Arrow and R3 exhibit support for wireless networking
At this week’s SPS (26 to 28 November) in Germany, Arrow Electronics and R3 will exhibit low-latency wireless machine-to-machine (M2M) communications with a range of R3 Communications’ Echoring wireless networking products.
Industrial automation applications require different devices to be synchronised, a level of which could only be achieved by wired networks, says Arrow. Industry 4.0, however, can place a strain on cabling. Machines need to be reached even when moving, scalability requires a more flexible approach than fixed physical links can deliver, and moving parts are more susceptible to maintenance issues.
Echoring uses a radio technology, delivering deterministic access, combined with massive co-operation to support reliability levels up to SIL 3. It can be integrated with existing industrial hardware and software, helping to preserve previous investments in equipment. Security is powered by Olympus Sky, which also offers low cost, low complexity military grade security.
Echoring supports reliable, low-latency wireless M2M communications that deliver similar performance to current wired systems, says Arrow Electronics.
Many companies seeking to deploy industrial IoT (IIOT) or industry 4.0 solutions need wireless networks that can match the performance and reliability of existing wired control networks. R3’s Echoring delivers real-time performance levels with latency down to only one milliseconds, even in challenging industrial environments, reports the distributor.
A range of software in combination with hardware modules, devices and reference designs based on Texas Instruments WiLink 8 Chip with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity is available to simplify integration with existing networks. Industrial communications protocols supported include ProfiNet, ProfiSafe, Ethernet, and SafetyNet. Additional tools are available for integration, operation and maintenance.
As part of the agreement, Arrow will offer a starter kit that allows users to test Echoring’s performance in their own production environment by substituting the kit’s wireless stations for existing Ethernet connections.
