SILEX SX-SDMAX
Wi-Fi 6 Connectivity Module for Energy-Efficient Robots and AGVs
Mobile robots and AGVs are frequently used in industry, agriculture, logistics, and even on construction sites. They require reliable wireless connections for secure remote control, fleet coordination, and data transmission, especially in these challenging environments. Wireless connections in particular comprehensively cover the high requirements for bandwidth, roaming performance, latency, availability, stability, security, and efficiency, thus providing the necessary basis for stable processes.
With the industrial-grade SX-SDMAX, a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 plus Bluetooth 5.3 combo module with SDIO 3.0 interface based on the NXP IW611 chipset, Silex offers a connectivity module that is particularly optimized for mobile robotics. Combining strong roaming, low latency with high data throughput, and low power consumption for longer battery life, the SX-SDMAX is ideally suited for both classic AGVs and AMRs, where densely packed radio environments, constantly changing access points, and continuous data streams are critical.
Innovative Wi-Fi 6 Features: OFDMA and Target Wake Time
For typical scenarios, Wi-Fi is the preferred technology because it provides a particularly stable economic basis for reliable communication in robotics and intralogistics systems, especially at short to medium ranges, which in many industrial environments range from approximately 45m to 60m. Wi-Fi 6 provides functions that offer a clear advantage, especially in situations where many devices communicate simultaneously and stable latency and throughput are still required.
In most operating environments, not only mobile robots and AGVs are active in the same radio space, but also scanners, sensors, HMIs, and other systems. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and the corresponding division of the channel into smaller units allow transmissions to be efficiently parallelized even in heavily utilized networks.
Wi-Fi 6 offers new features such as Target Wake Time, which allows devices to coordinate the time and frequency of activation for sending or receiving data, thereby extending device idle time and significantly improving battery life. In addition, it has a built-in mechanism that prevents collisions between data packets and efficiently avoids radio wave interference, ensuring optimal communication.
Thanks to these Wi-Fi 6 features, the Silex SX-SDMAX can balance communication quality and runtime even with performance-intensive data applications without increasing integration costs.
Software and Hardware: Plug and Play for NXP Platforms
For integration into industrial platforms, the SX-SDMAX offers a plug-and-play option ideally designed for NXP-based systems, such as NXP i.MX platforms. To accommodate different device architectures, there are various variants available, including surface mount, board-to-board connector, and M.2, which enable manufacturers to consistently implement the same concept depending on the product line and mechanical design.
In contrast to most module suppliers, Silex provides comprehensive driver development and driver patching to optimize performance and stability in real-world applications. This reduces integration effort and delivers fast, robust results, particularly for industrial projects such as AGVs, where roaming, latency, and throughput in field operation determine process quality.
Long Product Lifecycles for Industrial Platforms
Silex offers long-term product strategies and integration support. The SX-SDMAX is expected to be available for approximately 10 to 15 years, allowing robotics platforms to remain in production and service for many years. This makes the SX-SDMAX a robust foundation for series projects where serviceability and platform continuity are crucial over many years.
Advantages of the Silex SX-SDMAX:
- Wi-Fi 6 Dual-Band plus Bluetooth 5.3.: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz connectivity, suitable for modern industrial networks
- Roaming performance for mobile systems: Stable handovers between access points
- Low latency and high throughput: Suitable for remote control, telemetry, and image and video transmission
- Low power consumption: Essential for battery-powered robotics platforms and longer operating times
- Driver development and patching by Silex: Key differentiator and advantage over many Wi-Fi module providers
- Long product lifecycle: Up to 10 to 15 years of availability, plus options for component EOL
Whether upgrades to Wi-Fi 6, optimization of roaming performance, or energy-efficient wireless connectivity for battery-powered AGVs/AMRs: We support customers in selecting, integrating, and industrializing the Silex SX-SDMAX in their robotics or AGV platform, including driver strategy and lifecycle concept.
Additional Silex options for robotics and AGVs
In addition to SX-SDMAX, our portfolio includes other Silex wireless modules that may be suitable depending on the requirements profile. SX-PCEAX (Wi-Fi 6) is already being used in AGV applications and is designed for fast roaming and high data throughput. For future scenarios and particularly latency-critical networks, SX-PCEBE (Wi-Fi 7) is an option where features such as multi-link operation and time-sensitive networking can offer advantages for heavily loaded radio environments and deterministic latency.
