Ex access point enclosure for wireless equipment

The iWAP103 explosion proof access point enclosure system from Extronics allows any wireless vendors equipment to be installed in zone 1 hazardous areas

Extronics, a leading supplier and manufacturer of intrinsically safe and explosion proof electrical and electronic equipment, has announced the launch of the iWAP103, an ATEX approved zone 1 universal access point enclosure.

The explosion proof enclosure is specifically designed and certified to house leading wireless vendors equipment safely in zone 1 extreme and hazardous environments.

Variants are available for Aruba, Cisco, Firetide, Meru and Motorola to name a few.

Provided the wireless equipment will physically fit and does not contain batteries or fans, other vendor devices may be installed in the iWAP103 as well.

The Extronics new iWAP103 is their next generation of universal access point enclosures and offers many new features.

The iWAP103 is protected to IP66 standard and designed to fit the specific vendor access point with the basic configuration offering PoE input.

Other new features include a 110/230 VAC or 24 VDC power supply, multi-mode fibre optic Ethernet connection, antenna lightning arrestors and a heater to extend the temperature range of the wireless equipment down to -20C and prevent condensation occurring.

Two optional RS232/422/485 serial interfaces can be used to connect devices such as MESH sensor gateways or PLCs and two 802.3af compliant PoE switch ports can be used to connect IP Cameras, further access points or other Ethernet equipment.

Antenna mounting brackets and the iANT100 and iANT101 increased safety omni-directional antennas complement the new Extronics iWAP103 to allow deployment of non-certified wireless equipment in hazardous areas.

"Wireless networks have a crucial part to play in the running of process plants," said John Hartley, Technical Director of Extronics.

"Compared to traditional wired systems wireless has the ability to unlock the data in a plant far more effectively.

This new universal access point enclosure system allows our customers to easily and cost effectively set up a wireless network using their standard indoor equipment in even the most extreme environments".

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