Wireless for Stationary Applications

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Speakers for this webcast

Daniel E. Capano, CWNAOwner and President, Diversified Technical Services

... has more than 30 years of experience providing instrumentation and electrical consulting services to municipalities and clients in the private sector. He has been published extensively, including a textbook, “Network Cabling for Contractors,” in 2000, and contributing to “The Instrument Engineer's Handbook,” providing chapters detailing the use of proprietary data buses and wireless networking technology. Capano is owner and president of Diversified Technical Services Inc., of Stamford, Conn., providing technical services and staffing to the water treatment industry since 1997. He also serves as the president of the New York Section of the ISA and vice-chair of the Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority. He is a Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA).

Moderator: Mark T. HoskeContent Manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media

Control Engineering research, November 2013

Mobility, Ethernet, and Wireless Study: Wireless results

Mark T. HoskeContent Manager

Control Engineering, CFE Media

Executive summary: Wireless researchControl Engineering identified the following trends about integration, use, and spending

for wireless technologies and how they help users of automation, controls, and instrumentation to be more productive.

• More than 25% of respondents use, specify, or expect to specify five wireless products; 46% do so for routers. Eighty-one percent of respondents have some familiarity or consider themselves to be experts with wireless devices.

• Most used wireless protocols: IEEE 802.11n (WLAN) (58%), Bluetooth (50%), and IEEE 802.11g (43%); 20% or more use eight wireless protocols.

• A strong correlation exists between wireless spending and productivity. Just over half of respondents expect their wireless products and services spending to increase next year and expect that productivity resulting from wireless will increase.

• More than half of respondents reported that wireless is either somewhat or highly integrated with their controls, automation, and instrumentation at their locations. Only 23% felt wireless integration was easy; more than one-third called it difficult or worse.

• Greatest wireless benefit is data access (59%); also important are productivity increases (41%), followed closely by cost savings, time savings, and ease of use.

• Challenges are security, no capital budget, lack of training to support adoption or integration, need for use cases, and no integration or services budget.

Wireless products specified, expertise

Wireless research: Protocols

Wireless research: Spending, productivity

Wireless research: system integration

Wireless research: Wireless benefits

Wireless research: Challenges

Wireless Networking Technology

Benefits and ApplicationsDaniel E. Capano

Owner and PresidentDiversified Technical Services

Pervasive computing means:

WIRELESS IS EVERYWHERENetwork coverage will vary.

Wide area networks – WAN Metropolitan area networks – MAN Local area networks – LAN Personal area networks – PAN

Users demand mobility and access!

MobilityBYOD – bring your own device

Mobile data access is a way of life.

Mobile devices are getting smaller and ubiquitous.

Wi-Fi thenIn 1997 Wi-Fi was:• Slow and unreliable• An unsecured network segment – open to hackers

and denial of servicesToday:Wi-Fi still suffers from the stigma of being untrusted.

Wi-Fi nowBy 2012, Wi-Fi was:

Fast and reliable

Secure and protected

Capacity and coverage are the next challenges.

ProjectionsBy 2015:• 80% of all data and voice will be carried by the

wireless medium• Home appliances will be wirelessly connected• Cars will be wirelessly connected• Wired telephones will be nearly extinct• What's a fax machine?

Wireless applications Data – internet, email, messaging Voice – cellular/Wi-Fi convergence, VOIP (voice over

Internet protocol) Video – streaming anywhere Surveillance – cameras, home awareness Tracking – real time location services Inventory – radio frequency identification (RFID), barcode Process monitoring and control, SCADA High density multimedia delivery Providing connectivity in difficult applications: historic,

finished, sensitive.

Where can Wi-Fi be used?Short answer: Everywhere!

• Offices: replace/enhance existing wired network• Warehouses: stock inventory and tracking Retail: customer tracking, targeted marketing Auditoriums: multimedia/lecture notes Stadiums: multimedia/advertising/services Classrooms: course material/textbook delivery Hotels: widespread use as a value-added service Hospitals: patient, equipment and billing updates Nursing homes: patient tracking and monitoring Auto rental/dealers: track fleet on and off lot Dormitories: Internet and email, communication Public spaces: public Wi-Fi, targeted marketing.

What exactly is Wi-Fi?Uses radio frequency (RF) spectrum as transmission

mediumAn “unbounded” medium as opposed to

a wired “bounded” mediumThere are many different and competing technologies:

Ethernet – traditional wired computer network Bluetooth – short range, low power technology Z-Wave – mesh network used for home automation ZigBee – IEEE standard, not widely adopted.

IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi has become the de facto networking standard.

IEEE standards

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Standardizes features and functionality Provides a framework for development and

enhancement Allows for a common set of capabilities,

eliminating proprietary operation Promotes interoperability.

