Technology

Industrial Wi-Fi

Universal industrial Wi-Fi technology is flexible, offers high bandwidth, and—thanks to Wi-Fi 6E—is more powerful than ever. R3 Solutions brings it to the automated factory with numerous interfaces and fully configurable features.

Overview

Wi-Fi is the most widely used wireless technology of all and has long been an integral part of industrial networking. When it comes to high bandwidth, a large number of simultaneously connected devices, and flexible connectivity, Wi-Fi is often the obvious choice: It is standardized, license-free, and compatible with a vast ecosystem of devices.

With Wi-Fi 6 and the Wi-Fi 6E extension, the technology has taken a leap forward that makes it significantly more attractive for demanding industrial applications. Thanks to higher capacity, improved efficiency with many devices, and the 6 GHz band, it offers an additional, largely interference-free spectrum.

What Industrial Wi-Fi Delivers Today

Modern industrial applications need more than just speed. Wi-Fi 6/6E addresses this with several mechanisms that are crucial in factory environments:

More capacity for multiple devices

OFDMA divides a radio channel into smaller units so that an access point can serve multiple devices simultaneously instead of processing them one after another. MU-MIMO complements this with parallel data streams. In dense IoT environments with hundreds of sensors, this is the decisive difference.

The clean 6-GHz band (starting with Wi-Fi 6E)

The “E” stands for “Extended”: Wi-Fi 6E unlocks an additional 1.2 GHz of spectrum in the 6-GHz band. This band is new and exclusive to Wi-Fi 6E devices, free from the legacy issues and congestion of the crowded 2.4- and 5-GHz bands. This means wider channels, less interference, and more stable connections.

More Determinism

Through programmable network access (trigger-based OFDMA) and prioritization, Wi-Fi 6 can be controlled more precisely than earlier generations. This increases predictability and represents an important step toward near-real-time control. Even though Wi-Fi has different limitations here than specialized uRLLC technologies such as EchoRing or DECT NR+.

Efficiency for Sensor Technology

Target Wake Time (TWT) allows devices to agree on fixed transmission and reception time windows and enter power-saving mode in between. This benefits battery-powered sensors with long runtime.

Modern Security

WPA3 and Enhanced Open are part of the standard and bring Wi-Fi to a level of security that meets even industrial requirements.

Where Wi-Fi Reaches Its Limits

As powerful as Wi-Fi is, it isn’t the right technology for every task. Those who acknowledge this openly make better decisions.

At its core, traditional Wi-Fi uses an access method (CSMA/CA) in which devices transmit as soon as the channel appears to be free. This is flexible but not entirely deterministic: In heavily congested or radio-technically challenging environments, latency and delivery can fluctuate. Added to this is roaming (the switching of mobile devices between radio cells), which can lead to brief connection interruptions with traditional Wi-Fi. This is precisely what is critical for safety-related applications.

The practical implication: For applications with the highest requirements for deterministic latency and guaranteed delivery—such as functional safety or highly synchronized motion control—specialized technologies like EchoRing are the better choice. Wi-Fi shines when it comes to broadband, flexible connectivity with many devices.

The Right Technology for the Right Task

R3 doesn’t limit itself to a single wireless technology but selects the appropriate one based on the application’s requirements. Wi-Fi is the technology of choice when it comes to data throughput, scalability, and integration into existing IT infrastructures—the standard language of the connected factory. Our Product Finder can also help you make a specific decision.

Requirement	Suitable Technology
High bandwidth, many devices, flexible connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E
Deterministic real-time, functional safety	EchoRing
License-free long-range, sensor networks, low power consumption	DECT NR+

From Wireless Standard to Industrial Solution

Many providers support Wi-Fi 6E. That’s why the added value lies not in the standard itself, but in what the company does with this technology. R3 Solutions’ approach is to develop products that deliver the greatest possible added value in an industrial context. That’s why we focus on:

Fully Configurable

While off-the-shelf industrial access points often offer only limited remote configuration capabilities, R3 Solutions provides full remote management via gNMI/NETCONF (without SSH access), with integration into Python, Go, C++, and more. This is what makes it possible to efficiently operate Wi-Fi networks on a large scale in the first place.

Industrial Hardening and Safety

R3 Solutions devices are designed for continuous industrial use and comply with relevant security standards such as IEC 62443. Chip-level firmware access also enables optimizations not offered by standard products, such as improvements to roaming behavior.

Future-proof

Using this firmware access, R3 Solutions is working on features such as hybrid, wireless-wired TSN time synchronization. This is a key building block for gradually making Wi-Fi more capable of real-time operations.

Edge X – Industrial Wi-Fi 6E for Industry

The Edge X is the world’s only fully configurable Wi-Fi 6E client and micro access point. It combines wireless communication, data conversion, and control in a single compact device, thereby replacing the combination of a PLC, communication unit, and converter. It is fully remotely configurable via gNMI/NETCONF, complies with IEC 62443, and is designed for mobile use, such as in AGV fleets.

A look ahead: With the upcoming Edge 7, R3 is bringing the next generation of Wi-Fi into play. Wi-Fi 7 promises even higher bandwidths and further advances in reliability and latency. The Edge 7 is currently in development but points the way toward the future of industrial Wi-Fi.

More about Edge X

Typical Applications

Broadband Connectivity for Mobile Facilities

High data rates for AGVs, mobile workstations, and machines. Where bandwidth and flexibility matter.

Dense IoT and Sensor Networks

Efficiently connect hundreds of devices simultaneously. Thanks to OFDMA, MU-MIMO, and Target Wake Time.

Data Aggregation and Edge Connectivity

Collect, convert, and forward sensor data to higher-level systems at the edge. The bridge between OT and IT.

Technical Specifications

	Wi-Fi 6E	Wi-Fi 5
Frequency Band	6 GHz (in addition to 2.4/5 GHz)	5 GHz
Latency	Low, < 10 ms (depending on the application)	Higher, less predictable
Availability	High (clean 6-GHz band, OFDMA, BSS coloring)	Good, but more susceptible to interference
Max. data rate	9.6 Gbit/s (gross)	3.5 Gbit/s (gross)
Range	Depends on the band; 6 GHz has a shorter range but is less prone to interference	Medium (5 GHz only)
Topology	Star topology (via access point)	Star topology (via access point)
Security	WPA3, Enhanced Open	WPA2

Other Technologies

EchoRing^TM

EchoRing combines the flexibility of wireless communication with the reliability of wired systems. A leader in Wi-Fi-based, highly reliable, and low-latency wireless communication solutions (uRLLC).

Safety-critical applications
Real-time control
AGV/AMR communication

More about EchoRing^TM

DECT NR+

DECT NR+ is the first 5G standard developed specifically for industrial IoT applications. Optimized for industrial real-time communication.

License-free, exclusive frequency band worldwide (1.9 GHz)
Range up to > 1 km
Low power consumption

More about DECT NR+

Hybrid TSN

Hybrid wireless & wired TSN clock synchronization using standard NXP chips

Combination of wired and wireless time synchronization
Precise synchronization via the TAPRIO scheduler
Determinism with maximum flexibility

More about Hybrid TSN

Daniel Thiel

Wireless Solutions Expert

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