Why Go Wireless: Benefits and Challenges of Wireless Remote Monitoring by National Instruments

Significant time and money has been invested in researching the use of wireless technology for remote monitoring. Yet, significant wireless deployments are just beginning to materialize in industry. There are many advantages in eliminating cables in remote monitoring applications, but there are also many challenges. As standards such as Wi-Fi and ZigBee continue to mature for use in wireless sensor networks, those challenges are being addressed.

By Control Engineering Staff July 21, 2008

Significant time and money has been invested in researching the use of wireless technology for remote monitoring. Yet, significant wireless deployments are just beginning to materialize in industry. There are many advantages in eliminating cables in remote monitoring applications, but there are also many challenges. As standards such as Wi-Fi and ZigBee continue to mature for use in wireless sensor networks, those challenges are being addressed.

This paper discusses how wireless technology has evolved and considerations for designing wireless remote monitoring applications. Benefits of Wireless Remote Monitoring The two primary motivations for choosing a wireless network over a wired approach are the flexibility and the cost-savings associated with eliminating cables and wires.

Why Go Wireless: Benefits and Challenges of Wireless Remote Monitoring by National Instruments (3pgs) (pdf)