SLAAER4 March 2025 AFE781H1 , AFE782H1 , AFE881H1 , AFE882H1 , DAC8740H , DAC8741H , DAC8742H
HART is a backwards-compatible enhancement to 4-20mA instrumentation that allows two-way communication with smart, microprocessor-based field devices.
The HART frequency shift keyed (FSK) signal is superimposed onto a 4-20mA loop current and modulated for two-way digital communications. This is important because 4-20mA loops are already a well-adopted standard in factory automation and control. The fact that this technology is backwards compatible and can be used with already-existing infrastructure means that this is easy to adopt and cost effective.
HART is a standardized communication protocol, where the controller sends commands, and a field transmitter returns standardized responses. The application layer data received from commands communicates device status and diagnostics. Process data can be sent to include the data’s floating-point digital values, the engineering units of the primary variable, and other information about the process the device is measuring.
There are several different versions of the HART protocol. This application note discusses only the basic HART FSK signal in a field transmitter on a 4-20mA loop. For more in-depth information about the HART protocol see A Basic Guide to the HART Protocol.