Industrial wireless communication protocol WIA-PA and its interoperation with Foundation Fieldbus

Wireless communication technologies can bring great benefits to industry plants. But because of the unreliability of wireless channel and wide use of wired Fieldbus, hybrid with Fieldbus is one of the main application manners of industrial wireless communication today. With different protocols, wireless devices can not communicate with wired Fieldbus devices directly and interoperation can not be implemented when they are hybrid. WIA-PA is the new Chinese industrial wireless communication standard. Its protocol is introduced and the interoperation mechanism between WIA-PA and Foundation Fieldbus is studied. The protocol conversion gateway translates device and automatic object information, process data and other messages to fulfill interoperation. The communication relations and services are also converted to guarantee real-time forwarding. The analysis shows the protocol conversion can provide interoperation between WIA-PA and Foundation Fieldbus devices and satisfy the performance requirements of automation systems.