Did you know that in the Process Industry, there are more than 40 million devices that are running on the HART Protocol and more than 75% of them are HART-enabled. However, up to 90% of these HART-enabled device are being under-utilized, used only to read the 4…20mA signal.

In the current trend of IIOT, there is a growing need for diagnostic data to be analyzed in order to reduce operating cost and increase system availability. The time from obtaining the diagnostic data to analyzing and determining the next course of action has to be almost instant.

In the past, if access to the HART data was needed, users typically installed an RS485 HART multiplexer connected to a PC. Whenever data from a particular field device is needed to be read, it can take a long time depending on the number of field devices connected to the RS485 HART multiplexer. This is because RS485 HART multiplexer works on a “master and slaves” principle.

Ethernet HART Multiplexer

HART Multiplexer

Instead of using the RS485 HART multiplexer, Phoenix Contact introduced the Ethernet-based HART multiplexer. Our Ethernet HART multiplexer allows the user to easily parameterize and monitor field devices on the Ethernet network. The modular Ethernet HART multiplexer accesses other HART-enabled field devices using Ethernet-based fieldbuses such as PROFINET, Modbus/TCP, and HART IP.

Each device is an individual HART master which can be connected to higher-level, fast Ethernet network infrastructures. Up to 40 HART devices can be connected to existing configuration tools such as PACTware, Simatic PDM, Honeywell FDM, HART OPC server or HART server. End users therefore save time and costs since configuration and calibration, e.g. partial stroke test, process monitoring or current loop tests, are controlled via Ethernet and everything can be performed during active operation.

To find out more about Phoenix Contact’s HART Multiplexer, click here.