FreeWave Technologies

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Template:Infobox company FreeWave Technologies, Inc. is an industrial company based in Boulder, Colorado, where it designs and manufactures secure machine-to-machine wireless networking, communications, and computing systems. FreeWave's radios capture and transmit data from devices such as sensors, gauges, valves, robots, drones, and unmanned vehicles over long distances (60+ miles / 96+ kilometers) in clear line-of-sight environments and harsh environments. FreeWave radios support a variety of industrial applications, such as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), wireless I/O, cathodic protection (CP) and remote monitoring, telemetry, and analytics. The Company's wireless connectivity and computing solutions are utilized in a variety of enterprises such as energy, utilities, agricultural, government and defense, water and wastewater, manufacturing, and commercial enterprises. The U.S. Army is one of its biggest customers. The Company conducts network design, path studies, and pre-installation engineering services to support its customers.

History

FreeWave Technologies was founded in August 1993 by Jonathan Sawyer and Steve Wulchin. From the beginning, Sawyer and Wulchin aimed to help customers transmit mission critical data via secure, highly reliable licensed and license-free spread spectrum radios. FreeWave has manufactured all of its radios in Boulder, Colorado since the first radio was shipped in 1994. In June 2007, TA Associates led a $113 million investment in FreeWave Technologies. The Company's major markets are oil & gas, government, and defense. FreeWave expanded its market focus into the utilities markets in 2009 – 2010 with its M2M technology and has continued to increase its presence in the agriculture, water/wastewater, and manufacturing industries since that time. Today, FreeWave Technologies has more than 800,000 industrial radios and embedded modules in the field.

Uses

FreeWave's wireless M2M solutions are deployed across many industries including oil and gas, government and , precision agriculture, golf, water/wastewater, manufacturing, and utilities. For instance, FreeWave radios are used by energy companies to maximize production and reduce operating costs for mission critical applications within the military, and for environmental monitoring to provide warning of impending natural disasters such as volcanoes.

The Institute of Geophysics of Ecuador uses FreeWave technology at Tungurahua, the highest volcano in the world which operates at below zero temperatures from a height of 5,947meters (19,511 feet) above sea level. FreeWave M2M devices capture early-warning signs that an eruption is imminent and transmit images from the top of the volcano. With hundreds of thousands of residents living around the volcano, early warning is crucial to take precautionary measures and evacuate citizens before an eruption can take place. The Geophysical Institute of Peru also uses FreeWave technology to capture and transmit sensor data across a line-of-sight path of up to 127 kilometers (78 miles) at 115 Kbps or up to 67 kilometers (41 miles) at 1 Mbps.

At an elevation of more than 6,000 feet (1,829 meters), the Mount Washington Observatory (MWO) in New Hampshire uses a FreeWave solution to capture data from six weather stations and transmit the data to an Ethernet-connected gateway. The data provides information such as temperature and wind speeds for MWO's climate research. Weather observations are reported to the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for use in nationwide and global forecasting models.

The operator of a Rocky Mountain based livestock facility implemented a secure ZumLink^TM IQ edge solution with a custom application to monitor water levels in remote tanks from the cloud via an Internet connection. Using the Node-RED programming language, an app was created quickly and easily to gather data from analog sensors. The solution helps drive down operating costs by reducing the amount of travel for visual inspections in the event of a problem such as a leak that prevents a tank from filling.

The Sangamon Valley Public Water District^[1] (SVPWD) in Mahomet, Illinois, implemented FreeWave radios in a new SCADA system to communicate with remote wells and control equipment and settings from a central locations rather than sending personnel to collect data and monitor the water system. SVPWD reported a 50-pecent cost savings, with savings expected to rise as leaks and inefficiencies are detected and corrected.

When strapped to a drone^[2], FreeWave's technology can monitor remote environments and detect such issues as thermal fluctuations and fallen power lines in real time. Then the radios can relay information to such parties as fire departments, insurance and telephone companies, and dispatchers.

