Infrax Systems, Inc., a provider of interrelated operational management, communications, and grid security related products and services, has announced that it has signed a teaming agreement with the AwiaTech corporation, for joint delivery of advanced wireless capabilities for smart grid automation applications. Upcoming development and implementation collaborations within the two companies will include wireless sensors, transformer, and relay communications and load management. The teaming agreement will specifically focus on the emerging markets of China and Asia. 

In a release, Paul Aiello, CEO of Infrax Systems, said, "We are pleased to have entered into a teaming arrangement with AwiaTech. They have assembled one of the top research teams in the wireless automation field and their products and expertise will be of a great benefit to Infrax as we add Distribution Automation applications to our Smart Grid portfolio.”

The Austin, Texas based AwiaTech, has been driving the development of industrial automation technology which leverages WirelessHART, wireless mesh network communications protocol capable of supporting process automation applications. The company has successfully created a standard conforming network stack for currently available WirelessHART applications. WirelessHART provides the HART protocol with wireless capabilities while ensuring compatibility with HART devices, commands, and tools.

Dr. Alex Feng, CEO of AwiaTech, said, "Reliability and security are critical to both traditional industrial automation and distribution automation. We are excited to team up with Infrax so that with Infrax's domain expertise, the energy and utility industry now has their top concerns addressed and can now fully enjoy the benefits of Wireless Sensor Networks. This collaboration will also enable us to serve emerging markets with strong needs in distribution automation such as China, where AwiaTech has already established a strong presence."

WirelessHART networks feature three essential components which include Wireless field devices which are connected to process or plant equipment. The device can support built-in WirelessHART or an already installed HART-enabled device featuring an attached WirelessHART adapter. The second elements are Gateways, which enable communication between device and host applications which are connected to high-speed plant communications network while a Network Manager handles network configuration and schedules communications between devices. He is also responsible for handling message routes and for assessing and monitoring the health of the network. Integrations between the Network Manager, gateway, host application or the process automation controller can also be handled.