IN THE KNOW – IAN LOUDON

Our industry is built on experience. Each edition, we feature someone who knows their field inside and out, sharing the knowledge they’ve gained over many years. From practical advice to lessons learned the hard way, this is insight you won’t find in a manual. This month we hear from Ian Loudon, International Sales and Marketing Manager at Omniflex. Ian joined the business, then known as Conlog, in 1980 as a graduate engineer in the Final Test and Calibration Department and has worked in telemetry and remote monitoring ever since.

Telemetry and remote monitoring play an important role across mining and industrial sites, particularly where equipment, infrastructure and processes need to be monitored over large distances. While the technology has changed enormously over the past four decades, many of the engineering fundamentals have remained exactly the same.

One of the biggest changes I’ve seen has been the shift from analogue radio systems using techniques such as FSK to modern digital communications based on RS232, RS485 and Ethernet interfaces. Connectivity is now much easier and the technology available is far more powerful than it was decades ago.

Early telemetry systems relied on conventional radios, using techniques such as FSK or MSK to encode data into a radio carrier wave that could be decoded at the other end. Over time, that developed into specialised protocols for wireless control systems, including techniques for safely processing controls.

Before wireless became a reliable solution for industry, products were developed to multiplex up to 64 digital signals down a single pair of wires, later extending to analogue signals as well. That concept then extended to one of the world’s first industrial local area networks, CONET, around 1983, allowing 127 devices with up to 64 signals each to share a cable.

The technology took off in mining and industrial process plants where many signals were required for supervisory control, alarms and monitoring. But even as the technology became more powerful, some of the basic engineering challenges did not disappear.

Wireless networks still have limited bandwidth, and that is where one of the biggest misconceptions sits. People often assume wireless telemetry behaves like a wired Ethernet network, where you can simply add more devices and more data without consequence.

In reality, wireless communications are a shared resource. Only one device can successfully communicate on a frequency at a given moment. If multiple devices try to transmit simultaneously, collisions can occur and data can be lost. As more devices are added, networks can become congested if every device is constantly polling or transmitting data. Without proper communications management, performance deteriorates and reliability suffers.

That is why techniques such as report-by-exception communications and managed wireless protocols have become so important. Network traffic needs to be managed carefully, unnecessary communications need to be reduced, and bandwidth usage needs to be considered from the beginning. Even with better tools available, good network design remains just as important today as it was in the past.

Those fundamentals become even more important in mining and industrial environments, where remote monitoring systems are often expected to operate across large distances and in harsh conditions.

The physical environment is often underestimated during the planning stage. Terrain, line-of-sight limitations, environmental exposure and power availability can all have a major impact on performance.

People understandably focus on the data they want to collect, but reliability is often determined by more practical factors: where equipment is installed, whether there is a clear radio path between sites, and how the system will be powered and maintained over the long term.

Systems need to be designed around efficient communications, rugged hardware and realistic operating conditions. Equipment must also be able to withstand heat, dust, vibration, moisture and the other environmental challenges common in remote industrial environments.

Reliability is not usually achieved through adding complexity. It is achieved through thoughtful design and disciplined operation.

The same principle applies to the data itself.

Many sites are collecting more information than ever before, but the goal should not be to collect as much information as possible. The goal should be to collect the information that helps operators act more effectively.

Start by defining the decisions you want the data to support. In many cases, exception reporting is more valuable than continuously transmitting routine readings. If a parameter changes, exceeds a limit or indicates an emerging problem, that is when the information becomes meaningful. Useful data is actionable data.

Scalability is another area where planning matters. Telemetry networks rarely stay exactly as they were first designed, so the architecture needs to allow for future growth rather than simply meeting today’s requirements.

The best way to avoid these issues is to think about growth from the outset. Communications protocols need to minimise unnecessary traffic, network management strategies need to be effective, and the architecture needs to accommodate future growth rather than simply meeting today’s requirements.

Power supply can also be a challenge, particularly in locations where reliable mains power is not available. Battery and solar-powered systems are widely used in remote locations, but the key is designing the system around energy efficiency. Many successful installations use low-power modes where devices wake up, transmit the required information and then return to sleep. Reducing transmission frequency and minimising unnecessary communications can significantly extend operational life and improve reliability.

The more sophisticated technology becomes, the more important simplicity can be. Simple systems are generally easier to deploy, maintain and troubleshoot. They often have lower operating costs and fewer points of failure.

There has also been a growing preference for focused HMIs rather than large, complex SCADA platforms in some applications. Simpler architectures can reduce maintenance requirements, minimise cybersecurity exposure and provide a more practical long-term solution for remote industrial environments.

Telemetry, remote monitoring and industrial communications will continue to evolve, with further improvements in wireless communications, smarter edge devices and more intelligent network management.

The biggest gains, however, are likely to come from systems that make information more useful. Technologies that help organisations extract meaningful insights, reduce network traffic and improve reliability will have the greatest impact.

We have all heard of the Internet of Things, where everything can be connected, but the Industrial Internet of Things is where industrialised connectivity can bring some of the biggest gains. Reliability, continuity and robust connectivity on a global scale will matter more and more as industries look to monitor and manage assets more effectively.

After a career spent working in this field, the most important lesson I have learnt is also the simplest. Never underestimate the importance of fundamentals.

The most successful telemetry systems are not necessarily the most complex or the most technologically advanced. They are the systems designed around reliability, cost-effectiveness, efficient communications, practical maintenance requirements and a clear understanding of the operating environment.

Get those fundamentals right, and the technology can deliver exceptional long-term value.