White Paper: Introduction To Radio

Wireless communication products, such as cell phones and satellite radio, have become as much a part of today's everyday life as the microwave did two decades ago. During the next few years, this technology will spread from consumer products onto the shop floor. Before deploying an RF instrumentation control system in a facility, it is important to understand the basics of the technology, its advantages, and its limitations. This article describes the major elements of a RF system and how they work together to move sensor data from point to point.