Industrial wireless technology: Cover long distances easily and efficiently
Your advantages:
- Reduced installation and maintenance costs by eliminating cables
- Mobility for mobile or interchangeable automation components thanks to wireless I/O communication
- No operating costs for transmission media with wear-free wireless technology
- Quick and easy commissioning with user-friendly installation
Trusted Wireless properties
Robust and interference-free communication
Trusted Wireless uses the so-called frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) method. The technology uses a selection of up to 127 channels from the entire spectrum of the frequency band, which it hops between on the basis of a pseudo-random pattern. This increases the robustness of the communication.
Moreover, Trusted Wireless enables particularly good coexistence management of various wireless systems. Through the use of different RF (radio frequency) bands, several Trusted Wireless systems can easily be operated in parallel. The option also exists to block particular channels selectively (blacklisting), for example to be able to operate WLAN systems in parallel without performance limitations.
Reliable transmission
In the case of a proprietary technology such as Trusted Wireless, the protocol is not publicly accessible, which means the technology is extremely well-protected against attack. In addition, further security mechanisms have been implemented: the 128-bit data encryption ensures that data packets that could be intercepted in theory cannot be understood. The integrity check verifies the sender’s authenticity and rejects messages that have been altered.
Frequency bands
If radio waves are transmitted through walls or other obstacles, these obstacles weaken the signal. The higher the frequency, the greater the attenuation, i.e., the attenuation for the 2.4 GHz signal is greater than that of a 868 MHz or 900 MHz signal.
Due to the higher transmission power in the 868/900 MHz band, much larger ranges can be covered than in the 2.4 GHz band. In the 2.4 GHz band, the transmission time is shorter and the data throughput higher than in the 868 MHz or 900 MHz band. Considerably more frequencies are available in the 2.4 GHz band, and data transmission rates through air are also possible. Furthermore, no legally binding duty cycle must be adhered to in the 2.4 GHz band, as is the case in the 868 MHz band.
The Radioline wireless system from Phoenix Contact is comprised of wireless modules for 868 MHz (Europe, South Africa), 900 MHz (North America, South America), and 2.4 GHz (worldwide).
Distributed network management
Technologies such as WirelessHART and ZigBee use a central approach to network management. That means that all messages pass through a central client, which can lead to significant wireless network traffic.
Trusted Wireless, on the other hand, uses distributed network management. For this purpose, so-called parent-child zones are constructed in the wireless network, where a higher-level wireless module is called the parent and the modules connected to it are called children.
All network management takes place within the parent-child zone and does not have to be directed through the central manager. This reduces message traffic throughout the entire network and accelerates data exchange.
Flexible adaptability options
Trusted Wireless provides the option of setting the data rate of the wireless interface and thus increasing the receiver sensitivity. With a low data rate, you can cover significantly greater distances than with a high data rate. Therefore, you can choose an appropriate setting based on the application and required range.
The Radioline wireless system from Phoenix Contact enables the easy and flexible construction of point-to-point connections, star, and mesh networks, and transmits I/O signals as well as serial data. With Radioline, I/O modules can also be connected to the controller directly via the integrated RS-232 and RS-485 interface using the Modbus protocol.
Examples of applications
Trusted Wireless and the Radioline wireless system have been specially developed for industrial use for the transmission of serial control data and analog and digital I/O signals. This combination is particularly suitable for use in large systems and networks, for example in the field of water/wastewater or in process engineering.
Application examples in process technology
- Level monitoring on reservoirs
- Temperature monitoring
- Flow measurements
- Pumping stations and well point systems
- Pipeline monitoring
- Leakage monitoring
- Infrastructure in chemical parks
Application examples in the field of water/wastewater
- Water treatment plants
- Connection of remote pump stations
- Connection of remote wells
- Rotating parts (e.g., in a scraper bridge)
- Fill-level monitoring
