Beckhoff Wireless Communication Devices Offer Simple USB Connectivity with Optimum Protection
September 26, 2019
The new CU8210 series WLAN and mobile devices from Beckhoff Automation establish reliable wireless communication via the USB port of an Industrial PC. They also provide all necessary physical protection for components that stick out of control cabinets. As a result, wide-ranging applications can benefit from reliable and powerful wireless connections to the machine controller without using attenuation-prone antenna cables. The C8210-M001 cabinet domes support efficient and globally usable wireless solutions for PC-based control technology when combined with the appropriate CU8210-D00x USB-2.0 sticks from Beckhoff for WLAN and 4G mobile communication.
Designed for industrial WLAN and mobile communication components, the cabinet dome boasts an IP 66 protection rating when installed. The components inside the housing dome, such as the USB-2.0 stick for wireless connection, are completely protected against physical contact, dust and moisture in industrial environments. The cabinet dome can therefore be mounted both in the panel of the control cabinet and also directly on the machine or outside of control cabinets. The material, which is suitable for radio applications, is characterized by high stability and impact resistance and thus offers a high level of protection against deliberate and accidental damage. Locking the dome in place from the inside of the control cabinet provides additional security, ensuring it cannot be removed from the outside.
The cabinet dome, which measures 54 x 100 x 54 mm, has a USB-2.0 socket type A and is designed for operating temperatures from -40 to +60 °C. Increasing the dome placement options for the Industrial PC and the respective application, different versions offer the choice of USB cables in lengths of 1, 3 or 5 m. Beckhoff offers several WLAN and 4G/3G/2G USB sticks for wireless communication.
USB-2.0 sticks for WLAN
The from the CU8210-D001 series provide a high-performance wireless client and enable encrypted data exchange via WEP and WPA/WPA2 (TKIP/AES). The WLAN sticks are compatible with all earlier and current WLAN standards and support 20, 40 and 80 MHz transmission bandwidths. The maximum data transfer rate is 72.2 Mbit/s (20 MHz), 150 Mbit/s (40 MHz) or 433.3 Mbit/s (80 MHz). The WLAN USB-2.0 stick is available in two versions:
- for North America (FCC)
- for Europe as well as Australia, China, Israel, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa and Taiwan
USB-2.0 sticks for 4G/3G/2G
The 4G USB sticks from the CU8210-D004 series with GSM/UMTS/LTE modem can dial into a mobile communication network via a common SIM card. Industrial PCs that require wireless connections over longer distances can thus be retrofitted to address those needs. LTE as well as the 2G, 3G and 4G bands are supported. The maximum data rate is 150 Mbit/s with LTE DL or 50 Mbit/s with UL. Three versions are available:
- for North America (FCC)
- for EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa)
- for Asia/Australia
