BEI Sensors SwiftComm Real-Time Wireless Encoder Interface User Manual

WIRELESS INDUSTRIAL
SENSOR INTERFACE

A SECURE ROBUST WIRELESS INTERFACE WITH BUILT-IN RELIABILITY
NEEDED FOR REAL-TIME INDUSTRIAL CONTROL

The BEI SwiftComm wireless industrial sensor interface ushers in a new era of

wireless industrial control. Now the machine designer is free to install sensor

equipment without the expense and constraints of a hard-wired system.

Encoder installations in difficult applications like cranes, rotating tables or

mobile applications, are greatly simplified.

The SwiftComm system includes the transmitter-receiver pair, which

communicates using a point-to-point frequency-hopping 2.4 GHz RF protocol.

Because of its flexible input/output electronics, it can interface with many

different industrial sensors and control systems. Simply connect the SwiftComm

transmitter to the sensor and the SwiftComm receiver to your control system and

apply power. That’s it! No complicated cabling required.

SwiftComm’s proprietary radio protocols include a broad security code range,

data encryption, handshaking, interference recovery, and error checking that together

provides a secure and robust wireless interface system. Ruggedness and flexibility are further enhanced with

SwiftComm’s NEMA 4 weatherproof enclosures, panel mounting options, antenna choices and wide-range DC power inputs. SwiftComm is

available with an incremental or SSI output, or with an optional explosion proof transmitter housing (pictured above).

Applications

SwiftComm is suitable for use in a wide variety of industrial applications. However, certain conditions

allow the user to receive the most benefit from SwiftComm. In applications where long, expensive cable

lengths are needed, SwiftComm can provide a very cost effective alternative to hard wiring. If cabling

of any length is damaged often in a system and needs constant replacement, SwiftComm can be

a viable solution. SwiftComm is ideal for use in applications with a clear line-of-sight between

the transmitter and receiver. Although SwiftComm can work around some obstructions, the best

performance will be achieved where the radios have a clear line-of-sight. SwiftComm is a

very robust and reliable wireless interface system, and will work in many different kinds of

industrial applications. Here are just a few examples:

A Wireless Interface for Real-Time Industrial Control

Until now, the only option available to connect encoders to controllers or PLCs has been by hard wiring. This approach has served the system

designer well in many applications. However, there are times where the cabling to the sensor is expensive to install, cumbersome, or creates a

maintenance problem. This is most evident when the encoder needs to move over large distances or is mounted to a rotating or mobile device.

Motion control applications require position and speed feedback in real time and as a continuous stream of data. Until now, wireless systems

have been unable to work with these applications due to high latency and signal interference. With most typical wireless systems, if packet

information is lost, the protocol requests for the information to be resent. This approach however slows down the flow of information from

transmitter to receiver, and adds an indeterminate amount of time delay to when the information is received. Add to this an undefined amount

of time required to process packets over a network protocol, such as Zigbee or Bluetooth, the resultant latency would seriously degrade time

sensitive data. Another even bigger threat is random interference that can destroy whole packets of information. All these factors have made

wireless systems for control unsuccessful…until now.

SwiftComm was designed from the ground up specifically to meet the demands of industrial motion control applications. It provides an

extremely robust wireless signal in real time over a secure network. SwiftComm is also equipped with several fail-safes to deal with signal

interference.

•

Crane & Hoist

•

Drawbridge

•

Drawworks

•

Dam Control

•

Irrigation

•

Mining

•

Printing Press

•

Factory Automation

SWIFTCOMM’S UNIQUE ADVANTAGES SETUP AND OPERATION

Robust Signal

BEI’s SwiftComm operates on the 2.4 GHz ISM radio band and

uses Adaptive Frequency Hopping Protocol (AFH). This helps avoid

data interruptions due to frequency interference. If a particular

radio channel encounters interference, SwiftComm seamlessly

hops to another open channel. This technology decreases the

susceptibility to interference thereby increasing overall reliability.

The SwiftComm hopping algorithm uses 77 ISM channels in a

pseudo-random sequence. To enhance RF link reliability even

more, when SwiftComm detects interference on a channel, that

channel is dropped from the hop sequence and SwiftComm will

avoid using that channel in the future. If the available channels list

ever becomes exhausted, previous dropped channels are retested

to see if they are clear.

SwiftComm’s patent pending technology can even overcome data

loss due to link interruption. Internally and transparent to the user,

SwiftComm keeps track of the encoder’s output signal. If

SwiftComm encounters packet loss from temporary link

interruption, it fills in the encoder’s output information

based on the historical data trend. It then processes

this information in place of the lost packet. SwiftComm

corrects for any accumulated error and seamlessly

sends the corrected data to the controller. So, even

in environments where occasional packets are lost,

SwiftComm will transmit a continuous stream of

data to the control system.

Real Time Control

It is critical in any motion control application to have minimum lag

time in signal transmission. Delays in data to the controller can

cause major problems. SwiftComm is one of the fastest wireless

sensor interfaces available. Data is relayed between the transmitter

and receiver every 600 microseconds (µs). Because SwiftComm is

a point-to-point configuration, there is minimal latency.

Secure Transmission

SwiftComm provides a very secure system for your data to travel

wirelessly. The transmitter and receiver each have a 40-bit

hard coded security code. These codes are programmed at the

factory and give the system a range of over 500 billion possible

unique codes. BEI has developed its own proprietary protocol

for SwiftComm, which is not available to the public. Additionally,

the data is transmitted with a high-level encryption algorithm

and pseudo-random frequency hopping. This provides additional

levels of data security to assure that your data

is protected.

Long Range

Because motion control applications can

vary widely, SwiftComm was designed

with a 50 mW radio. This provides

SwiftComm with reliable long-range

communication. In most open situations,

a reliable link distance of up to 1,000 feet

is possible. Inside buildings, a reliable link

distance on the order of 300 feet can be

expected.

Basic Setup

The SwiftComm Transmitter and Receiver modules operate as a pair,

known as Point-To-Point communication. Each pair shares a unique

security code, which is hard-coded at the factory and is not user

selectable. The full security code is not revealed on the modules’

labels and is stored by BEI. This is one of the many layers of security

provided by the SwiftComm architecture. If a replacement module

is needed, then the module’s serial number needs to be provided to

BEI in order to match the pair’s security code.

The basic configuration of the SwiftComm system begins with

connecting the Transmitter module to the encoder and connecting

the Receiver module to the control equipment. The Transmitter

sends the encoder signal wirelessly to the Receiver module, which

The transmitter and receiver

should be installed so that

their antennas have a clear

line of sight with each other.

then passes this signal on to the controller. Even though the encoder

data travels one direction from Transmitter to Receiver, additional

information is exchanged between modules bi-directionally to keep

the modules in sync, maintain a quality RF link and to issue Built-

in-Test (B.I.T.) commands.

Mounting

The SwiftComm modules have several mounting options. Each

module has two 1/4-20 UNC tapped holes on the back of enclosure

for mounting to flat surfaces. In addition, mounting ears are

available with front mount screws. For DIN rail mounting, a DIN rail

kit is available.

SwiftComm has a reliable range
of up to 300 ft. indoors, and up
to 1,000 ft. outdoors.

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BEI Sensors

| SwiftComm Installation Manual and User Guide

SwiftComm Installation Manual and User Guide

BEI Sensors

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