Analyzing Wireless Coverage for Industry 4.0 using a low-cost IoT System: A Case Study.

Industry 4.0 is currently viewed as the future era in which a new generation of wireless communications will enable the widespread connectivity between machines, objects, and users, promising significant advancements in industrial automation. Industrial scenarios are highly dynamic environments that require the ability to adapt to changes in operating conditions. Reliable wireless communications can be challenging in industrial environments, where the communications signal is often blocked due to the presence of industrial machinery, with possible intermittent and/or unpredictable blockages. This paper analyzes the wireless coverage provided by a low-cost IoT system in an industrial environment. A measurement campaign in different points of an industrial warehouse were carried out, showing substantial differences in terms of coverage between a totally empty area and an area with machinery and workers. The results show that the IoT system is able to provide enough coverage around the whole area, even with mobility or blockages.