ABSTRACT
Wireless communication is increasingly used in many industrial automation applications, which have many differing requirements. This chapter explains the practical requirements and the system specifications, the design concepts for communication and power supply, and describes practical experience gained especially with respect to reliability and coexistence with other wireless systems. It derives simple performance profiles for the wireless interface and other wireless technologies being discussed for industrial use, based on the requirements in factory automation. Wireless coexistence is a practical and increasing concern in industrial automation applications. Many different applications may use wireless systems, which may compete for the same frequency band with different technologies. The system has been implemented into products and its performance in real factory applications has been verified and more than 4 million node hours have been accumulated.