Technology

FreeWave's product platform includes edge connectivity and computing technologies designed to support a variety of network infrastructure, communication, and application requirements. Available models operate in the 455 MHz, 900 MHz, 1.3 GHz, 1.4 GHz, and 2.4 GHz radio frequencies; support point-to-point (PTP) and point-to-multipoint (PTMP) configurations; utilize secure Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS); and communicate via multi-protocol Serial communication and Ethernet. Systems operate in temperatures from -40^o C to +75^o C (-40^o F to +167^o F). Interfaces supported include RS232, RS422, RS485, and TTL. Models are available with 128/256-bit AES encryption and C1D2 certification. FreeWave's IQ Application Environment is available on its ZumIQ^TM products, providing the ability to program, deploy, and run applications in any Linux-compatible language.

Products

Template:Overly detailed Supported Interfaces: RS232/RS422/RS485/TTL.

Its wireless M2M networking and communications solutions serve a wide variety of applications in industries, such as electric power, oil and gas, water/wastewater and more.

WaveContact

WaveContact is FreeWave Technologies' wireless I/O solutions for industrial M2M and IoT applications in remote hazardous locations. Made up of two components—the WaveContact 10i and the WaveContact Data Concentrator 50i—the WaveContact product family is certified for both Class 1, Division 1 and Class 1, Division 2 hazardous locations.

WaveContact 10i EndPoint
WaveContact 50i DataConcentrator

Serial radios

FreeWave serial radios support users in locations across the world ranging from the Middle East to Mount Everest, Permian Basin to the Amazon Rainforest, and from Antarctica to New York City.

FGR2
FGR-115
FGR09
FGRSR
MM2
Ranger Series
869 Series (for Europe only)
Cellular bridge

I/O radios

FreeWave's wireless I/O is the basis for remote process automation, process optimization and condition-based monitoring. Wireless I/O combines remote measurement, remote control and instant data communications with very reliable wireless networks. By integrating Wireless I/O into small field networks, medium plant operations and large SCADA systems, users have wireless sensor measurements, physical control and communications between remote controllers from a single device.

FGR-IO
I2-IO
IO Expansion
WaveLine 10i

Ethernet radios

FreeWave's wireless Ethernet solutions are designed for harsh environments.

FGR2-PE
FGR2-P
HTplus
MM2 Ethernet

Embedded radios

These FreeWave radios are a reliable solution for embedding within original equipment manufacturer (OEM) products.

MM2
MM2 Ethernet

Cathodic protection radios

Its cathodic protection remote monitoring solutions offer form factor flexibility in: board level, line marker, self-contained rectifier kit with solar panel and battery backup, a battery-operated waterproof unit, and the newest product "The Tower Replacement" module.

Battery-powered waterproof unit
Board level CP
Line marker
Rectifier monitoring enit
Tower replacement module

Traffic

These FreeWave radios are designed for traffic control applications.

T-9
T-24

Licensed radios (1.4 GHz and 400 MHz)

FreeWave Technologies licensed band radios have applications wherever licensed radios are preferred ranging from oil and gas to municipalities and beyond. Serial

LRS 140
LRS 455

Government and defense

Embedded radios:

L-Band (MM2-M13 and P Series)
MM2 EX
MM2-UHF
MM2-9X5W
Q Series
3400 series (3.4 GHz)
F Series
F Series – Narrow band
Spartan Series

Software

FreeWave Tool Suite is a free program and provides a simplified way to set up and manage networks. The software is secure and user-friendly, allowing users to control multiple frequencies and networks within a single system. Storage is centralized, so users have access to diagnostic data, reports and more.

FreeWave Tool Suite

Miscellaneous

Amplifiers
Antennas
Cables
Filters
Kits
Mounting Systems

Legacy Products

DGR

External links

FreeWave's Official Website

References

↑ Farr, Andrew. "A Wave of Smart Water Solutions". https://waterfm.com/wave-smart-water-solutions/.
↑ Skilling, Chaney (July 21, 2018). "Colorado tech companies take advantage of drones to expand use of their products". https://www.denverpost.com/2018/07/21/colorado-company-drone-usage/.

[1] Farr, Andrew. "A Wave of Smart Water Solutions". https://waterfm.com/wave-smart-water-solutions/.

[2] Skilling, Chaney (July 21, 2018). "Colorado tech companies take advantage of drones to expand use of their products". https://www.denverpost.com/2018/07/21/colorado-company-drone-usage/.

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