi-input temperature transmitter to the market. The YTMX580 is based on the ISA100.11a industrial automation wireless communication standard and features an industry-leading eight analog input channels (based on a September 1, 2011 Yokogawa survey).

Development Background

A temperature transmitter accepts input from a temperature sensor such as a thermocouple or a resistance temperature detector (RTD) and converts this to an electric signal for transmission to a monitoring and control system. One application of temperature transmitters is temperature profiling, which involves the use of several internally mounted temperature sensors to precisely grasp the temperature distribution inside a plant's reactor, tank, or boiler. In the process automation field, a single temperature transmitter is usually installed for each measurement point. Hence, with a high-density temperature measurement application such as temperature profiling, a large number of single-channel temperature transmitters is required. By using a temperature transmitter that supports multiple input channels, our customers will not have to use as many transmitters, thereby reducing their initial installation costs and improving maintenance efficiency.

Conventional transmitters typically output a 4-20 mA electric signal. The latest transmitters rely on digital communications, which enables a single transmitter to output a great quantity of information, including data on device status. This is the essence of Yokogawa's field digital technology. The use of secure wireless technology allows our customers to easily increase the number of measurement points without having to worry about time consuming and difficult wiring. The use of wireless communications also means that transmitters can easily be installed in locations that are physically difficult to wire or that previously were economically unfeasible. These are the benefits of a Yokogawa field wireless solution.

Based on the field wireless concept, Yokogawa is releasing the YTMX580 to bring users the benefits of secure wireless instrumentation, which include the reduction of the overall cost of implementing a high-density temperature measurement application.

Product Features

1. Industry-leading number of input channels
   An industry-leading eight temperature sensors can be connected to each YTMX580. This product is capable of accepting thermocouple, RTD, millivolt, resistance, and 4-20 mA input (requires shunt resistors). The type of input can be independently configured for each channel.
   When three channels or less are in use, signals can be output to a monitoring and control system at intervals as short as one second; with four or more channels, signal output intervals can be as little as two seconds.
2. Battery pack
   The YTMX580 is powered by internal batteries that provide years of use under normal operating conditions. This, combined with the support of the ISA100.11a wireless communications standard, makes this transmitter very easy to install. An added benefit is that the YTMX580 has the same battery pack used in Yokogawa's ISA100.11a compliant EJX-B series pressure/differential pressure transmitters and the YTA510 temperature transmitter. Customers already using these wireless products will thus only need to keep one type of battery pack in their inventories.

Main Target Markets

Oil, natural gas, petrochemical, chemical, iron and steel, pulp and paper, electric power, water treatment, and other process industries

Applications

High-density temperature measurement in process plant tanks; drying furnaces; boilers; motors; oil, natural gas, and chemical plant cracking furnaces; distillation columns; and reactors

About ISA100.11a

Enacted in September 2009, the ISA100.11a is an industrial automation wireless communication standard established by the ISA100 Committee of the International Society of Automation (ISA). The ISA100.11a standard will be submitted to the IECSC65C Subcommittee of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for approval as an international standard.

This standard improves reliability, enables a diverse range of applications, allows network expandability, and is highly compatible with wired communications standards such as FOUNDATION™ fieldbus. Yokogawa is promoting the ISA100.11a standard and proposing the use of field digital networks that help companies achieve an ideal plant configuration by organically integrating wireless technology with existing wired communications networks.

For more information

• Field Wireless

Yokogawa
www.yokogawa.com