americanmcneil

The Industrial Wi-Fi Shop Podcast – Ep. 16 Sweet 16!


Winners! 

  • Wi-Fi Explorer Pro 3 – The Definitive User Guide Giveaway Winner
    • There are two copies of the Wi-Fi Explorer Pro 3 – The Definitive User Guide by Nigel Bowden and Adrian Granados 
    • Winners were drawn randomly 
    • The winner from IT is – J. W. Hannam (book)
    • The winner from OT is – Heath Weeks (book)
    • Carlos Assunção (lic. key)
    • Robin Decloedt (lic. key)
  • Wi-Fi Explorer Pro 3 Software Winner if applicable
  • Oscium WiPry790x and Clarity/Lucid DIY bracket posted on Thingiverse. Bring your own hair ties. (Scott tell me how much you love it.)

Upcoming Events!

  • OT SCADA-Con presented by Automation Ladies
    • https://www.otscada.com/
    • July 23-25th in Houston (Might be hot, so wear your cargo shorts)
    • Here are a few of the topics that they will have speakers present on:
      • PLCs and I/O, HMI, Machine Safety, Machine Vision, Robots, Cobots, DCS, OT Cybersecurity and many more. 
    • Automation Ladies Podcast – https://www.automationladies.io/ 

NIST In The News!

  • NIST-Led Industrial Wireless Standard IEEE 3388 Passes Important Review Steps
    • https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2025/02/nist-led-industrial-wireless-standard-ieee-3388-passes-important-review 
    • NIST stands for the National Institute of Standards and Technology
    • Rick Candell, NIST’s Industrial Wireless Systems Project Leader, and his team have led the working group developing the draft IEEE 3388 Standard.
      • The standard focuses on the Performance Assessment of Industrial Wireless Systems.
    • A major milestone was reached:
      • The draft passed the IEEE Standards Association RevCom (Standards Review Committee) review.
      • It received approval from the IEEE Standards Association Standards Board.
    • Key features of the standard:
      • Establishes a functional model for RF industrial wireless performance degradation factors (called “aggressors”).
      • Provides a reference test architecture for evaluating the performance of industrial wireless networks.
    • Target applications:
      • Manufacturing
      • Power generation
      • Precision time-sensitive sensing
      • Closed-loop control
      • Any mission-critical use where wireless is the primary communication mode
    • Benefits:
      • Enables standardized testing before deployment.
      • Enhances reliability of wireless systems in mission-critical environments.
    • Next steps:
      • Detailed specification of interference and propagation aggressors.
      • Creation of profiles tailored to specific industry verticals.
    • This milestone reflects:
      • The team’s dedication to advancing industry standards.
      • A strong commitment to fostering innovation in critical wireless communication applications.

Growth of Industrial related Wireless communications

The Exactitude Consultancy report on the Industrial Wireless Automation Market, published in April 2025, provides a comprehensive analysis of the market’s current status and future prospects.​

https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/51486/industrial-wireless-automation-market

Market Overview:

  • 2024 Market Value: Estimated at $26.5 billion.
  • Projected 2034 Market Value: Expected to reach $50.8 billion.
  • Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR): Forecasted at 6.9% from 2025 to 2034.
  • Historical Data Period: Covers data from 2020 to 2023.
  • Largest Market Region: North America.​

Market Segmentation:

  • By Product Type:
    1. Wireless Sensors
    2. Wireless Controllers
    3. Wireless Gateways
  • By Application:
    1. Process Automation
    2. Factory Automation
    3. Machine Automation
  • By End User:
    1. Manufacturing
    2. Oil and Gas
    3. Energy and Power
  • By Technology:
    1. Wi-Fi
    2. Zigbee
    3. CellBluetooth

Key Market Drivers

  • Adoption of IIoT: The increasing implementation of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies is enhancing connectivity and real-time data exchange in industrial settings.
  • Operational Efficiency: Wireless automation solutions are contributing to improved operational efficiency and cost savings across various industries.
  • Advancements in Wireless Technologies: Developments in technologies like 5G and LPWANs are facilitating faster and more reliable wireless communication.​

Top 15 Key Competitors

  1. Siemens AG
  2. Schneider Electric SE
  3. Rockwell Automation, Inc.
  4. Honeywell International Inc.
  5. ABB Ltd.
  6. Emerson Electric Co.
  7. Yokogawa Electric Corporation
  8. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
  9. General Electric Company
  10. Panasonic Corporation
  11. Continental AG
  12. Advantech Co., Ltd.
  13. Omron Corporation
  14. Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG
  15. Belden Inc.

Importance of Best Practices

Best practices in industrial wireless applications are crucial for several reasons — they ensure reliability, safety, scalability, and long-term maintainability of the system. Here’s a breakdown of why they matter:

1. Reliability

Industrial environments are often full of interference (from motors, metal structures, etc.), so best practices help mitigate:

  • Signal dropouts
  • Latency issues
  • Data loss By following established design principles like proper frequency planning, antenna placement, and interference mitigation, wireless systems can perform consistently.

2. Security

Wireless systems are more vulnerable than wired ones. Best practices enforce:

  • Encryption protocols (e.g., WPA3, TLS)
  • Authentication
  • Access control to protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats or sabotage.

3. Safety

In industrial environments, failures can be dangerous. For instance, if a sensor signal is lost and a machine doesn’t stop, it could lead to injury or damage. Adhering to best practices ensures:

  • Redundancy
  • Fail-safe mechanisms
  • Real-time communication standards (like ISA100 or WirelessHART)

4. Scalability & Performance

As operations grow, wireless systems need to:

  • Handle more devices
  • Maintain low latency
  • Manage network congestion Best practices guide network architecture that can expand smoothly (e.g., mesh networks, QoS policies).

5. Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Standardized practices make diagnosing problems and upgrading systems easier by:

  • Using documented configurations
  • Employing remote management tools
  • Ensuring interoperability between devices from different manufacturers

6. Compliance and Standards

Industries often need to comply with regulations like:

  • IEEE 802.11/802.15 standards
  • FCC/ETSI rules
  • Industry-specific protocols (e.g., IEC, ISA standards) Best practices ensure you’re not just compliant, but also audit-ready.

7. Long Term Support

  • Just general comments about how best practices keep things easy to use later.
  • Eliminates dependence on tribal knowledge

Starting in May, the Industrial Wi-Fi Shop will begin releasing a series of wireless best practices guides. Topics will include everything from CIP Safety over wireless to best practices for radiant coax. Possibly redundant wireless links, iPCF,  These resources will be freely available to our audience as a way of giving back to the wireless community that has supported us.

What’s on the bench?

What are some projects or technologies we have been trying out.

WLAN Pi Go/WEPi

Eero Pro/Con

Halowlink mention some of the stuff from slack – tests people have. (enter giveaways, free hardware is awesome)

Data Eagle

What’s next?

Aunex Tobias Meyer

NetAlly TBA

Maybe a different approach to RCoax

If you would like to connect with Scott or learn more about his employer, Global Process Automation (GPA), then check the following:

Scott McNeil – https://www.linkedin.com/in/americanmcneil/ 

GPA – https://www.global-business.net/ 

If you would like to connect with Jeremy or learn more about his employer, Prism Systems Inc, then check the following:

Jeremy Baker – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyabaker/ 

Prism Systems Inc – https://www.prismsystems.com/  

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