HART Overview

The majority of smart field devices installed worldwide today are HART-enabled. But some new
in the automation field may need a refresher on this powerful technology.

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Simply put, the HART (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer) Protocol is the global
standard for sending and receiving digital information across analog wires between smart devices
and control or monitoring system.

More specifically, HART is a bi-directional communication protocol that provides data access
between intelligent field instruments and host systems. A host can be any software application
from technician's hand-held device or laptop to a plant's process control, asset management,
safety or other system using any control platform.

A DIGITAL UPGRADE FOR EXISTING PLANTS

HART technology offers a reliable, long-term solution for plant operators who seek the benefits
of intelligent devices with digital communication – that is included in the majority of the devices
being installed. In many cases however, most applications cannot retrofit their existing
automation systems with a system that can accept the digital data which is provided by the
HART Protocol.

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Because most automation networks in operation today are based on traditional 4-20mA analog
wiring, HART technology serves a critical role because the digital information is simultaneously
communicated with the 4-20mA signal. Without it, there would be no digital communication.

A CRITICAL, DIGITAL ROLE

HART technology is easy to use and very reliable when used for commissioning and calibration
of smart devices as well as for continuous online diagnostics.

There are several reasons to have a host communicate with smart devices. These include:

 Device Configuration or re-configuration

 Device Diagnostics
 Device Troubleshooting
 Reading the additional measurement values provided by the device
 Device Health and Status
 Much more: There are many benefits of using HART technology, and more users are
reporting benefits in their projects on a continual basis. For more information please visit
Success Stories
Years of success using these benefits explain why HART technology is the largest of all
communication protocols, installed in more than 30 million devices worldwide.

If you've ever used a land-line telephone and noticed the Caller ID display to take note of who is
calling, you already know half of what the HART Protocol does—it tells "who" is calling. In an
industrial automation network "who" is a microprocessor-based smart field device. In addition to
letting such smart field devices "phone home," HART Communication lets a host system send
data to the smart instrument.

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HART emerged in the late1980s based on the same technology that brought Caller ID to analog
telephony. It has undergone continued development, up to and including automation products
now shipping with built-in WirelessHART Communication.

How HART Works

“HART” is an acronym for Highway Addressable Remote Transducer. The HART Protocol
makes use of the Bell 202 Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) standard to superimpose digital
communication signals at a low level on top of the 4-20mA.

Figure 1. Frequency Shift Keying (FSK)

This enables two-way field communication to take place and makes it possible for additional
information beyond just the normal process variable to be communicated to/from a smart field
instrument. The HART Protocol communicates at 1200 bps without interrupting the 4-20mA
signal and allows a host application (master) to get two or more digital updates per second from
a smart field device. As the digital FSK signal is phase continuous, there is no interference with
the 4-20mA signal.

HART technology is a master/slave protocol, which means that a smart field (slave) device only
speaks when spoken to by a master. The HART Protocol can be used in various modes such as
point-to-point or multidrop for communicating information to/from smart field instruments and
central control or monitoring systems.

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HART Communication occurs between two HART-enabled devices, typically a smart field
device and a control or monitoring system. Communication occurs using standard
instrumentation grade wire and using standard wiring and termination practices.

The HART Protocol provides two simultaneous communication channels: the 4-20mA analog
signal and a digital signal. The 4-20mA signal communicates the primary measured value (in the
case of a field instrument) using the 4-20mA current loop - the fastest and most reliable industry
standard. Additional device information is communicated using a digital signal that is
superimposed on the analog signal.

The digital signal contains information from the device including device status, diagnostics,
additional measured or calculated values, etc. Together, the two communication channels
provide a low-cost and very robust complete field communication solution that is easy to use and
configure.

Figure 2. Two Communication Channels

The HART Protocol provides for up to two masters (primary and secondary). This allows
secondary masters such as handheld communicators to be used without interfering with
communications to/from the primary master, i.e. control/monitoring system.
 Figure 3. Primary and Secondary Masters

The HART Protocol permits all digital communication with field devices in either point-to-point
or multidrop network configurations:
 Figure 4. Point-to-Point Config

uration

Multidrop Configuration

There is also an optional "burst" communication mode where a single slave device can
continuously broadcast a standard HART reply message. Higher update rates are possible with
this optional burst communication mode and use is normally restricted to point-to-point
configuration.

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HART Protocol Specifications

The HART Protocol was developed in the late 1980's and transferred to the HART Foundation in
the early 1990's. Since then it has been updated several times. When the protocol is updated, it is
updated in a way that ensures backward compatibility with previous versions. The current
version of the HART Protocol is revision 7.3. The "7" denotes the major revision level and the
"3" denotes the minor revision level.

The HART Protocol implements layers 1,2, 3, 4 and 7 of the Open System Interconnection (OSI)
7-layer protocol model:

The HART Physical Layer is based on the Bell 202 standard, using frequency shift keying
(FSK) to communicate at 1200 bps. The signal frequencies representing bit values of 0 and 1 are
2200 and 1200Hz respectively. This signal is superimposed at a low level on the 4-to-20mA
analog measurement signal without causing any interference with the analog signal.

The HART Data Link Layer defines a master-slave protocol - in normal use, a field device
only replies when it is spoken to. There can be two masters, for example, a control system as a
primary master and a handheld HART communicator as a secodary master. Timing rules define
when each master may initiate a communication transaction. Up to 15 or more slave devices can
be connected to a single multidrop cable pair.

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The Network Layer provides routing, end-to-end security, and transport services. It manages
"sessions" for end-to-end communication with correspondent devices.

The Transport Layer: The Data-Link Layer ensures communications are successfully
propagated from one device to another. The Transport Layer can be used to ensure end-end
communication is successful.

The Application Layer defines the commands, responses, data types and status reporting
supported by the Protocol. In the Application Layer, the public commands of the protocol are
divided into four major groups:

1. Universal Commands - provide functions which must be implemented in all field devices
2. Common Practice Commands - provide functions common to many, but not all field
devices
3. Device Specific Commands - provide functions that are unique to a particular field device
and are specified by the device manufacturer
4. Device Family Commands - provide a set of standardized functions for instruments with
particular measurement types, allowing full generic access without using device-specific
commands.

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