Radio communication in hazardous areas.

The Series 9730 HFisolators from R. Stahl enable users to deploy any type of standard industrial antennas for radio communication in hazardous areas. These antennas can be connected via customisable cables with plug connectors. Using electrical isolation, this innovative solution shields the surrounding atmosphere from all ignition risks: only an intrinsically safe signal (Ex ia IIC) is transmitted to the external antenna. The antenna can therefore never be exposed to supply currents due to radio device malfunctions.

This new solution dispenses with the need for special antennas certified for explosion protection. Such special-purpose antennas are usually costly, only available in a limited range of types, and often depend on fixed cables without plug connectors that are difficult to modify. Instead, any standard antenna can be used and connected to the HFisolator via conventional coaxial connectors. Such antennas can therefore very easily be repositioned, serviced, or replaced. The HFisolator tolerates extremely rough climatic conditions with ambient temperatures ranging from ­60 °C to +80 °C. Using the ISM frequency bands around 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5 GHz, the HFisolator supports all wireless transmission standards commonly applied in industrial environments (WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n; WirelessHART; ISA 100.11a; Bluetooth; ZigBee; EnOcean).

In addition to type 9730 HFisolators, R. STAHL provides a wide range of Ex d and Ex p enclosures for radio systems. The explosion protection specialist is a trusted partner for wireless solutions in hazardous areas with many years of experience working in this field.

Stahl products are marketed in Ireland by Douglas Control & Automation.