New M2M Antenna Set To Improve Industrial Connectivity Everywhere

Do you need your M2M network to work on top of Mt. Everest in a blizzard? Or during a North Atlantic Nor’easter? Well, these and other industrial use cases have suffered from IoT infrastructure that was too delicate or short-range for heavy duty uses. Until now.

Global technology company Laird, which specializes in protecting electronics from electromagnetic interference and heat, enabling connectivity for mission critical systems, on March 19 announced that is has developed two new antennas for M2M communications, purpose-built to withstand extreme industrial conditions.

For industrial settings like oil refineries, sensors and automation systems built in the IoT can reduce costs and optimize assets, but to be effective this equipment has to have reliable connectivity in the face of hazards like moisture, dust, and severe temperatures. The new HCR Dual Band and HCR Tri-band Rotatable Shell Omni-directional antennas support dual band and tri-band operation and Laird says they are designed to handle the worst conditions while providing reliable performance.

“We like to say the HCR line of Antennas deliver high performance, reliable communications almost anywhere a machine operates including the most extreme environments,” Monte Rohde, SVP of Infrastructure Antenna Systems at Laird,  said. “Employees depend on constant interaction with their equipment wherever it operates.”

Both antennas are rated for temporary water immersion, can withstand temperatures from -40 degrees to 158 degrees Fahrenheit. The Dual Band antenna operates in the 824 to 894 MHz or 1850 to 1990 MHz frequency ranges and the tri-band antenna functions in the 824 to 894 MHz, 1710 to 1880 MHz and 1910 to 2170 MHz frequency ranges, in addition to the 880 to 960 MHz, 1710 to 1880 MHz and 1850 to 1990 MHz frequency ranges.

Welcome to the danger zone.