Wi-Fi 6E compliant embedded wireless LAN board FXE5000

In production sites, the introduction of Wi-Fi wireless LAN, which is widely adopted in IT systems as an alternative to laying communication cables in factory systems, has begun. However, Wi-Fi wireless LAN experiences jitter (variations in communication delay) due to congestion and interference in the radio frequency band, making its implementation in control layers with strict constraints on jitter difficult. Contec has utilized its unique tuning technology to achieve low-latency, low-jitter communication with its commercial wireless LAN products "FLEXLAN(R) FX5000 / FX3000 series." It has obtained Class A wireless certification as the first wireless device in the "Category CTRL," which is intended for control communication of CC-Link IE TSN, an industrial network expected to seamlessly connect the entire factory system. This certification is the first to pass the CC-Link IE TSN recommended wireless device test for wireless devices in the Class A Category CTRL.

Contec has developed eight types of globally compatible wireless LAN units (resin case type FXA5020, FXS5000, embedded board type FXE5000) that have obtained radio certification in various countries around the world, and will begin shipping them sequentially as the FLEXLAN(R) FX5000 series starting in April 2025. The FLEXLAN(R) FX5000 series is a wireless LAN access point compliant with the new Wi-Fi 6E (IEEE 802.11ax) standard. New technologies such as OFDMA, MU-MIMO, and Spatial Reuse have been implemented, resulting in a communication speed that is 1.2 times faster than conventional products compliant with Wi-Fi 5 (IEEE 802.11ac). Additionally, significant improvements have been made in throughput reduction and latency that occurred when using many child stations simultaneously. With the addition of the new 6GHz band (Note 1) alongside the conventional 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, radio interference is reduced, allowing for the establishment of a faster and more stable communication environment. (Note 1: The overseas version of the FXA5020 series cannot use the 6GHz band.)

Contec Corporation has developed a compact Wi-Fi module that conforms to Wi-Fi 6E, featuring new functions for mesh Wi-Fi and smart roaming, under the concept of "pursuing uninterrupted wireless LAN." Orders for the FLEXLAN(R) FX series "FXE5000" will begin in February 2023. The new product is a business card-sized module that enables Wi-Fi connectivity for devices with Ethernet communication capabilities. It is an intelligent type that implements the necessary wireless LAN drivers, TCP/IP protocol stack, and encryption/authentication security functions on a board computer with an embedded CPU. By simply connecting via cable, it allows for easy Wi-Fi integration of Ethernet communication devices, significantly reducing development costs. The new product complies with the new wireless LAN standard Wi-Fi 6E (IEEE 802.11ax), which was approved on September 2, 2022. It incorporates new technologies such as OFDMA, MU-MIMO, and Spatial Reuse, resulting in a communication speed that is 2.8 times faster than conventional products compliant with Wi-Fi 5 (IEEE 802.11ac).