When wireless transmission first had bee introduced to industrial automation, scepticism prevailed. Would RF signals safely go through the electromagnetic pollution on the plant floor? Would anybody be able to access company data with a simple scanning device? An new analysis from Frost&Sullivan describes the current state of WiFi in automation.
While IEEE 802.11n has been adopted and established quite rapidly in consumer products and PC systems and the next, even faster standard is about to come soon, industrial automation lags behind a bit. Now, the practical problems of security and safety have been solved and corresponding products are ready for deployment.
The convenience of being able to connect devices without the use of wires has led to the enormous success of wireless technologies in the commercial sector, and these same techniques are now making a headstrong move into industrial environments. There are a few things to consider, however.
There are various obstacles for a stronger perpetration of wireless networks in the process industry. Since RF communication would simplify life in many ways, there are efforts being made to overcome them. While a mesh architecture is a good way to get optimum coverage, common solutions are difficult to integrate in automation infrastructures.
Machine-to-machine communication over mobile networks has challenges of its own. Depending on the application, quality of service can be crucial. That’s certainly the case in most industrial automation applications.
Oberstdorf is not just a holiday paradise embedded in the Alps of the Allgäu. Here, in this remote southernmost village of Germany you’ll find the famous Heini Klopfer ski jump – a ski flying hill and the second largest ski jump in the world. If you are plucky enough you can ride a unique diagonal elevator to the top of the Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze. Cheer up! Nowadays, Bosch takes care of safety and security at this ski jump.
The prize for "Best development in the field of energy harvesting" awarded by IDTechEx , has gone to Munich-based EnOcean . According to the awarding market research and consulting company, the prize goes to the company with the best energy harvesting product developed in the last 24 months. The jury declared EnOcean a winner due to their technical advantages and the market potential of its products.
One of the advantages of modern semiconductor design and manufacturing is the possibility to combine completely different features on a single Chip.Wireless communications and an industrial control feature set work together in the Rabbit 6000. The inventively named semiconductor manufacturer Rabbit (a Digi International brand) combines safety on a single chip with the goal to reduce the time to market of network-enabled industrial devices. Based on this new processor the company will introduce more pin-compatible and interchangeable wired and wireless MiniCore modules.
For the experts of embedding computing the upcoming trade show embedded world 2010 may be a special highlight: The venue not only sets standards and records every year. Despite the difficult economic conditions, the industry’s international get-together continues to grow with innovation that reflects the dynamic of this market.
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