Temperature instrumentation

April 2009 Market Intelligence Report An electronic survey of Control magazine readers was conducted in April 2009, in order to identify usage and application trends of temperature instrumentation among the process automation professionals. A total of 122 responses were received. Detailed survey results can be found here, with key findings summarized below:

• The most common uses of temperature instrumentation included the following:
1. Process control -- 90%
2. Process monitoring -- 86%
3. Environmental monitoring -- 53%
4. Quality control -- 43%
5. Environmental control -- 42%
• The largest number of survey respondent’s temperature sensors connect to:
1. Standard analog (4-20) transmitters -- 83%
2. Directly to a controller (PLC or PAC i/o) -- 74%
3. HART transmitters -- 43%
4. FOUNDATION Fieldbus transmitters --20%
5. Profibus transmitters -- 9%
• A full 49% of survey respondents use only analog temperature transmitters in more than 50% of applications.
• A full 89% of survey respondents indicated that Profibus transmitters account for less than 10% of their transmitters. 79% indicated FOUNDATION Fieldbus accounted for less than 10%. 54% indicated that HART accounted for less than 10%.
• The majority of respondents (52%) do not intend to buy and install wireless temperature transmitters in the next 12 – 18 months. 27% have buying intentions while 21% are undecided.
• Respondents indicated the top three wireless field sensor protocols they would select are Wireless HART (37%), ISA100.11a (34%) or a proprietary protocol (37%).