Abstract: A method of providing communication between a wireless mission critical communication link (MCCL) and a wired MCCL, comprising: determining a wireless communication cycle of a primary device coupled to the wireless MCCL; determining a wired communication cycle of a secondary device, wherein the secondary device is coupled via the wired MCCL; receiving a feedback signal from the secondary device over the wired MCCL; synchronizing a start time of the wireless communication cycle to a start of the wired communication cycle; and transmitting the feedback signal over the wireless MCCL to the primary device at an aligned start time of the wired communication cycle.

Abstract: Security features for a wireless communications system including encryption and decryption of communications, secure key exchange, secure pairing, and secure re-pairing are provided. The encryption/decryption mechanism uses AES-256 block cypher with counter mode to generate blocks of cypher bits used to encrypt and decrypt communications between a master and devices. Session keys are generated using a random salt and a counter value. The random salt is generated using a secure random number generator. A master key or device key is also used in generating session keys. Impermanent session keys are used to encrypt/decrypt finite amount of data. Thereafter, the session key is replaced and cypher bits are generated using the new session key. A synchronized key jump procedure ensures that the master and device switch to the new session key at the same time.

Abstract: An apparatus for wirelessly increasing the number of communication channels in a critical mission wireless communication system installed in a confined area is provided. The system includes a transmitter configured to transmit radio signals at a first frequency band, wherein the first frequency band is higher than a standard frequency band defined by a critical mission wireless communication protocol of the critical mission wireless communication system; and a plurality of receivers, wherein each plurality of receivers is wirelessly connected to the transmitter and configured to receive signals at the first frequency band transmitted by the transmitter and processed signals at the standard frequency, wherein the plurality of receivers and the transmitter are part of the critical mission wireless communication system.

Abstract: Security features for a wireless communications system including encryption and decryption of communications, secure key exchange, secure pairing, and secure re-pairing are provided. The encryption/decryption mechanism uses AES-256 block cypher with counter mode to generate blocks of cypher bits used to encrypt and decrypt communications between a master and devices. Session keys are generated using a random salt and a counter value. The random salt is generated using a secure random number generator. A master key or device key is also used in generating session keys. Impermanent session keys are used to encrypt/decrypt finite amount of data. Thereafter, the session key is replaced and cypher bits are generated using the new session key. A synchronized key jump procedure ensures that the master and device switch to the new session key at the same time.

Abstract: An industrial mission critical networking communication device is adapted from a wired industrial networking communication device to provide wireless capabilities. Accordingly, the PHY of the wired device, that is communicatively connected to a first microcontrollers, is replaced by a second microcontroller. The second microcontroller is adapted to communicate with the first microcontroller using a serial adaptation layer to ensure that the original communication interface between the PHY and the first microcontroller is maintained. The second microcontroller is further adapted with at least capabilities of wireless communication to allow for wireless communication based on a predetermined protocol, for example, the wireless IO-Link® protocol.

Abstract: An apparatus for wirelessly increasing the number of communication channels in a critical mission wireless communication system installed in a confined area is provided. The system includes a transmitter configured to transmit radio signals at a first frequency band, wherein the first frequency band is higher than a standard frequency band defined by a critical mission wireless communication protocol of the critical mission wireless communication system; and a plurality of receivers, wherein each plurality of receivers is wirelessly connected to the transmitter and configured to receive signals at the first frequency band transmitted by the transmitter and processed signals at the standard frequency, wherein the plurality of receivers and the transmitter are part of the critical mission wireless communication system.

Abstract: A method for securing communicating with a human machine interface (HMI) terminal over a mission critical wireless link (MCWL) link is provided. The method includes sending, by a MCWL node, a connection request to the HMI terminal; upon receiving an acknowledge from the HMI terminal, authenticating the HMI terminal; and upon authentication of the HMI terminal, establishing a secure connection channel is between the MCWL node and the HMI terminal, wherein commands to at least control the MCWL node are sent from the HMI terminal over the secure connection channel.

Abstract: Security features for a wireless communications system including encryption and decryption of communications, secure key exchange, secure pairing, and secure re-pairing are provided. The encryption/decryption mechanism uses AES-256 block cypher with counter mode to generate blocks of cypher bits used to encrypt and decrypt communications between a master and devices. Session keys are generated using a random salt and a counter value. The random salt is generated using a secure random number generator. A master key or device key is also used in generating session keys. Impermanent session keys are used to encrypt/decrypt finite amount of data. Thereafter, the session key is replaced and cypher bits are generated using the new session key. A synchronized key jump procedure ensures that the master and device switch to the new session key at the same time.

Abstract: A method of providing communication between a wireless mission critical communication link (MCCL) and a wired MCCL, comprising: determining a wireless communication cycle of a primary device coupled to the wireless MCCL; determining a wired communication cycle of a secondary device, wherein the secondary device is coupled via the wired MCCL; receiving a feedback signal from the secondary device over the wired MCCL; synchronizing a start time of the wireless communication cycle to a start of the wired communication cycle; and transmitting the feedback signal over the wireless MCCL to the primary device at an aligned start time of the wired communication cycle.

Abstract: A communication method between a master and a device, the master transmits in a subcycle a received condition message (RCM) for an immediately prior subcycle, wherein the RCM is an ACK when a transmission from the device in the preceding subcycle was correctly received and the RCM is a NACK when a transmission from the device in the preceding subcycle was not correctly received, comprising: including in each transmitted condition message a current priority data acknowledgement flag (CPDAF), the CPDAF being transmitted set in each condition message for each subcycle of an offset cycle after the master correctly received in a current cycle a priority data message, the offset cycle being defined as the second and subsequent subcycles of a current cycle and the first subcycle of a next cycle, the CPDAF being transmitted as cleared otherwise.

