Rosemount 5301 vs 5302 Guided Wave Radar Transmitter

Rosemount 5301 and 5302 belong to the 5300 series guided wave radar transmitters. They share identical mechanical hardware including housing, probe, process connection, explosion-proof rating, SIL2 certification and HART communication. The difference lies in the built-in measurement firmware algorithm.

Rosemount 5301

Single-variable transmitter, measuring either level OR liquid-liquid interface, not both at the same time.
For interface measurement, the probe must be fully submerged in liquid. Vapor/gas space above liquid will cause measurement offset and requires manual compensation. Measurement error may increase under changing process conditions.
Applications: pure level measurement, or interface measurement where the probe stays fully submerged without gas gap.

Rosemount 5302

Dual-variable transmitter for level and interface. Equipped with automatic gas/vapor gap compensation algorithm.
It measures total level and liquid-liquid interface simultaneously. Even with vapor space on top of the tank, it automatically compensates microwave signal delay and delivers stable interface reading without manual adjustment.
Ideal for crude oil tanks, oil-water separators and 3-phase separators with vapor space for oil-water interface measurement.

FAQ

Q: Can I use 5301 for oil-water interface on a normal storage tank with vapor space?
A: Not recommended. Gas gap will cause interface reading deviation. 5302 is the correct model for this application.

Q: Can I upgrade 5301 hardware to 5302 by firmware?
A: Hardware is physically identical. However, factory model code and certification documentation will differ, which is usually not acceptable for project acceptance.

Q: What about SIL rating?
A: Both 5301 and 5302 support SIL2.