Connectivity
When you need to get a product online, connectivity is not only about choosing a radio. It is about designing a connection that fits the product's function, while taking account of power profile, antenna conditions, data volumes, coverage and where the data has to be sent — an app or a cloud database, for example.
Connectivity
Connectivity starts with the application
When a product has to go online, the right choice usually does not start with the technology. It starts with the application. Where will the product be used? How often does it have to send data? How much data has to be transferred? How critical is the connection? Will the product run on battery, on fixed supply, or perhaps draw power through the same cable as the data connection? And should the data end up in an app, a gateway, a PLC, a local server or directly in the cloud?
RF & antenna design
Stable connection in the finished product
Low power consumption
Communication optimised for battery life
Secure transfer
Encryption from device to cloud
Connected everywhere
Connectivity for different markets and environments
Wired or wireless connectivity
Depending on the environment, we choose the transmission that makes the most sense. In some products a wired connection is the right choice. That can be a classic industrial data connection, Ethernet, USB, or a solution where data and power are combined in the same cable, for example with Power over Ethernet. Wired connectivity can be the obvious choice when the product requires high stability, low latency, a high data rate or fixed installation in an industrial environment.
In other products a wireless connection makes more sense. That can be Bluetooth Low Energy for local communication, onboarding, service or connection to a mobile phone. It can be Wi-Fi, when the product has to send larger volumes of data over an existing network. It can be LoRa or LoRaWAN, when small volumes of data have to be sent over long distances with low power consumption. And it can be LTE, LTE-M or Narrowband IoT, when the product has to work independently of the customer's local network and send data over the mobile network.
Conversely, there are applications where low latency and a high data rate matter more than low power consumption. That can be real-time control, industrial monitoring, camera or vision solutions, advanced data logging, or products where the user expects immediate response. Here the connectivity architecture has to be designed for speed, stability and capacity from the start.
Power, antenna and the physical integration
Power consumption is one of the biggest design factors in wireless products. Every measurement, wake-up, handshake and data packet uses energy. That is why we design not only the hardware, but also the product's communication pattern. Does the product have to be online all the time, or can it wake, measure, send and go back to sleep mode? Should data be sent continuously, on events or at intervals? Choices of that kind can be the difference between a product that lasts a few days and a product that lasts several years on battery.
Antenna placement is another classic challenge. A radio chip or a finished module is not enough on its own. The antenna has to work in the finished product, together with the PCB, battery, enclosure, cables, metal parts and the surroundings. That is why radio, antenna, mechanics and PCB layout have to be thought through together early in the design. If connectivity is only added at the end, it is often discovered too late that the signal cannot get out properly.
Connectivity across markets and environments
Where the product has to work also has to be taken into account. Mobile networks, frequency bands, roaming, LoRaWAN coverage and the customer's local network vary from country to country and from environment to environment. A product that works fine in Denmark does not necessarily behave the same way in Germany, the USA, Asia, a basement, a factory building or a steel enclosure. That is why failover can be necessary, for example Wi-Fi with mobile backup, local Bluetooth service access, or a gateway solution.
In very remote areas, connectivity can require a different approach. If the product has to work far from ordinary infrastructure — offshore, in agriculture, on construction sites, in utility networks or on mobile installations, for example — satellite-based communication can be relevant. That can be through dedicated satellite modules directly in the product, or via a gateway that gathers data locally and forwards it over satellite. Here it becomes extra important to design the data model correctly. Satellite and LoRaWAN are typically best suited to short, prioritised messages, status, alarms and measurement data, but not large volumes of data. That is why the product often has to collect, filter and compress data locally, so the connection is used efficiently. At the same time, antenna placement, power consumption, latency, subscription costs and operational reliability requirements have to be taken into account, because a product in a remote environment is rarely easy to reach physically once it is installed.
In some products it makes sense to make connectivity modular. That means the same product platform can be fitted with different communication modules depending on customer, market or use case. One customer may need LTE-M, another Wi-Fi, and a third a wired industrial connection. Modular connectivity can reduce development costs and make the product more flexible across markets.
Connectivity as an integrated part of the product
At Move Innovation we develop connectivity as an integrated part of the product. We look at data, power, antennas, mechanics, firmware, security, cloud, gateway, PLC integration and manufacturing together. The goal is not just to get a connection. The goal is to choose the connection that works stably, efficiently and economically in the reality the product has to live in.
Frequently asked questions
Which connectivity technology should my product use?
It depends on range, data volume, power consumption, coverage, cost, security and where the product will be used. Often the right solution is not one technology, but a combination.
When does Bluetooth make sense?
Bluetooth Low Energy makes particular sense for local communication with a phone, onboarding, service, configuration, or products with low power consumption and short distances.
When are LTE-M or NB-IoT relevant?
LTE-M and NB-IoT are relevant when the product has to send data over the mobile network without depending on the customer's Wi-Fi. They are particularly interesting for IoT products with low or moderate data usage.
Why does antenna placement matter so much?
Because the antenna is decisive for the actual connection. Enclosure, metal, battery, PCB layout and the product's placement can all affect the signal significantly.
Can you build modular connectivity?
Yes. We can design solutions where connectivity can be varied with modules, so the product can be adapted to different customers, markets or coverage conditions.
Can a product have several connections?
Yes. A failover connection used only when the primary connection fails can be necessary. That could be Wi-Fi with mobile backup, local Bluetooth service access, or a gateway solution that secures alternative communication during an outage.
Shall we turn your idea into reality?
Technical development takes more than good ideas — it takes the right skills. We have gathered hardware, software and engineering expertise under one roof, so you get from prototype to production quickly and safely.
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