${\mathsf{ENCLOSE}}$: An Enhanced Wireless Interface for Communication in Factory Automation Networks

Wireless technologies are increasingly gaining popularity for many industrial automation applications. State-of-the-art wireless technologies mainly support monitoring and open-loop control applications at the lowest level of the automation pyramid. The use of wireless technologies for closed-loop control applications is still in infancy. This paper proposes a novel wireless solution, termed as ENCLOSE, for closed-loop control applications at the sensor/actuator level of factory automation. At the Physical layer, ENCLOSE adopts IEEE 802.15.1 specifications with an enhanced data rate feature. The medium access control layer of ENCLOSE is based on time-division multiple access and frequency-division duplexing. ENCLOSE is based on an optimized frame structure for achieving low latency while accounting for the peculiarities of closed-loop control. Moreover, ENCLOSE implements two different cooperative multi-user diversity techniques for achieving high reliability. Performance evaluation, based on comprehensive analytical modeling and system-level simulation studies, demonstrates that ENCLOSE provides a practical solution, that fulfils the stringent requirements of closed-loop control applications in factory automation environments.