BACKGROUND

Different protection techniques may be used to ensure the safe operation of electrical instruments in hazardous areas. A hazardous area is generally one where flammable gases and/or particles are present, or could be present. Two common protection methods to prevent the accidental ignition of flammable gases or particles include using electrical equipment that is rated as explosion proof and/or intrinsically safe. Explosion proof refers to equipment that is designed to contain an internal explosion resulting from the flammable gases and particulate entering the electronics. This ability to contain an internal explosion prevents subsequent ignition of the surrounding atmosphere. Intrinsic safety requirements are intended to guarantee that instrument operation or failure cannot cause ignition, such as if the instrument is properly installed in an environment that contains explosive gases. This is accomplished by limiting the maximum energy stored in the device in a worst case failure situation. Excessive energy discharge may lead to sparking or excessive heat, which could ignite an explosive environment in which the transmitter may be operating.

Such techniques and tools are highly useful in the process control and measurement industry to allow operators to conveniently communicate with and/or interrogate field devices in a given process installation. Examples of such process installations include petroleum, pharmaceutical, chemical, pulp, and other processing installations. In such installations, the process control and measurement network may include tens or even hundreds of various explosion proof and intrinsically safe field devices. However, communication between one or more devices within a network may be limited, such as by compromising the timeliness or reliability of the communication of data within the network, particularly as an intrinsically safe device within the network may be limited with respect to energy use. For example, communications and bandwidth may be limited within a network, or with a particular device or computer within the network, thereby straining the interactions with the components within the network. Accordingly, it remains a priority to increase the capability of interaction and communication with components within a network, such as a device, particularly in hazardous environments commonly associated with devices that may have limited resources.

