Chapter 4

Commissioning Wireless
Devices

Field Communicator

A Field Communicator is used to configure HART

devices. WirelessHART devices are preconfigured
using the same tools and methods used on wired
HART devices. However, WirelessHART devices
require the additional configuration of the Join Key
and Network ID to join the correct wireless network.

A device uses the Network ID to determine which

wireless network to join in a large installation
spanning multiple process areas. Once the device
has heard one or more neighbors, it uses the Join
Key to encrypt the join messages exchanged with
the network manager.

The network manager, in turn, authenticates the

device and incorporates the device into the network.

Connecting a Field Communicator to a

Wireless Device

The Field Communicator connects

to wireless devices through the
devices FSK (frequency-shift
keying) communication terminals.

The Field Communicator connects

directly to the communication
terminals on a wireless device.

Once connected, the field

communicator automatically polls
for connected devices using the
selected polling options.

HART Online Menu and Device

Dashboard Online Menu

With many devices, an online menu

that appears once a device
connection has been established.

This menu displays critical process

information that is continuously
updated, including device setup,
primary variable (PV), analog output
(AO), PV lower range value (LRV)
and PV upper range value (URV).

Depending on the device description,

the first online screen may be a
standard HART menu or a Device
Dashboard menu.

For WirelessHART devices, Network

ID and Join Key are set within the
Configure menu.

1420 Wireless Gateway Explorer Page

If a wireless device was configured with

the Network ID and Join Key, and
sufficient time for network polling has
passed, the device should be connected
to the network. To verify connectivity, the
user should open the gateways integral
web interface and navigate to the
Explorer page.

This page will display the transmitters

HART tag, Primary Variable (PV),
Secondary Variable (SV), Tertiary
Variable (TV), Quaternary Variable (QV)
and Update Rate.

A green status indicator means that the

device is working properly. A red indicator
means that there is a problem with either
the device or its communication path.

1420 Wireless Gateway Network Settings Page

The most common cause of

connection problems is incorrect
configuration of the Network ID and
Join Key. The Network ID and Join
Key in the device both must match
that of the gateway.

The Network ID and Join Key may be

obtained from the gateway on the
Setup>Network>Settings page of the
web interface as shown.

The Network ID and Join Key for the

entire network can be changed from
this page; the method described in the
previous section a Field
Communicator is used for a device
joining an existing wireless network.

Integration of Wireless Network with DCS System

Wireless networks are

integrated into plant
automation systems
through the gateway.
Several protocols including
Modbus, OPC, and HARTIP are often supported.

Connecting the wireless

network to the plant
automation system may be
achieved in a wide variety
of ways with greatly
varying levels of
integration. An example of
a fully integrated setup is
illustrated in this figure.

Wireless IO Network in an Explorer View

In small networks, the gateway should be

located near the center of the network. For
large networks or applications that require
the gateway to be mounted inside a control
room or rack room with remote access
points, it is best practice to build the initial
network around the location of the access
points. The network can then be expanded
to reach remote areas of the process unit.
This approach will provide a solid
foundation on which to expand the network

In one example of a fully integrated

systems, the Wireless I/O Network
appears under the Control Network in an
Explorer view and can support up to 120
Wireless Gateway nodes. This figure
shows the Wireless I/O Network

Wireless Reconcile I/O Dialog

Once a wireless network is

integrated into a host
system, the next step is to
connect the wireless
devices with the control
applications. This can be
achieved in a large number
of ways. For example, this
is achieved with the
Reconcile I/O procedure.

Reconcile I/O links wireless

devices with those
configured in the host
system database. The host
applications then access
those devices and their
data points via the
database configuration.

Network Overview Display

The WirelessHART gateway is the

primary interface for
communicating with network
devices and host applications.

The gateway collects and

maintains cached response
messages from all devices in the
network.

The WirelessHART gateway is

accessed through web pages.
These web pages provide access
to a wide range of diagnostics
information, and with the right
login credentials to a limited set of
configuration capabilities. An
overview of the gateways
diagnostics is shown

Device States in the Network

The network overview display

provides summary information
on devices connected, devices
reporting power failures,
devices with naming problems
and other top-level
diagnostics.

