The 9710-type explosion protected WLAN access point from R. STAHL enables radio communication in process plants in zone 2 / division 2. The robust device has been designed for typical operating conditions in the chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries and the oil and gas sector: it withstands temperatures between -30 and +60 °C and can be easily operated in outdoor areas. The compact access point is available with a plastic or stainless steel enclosure, both of which provide high IP protection ratings and impact resistance.

The high-performance solution can be configured as an access point, or optionally as a bridge or access client. In addition to its main access point functionality for communication with mobile WLAN clients such as notebooks or PDAs, the device also supports point-to-point Ethernet communication. Thanks to its high data throughput, it can serve as a WLAN client, e.g. combined with camera surveillance systems from R. STAHL. For that purpose, it communicates via the widespread IEEE 802.11a/b/g industry standard. The 9710-type gateway can be easily and intuitively configured via an integrated web server, which also provides diagnostic functions. Alternatively, the integrated OPC server can be used for diagnosis. Optionally, the access point can be supplied via Power over Ethernet, which considerably reduces wiring efforts during installation. If required, R. STAHL supplies WLAN hardware as a complete package which also includes services such as radio network planning, commissioning and acceptance inspection, thus ensuring stable operation of the radio solution on location. Additionally, R. STAHL also provides solutions for installation in zone 1 based e.g. on installation in flameproof enclosures (Ex d).