Integrating Zigbee and CAN networks in industrial applications

This work addresses the integration of wireless nodes organized in meshed Zigbee networks with other nodes linked together over CANbus, which required a special purpose gateway. This solution allowed for transparent flows of information originating in both sensors and actuators in heavy industrial applications, encompassing different requirements regarding data rate and power source, especially in specific cases where power supply cabling is mandatory: pure wireless operation being therefore compromised we resort to CANbus to support both supply and communication amongst those nodes. In this manner, hybrid networks can be easily built-up and managed, where cabled islands of sensors/actuators can be part of a wireless network of devices of the same kind spreading throughout a larger area.