Integrated field monitoring and communications system

A field monitoring and communication system for detecting and signaling environmental conditions in a field area comprising:

• a. sensor inputs for detecting the environmental conditions to be detected, said sensor units placed at appropriate locations-throughout the field are in-areas in which the environmental conditions are to be detected, and unit boxes, wherein a plurality of said sensors feed into one unit box and wherein each unit box contains a plurality of identical patents, each path having circuitry and potentiometers for adjusting the zero span of signals from each sensor;
• b. alarm units located throughout the field area to warn when the environmental conditions to be detected exceed or fall beneath a predetermined level;
• c. said unit boxes which receive information form said sensors being located in an area designated as non-hazardous and connected to one another and ultimately communicating with a computer in one continuous circuit;
• d. said computer being located in a location remote from said unite boxes;
• e. circuitry contained in said unit boxes for calibrating the sensors;
• and
• f. wherein said unit boxes contain dual-channel intrinsic safety barriers in the amount of one barrier for each sensor serviced by said unit box, wherein said intrinsically safe barriers transmit power to said sensors through a first barrier channel and retrieve an analog signal from the sensor through a second barrier channel.