FreeWave Technologies Introduces Data Logger Capabilities To WaveContact Family Of Wireless I/O Solutions

Trusted wireless M2M communications company enables oil and gas, energy, utility, agriculture and manufacturing companies to securely enable historical data logging at the edge of their IT network.

FreeWave Technologies, a leader in industrial, secure Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) wireless networking solutions, unveiled new Data Logger functionality to its WaveContact™ wireless I/O solutions. The WaveContact family provides Class 1, Division 1 and Division 2 certified wireless I/O solutions for industrial M2M and IoT applications taking place in the access layer of a communications network. The Data Logger, a feature addition to the WaveContact 50i Data Concentrator, provides a critical layer of I/O functionality to capture and provide a historical I/O data source for FreeWave’s customers that deploy sensor and automation technology.

Glenn Longley, director of product management for I/O and software at FreeWave Technologies, said:

“We developed the Data Logger to better serve our customers’ needs for a reliable secondary data source from any sensor they deploy in both hazardous and non-hazardous environments.”

“By combining the Data Logger functionality with WaveContact, we’re helping customers simplify their overall SCADA network scheme, reduce costs and installation issues while also enabling historical data logging from multiple data sources using both FreeWave I/O and Wireless connections to third-party Modbus devices.”

In critical infrastructures like oil and gas, water/wastewater and electric power, companies need a cost-effective way to capture data at the edge faster than is typical for SCADA networks. Additionally, these organizations must have the ability to log and back up historical data from thousands of I/O and sensor points. They also need data at higher speeds from multiple locations even when a SCADA backhaul network is not deployed. Previously, companies were forced to deploy third-party data loggers and increase complexity by adding a second device to the Master radio location. FreeWave’s Data Logger option addresses these challenges by enabling wireless recording of second-by-second sensor data, even in hazardous environments.

The Data Logger feature on the WaveContact 50i allows it to serve as both a Master radio and Data Logger, which can save costs by eliminating the need to buy third party data loggers or use expensive Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) or Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) that only log inputs.