Ethernet

[Taz_leo13]

Dear NI

Please help me urgently

I am in a solar car project and want to transmit the information I have collected using the compactRIO but am unsure of how to proceed.

The options are ethernet switch, access point, wireless router...???which one?

More importantly, I want to reduce power consumption to a minimum as I am utilising solar energy that should be used to power the car.

At the same time I would like to maximise the range.

If it helps I was thinking of bidirectional antenna as I am transmitting informaiton from the solar car to the vehicles at the front and vehicles behind. So sideways is useless, this may reduce losses and maximise the range.

Low weight is also preferable.

Now is there an off-the shelf solution?

Would this access point be suitable for transmitting informaiton?

http://www.ni.com/pdf/products/us/cat_wirelessaccesspoint.pdf

Please clarify.

I am writing my report now so really need a quick response.

Regards

Tayz

[Andrew McL]

Hi Tayz,

I have been thinking about your problem and I think a lot of it depends on how far away you want to run this link. Ethernet switches can run a Cat 5 cable to a length of around 100m. Wireless links cannot go that far but you do not have the added load on the motor of dragging a long cable.

The wireless access point that you have mentioned would be suitable for this application but then again, so would most wireless access points. 

 In terms of power requirements, I suspect that using an ethernet switch will use less power than running an access point but it would again depend on which model you opted for. 

I hope this helps,

Please let me know how you get on.

Many  thanks,