High-performance and reliable wireless communication networks are a prerequisite for the increasing mobility and flexibility of production and material transport systems in smart factory or in smart manufacturing. With the new generation of WLAN modules, Phoenix Contact provides suitable products that meet the growing demands placed on modern wireless data transmission. The WLAN client modules offer the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology (IEEE 802.11ax), high performance, and a particularly high level of security and reliability. With its powerful hardware and modern industrial Wi-Fi 6 board (IEEE 802.11ax), the WLAN 1000 series has up to ten times more data throughput compared to the current modules in the WLAN 1000 product family based on Wi-Fi 4 (IEEE 802.11n). The devices provide WLAN data rates up to 2,402 Mbps gross (160 MHz channel). Despite the considerable performance gains, the compact and proven housing designs are retained. This makes it easy to switch to the new generation of WLAN modules.

Compared to previous Wi-Fi generations, Wi-Fi 6 opens up significant improvements in terms of robustness, real-time capability, and efficiency – especially when creating larger networks with many devices, such as AGV or shuttle systems. In addition, the hardware of the new WLAN modules is already equipped to support the Wi-Fi 6E standard, which will allow wireless communication in the new, largely unused 6 GHz band in the future. This is planned for 2024. Implementation depends on the result of the country-specific approval process for the devices.