Evolution of Wi-Fi• The IEEE 802 project: begun in February 1980.• It was responsible for developing computer networking standards.• Wi-Fi standard is 802.11, released in 1994.• First standard was slow and sloppy.

802.11a/b released in 1997 – fast and slow

802.11g released in 2004 – fast802.11n released in 2010 – very fast802.11ac released in 2012 – lightning

fast.

Wi-Fi Alliance

... is the other big player in the wireless industry.• Provides certification testing to confirm standards compliance and interoperability• Provides the Wi-Fi certified logo to devices that comply with standards of interoperability.

SpeedThe first big hurdle: IEEE 802.11 operated at 2 Mbps802.11a operates at 54 Mbps802.11b operates at 11 Mbps802.11g operates at 54 Mbps802.11n operates at 450 Mbps802.11ac will operate at 7 Gbps802.11af (White-Fi) will operate at 570 Mbps 802.11ad (WiGig) will operate at 7 Mbps.

Security The biggest obstacle to wireless deploymentThe wireless network segment was untrusted.

It was vulnerable and open.Now, it is secure and reliable.

Network reliability• Good design makes for a reliable network.• Good design balances coverage and capacity.• Users need mobility and portability.• Delivery of quality data and multimedia demand a high

quality of service (QoS).

More users = More traffic = Network congestion = POOR QoS

Multiple channels and wireless access points (APs) make a reliable wireless network possible.

Inflection pointsSecurity: IEEE 802.11-2007 802.11i – robust security networks Mutual authentication key concept Fixed the early security flawsSpeed: 802.11g/n/ac 5x – 10x throughput QoS enhancements Wider bandwidth Use of multiple radios and data streams Wireless will surpass wired speeds by 2015.

Radio spectrumWi-Fi operates in unlicensed spectrum ISM band - Industrial, Scientific and Medical:

2.4-2.5 GHz UNII band – Unlicensed National Information

Infrastructure band: 5.1-5.8 GHz ISM band is typically used for local connection,

UNII band is used for backhaul or long haul.

ISM band channelsThe ISM band allows 11 channels in U.S.,

13 in Europe and Israel, 14 in Japan Channels 22 MHz wide Only three non-overlapping channels – 1, 6, 11 – Channels must

have 25 MHz separation Co-channel interference results from radios on same channel Adjacent channel interference results from overlapping channels.

UNII band channelsUNII band allows 23 non-overlapping channels Channels are 20 MHz wide Four separate sub-bands: UNII-1,2,2e,3 Lower, lower middle, upper middle, upper UNII-2&2e use TPC (transmit power control) and DFS (dynamic frequency

selection) to avoid interference with commercial and weather radar Power is limited by band.

Network architecturesAutonomous:

• Independent access points (APs)• All intelligence resides in the AP

Ad hoc: • Wireless device to device• Wireless device-to-device connection without AP• Personal “hotspot”

Controller based: • Uses a central controller to manage network• Uses “lightweight” AP at network “edge” • Single point of failure

Cooperative: • Distributed management, “cloud based” and off-site• Intelligence sharing among APs• De-centralized management.

Multipath: The last frontierMultiple signals arrive at the receiver at different times

because of reflections

Reflections cause data corruption – echoes and ghosts – results in increased data overhead

IEEE 802.11n radios combine signals either constructively or destructively to increase reliability

Pre-IEEE 802.11n radios suffered from multipath problems.

MIMO: Multiple in, multiple outThe cure for multipath is to use IT.

• MIMO uses combinational algorithms to utilize multipath• Can increase throughput by sending multiple “spatial streams”

3x3:3 = 3 transmitters + 3 receivers using 3 separate radio links (chains, or “spatial streams”)

IEEE 802.11n is 4X4:4; 802.11ac will eventually be 8X8:8.

Comparative costs: Wired vs. wirelessWired: requires cable ($), conduit($), routers ($), installation($$$), termination($$), configuration($), testing($), long-term maintenance($), costly replacement/upgrade($$$) = ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$)Wireless: requires access points (APs)($$), mounting of APs($), plug in Ethernet to one AP($), configuration($) = ($$$$$) There is a real potential of 50-75% savings in installation costs

alone ROI (return on investment) is faster than physical infrastructure

network Long term costs – very low cost of ownership Replacement or upgrade costs negligible No maintenance costs.

Ironically, wireless still needs wires At least one access point (AP) needs to be connected to

the wired infrastructure Wired/fiber distribution system (WDS) still needed for

enterprise network connectivity After root AP is connected, WDS can be achieved

without additional wiring using a wireless management system (WMS)

Mesh systems form self-routing and healing networks, greatly improving speed and reliability – scalable up or down as required

Wireless bridges connect physically separated WDS Most facilities have existing wired backbone.

