The rapid growth of AI and other data-intensive applications has dramatically improved industrial operations, but also put significant strain on wireless networks.
The problem is often attributed to the limitations of older Wi-Fi networks because their design does not meet modern industry requirements. Congestion is one of the most serious problems: in many facilities, dozens or even hundreds of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices compete for bandwidth, leaving existing networks burdened.
Efficiency is also a problem. Traditional Wi-Fi technology lacks the power management capabilities needed for battery-powered sensors and mobile systems.
Safety is another limitation. Increasingly, cyber attacks target industrial networks, and WPA2 encryption provided by legacy networks may not provide adequate protection.
These challenges urgently require new solutions based on modern wireless standards such as Wi-Fi 6/6E (802.11ax).
How Wi-Fi 6/6E Meets Industrial Network Needs
One of the biggest improvements to Wi-Fi 6 is the adoption of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) technology, which allows multiple devices to share the same channel, thereby dramatically increasing network capacity.g. Wi-Fi 6E further expands on these advantages by adding the 6GHz band to the existing 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, thereby significantly reducing interference in congested industrial environments.
For battery-powered systems, target wake-up time (TWT) is another significant advantage. The TWT allows the device to negotiate a schedule for wake-up and data transfer. This minimizes idle time and significantly increases battery life while maintaining reliable connectivity.
Finally, upgrading to WPA3 Enterprise significantly enhances security. This technology provides more powerful encryption, protection against violent attack, and improved authentication methods.
For designers, the question is how to quickly and effectively deploy all these new capabilities.
Wi-Fi 6/6E module simplifies industrial connectivity
Ezurio's Sona range of Wi-Fi 6/6E connection modules provide a solution. Each module in the range is tailored to specific performance and integration requirements, but has a common foundation: Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 support, industrial reliability, and ease of deployment.
The series includes five product lines: Sona IF573 (Wi-Fi 6E)、Sona IF513 (Wi-Fi 6E)、Sona TI351 (Wi-Fi 6)、Sona NX611 (Wi-Fi 6) And Sona MT320 (Wi-Fi 6). Each is built on a different chipset. This multi-vendor approach allows developers to flexibly select chips that fit their system architecture while reducing the risk of relying on a specific vendor.
These modules feature pluggable and surface mount technology (SMT) M.2 dimensions and can be integrated into a variety of system layouts and limited space. Antenna selection includes MHF4 connector, RF pin or integrated chip antenna. Pre-certified antenna options help simplify regulatory approvals.
All modules are supported by Ezrio Connectivity Stack, including support for the Linux kernel (up to 6.1) and Android (up to 12). This allows designers to add modern wireless capabilities to existing systems without major changes to the software.
Wi-Fi 6/6E solution for a wide range of industrial applications
To demonstrate the breadth of choice for the Sona family, we look at a typical use case: IIoT gateways that aggregate data from multiple endpoints, including high bandwidth sources. The ESona IF573 module based on Infinion Technologies chips is well suited for this role. Its 1200 Mb/s throughput, 2 × 2 MU-MIMO configuration, and triple band 2.4/5/6 GHz Wi-Fi 6E support enable industrial gateways to maintain multiple high-speed connections. A typical example is 453-00119 (Figure 1), encapsulated in M.2 2230 Key E and containing three MHF4 connectors.