Since its launch five years ago, the Anybus® Wireless Bolt™ has provided thousands of industrial applications with wireless Ethernet access. With a rugged and unique form factor for bolt-on-machine mounting, it is today proven and trusted in the most demanding industrial applications. Use cases vary from warehouse installations and AGVs to manufacturing of food, underground mining or rough outdoor applications. Building on the success, HMS now launches the Anybus Wireless Bolt CAN, featuring CAN-based communication to the host equipment.
Industrial CAN goes wireless
The new Wireless Bolt for CAN enables CAN-based, heavy-duty machinery and applications to transfer CAN data over a robust wireless link. Wireless communication is established either over a fast Wi-Fi connection or a reliable Bluetooth link. The CAN data is transported over a TCP/IP link which enables other standard Wi-Fi infrastructure to also connect to the wireless link if desired.
A typical use case is wireless access to CAN data from an industrial vehicle, such as a bulk material transport truck. For example, with the Wireless Bolt CAN, J1939 CAN data is easily communicated to a handheld tablet which gives the operator full control and visibility of the ongoing bulk material filling process. Wireless Bolt CAN is fully transparent when it comes to transporting CAN data, meaning that it works with any CAN-based protocol, including CANopen. This opens the possibility to create mobile automation islands in any manufacturing process – the Bolt will bridge the CANopen line wirelessly.
In addition to the new Anybus Wireless Bolt CAN, the Wireless Bolt product family includes other versions which can connect to the host equipment using serial and industrial Ethernet connectivity. On the wireless side of the Wireless Bolt, the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options were recently complemented with a version that supports the new LTE standards NB-IoT and CAT-M1, targeting IoT applications.
