High performance, preconfigured industrial wireless I/O

Citation

(2008), "High performance, preconfigured industrial wireless I/O", Assembly Automation, Vol. 28 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2008.03328cad.003

High performance, preconfigured industrial wireless I/O

Article Type: New products From: Assembly Automation, Volume 28, Issue 3

Long range, reliable, licence-free 869 MHz radio

Westermo Data Communications has released a new range of compact wireless I/O modules to provide unidirectional communications over long distances and in demanding industrial applications.

The RM-105L single I/O radios (Figure 2) are available individually or as matched “ready to install” pairs, with either dipole or whip antennae. The units are preconfigured and therefore can be installed without the requirement for a laptop or programming tools. Simply by pressing a button on the receiver unit it is possible to create a wireless I/O link.

Figure 2 Compact wireless I/O modules from Westermo Data Communications

Suitable for a broad range of applications, especially within the utility industries, the range provides a cost effective solution for remote monitoring and can be used in more complex networks as signal transmitters or receivers. The RM-105L features two digital/pulse inputs, an analogue input, and a thermocouple. Set point functions are available on the analogue and thermocouple inputs. The RM-105L can connect to different data-buses including Modbus, Ethernet and Profibus via the 105-G Gateway radios.

The RM-105L uses the 869.4 MHz frequency range and is capable of transmitting data over a distance of 5 km, with line of sight, and 500 m in obstructed industrial environments. 869 MHz radios are not only extremely reliable, but they are also very secure as they cannot be easily monitored by standard laptops and PDA’s. However, the RM-105L offers the additional security of military grade 128 bit AES encryption for the data transfer.

The units themselves are extremely reliable and Westermo offers a conditional lifetime warranty. They can be used in operating temperatures of -40 to 60°C and in humidity of 99 per cent. A built-in battery management circuit protects against an uncertain external power supply.

The RM-105L is extremely easy to use with a RS232 RJ45 port available for configuration and diagnostics. Free configuration and diagnostics software can be run either with a direct connection or over the radio. Powerful diagnostic tools such as signal strength indication (on the front of the receiver) and exception-reporting communications enable fast, highly efficient wireless networks.