More detailed information can

be found on devices and join
failures as well as other items.
This figure shows the overall
state of all the devices in the
network.

Network Statistics Display

Another important
diagnostic screen is
network statistics.

Network statistics show the

total number of transmits,
receives, burst messages
and lost packets across the
entire network.

An example of the network

statistics display is shown
in this figure

Host Statistics

Network statistics
between the gateway
and the host system are
another important
diagnostic.

This figure shows the

User Datagram Protocol
(UDP ) network statistics
between the gateway
and the host system. The
other host statistics are
not shown

DeltaV Diagnostics

An important measure of wireless

and wired networks is the hosts
ability to monitor and diagnose the
overall health of the network.

The Diagnostics view supported by

the control system is a starting
point to diagnose nodes
(controllers and workstations) and
subsystems for IO access in the
control system.

An example of how problems

related to wireless devices are
reported in the diagnostics view is
shown in this example where the
Fisher DVC6000 Control Valve
assigned to Channel 10 has Loop
Current Fixed

Device Communication Statistics

The screen shown in this

figure is launched from the
diagnostic view.

The gateway
communication statistics
with a valve are shown in
this example.

Device Manager

Asset Management Suite (AMS)

Device Manager is an application
that allows users to view and
configure wireless devices online in
a wireless network.

Control system applications such

as AMS Device Manager are often
used as an alternative or in addition
to handheld field communicator

Both Device Manager and the

wireless network could be
integrated with the host system, in
which Device Manager would
access the devices through the
host. This figure shows a wireless
network hierarchy in Device
Manager.

Device Diagnostics DVC 6200 Valve Display

For a wireless device to join a

gateway's self-organizing
network, it must first be
provisioned (configured) for
that network. Once
provisioned, the wireless
device joins the network and
appears in Device Manager.

To diagnose the device it is

only necessary to select the
device and proceed to the
diagnostics display. This
figure shows an example of
the diagnostics display for a
wireless Fisher DVC 6200
device.

The Wi-Analys tool accepts

security keys through user input
and uses this key to decode
messages from the Wi-Htest
suite designed to exercise
WirelessHART devices, thus
facilitating compliance
assessment.

These messages could be those

intended for the Wi-Analys tool,
or legitimate WirelessHART
commands from the Wi-HTest
suite to the device that assign
keys to the device.

The Wi-Analys suite will use the

keys it possesses to authenticate
or decrypt. Messages that fail are
indicated with different colors.

Exercise: Device Diagnostics

This workshop provides several exercises that will show the diagnostic information that is
available from a wireless network. In this workshop we look at diagnostics information from of
a wireless network. It is assumed that the wireless network is already integrated into the
control system and the devices are integrated with the control modules.
Step

1: To launch DeltaV diagnostics view click Start DeltaV Operator Diagnostics.

Step

2: Expand the following nodes in sequence: Control Network, Controller nNode,

Assigned Wireless I/O, Wireless Gateway, C01.
Step

3: Click on individual channels under C01, check respective parameter values,

observe whether the Value parameter updates.
Step

4: Expand a channel node, click on the assigned wireless device under it and check
its attributes.

Process: Device Diagnostics

This workshop is designed to illustrate diagnostic information that is available from a wireless
network. An interface used in the workshop is shown below.

Exercise: Commissioning Wireless Devices

This workshop provides several exercises that will illustrate the steps to add a new field
device to a wireless network. In this workshop a new wireless device is added to the control
system and the measurement it provides is added to a control module. It is assumed that
the wireless gateway has been added to the control system LAN and assigned to the
controller.
Step

1: Configure a new wireless device using a field communicator. Enable the burst
mode to publish data. Power it on and let it join the wireless network.
Step

2: In the control system explorer view of field devices, open the Reconcile I/O dialog
box, find the new device and, drag and drop it to an unused channel.
Step

3: Create a new control module and, assign it to the controller. Add an AI function
block and assign its IO_IN to the tag of the channel assigned to the new device.
Step
Step

4: Download the controller.

5: Open the control module online and observe that the value of the AI block
periodically updates. The updates come from the burst data of the new device.

Process: Commissioning Wireless Devices

This workshop is designed to illustrate features that are typically available in commercial
products to commission a wireless network. An example tree view used in the workshop
is shown below.