Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Moxa optimizes performance of wireless industrial networks

By Frank Tobe | September 26, 2014

Moxa is changing the way industrial networks connect with the introduction of the AWK-1131A IEEE 802.11n wireless AP/client. With high-speed transmission rates up to 300 Mbps, the AWK-1131A delivers a more fluid and stable industrial networking experience, along with proven reliability thanks to advanced protection against harsh industrial environments, including power surges, electrostatic discharge, broad temperature swings, and vibration from production machinery.

Moxa“In today’s industrialized processes, we’ve entered an era in which standard or legacy networking devices are neither robust or fast enough to meet production expectations,” said Ariana Drivdahl, product marketing manager for Moxa. “However, by integrating extremely rugged features not typically seen in standard wireless products, such as electrostatic discharge protection and galvanic isolation on all interfaces, along with its lightning-fast 802.11n speed, the AWK-1131A is a major step forward for the industrial market, helping users manage the pace of change and address mission critical reliability issues.”

According to Drivdahl, the benefit of galvanic isolation is that it breaks ground loops to help prevent unwanted current caused by different ground potentials from entering the device, therefore better protecting the AWK-1131A from voltage or other electrical surges up to 500V. In addition, Moxa has increased the electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection on the AWK-1131A’s power inputs and antenna ports to Level 4 isolation to prevent damage from external environmental sources.Remarkably, all this has been achieved within a form factor that is one of the smallest in the industry, measuring at a mere 2.29 inches wide, 4.53 inches tall, and 2.76 inches deep.

Like all Moxa networking solutions, the AWK-1131A includes software features that give it enhanced flexibility across a wide range of applications. For example, Moxa’s Turbo Roaming allows the AWK-1131A to roam almost instantly between access points, therefore ensuring a nearly constant wireless connection for complex applications, such as an automatic guided vehicle (AGV) navigating through a warehouse. In addition, Moxa’s MAC clone technology lets the AWK-1131A pass the MAC address of a connected device through to the network. This solves an issue for SCADA systems where end-devices such as PLCs are on Layer 2 networks, and both the device and the MAC address must be seen for proper communication.

The AWK-1131A can operate on either the 2.4 or 5 GHz bands and is backwards-compatible with existing 802.11a/b/g deployments to future-proof wireless investments. MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) technology increases data throughput and link range without additional bandwidth or increased transmit power.

There are a number of benefits to adopting wireless devices in industrial applications. Not only do wireless devices reduce deployment costs compared to wired devices, they also increase mobility for hard-to-wire applications while enhancing scalability when expanding the network backbone. With the release of the AWK-1131A, Moxa now offers a comprehensive portfolio with both single-radio and dual-radio IEEE 802.11n industrial wireless solutions for the bandwidth-hungry systems found in industrial environments.

Moxa
www.moxa.com

You Might Also Like


Filed Under: CONNECTIVITY • fieldbuses • networks • gateways, Wireless devices, Industrial computers, MOTION CONTROL
Tagged With: Moxa
 

LEARNING CENTER

Design World Learning Center
“dw
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Design Engineering Professionals.
Motor University

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Sustainability, Innovation and Safety, Central to Our Approach
  • Why off-highway is the sweet spot for AC electrification technology
  • Looking to 2025: Past Success Guides Future Achievements
  • North American Companies Seek Stronger Ties with Italian OEMs
  • Adapt and Evolve
  • Sustainable Practices for a Sustainable World
View More >>
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Design World
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Control Engineering
  • Consulting-Specifying Engineer
  • Plant Engineering
  • Engineering White Papers
  • Leap Awards

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. We share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners who may combine it with other information you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use this website.OkNoRead more