A process control system comprising: a plurality of sensors , each of the plurality of sensors adapted to be operatively coupled to process control field equipment in the process control system, each of the plurality of sensors having a radio frequency transmitter configured to transmit sensor data; a base station separate from the sensor, the base station adapted to be coupled to a process control field device in the process control system; a distributed control system separate from the sensor and the base station; wherein the base station has a housing comprising: a radio frequency interface structured to receive the sensor data sent from the radio frequency transmitter; a memory ; and a microcontroller arranged to collect the sensor data from the plurality of sensors, via the radio frequency interface, store the sensor data in the memory and to communicate the sensor data to the distributed control system; a controller communicatively coupled to the base station and to the distributed control system and configured to relay the sensor data from the base station to the distributed control system ; and a local control panel for manual operation and operatively coupled to the base station , wherein the local control panel is adapted to send additional data to the base station , and wherein the microcontroller is configured to store the additional data in the memory and to communicate the additional data to the distributed control system . a plurality of sensors , each of the plurality of sensors adapted to be operatively coupled to process control field equipment in the process control system, each of the plurality of sensors having a radio frequency transmitter configured to transmit sensor data; a base station separate from the sensor, the base station adapted to be coupled to a process control field device in the process control system; a distributed control system separate from the sensor and the base station; wherein the base station has a housing comprising: a radio frequency interface structured to receive the sensor data sent from the radio frequency transmitter; a memory ; and a microcontroller arranged to collect the sensor data from the plurality of sensors, via the radio frequency interface, store the sensor data in the memory and to communicate the sensor data to the distributed control system; a radio frequency interface structured to receive the sensor data sent from the radio frequency transmitter; a memory ; and a microcontroller arranged to collect the sensor data from the plurality of sensors, via the radio frequency interface, store the sensor data in the memory and to communicate the sensor data to the distributed control system; a controller communicatively coupled to the base station and to the distributed control system and configured to relay the sensor data from the base station to the distributed control system ; and a local control panel for manual operation and operatively coupled to the base station , wherein the local control panel is adapted to send additional data to the base station , and wherein the microcontroller is configured to store the additional data in the memory and to communicate the additional data to the distributed control system . <EOS>