Propagation Channel Characteristics of Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks [Wireless Corner]

The wireless channel in an industrial environment behaves much differently when compared with wave propagation in home and office environments. This is due to the presence of significant noise and interference caused by large machinery and heavy multipath propagation effects induced by highly reflective structures. In this article, a comprehensive review of radio wave propagation in an industrial environment is presented. The reported channel models and measurement results, at different frequencies and link configurations, of path loss, noise, interference, multipath propagation, and time-varying channel conditions are discussed, and the factors that influence them are highlighted. In addition, open research issues on the propagation of radio waves in an industrial environment are identified.