Safety issues of wireless communication in machinery

Wireless technologies are ready for safety-related applications in machinery. Wireless communication is realised by sending messages bit by bit from transmitter to receiver (serial mode communication). This resembles quite much the method used in field buses. There are already several field buses, which are validated to be used in safety-related applications. Some of these can include also wireless links between modules. Many similar risks are relevant both in wireless communication systems and field buses. Wireless systems introduce also some new risks and the probability of failure is often higher than in wired systems. When all the risks or threats are considered and adequate measures are applied to minimise risks, wireless communication can be relevant in safety-related applications