Increased efficiency and security

Demand for wireless communication in industrial environments is rising, but WLAN standards up to Wi‑Fi 5 face limits from interference and capacity. Wi‑Fi 6E expands the frequency spectrum with advanced technologies, enabling more efficient and secure data transmission.

Industrial automation is characterized by flexibilization, digitalization, and mobile robotic systems. Wireless data exchange is therefore essential, with WLAN established as a cost‑effective solution for connecting machines, devices, and control systems. Yet companies face challenges using WLAN in automation, could Wi‑Fi 6E be the answer?

Currently too few channels and too long latency times

A key problem is that demand for free transmission channels exceeds availability, creating dense WLAN networks on overlapping channels. This causes disruptions and reduces reliability, especially in real‑time applications. Older WLAN standards up to Wi‑Fi 5 focus on maximum data rates for single devices, not efficiency. In industrial automation, however, small data packets must be sent to multiple devices, which negatively impacts efficiency.

Channel capacity is shrinking as more WLAN devices share the same channel, leading to higher latency. Backward compatibility, especially with older standards (e.g., IEEE 802.11 a/b/g), worsens the issue. As a result, WLAN networks increasingly fail to provide the speed, capacity, and stability needed for industrial automation.

Division of the transmission channel across up to 37 subchannels

Wi‑Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) provides significant improvements over earlier WLAN standards, especially Wi‑Fi 4 (IEEE 802.11n), common in industry. It offers higher speeds and greater bandwidth, achieving up to 2.04 GB/s with 160 MHz channels using a cost‑effective 2×2 MIMO setup. In contrast, Wi‑Fi 4 reaches only 300 Mbps with 40 MHz channels. Wi‑Fi 6 therefore enables faster communication and supports bandwidth‑intensive applications.

Wi‑Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) uses OFDMA and TWT to boost efficiency and capacity. Earlier WLAN standards up to Wi‑Fi 5 relied on OFDM, allowing only one device to use the full bandwidth at a time.

With OFDMA, channels are divided into resource units (RUs), enabling parallel data exchange up to nine devices on 20 MHz and 37 on 80 MHz. This is especially beneficial in industrial automation, where small data packets must be transmitted simultaneously in real‑time, high‑density environments.

Agreement on specific communication times

With the Target Wake Time (TWT) function, Wi‑Fi 6 access points and devices negotiate specific transmission times, saving energy and enabling demand‑oriented, conflict‑free communication. By synchronizing data forwarding, clients transmit at different times instead of in parallel. Combined with OFDMA, this boosts efficiency and ensures low latency with minimal jitter.

Wi‑Fi 6 supports WPA3, offering stronger encryption and protection against brute‑force attacks, enhancing wireless security.

Provision of 24 additional 20 MHz channels

Wi‑Fi 6 opens up significant advantages, but overcrowded channels and older devices limit its impact. Wi‑Fi 6E addresses this with the new 6 GHz band, adding 24 low‑utilization 20 MHz channels, plus six additional 80 MHz or three 160 MHz options, greatly boosting network capacity. The EU is also assessing whether to release the remaining 500 MHz, as already done in the USA, which would enable even more data channels.

Unlike the 5 GHz band, all 6 GHz WLAN channels can be used for automation without restrictions, since mechanisms like DFS are not required. However, usage is limited to indoor applications to protect primary users. The 6 GHz band works only with Wi‑Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) or later, ensuring all Wi‑Fi 6 benefits without compatibility issues from older standards.

WLAN modules for the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands

Phoenix Contact’s new FL WLAN 1022 and 1122 modules for Wi‑Fi  6/6E are the first industrial devices to support triple‑band operation across 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz. Certified for EU use, with further approvals in progress, they function as both WLAN clients and soft access points. They enable reliable PROFINET communication in the 6 GHz band and support parallel dual‑band use (2.4 GHz with 5 GHz or 6 GHz), allowing fast, efficient out‑of‑band roaming.

Learn more about industrial wireless.