ARCwire -- Siemens Automation and Drives (A&D) announces two new access-point lines for industrial wireless LANs (IWLAN). The devices in the Scalance W-786 family are particularly suitable for installation in outdoor radio networks (e.g., in public areas, mass transit systems, ports, offshore equipment, or container logistics). With its compact, space-saving design, the Scalance W-784 line is targeted at indoor radio networks and can be installed, for example, in a control cabinet or directly in a machine. A&D also has a series of new client modules for integrating one or more nodes in an IWLAN radio network.
Scalance W-786 access points are particularly suitable for applications with high climatic requirements, such as in outdoor networks. These scalable products can be supplied in several variants, from a single radio card and two antennas to three radio cards and six antennas. Variants with internal antennas, designed for temperatures from –40°C to 70°C, are sufficiently robust to withstand even the most problematic environments. They are insensitive to UV and salt spray and enclosed in a rugged plastic housing resistant to both impact and crushing. No additional mechanical protection is required because there are no external parts that can be destroyed. Scalance W786-1PRO has one integrated radio card and is offered with two internal antennas or sockets for external antennas.