Wireless technology will drive the development of the industrial Internet and wireless-enabled instruments

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Both Germany’s \"Industrial 4.0 Research and Development White Paper\" and the \"Industrial 4.0 Implementation Strategy and Reference Architecture\" consider wireless technologies to be an important part of research and innovation in network communication technologies for Industrial 4.0. Wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, NFC, Zigbee, 2G/3G/4G, and LORA (http://yunrun.com.cn/news/1982.html) serve as key technologies for establishing connections. The industrial communication methods vary slightly at each level. In the combined five-level hierarchical architecture, the communication methods between each level vary; taking into account the differences in responsibilities and tasks assigned to each level, the industrial communication methods also differ. ①At the ERP layer and MES layer: interconnection is primarily achieved through routers, industrial Ethernet, and buses; there are not many changes in current network communications. ②At the control layer: the main communication methods include PROFIBUS, MODEBUS, industrial Ethernet, and fieldbuses, among others. ③In the sensing layer: the main communication methods include fieldbuses, wireless networks, LTE, ZIGBEE, WIFI, and LORA. Due to the mobility of the devices, wireless communication networks are used more frequently. Currently, wireless technology is gradually becoming an important direction for network development and applications in the future industrial Internet, thanks to its advantages such as easy deployment, low construction costs, and wide range of applicable environments. A wireless network, as the name implies, is a network data transmission system that uses radio waves rather than cables to enable communication regardless of the location of the computer devices; it represents an important direction in the development of modern data communication systems. With the mutual penetration and integration of computer network technology, wireless technology, and intelligent sensor technology, a completely new concept of networked intelligent sensors based on wireless technology has emerged. These networked intelligent sensors based on wireless technology enable data from industrial sites to be transmitted, published, and shared over a network via wireless links. Wireless communication technology enables the provision of high-bandwidth wireless data links and flexible network topologies in factory environments for communication between various intelligent field devices, mobile robots, and different automated systems. It effectively compensates for the shortcomings of wired networks in certain special situations, thereby further improving the communication performance of industrial control networks. Comparison of the characteristics of wired and wireless transmission for industrial data. Comparison items: Wireless transmission of industrial data; Wired transmission of industrial data. Cabling installation: Simple; Complex. Node control and management: Simple; Complex. Future scalability: Simple; Complex. Debugging and maintenance: Simple; Complex. Project cost: Low; High. Stability: Relatively high; Strong. Stability: Relatively high; Strong. Radiation level: Low; Low. Taking the wireless street lights in smart cities as an example, technologies such as ZigBee or LoRa can be used; there is no need to modify the street lights, no need to install communication lines, no need to alter power distribution cabinets, and analysis and control can be carried out via cloud platforms without the need for large data centers. Whether it is renovation or new construction, wireless is superior to wired in terms of construction, cost, future scalability, and maintenance. By 2020, there will be over 50 billion wireless devices worldwide, and in the future, more and more applications in industrial communications will adopt wireless solutions. At present, Changhui Instrument Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is also accelerating the in-depth research, development, and promotion of wireless pressure transmitters and wireless temperature transmitters based on wireless technology and the Internet of Things. The underlying platforms for wireless data transmission are all developed and produced by Changhui itself. Unlike other domestic manufacturers who use third-party wireless data transmission technologies to integrate them into their products to create wireless instruments (the biggest drawback being that these manufacturers are unable to increase the communication range and data transmission reliability of their wireless instruments), Changhui’s wireless technology has undergone thousands of field tests, and the distance over which wireless data can be transmitted, as well as the stability and reliability of such transmissions, are expected to reach or even exceed those of products from well-known companies such as Rosemount. Wireless instruments developed by Changhui that can compete with foreign products will soon be available to domestic users.