Design and Implementation of Network Self-Configuration Based on Bluetooth

Numerous researches on network self-configuration have been conducted on Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) and Ad Hoc network but the results have not been applied yet for factory automation. This paper presents development of intelligent process management systems conducting process monitoring and control irrelevant to physical position of a plant operator. The systems are indispensable for diagnosis of rotating machines which cannot exploit wired network. The system was implemented in a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) using Bluetooth communication protocol. When a mobile terminal reaches to communication range of the process management server, the server detects the mobile terminal to reconfigure plant network automatically. The server authenticates a user of the terminal to download and installs monitoring and control program considering authorized level of the user. If the terminal leaves communication range of the server, it deletes the node from the network and removes the program automatically to save resources and prevent security problems such as missing terminal. Operation of developed functions was verified in a testbed emulating steel-making plant.