SCADA system radios

[Austinw]

I am looking to put together a SCADA system using Automation Directs Productivity 2000 line. Figured id go that route versus going Allen Bradley given that its only turning off and on a drive and displaying a pressure. I am going to have remote setups for the wells and a home setup with a HMI displaying everything thats going on. I am having issue finding some way to talk back and forth between everything. I have see the MDS Orbit Radio (P# MCR-900) used in an existing setup I have wire but have no experience setting it up myself. Open to cost effective options or intel on the MCR-900.

Thanks,

 

[OkiePC]

First thing I do when dealing with radio telemetry is fire up Google Earth and map the points, draw paths between them and look at the elevation profiles. Then I decide whether to use UHF or 900MHz data radios (and rarely VHF). After that decision is made, I pick among my favorite makes and models or match what the customer already has.

If you know 900MHz will work, my favorite for well control/monitoring is Phoenix Contact Radioline set up for PLC/Modbus RTU mode. No need for a PLC at the wells, just the Radio and a combo I/O module (or two).

The Phoenix Contact PSI-CONF software is a little odd to figure out, but the hardware is solid and allows for repeating and even remote RS485/RS232 (but that mode does add significantly to polling delays.)

 

[TheWaterboy]

Just to add controversy. I have had them all and for me a 200mhz radio system works "best" because the lower freqs "hug" the hilly terrain better than UHF. That comes a cost of bandwidth of course. I might get 56k speeds at best, But for telemetry data its plenty fast enough.

I had a 450mhz system that had a nice routing option you could use to go "around" hills. Later found that it was FCC illegal to use that more than one or 2 hops as you could also use that routing technique to go "over the horizon". Something to file away fora rainy day

900mhz was just swamped in the area that needed it and would not reach into valleys at all. Very line of sight.

Cellular is high bandwidth option if you have that availability and $$

 

[Old Man]

You are really wnating to create a "Local" wireless network, check out Freewave very afforable and if setup up correctly
you should get several miles of coverage.