Manufacturers may need to expand their wireless networks to far-flung corners of the factory floor, but they don’t always need the bells and whistles of a typical wireless radio. To fill the need, Phoenix Contact, a maker of industrial connectors, has added a basic version of its Trusted Wireless Ethernet (TWE) 900MHz radio.
The TWE-Basic (RAD-ISM-900-EN-BD/B), a slave-only device, transmits Ethernet data from remote locations, such as a pump or tank in a chemical processing plant. The device is said to be robust enough that, even in high-interference environments, it can reliably send data through the wireless network.
According to the company, the basic nature of the product indicates the removal of the standard RS-232 and RS-485/422 ports. And because the TWE-Basic is a slave device, it must be used in conjunction with one of Phoenix Contact’s other TWE Ethernet radios.
The TWE family also includes the RAD-ISM-900-EN-BD and the RAD-ISM-900-EN-BD-BUS. Both of these modules are freely configurable as a master, slave, or repeater, and include RS-232/422/485 ports for integrating serial devices into IP-based networks. The bus version features an integrated expansion bus for connecting analog, digital, and pulse I/O modules that are addressable via Modbus.