How Modern ATEX Design Enables Intelligent Control at the Edge

­Manufacturers are under continual pressure to create advanced electronic systems for hazardous environments. In the past, intrinsically safe (IS) designs were limited to basic sensors that transmitted data to distant control rooms.

Now, modern low-power electronics have opened up new possibilities for intrinsically safe design. This allows manufacturers to develop products with enhanced functionality while still meeting strict ATEX safety standards. This change represents a major opportunity.

By incorporating control loops, combining multiple sensors, and utilising intelligent processing directly in intrinsically safe devices, manufacturers can significantly reduce cabling requirements, lower maintenance costs, and enhance system response times.

The Evolution of Intrinsically Safe Design

In the early 1990s, intrinsically safe products had limited capabilities, focusing mainly on basic measurement tasks. Typically, sensors would send raw data back to centralised control rooms, where computers processed the information and made control decisions. More advanced functionality required costly explosion-proof enclosures. This created serious challenges.

Control rooms were often placed far from chemical plants for safety reasons, resulting in long runs of cabling that added substantial costs and maintenance issues. Advances in semiconductor technology changed the situation. As silicon became more efficient, sophisticated processing could occur within the power limits of intrinsic safety. This shift enabled manufacturers to move intelligence from centralised control rooms to the manufacturing lines, allowing for quicker responses and making systems more reliable and cost-effective.

Today, we can design intrinsically safe products that include multiple sensors, advanced processing capabilities, wireless communication, and control functions without needing expensive explosion-proof enclosures.

From Passive Monitoring to Active Control

Traditional industrial monitoring in hazardous areas relied on simple sensors that sent data to distant control rooms, leading to several challenges:

·       Response time delays: Processing far from measurement points created slow control loops.

·       Reliability concerns: Long cables introduced many potential failure points.

·       Maintenance complexity: Finding and fixing cable faults across industrial plants took a lot of time and money.

·       Limited edge intelligence: Simple sensors couldn't make decisions or pre-process data.

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Figure 2: Traditional vs Modern Intrinsically Safe Systems

Modern intrinsically safe design changes this approach. By using ultra-low-power microcontrollers, optimised firmware, and advanced power management techniques, manufacturers can now implement control loops directly within intrinsically safe devices.

This move from passive monitoring to active control brings several benefits:

·       Faster response times with localised control decisions

·       Less cabling needed, thanks to wireless communication

·       Improved reliability through fewer physical connections

·       Greater intelligence due to local processing

For example, in motor condition monitoring, instead of sending raw vibration data to central systems, intrinsically safe devices can track motor vibration patterns locally. They can identify potential bearing wear and alert maintenance teams before failures occur, all while meeting ATEX Zone 0 safety standards.

Multi-Sensor Fusion in Hazardous Environments

Modern intrinsically safe designs allow for the combination of various sensing methods within single devices. Instead of employing separate intrinsically safe sensors for temperature, pressure, vibration, and other parameters - each requiring its own cabling and maintenance - these functions can be integrated into unified systems.

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Figure 3: Exploded View of Multi-Sensor Intrinsically Safe Device

Multi-sensor fusion offers several advantages:

·       Contextual awareness: Combining data from multiple sensors gives a complete view of process conditions.

·       Anomaly detection: Patterns that are hard to see from single sensors become clear with multi-parameter analysis.

·       Reduced installation costs: Fewer physical devices simplify deployment.

·       Lower maintenance needs: Integrated systems are easier to service and update.

For instance, in a biogas analyser designed for Zone 0 environments, multiple gas sensors, temperature sensors, pressure measurements, and flow detection were combined into one intrinsically safe device. This made installation easier and allowed for sophisticated gas composition analysis that separate sensors could not provide.

The main challenge lies in power management. Each additional sensor raises power requirements, which could exceed intrinsic safety limits. Careful component choice, smart power cycling, and optimised firmware are crucial to maximise functionality while minimising energy use.

Wireless Technologies in ATEX Environments

One of the most transformative aspects of modern intrinsically safe design is the integration of wireless communication. By removing physical connections between hazardous areas and control systems, wireless technologies greatly reduce installation and maintenance costs while enhancing system flexibility.

Benefits include:

·       Lower installation costs by eliminating the need for costly cables

·       Easier maintenance without needing to service physical connections

·       Better flexibility for repositioning devices without altering infrastructure

·       Enhanced reliability by reducing risks of cable damage 

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Figure 4: Wireless Network Topology in ATEX Environments

Harnessing wireless technologies within the constraints of intrinsic safety presents specific challenges. Radio transceivers consume a lot of power, which can exceed intrinsic safety limits.

This requires advanced power management approaches, such as:

·       Duty cycling: Activating the radio only when necessary

·       Efficient protocols: Exploiting communication standards that consume less power

·       Data compression: Reducing the size of transmission payloads

·       Adaptive power control: Adjusting transmission power based on signal conditions

Advanced Battery Management for Extended Field Life

For portable or remote intrinsically safe devices, battery life often limits deployment. Advanced battery management methods can significantly lengthen operational life while maintaining intrinsic safety:

·       Gas gauging: Accurately measuring energy use and remaining battery capacity

·       Dynamic power profiling: Adapting device behaviour based on battery status

·       Intelligent duty cycling: Varying sensor sampling rates based on conditions

·       Power domain isolation: Powering only the circuits needed for specific actions

These methods allow intrinsically safe devices to operate for months or years on a single battery while providing advanced functionality that traditional designs cannot match.

Cost and Maintenance Benefits

Modern intrinsically safe design provides significant economic benefits:

·       Lower installation costs by removing expensive cable runs

·       Reduced maintenance costs with fewer physical connections

·       Improved operational efficiency through faster control loops and local processing

·       Increased reliability with fewer failure points

·       Simpler upgrades through modular designs

Future Trends

Future developments include AI at the edge using energy-efficient microcontrollers, digital twins for predictive maintenance, energy harvesting to eliminate battery limits, and the rising demand for sophisticated intrinsically safe systems as part of the growing hydrogen economy.

Modern intrinsically safe design has fundamentally changed what can be done in hazardous environments. By drawing upon advances in semiconductors, wireless communication, and power management, manufacturers can implement sophisticated functionality directly within intrinsically safe devices. This eliminates the need for costly explosion-proof enclosures while delivering superior performance.

Shifting from basic monitoring to implementing control loops, multi-sensor fusion, and smart processing leads to smarter and more efficient industrial systems, achieving greater functionality with less power while keeping the highest safety standards.

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