APs still need power• Access points still need to be powered• AC power is an option where available, but not essential• Using Power over Ethernet – PoE – power can be sent over existing CAT5/6 to power devices• Delivers 30 W@48 V dc dynamically configured• PoE eliminates the need for providing ac power at the remote location• Dramatic savings in cost, especially for remote locations.

Cost estimate for wire and conduit in a 300 ft trenchExcavation 140 yards: $6500Saw cut 300 ft pavement: $3000Stone base: $1000Backfill: $4500Patching: $3500Conduit and cable: $500Router and accessories: $600Electricians: 5 worker days @ $1120/day = $5600Grand total: $25,200**Does not include design services, appurtenances, management and IT configuration; costs can increase depending on conditions, other utilities, and environment.

Maximum distance for data/PoE is 330 ft because of restrictions on length of Ethernet segment.

Cost estimate 300 ft wireless outdoor linkDesign/site surveys: $2500Access points (APs): 2@$800 = $1600Labor (mounting APs, attaching cables): $1120 (1 day)IT configuration: $1200Grand total: $6420• Additional coverage only requires additional AP• Only one AP needs to be physically networked• Distance restriction is not an issue – Theoretically unlimited

range with multiple APs.• APs can use PoE, local power, battery or solar• Unlimited number of wireless devices can access the

medium without “plugging in.”

Cost analysis summary for a 300 ft link

Wired link: $25,200Wireless link: $6420

A savings of $18,780, or about 4:1, resulting in a

74.5% savings on installed costs.

Wireless hotspot deployment

Coverage model is based on coverage, not capacity

Use of a captive portal provides access control and revenue

User security not provided Users are transient Commonly used as a marketing tool

by retailers.

Auditorium/ stadium deployment model

Coverage and capacity are primary design goals Many access points (APs) are required to keep the

user/AP ratio as low as possible Requires use of directional antennas to control AP use Attenuation from bodies becomes a factor Security is mandatory; system must prohibit device to

device connectivity Fosters “augmented reality.”

Classroom deployment model Coverage is primary design goal,

capacity close second, but crucial in terms of multimedia

Attenuation from bodies becomes a large factor in AP placement

Radio frequency (RF) must be contained in classroom to avoid adjoining classroom interference

Directional antennas and transmission power control required

Allows for scalable and flexible options for educators: new students and devices easily accommodated.

Bridging and point-to-point links Connects networks in

different physical locations Connects multiple buildings

without trenching or overhead wiring

Connects a wired direct sequence (DS) to a wireless DS or vice versa

Connectivity to areas where wiring is cost prohibitive

Theoretically no limit to length of wireless link.

Case study: Stamford WPCA Proposed solution for replacement of aging and unreliable wired plant

using a wireless network Delivery of data, voice and video to process locations Scalable architecture, low cost for expansion Short and long term cost savings for maintenance, communications, labor ROI immediate – savings in labor offsets equipment costs Flexibility in process measurement design Integration into supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems Wireless communication can be “sculpted” to match fence line to avoid

spillover to surrounding businesses Wireless and instrument vendors provided equipment for proof of concept WirelessHART technology key to instrument interface Project started in April, will run for three months.

Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) facility

Case study: Stamford WPCAPhase one – proof of concept

Case study: Stamford WPCAPhase 2 – full deployment

Site survey Predictive vs. manual survey Predictive done off site, manual on site Planning software: GIGO – garbage in, garbage out Manual surveys will identify sources of interference and other

networks Interference is the chief cause of network connectivity and

capacity problems Attenuation of common items:

Concrete: -10 dB to - 30 dB, stair towers, elevator shafts Sheetrock: -3 dB, partition walls Windows: -3 dB to -6 dB Free air: -60 dB at 100 m (330 ft) Human body: -3 dB to -6 dB.

Pre- and post-deployment surveys• Pre-deployment surveys can be either predictive or manual• Post-deployment are always manual surveys used to check predictions and to tweak the network• Post-deployment should be done under actual business conditions, not on a Sunday• Surveys are essential for good design and performance• Periodic survey/audit should be performed yearly – conditions change.

Future of wireless IEEE 802.11ac: Multi-Gigabit, wide bandwidth, will

eventually surpass wired networks 802.11ad: 60 GHz spectrum, multi-Gigabit, wide

bandwidth, very short range 802,11af (White-Fi), uses the white space in TV

transmissions for high rate long distance transmission.

Speakers for this webcast: Q&A session

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Daniel E. Capano, CWNAOwner and presidentDiversified Technical Servicesdcapano@sbcglobal.net917-940-8235

Moderator: Mark T. HoskeContent Manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media www.controleng.com/webcasts

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Wireless for Stationary Applications

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