Who Needs Rugged, Outdoor Wi-Fi Networks?
When we think about Wi-Fi, we tend to lean towards the idea of connections that allow us to access our mobile devices. With a Wi-Fi connection we can stream videos, access our apps, check email, work and basically manage our digital lives. In non-traditional settings, the need for outdoor Wi-Fi connectivity is increasing, but it is accompanied by some unique challenges. Outdoor Wi-Fi Connectivity Industries that operate mostly outdoors are finding a greater need for Wi-Fi connectivity. Campgrounds are providing Wi-Fi as both an amenity and as a tracking and booking tool for managers and campers alike. Golf courses have deployed industrial-scale Wi-Fi networks to monitor irrigation, golfers and other assets throughout a course, and marinas are using Wi-Fi networks for both communication and vessel management needs. There has also been a strong uptick in the use of industrial Wi-Fi networking for security programs and disaster response. Companies can use high-speed Voice, Video, Data and Sensor (VVDS) data transport as building blocks for a security network capable of real-time monitoring. These Wi-Fi solutions are especially ideal for video monitoring, as they provide the bandwidth necessary to transport large amounts of data. Disaster response has also been an ideal application for industrial-scale Wi-Fi. Often times, cell networks can get knocked out during environmental disasters, effectively eliminating a critical component for communication. Today, organizations can deploy these Wi-Fi platforms on vehicles or other response assets that can enable communications in emergency or disaster situations. For any industry with outdoor operations, assets will be exposed to the worst natural elements – extreme heat, freezing temperatures, heavy snow, strong wind, dust storms and more. The challenge is finding a shorthaul, Wi-Fi solution that is rugged and secure enough to withstand the elements, but also advanced enough to enable new types of high-speed, high throughput application solutions. Rugged Wi-Fi Communication Solutions There are solutions designed for robust, secure transport of VVDS information for the edge devices in industrial communication networks. These rugged, shorthaul communication networks are specifically designed for outdoor Wi-Fi connectivity and have proven reliability in extreme environmental conditions. These types of solutions are ideal for oil and gas, utilities, mining, power plants, municipalities, disaster recovery or any other type of industrial applications. They also suit innovative deployments at golf courses, marinas, campgrounds and other settings that require outdoor Wi-Fi connectivity. How would you like to have Wi-Fi connectivity for your own outdoor networks? FreeWave just launched a new contest and the winner will receive their own network of rugged, outdoor Wi-Fi solutions. Enter Today! Contest Closed Enter today for a chance to win FreeWave’s award-winning WavePro WP201shorthaul and Wi-Fi solution. Contest entrants must provide a high-level account of the application of the WavePro, along with a description of the need for the platform. Winners will be announced at the close of the entry period. To enter the contest, please visit http://go.freewave.com/wavepro-network-giveaway. Submissions are due by September 30.
Difference Between Data Sheet Transmit Power & Data Stream Transmit Power
Image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons You need to link a two production sites together in your IIoT network in order to move critical voice, video, data and sensor data (VVDS™) between the sites by deploying access points. So, you consider using industrial Wi-Fi Access Points to implement this short-haul, point-to-point (PTP) RF link between the two sites. Short-haul RF links out to 8 miles are very doable using industrial Wi-Fi Access Points with directional antennas. You evaluate potential Wi-Fi Access Points from their data sheet specs. This is given, and you select one. Now, there is one specification that is commonly misunderstood and leads to confusion when evaluating MIMO capable Wi-Fi Access Points and using them in either PTP or point-to-multipoint (PMP) IIoT networks as wireless infrastructure. Confusion and mistakes arise from the difference between the transmit power stated on the product data sheet and the transmit power of a single MIMO data stream of the Access Point. For example, a 3×3 MIMO Access Point data sheet states the transmit power is 27dBm for MCS4/12/20 data encoding in either the 2.4 or 5GHz band. This is typical, and not a surprise, but what is this transmit power really stating. The FCC limits and regulates maximum transmit power from an intentional emitter, e.g. Wi-Fi Access Points. For Wi-Fi devices, the limits apply to the aggregate transmit power of the device. In above product spec example, the transmit power stated is the aggregate transmit power for the 3 MIMO data streams. Still good? Yes. You have a Wi-Fi Access Point and the total transmit power is 27dBm. Now, you design your short-haul PTP link using Wi-Fi Access Points and directional antennas. What transmit power do you use in your RF link budget? 27dBm since it is the transmit power for the Access Point for the data encoding and the band you plan to use. Right? No. While 27dBm is the total aggregate transmit power for the Access Point, it is not the transmit power of an individual data stream. The individual data stream transmit power is roughly 5dB less than the aggregate transmit power found in the data sheet for a 3×3 MIMO product. Difference in Transmit Power versus Aggregate Power 1 Data Stream transmitting at 22dBm — Aggregate Transmit Power is 22dBm 2 Data Streams transmitting at 22dBm — Aggregate Transmit Power is 25dBm 3 Data Streams transmitting at 22dBm — Aggregate Transmit Power is 27dBm So here it is… If you use the transmit power from the data sheet in your RF link calculation without correction, your actual link distance will be approximately half what you expect for the planned fade margin or the link reliability will be less than what you expect for the planned link distance. When designing RF links for the IIoT networks, make certain you are using the correct transmit power in your RF link budget calculations.
