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Preferably Wired After All Tips for Developing a 1 Gbit/s Interface in an Industrial Environment
By Dr. Heinz Zenkner (Freelance Consultant at Würth Elektronik)
Wireless networks are becoming increasingly popular, especially in industrial applications. However, there is a strong case for robust cabling via Ethernet in many cases as the more reliable and secure option. This article demonstrates how to easily implement a 1 Gbit/s interface.
Industrial wireless sensor networks can be established using smart sensors and meters that use efficient modulation and coding techniques with good propagation characteristics and low bandwidths. However, the majority of the use cases explored are limited to low throughput applications. For these use cases the actual throughput is often no more than 1 Mbit/s. There are no definitive boundaries in a wireless network. For example, even minor adjustments to the access point’s antenna positioning can have a significant effect on the signal strength at the other stations. The signal is attenuated by walls, ceilings, and floors, and reflected by metallic objects. While a station may be able to receive the signal from an access point, the access point in turn may not be able
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to receive the station’s signal. In addition, there is a possibility that the network could be accessed from the outside or that the wireless signal transmission could be interfered with. As a result, wireless data transmission is intrinsically less reliable than transfers through a wired network. Thus, particularly in industrial settings, there may be instances where a wired Ethernet network is the only viable solution.
Wired Ethernet Network
Similar to wireless networks, wired networks work by exchanging Ethernet frames between endpoints. There are a few rules to follow when setting up a network to avoid problems. The most common cause of network problems is
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