Product Exclusive: Wireless connectivity in hazardous areas

Extronics iWAP105 Access Point Enclosure fits major WLAN vendors, offers surge protection, Class 1, Div. 1, IP66 protection. This is a January 2011 Control Engineering Product Exclusive.

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Adoption of wireless technology has led to dramatic production increases for many industrial processes; however, hazardous areas have remained difficult to bring online due to the limited equipment offerings for wireless equipment. Extronics helps companies extend wireless connectivity into hazardous areas.

The new iWAP105, which gained approval in November, is a Factory Mutual certified Access Point Enclosure designed to allow standard WLAN Access Point hardware to be installed in potentially explosive, harsh, wet, and corrosive environments. Providing protection meeting the IP66 standard, the iWAP105 Class I, II, & III Division 1 enclosure can be used with Access Points from many leading WLAN vendors, such as Cisco, Meru, Aruba, Firetide, and others. This allows customers to easily and cost effectively extend existing wireless network into virtually all hazardous process areas using their chosen, standard indoor equipment. Because the unit is designed to accommodate standard WLAN hardware, it is effectively future-proofed as technology evolves.

To provide maximum flexibility, the unit also comes with optional features, such as surge arrestors to protect from lightning strikes, a heater to allow a lower ambient operating temperature, Power-over-Ethernet (POE) to simplify wiring, an RS-232 serial interface, and optional quick-disconnects using certified terminals.

The iWAP105 is available with certified antennas to ensure proper conformity. 

Extronics’ North American partner is Exloc Instruments.

www.exloc.com

www.extronics.com