Wireless communication solutions are not a new in industrial workspaces—they’ve been in use for more than 30 years, replacing wired networks and Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs), for example. Industrial workspaces, however, pose a variety of barriers to using wireless solutions: The number and types of sensors needed, communication speed, length, and frequency requirements, building configurations, Radio Frequency Interference (RFI), and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI), among other factors.
Several capabilities introduced with the Bluetooth 5.0 spec will enable Bluetooth 5 to meet the demanding communication needs of industrial environments: Increased speed, longer message length, increased bandwidth, ability to coexist with other wireless devices and frequencies, and mesh networking capability. But wait. Isn’t Bluetooth geared toward short-range, consumer-oriented wireless communications? That was then. Bluetooth 5 offers potential in IIoT for a number of reasons:
For more information on Bluetooth 5’s potential to meet the unique needs of IIoT, visit these Mouser resources:
"Bluetooth 5: Reinventing Connectivity and Advancing Industrial IoT" Webinar:
Link to article: Bluetooth 5: Mesh Networking, Greater Range, and Ability to Coexist Offer Potential for IoT and IIoT Applications: https://www.mouser.com/applications/bluetooth-5-mesh-networking-standard/
Link to article: Factory 4.0: The Biggest Problem May Be the Noise You Can’t Hear: https://www.mouser.com/applications/industry-4-0-noise/
Link to RF wireless site: https://www.mouser.com/applications/rf-wireless-technology/
Deborah Ray joined Mouser in early 2017 as Executive Editor of Technical Publications, bringing more than 20 years of experience in technical publishing. As an author, she has coauthored more than 20 computer books, has published a dozen journal articles, and previously authored two nationally syndicated newspaper columns. Deborah spent 11 years as Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of TECHWR-L Magazine, the oldest and one of the largest online publications for technical communicators worldwide. As an educator, Deborah has taught graduate courses in technical communication at three universities, as well as undergraduate engineering communications courses, in traditional, online, and broadcast classrooms. She currently serves on the editorial board of directors for IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication.