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WIRELESS AUTOMATION...

Galvanically isolated LVDS

interfaces for Industry 4.0

Thomas Brand of Analog Devices looks at the advantages of wireless automation as
part of an Industry 4.0 strategy, and examines how the latest technology can mee the
numerous demands placed on isolated LVDS interfaces in industrial applications
n this era of automation, digitization, and current environmental influences. An important
Industry 4.0, the transmission of signals and aspect of radio communication is radio range,
data is taking on an ever greater role. The which is dependent on the location of the
Inetworking of machines, systems, and even transmission and reception antennas, the
individual sensors taking place in these applications transmission power, the condition of the local
both on and off the production floor requires not environment, and the frequency range. Thus, in the
only a stable infrastructure but also secure, fast, planning of radio transmission applications, the
high precision, disturbance-free, high bandwidth corresponding criteria, especially in relation to the
transmission paths that may need to withstand range and thus the quality of the received signal,
extremely harsh environmental conditions, must be considered.
depending on the application. There are a number In the past, bandwidths of a few Mbps were
of different methods used for data transmission: adequate for applications such as interface
wired, wireless, serial, and parallel. All approaches converters or industrial backplanes. The partly
have their own advantages and disadvantages, necessary isolation of the different interfaces such
which need to be weighed carefully against each as the serial peripheral interface (SPI) or RS- 485
other for each application case. can still be realised with standard solutions.
In contrast to wired systems, wireless However, current trends such as Industry 4.0 and
technologies depend, for example, on a series of the Internet of Things (IoT) call for copious
critical parameters, different components, and measurements and extremely complex control

July 2020 • INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY EXTRA! • p4