Industrial Wireless: From IWLAN, through Wireless IO, right through to LoRaWAN
Industrial Wireless enables secure and reliable wireless connections for industrial applications.
Depending on requirements, use IWLAN or Bluetooth for real-time communication, NearFi for close-proximity applications, or LoRaWAN and Trusted Wireless for great distances.
Our wireless solutions are comprised of access points and clients, as well as suitable antennas and cables.
NearFi technology was developed by Phoenix Contact for contactless power and data transmission in the near-field range. With protocol-independent and latency-free Ethernet communication, it offers flexible application options for all Ethernet protocols up to 100 Mbps. Power transmission is inductive. Power and data can be transmitted across an air gap of several centimeters or through non-metallic materials, such as glass, plastic, and wood.
NearFi thus provides a reliable replacement for wear-prone connections in applications where space restrictions, restricted movements, vibrations, dust, dirt, rotation, and frequent contact can be an issue. It is therefore readily used in maintenance-intensive applications, such as tool changes on robots, as a replacement for slip rings on rotating and rotary tables, in automated guided vehicle systems (AGVs), handling and lightweight robots, or for contactless communication in cleanroom systems.
With NearFi couplers, power (24 V, 2 A) and real-time Ethernet data (100 Mbps, full duplex) can be transmitted across an air gap of a few centimeters. Two devices are always necessary for transmission: a base coupler and a remote coupler. The couplers do not need to be configured and are as easy to use as a connector.
Industrial Wireless LAN, or Industrial WLAN or IWLAN for short, allows easy wireless connection in PROFINET, EtherNet/IP™, or Modbus/TCP networks, and is often also called Wireless Ethernet. IWLAN is characterized by the fact that large networks with many devices can be created. A particular advantage here is roaming, where devices can move freely in a large WLAN network and automatically establish their wireless connection to the access point with the best wireless signal.
This makes IWLAN perfect for applications such as automated guided vehicle systems (AGVs) and warehouse shuttles, electric monorail systems, and operating machinery and systems via tablet and smartphone. With PROFIsafe, even safety-related applications can be controlled via wireless. Phoenix Contact provides a variety of IWLAN products for various applications.
WLAN 1100 and WLAN 2100 are inexpensive comprehensive WLAN solutions with integrated antennas and a wireless module in a single device. The wireless module is mounted easily onto machines or automated guided vehicle systems (AGVs) via single-hole mounting.
The WLAN 1010 and WLAN 2010 industrial wireless modules provide the familiar functions of the 1000 and 2000 series in compact IP20 housing with external antenna connections. They were developed for applications that demand a high level of flexibility in selecting and positioning the antennas. These include, for example, compact machine systems, warehouse shuttles, and mobile robots.
The Ethernet port adapter (EPA) enables WLAN capability in industrial automation devices with Ethernet connection quickly and easily. This comprehensive IP65 solution is installed directly in the field and connected to the automation device via an M12 Ethernet cable.
Bluetooth is primarily used in cellular communication and computer accessories, but has also become an established communication solution in machine building and systems manufacturing.
Bluetooth is extremely resistant to interference in the frequency band and enables reliable operation in parallel with other Bluetooth or WLAN applications. This means that Bluetooth can be used to establish very reliable wireless connections, which are essential for safety communication (PROFIsafe, SafetyBridge, etc.), among other things.
Bluetooth is particularly suitable for small, static wireless network applications with a small number of devices (point-to-point application and small networks with up to seven devices). Overall, Bluetooth is ideal for transmitting Ethernet and PROFINET data and I/O signals to moving or rotating machine parts.
The EPA 2 Ethernet port adapter connects your Ethernet-compatible automation modules to the control network wirelessly via Bluetooth, safety included. With EPA 2, a reliable wireless module is combined with an integrated antenna in a compact and robust IP65 industrial housing, which makes it extremely easy to integrate into your application.
Wireless MUX is used in places where you want to transmit I/O signals without using cables. The system transmits 16 digital and 2 analog signals bidirectionally. This means that it can replace a 40-wire signal cable.
Phoenix Contact specifically developed the proprietary Trusted Wireless 2.0 technology 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 fills the gap between WirelessHART, a special technology for sensor networks, and Wireless LAN high-speed technology. The technology is used in the Radioline industrial wireless system from Phoenix Contact.
Radioline is the wireless system for large systems. Special features include extremely easy assignment of inputs and outputs by simply turning the thumbwheel – no programming is necessary. With Trusted Wireless technology, Radioline is the ideal choice for reliable use in industrial environments.
The Radioline outdoor box can be installed outdoors for quick and easy wireless transmission of I/O signals or serial data. Select the wireless modules (either 868, 900, or 2400 MHz) and the type and number of I/O extension modules required directly when ordering.
LoRaWAN is a Low Power Wide Area Network specification (LPWAN) for wireless battery-powered systems in a wireless network in accordance with IEEE 802.15.4. The network enables seamless data exchange between end devices (nodes), sensors, gateways, and the IT infrastructure via a uniform transmission protocol. As the first open standard, LoRaWAN considers the requirements of IoT applications.
Our open LoRaWAN gateway is available for setting up or extending your private LoRaWAN network. The gateway operates with an internal 4G/LTE modem, but can also be connected to the Internet via Ethernet. Based on a standardized stack, the LoRaWAN gateway acts as a transparent media converter between the LoRaWAN server and the end device. The information from several hundred to thousands of devices is transmitted by the gateway, depending on the load in the wireless network.
Phoenix Contact provides LoRaWAN control devices (LCU) for managing and controlling lights and LED drivers. The portfolio ranges from devices with fittings for easy connection to Zhaga and NEMA lamp sockets all the way to universal control devices that you can use to integrate your existing lighting into a LoRaWAN network. The built-in devices for the classic lighting control cabinet can replace the timer switch or the ripple control device, and therefore control entire streets.
The portfolio features the option to control state-of-the-art LED drivers using the common DALI communication protocol. This enables you to use the control devices on a large number of LED drivers, regardless of their manufacturer.
