If you’re an electronics designer, then going wireless can be an important step these days. The demand is certainly there, as it allows for untethered devices free of cords. This not only looks more attractive, but may be a requirement for some applications such as harsh chemical environments which could corrode wires, or long distance cable runs that stretch for miles. When wireless becomes a need, electronics designers must make the leap, and doing so is not always easy. There are many wireless products on the market, including both chip-sets and modules, but knowing where to start can be challenging if you’ve never developed with wireless before. This article will go over some of the basics to consider when going wireless, and hopefully make the transition an easy one.

First, when designing a system for wireless, consider using a wireless RF Modem Module, or a wireless serial modem, instead of using a chipset and designing from scratch. These modules take care of all the important things for you such as modulation, filtering, an data packet integrity. These modem modules also operate transparently so that you can treat the wireless portion like a wire, and not have to program the wireless stack or protocol.

Second, remember that latency is important. When choosing a wireless IO module, keep in mind that the lower the operating radio frequency, the higher the latency. At module at 2.4 ghz could be designed with a latency under 10mS. Keeping the latency low means that lag will be reduced. This is especially important for human machine interfaces, or when designing robotics or flight control equipment.