HART Communication Foundation Celebrates 20 Years

June 28, 2013
HART device users, system integrators and suppliers gathered in Houston this week to help the foundation commemorate two decades serving industrial communications.

Celebrating 20 years supporting the HART Protocol, the HART Communication Foundation gathered in Houston Thursday to discuss its history, some tips, and a few successes with HART device users, system integrators and suppliers.

When HART began back in 1993, it was a somewhat different show than it is today. Called the HART Users Group, it was a one-man show. ā€œIt was really just me,ā€ said Ron Helson, executive director of the foundation. ā€œIt was a one-man office, for the most part.ā€

The foundation grew out of a 1990 meeting of industry professionals from 26 companies, marking the beginning of HART as an open communication standard. Now the organization has a full-time staffā€”with headquarters in Austin, Texas, and offices in Basel, Switzerland; Tokyo; and Shanghai, China). It has more than 280 member companies, and an installed base of close to 38 million.

HART communication builds on a traditional 4-20 mA signal, laying a digital signal over top of the analog. There are two basic principles behind the standard: backward compatibility and interoperability. ā€œEverything we do is backward compatible,ā€ Helson said. ā€œWe donā€™t want to obsolete products that are in the field.ā€ HART also aims to keep everything easy to use in the plant, he added.

With that, HART accounts for nearly half of the communications links in its sector; 47.2% of the process measurement and control devices are HART devices. Looking to the future, Helson said, ā€œWe will continue to be strong; we will continue to be a leader.ā€

David Eisner, chief engineer and senior engineering fellow for Honeywell Process Solutions, pointed to ease of use, interoperability, extensive product selection, and easy integration of HART device data as key reasons to use the HART protocol in process communications. He also noted that it has the lowest installed cost among competing protocols, wiring is simple, no special power conditioning or diagnostic models are required, and it uses less equipment room cabinet space.

The skills required to deal with the HART standard are also minimal, Eisner said. ā€œYou usually can get access to staff that already has the basic technology training and know-how,ā€ he said. ā€œBecause the tools are straightforward, if youā€™re installing systems in various parts of the world where skill levels are not up to speed, you can do it with HART.ā€

The HART Communication Foundation has been a steady source of innovation over its life, Eisner said, noting the moves from wired to wireless technology; analog to digital; simple to complex devices; DCS, PLC and safety to remote I/O; and more. ā€œThereā€™s a good roadmap into the future, and I think you can count on the HART Foundation to be an innovator in this space,ā€ he said.

The foundation will continue to evolve the technology to make sure it serves the needs of industry, Helson said. The future is going to be bright,ā€ he added. ā€œThis technology will be in wide use in the industry for the next 20 years and beyond.ā€

About the Author

Aaron Hand | Editor-in-Chief, ProFood World

Aaron Hand has three decades of experience in B-to-B publishing with a particular focus on technology. He has been with PMMI Media Group since 2013, much of that time as Executive Editor for Automation World, where he focused on continuous process industries. Prior to joining ProFood World full time in late 2020, Aaron worked as Editor at Large for PMMI Media Group, reporting for all publications on a wide variety of industry developments, including advancements in packaging for consumer products and pharmaceuticals, food and beverage processing, and industrial automation. He took over as Editor-in-Chief of ProFood World in 2021. Aaron holds a B.A. in Journalism from Indiana University and an M.S. in Journalism from the University of Illinois.

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