Wireless and Internet communications technologies for monitoring and control

Over the past 10 years there have been rapid advances in wireless and Internet technologies. In the case of Fieldbuses many years of standardisation effort have failed to produce a single standard. However, the availability of cheap Ethernet-based networking hardware and PC technology driven by the huge office IT market coupled with the explosion of Internet has made Ethernet an attractive proposition for control and monitoring systems. This has led to parallel developments in Industrial Ethernet and standards specific to the aviation industry. Additionally, the advent of low cost mobile telephone technology and wireless interconnect for PC and electrical goods is driving interest in the adoption of this technology in other areas. Already products are appearing on the market which exploit this technology and many applications exist. This overview presents an introduction and overview of the current state of the technology as a result of studies performed by the author for Rolls-Royce into potential exploitation of these technologies in Rolls-Royce aircraft, marine and industrial systems. In particular, the application of Ethernet and wireless technologies for on-board systems, remote operational monitoring, testing and control will be considered. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.