Wireless Characterization and Assessment of an UWB-Based System in Industrial Environments

Abstract

The advent of Indsutrial Internet of Things is one of the main drivers for the implementation of Industry 4.0 scenarios and applications, in which wireless communication systems play a key role in terms of flexibility, mobility and deployment capabilities. However, the integration of wireless communication systems poses challenges, owing to variable path loss conditions and interference impact. In this work, an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) system for indoor location in very large, complex industrial scenarios is presented. Precise wireless channel characterization for the complete volume of a logistical plant is performed, based on 3D hybrid ray launching approximation, in order to aid network node design process. Wireless characterization, implementation and measurement results are obtained for both 4 GHz and 6 GHz frequency bands, considering different densities of scatterers within the scenario under test. Time domain estimation results have been obtained and compared with time of flight measurement results, showing good agreement. The proposed methodology enables to perform system design and performance tasks, analyzing the impact of variable object density conditions in wireless channel response, providing accurate time of flight estimations without the need of complex channel sounder systems, aiding in optimal system planning and implementation.

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IIoT Low-Cost ZigBee-Based WSN Implementation for Enhanced Production Efficiency in a Solar Protection Curtains Manufacturing Workshop

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A Study of FR2 Radio Propagation with Focus on Mobility Management in an Industrial Scenario

“…The main objective of this paper is to present a measurement campaign performed in an industrial environment, where typical conditions of a factory are fulfilled, i.e, indoor scenario with high ceilings, presence of dense clutter of production machinery and a multi-path effect accentuated by the presence of metallic objects [7]. While the use of sub-6 GHz/FR1 bands has been widely studied in industrial environments [8], [9], the use of mmWave/FR2 bands provides new opportunities. mmWave frequencies in indoor environments are expected to be fundamental due to increased bandwidth availability [10].…”