Wireless applications are flexible, clean and convenient. Wireless solutions can help when you want to communicate with a tank out in a remote area, want to check the status of something from a remote location, or when you don’t want to install any wires. Here is a short list of 3 types of wireless technology.
ZigBee wireless technology operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency range. It supports mesh, star, and cluster tree topologies. It is inexpensive, general-purpose, self-organizing, and robust. ZigBee networks require one host or master device like the ZT-2550 to act as the coordinator for the network, which will initialize and determine the most optimal transmission path between nodes. ZT-2550 can convert RS-485 or RS-232 to ZigBee wireless communication.
ZigBee networks may include many slave routers like the ZT-2551 for transmitting and receiving data with end devices. ZT-2551 also brings RS-485 or RS-232 to ZigBee wireless communication. The typical communication distance for ZigBee hardware like the ZT-2550 and ZT-2551 is 100 meters, and the standard antenna is omni-directional. Longer-range versions can communicate up to 700 meters. Directional antennas like the ANT-15YG or omni-directional antennas like the ANT-15 may extend communication up to 9 km.
Each ZigBee network has an RF channel, a PAN ID, and each node has a unique node ID. Configuration of the network is done through a software utility. ZigBee networks support transparent, broadcast, or Modbus communication modes.
Infrared technology uses electromagnetic radiation. The IR-210 is a universal learning remote module that can learn up to 176 IR commands and save them to a file. It operates in the 32 to 56 kHz frequency range. The IR-210 has both an RS-232 port and an RS-485 port, allowing Modbus RTU-based master devices to communicate with IR slave devices like televisions, projectors, and lighting controls.
The IR-210 is configured using a software utility that lets you set the baud rate, Net ID, device name, and commands. The typical communication distance between the IR-210 and end devices like digital picture frames is up to 7 meters.
Radio frequency technology can operate in the 900 MHz range. It supports point-to-point or multi-point topologies. The SST-900B, for example, has 16 adjustable RF channels and different AP modes such as Slave/P2P and Slave/Broadcast. Radio frequency technology supports peer-to-peer or broadcast communication modes.
The SST-900B’s RF network is configurable with a software utility that allows you to set the RF channel, group ID, AP mode, data format, and baud rate. The SST-900B has an internal self-tuner, and its typical wireless transmission range is 1000 meters.
