What is the difference between the licensed and unlicensed bands and why should I care?

An integration platform is a software backbone that enables the free-flowing exchange of data and functionality among the multiple applications that make up an integrated system.

A "little" government influence promises to ignite wireless sensor networking progress this year. Meanwhile SP100's momentum continues to surprise, and the petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries recognize the value of wireless. And, I wonder, who'll be the "Wal-Mart" of the process-visibility phenomenon?

Receiver Sensitivity and Signal Levels

Integration isn't a passing fad; it's a practical necessity. It builds on the interconnectivity begun by digital communications and networking to deliver greater efficiency.

Linking RFID with production tools in one of its semiconductor wafer fabrication plants allows IBM to track the production of each wafer, for more efficient fabrication and improved factory scheduling.

New software must also make it possible to quickly acquire data and store it locally, passing back only parametric data.

"Are you still a big proponent of wireless sensing?" an industry colleague asked me the other day. For a brief moment I didn't know how to answer. I felt as though I'd been asked, on a Monday morning, "Are you a big proponent of Tuesday?" Huh? When my thoughts congealed I responded: I'm neither a proponent nor a naysayer. Wireless sensor networking is inevitable. It's happening now, and it will continue to happen, eventually in a very big way.

You can change manufacturing setups without reprogramming the sensor, which is essential for highmix, low-volume manufacturing with frequent color changes.

New software tools now make it possible to integrate sensor technology with an overall information framework. This eliminates worries about integration headaches or cumbersome architecture revisions.