Acromag has released the BusWorks NTW Series, a line of wireless I/O modules that extends its NT Ethernet I/O family with dual-band Wi-Fi. The modules operate on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio per IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n and are aimed at industrial installations where running network cabling is impractical or cost-prohibitive.
Each NTW communication module works with Acromag's full range of NTX expansion I/O modules, and up to 64 I/O points can be managed over a single IP address. Available signal types include discrete I/O, analog voltage or current, and temperature. The interesting part is that the NTW modules accept the same NTX expansion hardware as the wired NT family, meaning users already familiar with that architecture can add wireless access without reworking their I/O layout.
Protocol support covers Modbus TCP/IP and EtherNet/IP for industrial Ethernet integration, plus OPC UA, MQTT, and a built-in RESTful API for IIoT applications. Each module also includes an Ethernet RJ45 port, allowing units to be daisy-chained where a wired segment is available, so an installation can mix wired and wireless links as conditions require.
Security features include WPA3 Wi-Fi authentication, TLS 1.2 with PKI and X.509 certificate management, and AES 256-bit encryption. The modules ship in a 25 mm DIN-rail enclosure with pluggable terminals and are rated for wide industrial temperature ranges.
Robert Greenfield, Acromag's Director of Business Development, described the NTW Series as "a simple and cost-effective way to extend industrial I/O systems beyond the limits of traditional Ethernet cabling." The product carries global RF and regulatory certifications supporting deployment in multiple international markets. Acromag has not publicly disclosed pricing or a specific availability date for the NTW Series.
