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Trusted Wireless 2.0

Back to Wireless technologies

Cover long distances easily and efficiently

Trusted Wireless 2.0: industrial wireless technology

The proprietary Trusted Wireless 2.0 wireless technology was specifically developed by Phoenix Contact for industrial use. It is particularly suitable for forwarding sensor and actuator information wirelessly as well as transmitting low to medium volumes of data in large systems. With a clear line of sight, distances ranging from several hundred meters up to several kilometers can be covered between two wireless devices.

Trusted Wireless 2.0 therefore closes the gap between WirelessHART as a special technology for sensor networks and Wireless LAN high-speed technology.

Various setting options are available to adapt it optimally to the requirements of the relevant application. The technology is used in the industrial Radioline wireless system from Phoenix Contact.

Features

Trusted Wireless 2.0 uses the so-called FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) 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.

Trusted Wireless 2.0 therefore enables particularly good coexistence management of various wireless systems. Through the use of different RF (radio frequency) bands, several Trusted Wireless 2.0 systems can be operated in parallel. The option also exists to block particular channels selectively (black listing), e.g., in order to be able to operate WLAN systems in parallel without performance limitations.

In the case of a proprietary technology such as Trusted Wireless 2.0, 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. Integrity verification checks the sender's authenticity and rejects messages that have been altered.

If radio waves are transmitted through walls or other obstacles this weakens the signal. The higher the frequency, the greater the attenuation, i.e., the attenuation for the 2.4 GHz signal is greater than that for a 868 MHz or 900 MHz signal.

Due to the higher transmission power in the 868/900 MHz band, much larger distances 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. On the one hand considerably more frequencies are available in the 2.4 GHz band; on the other hand higher data transmission rates through air are 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 comprises wireless modules for 868 MHz (Europe, South Africa), 900 MHz (North America, South America), and 2.4 GHz (worldwide).

Distributed network management

Distributed network management in the parent-child zone

Technologies such as WirelessHART or ZigBee use a central approach to network management. That means that all messages pass through a central master, which can lead to significant wireless network traffic.

Trusted Wireless 2.0 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 whole network and accelerates data exchange.

Flexible adaptability options

Trusted Wireless 2.0 provides the option of setting the data rate of the wireless interface and thereby increasing the receiver sensitivity. With a low data rate you can cover significantly greater distances than with a high data rate. Therefore, the user 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 networks or 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.

Application examples

Trusted Wireless 2.0 and the Radioline wireless system have been specially developed for industrial use for the transmission of serial control data or analog or 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.