Centero Advances Wireless Industrial Connectivity with Silicon Labs’ MG24
Visibility into all the sensors in process automation is essential for maintaining safety, achieving optimal turnaround times, and improving production efficiency. For example, oil rigs, refineries, and petrochemical plants are fraught with hazards and risks, like highly flammable, volatile chemicals, high pressures and temperatures, and complicated equipment. In critical applications, even the slightest deviations from stringent requirements and protocols can have catastrophic consequences, which is why precision is necessary.
Centero offers easy to integrate, compliant end-to-end wireless IEEE 802.15.4 and 802.11 solutions to meet stringent industry requirements. Its guaranteed latencies are required for safety, critical applications. Centero’s solutions also provide robust data storage and usage information, as well as predictive maintenance, leading to improved operating efficiency and plant safety.
Centero’s Industrial Wi-Fi Mesh, WirelessHART, and ISA100 Wireless-compliant product line of wireless modules, adaptors, infrastructure devices, and other compliance and certification tools are ideal solutions for developing connected field devices quickly and cost-effectively.
Strengthening Industrial Networks with Silicon Labs’ MG24
Silicon Labs has a long history of reliable connectivity, security, and innovation across various industries and has been established as a preferred partner in industrial automation. Silicon Labs' MG24 was chosen by Centero for its robust IEEE 802.15.4 physical layer. The use of MG24 in Centero's gateways and wireless access points play a vital role in achieving efficient connectivity in all its networks. Additionally, the MG24’s low-power consumption allows Centero’s wireless field instruments, edge nodes, and access points to operate without replacement for longer durations than previously possible.
Centero needed a trustworthy partner that gave utmost priority to security. Silicon Labs offered Secure Vault™, which is a top-of-the-line suite of security features, in all its technology to minimize the risk of security breaches in the IoT ecosystem and potential loss of revenue from intellectual property counterfeiting.
The Challenge
Centero engineers wanted to create the next generation of reliable, industrial wireless networks that use IEEE 802.15.4 protocols like ISA100 Wireless and WirelessHART. Such networks are used in process automation for both monitoring and control. Use cases include traditional process automation such as pressure, temperature, flow, tank level and valve control as well as more novel use cases such as machine health, leak detection, steam trap and safety relief valve monitoring, gas and flame detection. The reliable, secure, and deterministic wireless connectivity of these protocols not only eliminates costly cabling but also enables connectivity in hazardous locations (HazLoc) that are impossible with cables.
The Solution
Centero chose to include Silicon Labs’ MG24 across all its platforms and embedded the MG24 in its gateways and wireless access points. MG24 was selected not only for its strong wireless capabilities and inclusion of Bluetooth LE connectivity during commissioning, but also for its advanced security features and machine learning capabilities. The MG24 is well suited for industrial networks that need to be robust against espionage and cyberattacks.
The Result
Silicon Labs’ solutions and expertise enabled Centero to provide wireless process automation to industrial customers concerned about either HazLoc or non-hazardous locations. Centero used the MG24 to create reliable, deterministic networks that exchange accurate and secure data in a wide range of industrial environments.
Silicon Labs’ Machine Learning Core Ensures Longevity, Reliability, and Durability
Silicon Labs’ machine learning core helps Centero meet complex requirements, especially in size-constrained environments requiring low power consumption. Silicon Labs' machine learning and edge computing solutions were vital in helping Centero improve the battery life of field instruments. Centero achieved this by reducing data transmission on the network and increasing data storage and processing on the edge. As a result, there is reduced need to transmit data, and thus, the battery consumption is also reduced.
Centero collaborated with Silicon Labs to improve the longevity, reliability, security and durability of its offerings. Centero incorporated advanced diagnostic tools into its hardware, empowering it to self-diagnose and predict failures. This information can be provided to operators to identify and replace defective components before malfunctioning or catastrophic failure. Centero's multi-hub network ensures that field devices have a maximum latency of 30% of the publication rate during data communication, enabling the reporting of instrument performance.
Looking Forward
Silicon Labs' MG24 plays a significant role in Centero's industrial process automation and monitoring. The MG24’s efficiency, robust connectivity, and security features help to meet the demanding standards of the industrial sector while increasing battery life.
Centero continues to strengthen its predictive maintenance capabilities using low-power connectivity and machine learning to better serve critical industries.