These new RadioLinx® industrial radios for automation support the IEEE-802.11n standard and provide improved performance in high-capacity networks. They offer the possibility of a highly reliable network in applications with moving devices and/or environments with obstacles that are traditionally difficult to overcome with wireless solutions.
These radios incorporate the most advanced technology to provide superior levels of flexibility and performance for a wide variety of manufacturing and production applications. In short, while 802.11a/b solutions for industry are already suitable for numerous applications, 802.11n radios for industry are advisable to facilitate the deployment of a wireless network in some critical cases and will offer a wireless option to a broader range of applications.
The complete RadioLinx Industrial 802.11n range now consists of a single-radio Industrial Hotspot, a single-radio Industrial Client, and two dual-radio Industrial Hotspot solutions, including a weatherproof version.
The 802.11n Dual Industrial Hotspot solutions provide two radios in one and require only one Ethernet connection.
The dual radios can be used in place of a repeater to extend the range of your wireless network without sacrificing speed.
MIMO Technology:
The RadioLinx 802.11n family enables the transport of demanding industrial protocols (provided by the "reliable I/O message delivery" functionality). Support for virtual local area networks (VLANs) allows for network traffic segmentation: while one connection is reserved for the automation control application, the other connection allows for programming or maintenance, for example, to be performed simultaneously and without interfering with the application.
MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) technology is used with up to three antennas connected to each radio, taking advantage of multiple paths created by reflections (generally off metal parts on the factory surface). This enables high data transmission speeds (up to 300 Mbps) and advanced performance in industrial environments.
For configuring and monitoring 802.11n Industrial Hotspot radios, the free software tool RadioLinx WirelessN Discovery allows you to visualize the network topology, assign IP addresses to radios for configuration, perform network diagnostics, update radio firmware, and detect the presence of 802.11 radios on the network. Network configuration in automatic or manual mode is user-selectable (priorities can be set or fixed) with self-healing and master redundancy for reliability in large networks.
All these radios operate within a wide temperature range (-40 to +75 °C) and can be installed in hazardous areas (including ATEX Zone 2 Category 3). Other industrial specifications include: high resistance to vibration and shock, DIN rail mounting, PoE (Power over Ethernet), and simultaneous bridge/repeater/Industrial Coverage Zone mode.
Application Security:
Like other Radiolinx 802.11 solutions from the manufacturer, the new radio family offers support for 802.11i and RADIUS security for centralized security policy management. Quality of Service (QoS) support is also provided for prioritizing data, as well as for background applications such as Voice over IP (VoIP) and video.
Radiolinx Industrial Radios for 802.11n, which are compatible with existing Radiolinx 802.11 solutions, enhance performance for high-bandwidth and control applications with packet rate alerts. They also offer improved signal sensitivity and extended range in environments such as factory floor mobile infrastructure tuning.
