ZigBee Applications

Industrial Control

Automated monitoring and control solutions bring increased efficiency to the production process by expanding area coverage, dramatically reducing maintenance costs and resources, enhancing data acquisition scope and reliability, and supporting easy growth and expansion through near-limitless scalability. However, until relatively recently, the full potential of automated monitoring and control solutions was held back by wired networks’ limitations. As if wired networks’ cost-prohibitive nature – at times exceeding $100 per meter – weren’t challenging enough, wired solutions are also not feasible in many remote, hazardous or hard-to-access mission-critical locations. The advent of wireless sensor node networks makes industry executives even more acutely aware of traditional wired networks’ limitations.

Wireless sensor node networks’ (WSN) arrival brought liberation from wired limitations, but initially presented their own challenge: integration. ZigBee emerged as the “standards-based wireless network standard” that conquered integration challenges while meeting the unique needs of both wireless and control devices. ZigBee was designed to include features, like reliability and self-healing, support for a large number of nodes, fast and easy deployment, very long battery life (2-5 years), security, low cost, global interoperability and vendor independence.

With the ZigBee standard in place, MeshNetics continues to realize the potential of WSN industrial applications with its ZigBee modules and embedded software for OEMs and system integrators. MeshNetics’ ZigBit Amp RF module, for example, presents an especially appealing industrial setting solution. Occupying less than a square inch of space, the ZigBit Amp module provides best-in-class outdoor line of sight range of 4 kilometers (2 ½ mile) while keeping power consumption at a remarkably low level. As WSN technology continues to advance, exciting new network applications emerge – and forward-thinking industry executives quickly move to capitalize on their advantages.

Case Studies

Fuel Tank Monitoring
Energy Saving Solution for Solar Power Plant