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WLAN Planning Tool Introduced by Siemens

Resellers installing Wireless LANs will be pleased hear that Siemens Automation and Drives (A&D) has developed a software tool for efficient planning, simulation and configuration of industrial WLAN applications in accordance with the 802.11 a/b/g standard.

Siemens Sinema E (Simatic Network Manager Engineering) allows you to design and simulate entire WLAN networks at your desk. The new software for industrial and office networks, including outdoor areas, is suitable for network engineers in the field and planning engineers.

The new engineering tool automatically determines the required WLAN components, such as the number and suitable installation location of the individual wireless modules for optimum area coverage.

In the planning and simulation phase, the wireless and device properties of the component are represented in clear detail. This ranges from WLAN wireless propagation, signal-to-noise ratio, range, attenuation and interference, through possible noise sources and the expected data rate, right up to wireless coverage and overlap. If "wireless obstacles" are to be expected, plan drawings are imported in advance in standard graphic formats. The planning and simulation results can be displayed at any time and faults can be corrected early, even before the actual hardware installation and startup.

Refined online functions then provide support at startup. For example, built-in consistency checks prevent configuration errors. At the touch of a button, the software identifies all WLAN nodes accessible online and transfers all the necessary basic parameters such as the IP address. Configuration and startup can be carried out from any location on the network.

At every phase of the engineering process, the integral report functions in HTML format provide a comprehensive overview of the project status. This could include, for example, the order numbers of all IWLAN devices and antennas of a project along with their installation coordinates. On one hand, the planning engineer uses the detailed reports for drafting bids, giving device installation instructions and plant documentation. On the other hand, the reports are also suitable as a commissioning document for warranty and service purposes.