The ‘wireless’ connection

Most consumers aren't particularly fond of cables or connectors. They seem to tangle themselves together like socks in a drier, and are always difficult to deal with when you're trying to, say, move a charger from one outlet to another. Then too, it seems that each electronic device needs it's own unigue connector. Hence, the idea of wireless, untethered electronics has become very popular, with such things as near-field communication and wireless recharging drawing widespread interest.

Of course, it's not just consumers who would like to go wireless. The cost of running cables in factories can be high, and when you need to reconfigure a line and want to manufacture agilely, recabling and reconnecting becomes both a time and cost concern.

But there are some very practical considerations that argue against a rush to wireless interconnection in many applications. In the case of NFC and wireless recharging, there is the issue of standards. For both of those technologies to be broadly useful, there need to be widely agreed upon ways of reliably, safely, and securely making a connection, and that is not yet the case.

In the case of industrial and commercial applications, there are also significant obstacles to be overcome. For one, there is a great deal of interference generated in industrial environments (which is also true for consumer wireless, but seemingly of less consequence in everyday consumer uses). Since this interference can result in loss of production, it has to be dealt with, and the cost of reducing the interference may outweigh the benefit of going wireless. Then too, choosing the right wireless system is not simple; it must be one that will support operations for a long period and permit growth as data requirements change.

Even when wireless systems are deployed, the need to use traditional wire and cable techniques doesn't disappear. In her recent article, Connectivity solutions for reliable communication and control , Turck's April Ankrum notes that, “Though by its very nature, the term “wireless” implies the absence of wires and cords, in order for [wireless Ethernet] to operate, there must be a central point of connection or access point.

“The wireless access point (WAP) is where the wireless system is connected to the main network. Whether using an in-cabinet I/O solution or distributed I/O technology, cordsets are necessary for overall functionality.”

The fact is, the demand for connectors designed to operate at frequencies that were once only seen on microwave transmission towers has never been greater. As we advance into the Wireless Era, connectors and cabling will still provide the solid backbone that actually makes wireless systems function reliably.