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Creating a wireless product can be difficult since wireless is not always a common thing for electronic engineers to study. The wireless world is different, and there is no promise that data sent will reach the other wireless node, due to interference which is common on today’s airwaves. Wired systems don’t need to deal with these problems, but with wireless it’s a big issue. However, there are some wireless modules which can be used to send data reliably using wireless RF. However keep in mind that not all modules are created equal. Some of the things to consider when selecting a wireless module include bandwidth, power requirements, and transmission range. Some common known protocols such as Zigbee, Wifi, and Bluetooth are also possible choices to face, but there are things one should know before making a decision.

Zigbee is a protocol which works great for applications that use very little power, but one of the downsides is network complexity and the difficulty to understand the protocol. When you intend to create a quick wireless link using a wireless serial module, I would recommend avoiding this one, unless you want to spend a lot of time learning how it works first.

WiFi is a protocol which can work well for high bandwidth, but it will draw a lot of power and introduce lots of latency into your system. If you’re transferring files that’s fine, but if you need hardware control you will want to minimize latency. There are few wireless I/O modules which can provide the benefits of all protocols, however, DataBridge modules can. These modules are based on zigbee but don’t require any in-depth knowledge of the protocol. In fact, these modules can be treated like a wire to transmit small amounts of data for several kilometers. The modules support direct connection of digital, analog, or serial UART. Modules connect together automatically and regenerate the signal at the other node. All of this is transparent to the user and makes for a quick and simple method of wireless data transmission.