Planning Tool for Implementing Radio Networks in Industrial Environments

Abstract:
Requirements of reliability and robustness for wireless systems in the industrial environment result in radio network planning due to the limited availability of dedicated frequency bands and the increased number of coexisting wireless systems. Focus of this article are two aspects: the high complexity of the (mostly) metallic structures often found in industrial environments and the need for a fast prediction method for electromagnetic wave propagation or electromagnetic interaction with the environment that can deliver accurate results within minutes. In order to reduce simulation time we developed a simplification algorithm for preprocessing the geometric data of the complex mechanical structures on a graphical processing unit (GPU). These data are then fed into a ray tracer routine, which was implemented on a GPU. Examples given in this paper will serve as proof of concept for the approach chosen.