Wireless Networks for Industrial Automation is a comprehensive guide to applying wireless technology in industrial settings. This book explains wireless standards (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, WiMAX and UWB), industrial protocols (ISA100.11a and WirelessHART), antenna and topology basics, and the special environmental, security and reliability needs of factory and process automation. It compares competing standards, describes real-world applications (such as factory floors, process plants, sensor networks and RFID/tagging) and surveys emerging topics, including white-space use, energy harvesting and 3G/4G implications.

Written for engineers and technical decision-makers, this book explains why industrial installations differ from home or office Wi-Fi and offers practical recommendations for choosing and deploying wireless solutions in demanding industrial environments.

Dick Caro is CEO of CMC Associates (Arlington, Massachusetts). He has been actively involved in industrial automation work since 1958, when he started doing instrumentation for a small chemical plant of Ethyl Corp. in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Not too long after graduating from the University of Florida in chemical engineering, he began working on an MS at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. In 1964, he received an MS in chemical engineering.