Abstract: Security features for a wireless communications system including encryption and decryption of communications, secure key exchange, secure pairing, and secure re-pairing are provided. The encryption/decryption mechanism uses AES-256 block cypher with counter mode to generate blocks of cypher bits used to encrypt and decrypt communications between a master and devices. Session keys are generated using a random salt and a counter value. The random salt is generated using a secure random number generator. A master key (or device key) is also used in generating session keys. Impermanent session keys are used to encrypt/decrypt finite amount of data. Thereafter, the session key is replaced and cypher bits are generated using the new session key. A synchronized key jump procedure ensures that the master and device switch to the new session key at the same time.

Abstract: A method for hub for interfacing between a wireless mission critical communication link (MCCL) and a wired MCCL. The hub includes a wired interface a providing a physical layer connectivity to the wired MCCL; a plurality of ports coupled to the wired interface; a wireless interface providing a physical layer connectivity to the wireless MCCL; and a processor; and a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, configure the hub to: receive a signal from a primary device through the wireless MCCL; determine a wireless communication cycle of the primary device; determine a wired communication cycle of a secondary device, wherein the secondary device is connected via the wired MCCL; synchronize a start time of the wired communication cycle to a start of the wireless communication cycle; and send the received signal to the secondary device at the synchronized start time of the wired communication cycle.

Abstract: A novel and useful mechanism for providing security features to a wireless communications system that otherwise does not have such features. Security features including encryption and decryption of communications, secure key exchange, secure pairing, and secure re-pairing are provided. The invention is applicable to wireless communication systems such as IO-Link Wireless. The encryption/decryption mechanism uses AES-256 block cypher with counter mode to generate blocks of cypher bits used to encrypt and decrypt communications between the master and devices. Session keys are generated using a random salt and a counter value. The random salt is generated using a secure random number generator such as the CSPRNG algorithm. A master key (or device key) is also used in generating session keys. Session keys are not permanent and are used to encrypt/decrypt only a finite amount of data. Once exhausted, the session key is replaced by a new one and cypher bits are generated using the new session key.

Abstract: A method of secure communications between a master and a plurality of devices in a wireless communications network, the method comprising: encrypting, on said master, downlink plaintext for multicast transmission to a plurality of devices over a wireless communications link utilizing a symmetric key encryption algorithm in accordance with a first counter value and a shared symmetric session key; and decrypting, on one of said devices, multicast downlink cyphertext received from said master over said wireless communications link utilizing a symmetric key decryption algorithm in accordance with a second counter value and said shared symmetric session key; wherein said wireless communications link is a short distance wireless link in that said master and said plurality of downlink devices are located within a single industrial complex.

Abstract: A system and method for secure communications between a master and a plurality of devices in a wireless communications network are provided. The method includes encrypting, on said master, downlink plaintext for multicast transmission to a plurality of devices over a wireless communications link utilizing a symmetric key encryption algorithm in accordance with a first counter value and a shared symmetric session key; and decrypting, on one of said devices, multicast downlink cyphertext received from said master over said wireless communications link utilizing a symmetric key decryption algorithm in accordance with a second counter value and said shared symmetric session key.

Abstract: A method for hub for interfacing between a wireless mission critical communication link (MCCL) and a wired MCCL. The hub includes a wired interface a providing a physical layer connectivity to the wired MCCL; a plurality of ports coupled to the wired interface; a wireless interface providing a physical layer connectivity to the wireless MCCL; and a processor; and a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, configure the hub to: receive a signal from a primary device through the wireless MCCL; determine a wireless communication cycle of the primary device; determine a wired communication cycle of a secondary device, wherein the secondary device is connected via the wired MCCL; synchronize a start time of the wired communication cycle to a start of the wireless communication cycle; and send the received signal to the secondary device at the synchronized start time of the wired communication cycle.

Abstract: A communication method between a master and a device, the master transmits in a subcycle a received condition message (RCM) for an immediately prior subcycle, wherein the RCM is an ACK when a transmission from the device in the preceding subcycle was correctly received and the RCM is a NACK when a transmission from the device in the preceding subcycle was not correctly received, comprising: including in each transmitted condition message a current priority data acknowledgement flag (CPDAF), the CPDAF being transmitted set in each condition message for each subcycle of an offset cycle after the master correctly received in a current cycle a priority data message, the offset cycle being defined as the second and subsequent subcycles of a current cycle and the first subcycle of a next cycle, the CPDAF being transmitted as cleared otherwise.

Abstract: A method for securing communicating with a human machine interface (HMI) terminal over a mission critical wireless link (MCWL) link is provided. The method includes sending, by a MCWL node, a connection request to the HMI terminal; upon receiving an acknowledge from the HMI terminal, authenticating the HMI terminal; and upon authentication of the HMI terminal, establishing a secure connection channel is between the MCWL node and the HMI terminal, wherein commands to at least control the MCWL node are sent from the HMI terminal over the secure connection channel.

Abstract: A novel and useful acknowledgement and adaptive frequency hopping mechanism for use in wireless communication systems such as IO-Link Wireless. One or two additional acknowledgement bits are added to packet transmissions. One is a current acknowledgment bit which indicates whether a packet was successfully received anytime during the current cycle. The second bit is a previous acknowledgment bit which indicates whether packets were received successfully anytime during the previous cycle. An adaptive hopping table is constructed using a greedy algorithm which chooses frequencies with the best PER for transmission of higher priority packets, while equalizing the PER products across cycles. A last resort frequency mechanism further improves transmission success by switching to a better performing channel for the last subcycle when previous attempts to transmit a high priority packet have failed.

Abstract: A mission critical wireless link (MCWL) node for communicating with a human machine interface (HMI) terminal over a mission critical wireless link is provided.