Year
1994
Abstract
Remote monitoring instrumentation must be connected with computers and other instruments. The cost and intrusiveness of installing cables in new and existing plants presents problems for the facility and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). We have tested a network that could accomplish this interconnection using mass-produced commercial components developed for use in industrial applications. Unlike components in the hardware of most networks, the components—manufactured and distributed in North America, Europe, and Asia—lend themselves to small and low-powered applications. The heart of the network is a chip with three microprocessors and proprietary network software contained in Read Only Memory. In addition to all nonuser levels of protocol, the software also contains message authentication capabilities. This chip can be interfaced to a variety of transmission media, for example, RS-485 lines, fiber optic cables, rf waves, and standard ac power lines. The use of power lines as the transmission medium in a facility could significantly reduce cabling costs.