National Instruments WSN-3212 Thermocouple Input Node for WSN

The National Instruments WSN-3212 (Part Numbers: 780998-01 and 780998-02) is a Thermocouple Input Node for Wireless Sensor Networks. This 4-channel model comes with thermocouple input channels and 4 bidirectional digital channels, and has an ADC resolution of 24 bits. The digital channels can be configured for sinking output, input, or sourcing output on a per-channel basis. The NI WSN-3212 can also be configured as a mesh router. Thus, you can use this device to achieve a higher node count or to increase the overall network distance. A single WSN gateway can accommodate as many as 32 measurement nodes or eight end nodes. The WSN-3212 comes featured with industrial temperature ratings and programmable input ranges. The device has a voltage range of 9 to 30 V.

This low power input device is designed to work without WSN-32xx gateways and nodes for the construction of a wireless sensor network. These wireless sensor networks are considered ideal for regular or ad-hoc industrial applications where fast acquisition and transmission of the distributed sensor data is required. With the NI WSN-3212, you can construct a truly wireless monitoring and control system without involving hardwired signals.

The National Instruments WSN-3212 Thermocouple Input Node comes with built-in CJC (cold junction compensation) and provides support for a variety of thermocouple types, including R, S, T, B, N, E, J, etc. This device can be powered by a field-replaceable battery or an external power supply and communicates with the gateway by generating 2.4 GHz frequency radio signals. The communication band utilized by the NI WSN-3212 and other NI WSN devices are carefully chosen for minimal interference from other communication signals.

The WSN 3212 can be programmed using the NI-WSN software which includes the Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) tool, and is compatible with an application development environment (ADE) like LabVIEW. 

WSN-3212 Mature Status has been announced by National Instruments, but the Thermocouple Input Node will still be available for purchase and repairs by Apex Waves.