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: 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: 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: An apparatus for a reducing signal interferences in critical mission wireless communication system is provided. The first coaxal cable having a first length and a plurality of gaps in an outer conductor of the first coaxal cable, such that a radio signal can leak out of the first coaxal cable; a plurality of receivers, wherein each receiver plurality of receivers is connected in proximity to the first coax cable; and a transmitter connected at one end of the first coaxal cable, 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: 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: 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 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.

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: 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: An apparatus for a reducing signal interferences in critical mission wireless communication system is provided. The first coaxal cable having a first length and a plurality of gaps in an outer conductor of the first coaxal cable, such that a radio signal can leak out of the first coaxal cable; a plurality of receivers, wherein each receiver plurality of receivers is connected in proximity to the first coax cable; and a transmitter connected at one end of the first coaxal cable, wherein the plurality of receivers and the transmitter are part of the critical mission wireless communication system.

Abstract: A master gateway operable in a wireless system is provided. The master gateway includes a plurality of receivers configured to wirelessly communicate over the mission critical wireless link system with a plurality of devices; a processing circuitry coupled to the plurality of receivers; and a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, configure the processing circuitry to at least control the operation of the plurality of receivers, such that at least one of the plurality of receivers is configured to receive a plurality of transmissions from the plurality of devices in succession wherein a guard time between transmissions is significantly smaller than a processing time of a receiver.

Abstract: A master gateway operable in a wireless system is provided. The master gateway includes a plurality of receivers configured to wirelessly communicate over the mission critical wireless link system with a plurality of devices; a processing circuitry coupled to the plurality of receivers; and a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, configure the processing circuitry to at least control the operation of the plurality of receivers, such that at least one of the plurality of receivers is configured to receive a plurality of transmissions from the plurality of devices in succession wherein a guard time between transmissions is significantly smaller than a processing time of a receiver.

Abstract: A master gateway operable in a wireless system is provided. The master gateway includes a plurality of receivers configured to wirelessly communicate over the mission critical wireless link system with a plurality of devices; a processing circuitry coupled to the plurality of receivers; and a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, configure the processing circuitry to at least control the operation of the plurality of receivers, such that at least one of the plurality of receivers is configured to receive a plurality of transmissions from the plurality of devices in succession wherein a guard time between transmissions is significantly smaller than a processing time of a receiver.