Finally, a real collaboration between industrial IoT and enterprise Wi-Fi

"HPE announces the integration of ABB Ability™ Smart Sensor technology with Aruba access points from end of 2019."

Included in HPE's news release on Tuesday, June 18 2019 was an announcement of a new Intelligent Edge partnership with ABB: the 130-year old Swiss industrial equipment manufacturer.

Motor Sensor. Photo from ABB catalogue

Integrations like this, in addition to the recently released SES-Imagotag Electronic Shelf Labels integration, are helping to differentiate Aruba products as IoT-friendly in a competitive market.

SES-imagotag electronic shelf label. Image from SES-imagtotag.com

The ABB integration is part of a suite of so-called "turnkey edge-to-cloud" solutions for Industy 4.0, which also includes cool toys like an IP55-rated enclosure announced in 2018 called the "Secure Edge Data Center", that can be installed nearer to the factory floor for handling all those time-sensitive operational workloads.

Back to the sensors: ABB has an existing sensor platform called ABB Ability Smart Sensors.
(The sensor capabilities are detailed at the end of this post.)


In the ABB Ability platform without Aruba APs, the sensors communicate over Bluetooth either to a phone within 1-10 meters, or to a ABB-supplied Bluetooth gateway within 50 meters (best case). From there, the information is sent to a cloud service which plots historical data onto graphs, shows lovely red icons when a sensor is alerting, etc.

While the details of the Aruba integration have not yet been announced, it is fair to assume that the BLE radios that have been included in the 300-series and 500-series Aruba APs will be put to use to replace the "gateway every 50 meters" functionality.

If it works anything like the aforementioned SES-Imagotag ESL integration, we can expect to be able to deploy it with a few simple lines of configuration that will allow the AP to bridge the BLE sensors to ABB's cloud servers.
While SES-Imagotag requires a USB dongle, I am hopeful that the ABB solution will be native, as it uses standard BLE.

European organisations can purchase directly from ABB online and the store page reveals subscription pricing of €99.00/device/year with their native gateways. There probably won't be any cost from the Aruba side though.

Bearing Sensor. Photo from ABB catalogue

The sensor portfolio includes:

Condition monitoring for pumps to get readings for:

• Health parameters
• Overall condition
• Overall vibration (velocity rms)
• Bearing condition
• Misalignment
• Unbalance
• Looseness
• Blade problems
• Cavitation (under development)
• Flow turbulence (under development)
• Skin temperature (degrees)
• Operating parameters
• Radial vibration (velocity rms)
• Tangential vibration (velocity rms)
• Axial vibration (velocity rms)
• Speed (rpm)
• Operating hours
• Number of starts

Mounted bearing sensors to get readings for:

• Temperature
• Vibration
• with a traffic-light health dashboard visible in smartphone app

Low voltage motor sensors to get readings for

• Health parameters
• Overall condition
• Overall vibration (velocity rms)
• Bearing condition
• Misalignment
• Skin temperature (degrees)
• Operating parameters
• Radial vibration (velocity rms)
• Tangential vibration (velocity rms)
• Axial vibration (velocity rms)
• Speed (rpm)
• Operating hours
• Number of starts
• Supply frequency (Hz)
• Output power (hp/kW)
• Regreasing count-down

Guide to 5GHz Wi-Fi Channels in New Zealand (NZ)

Disclaimer: I am not a registered RF Engineer, and this is just my interpretation of the information. You are responsible for ensuring your own compliance with Radio Spectrum Management

Most web searches for information about 5GHz Wi-Fi channels result in America-centric or Euro-centric results, so I've compiled this post for New Zealand specific information.

This information was sourced from rsm.govt.nz and from the NZ Government Gazette Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio Licence for Short Range Devices) Notice 2019 of April 2019. The regulations therefore may have changed since the 2017 version that is referenced on Wikipedia's list of WLAN channels

You should be aware that ground weather radar, covering channels 114, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126 and 128, operates at nine locations across New Zealand. These being Kaeo, Tamahunga, Mamaku, New Plymouth airport, Mahia, Outlook Hill (Wellington), Rakaia Trig, Blue Spur Range (Hokitika) and Invercargill Airport. If 5GHz Wi-Fi equipment is to be deployed in the vicinity of these 9 locations, it is highly recommended that these channels be avoided, as the weather radar is licenced for protection from interference. If your equipment causes any problems to these licenced services, compliance action may be taken against you. ---RSM.govt.nz

Ch36 to Ch48 (Ch50/)

5150MHz to 5250MHz

Max EIRP -7.0dBW

Use is limited to wireless LAN indoor systems only.

In the band 5150 – 5250 MHz, the maximum power is −7 dBW (200 mW) e.i.r.p. and the maximum permitted power spectral density is −20 dBW/MHz (10 mW/MHz) e.i.r.p. or equivalently −36 dBW/25 kHz (0.25 mW/25 kHz) e.i.r.p.

Ch52 to Ch64 (/Ch50)

5250MHz to 5350MHz

MAx EIRP -7dBW or 0dBW (depending on Indoor or Outdoor usage)

Use is limited to wireless LAN.

Indoor-Only Systems: In the band 5250 – 5350 MHz, the maximum power is −7 dBW (200 mW) e.i.r.p. and the maximum permitted power spectral density is −20 dBW/MHz (10 mW/MHz) e.i.r.p., provided Dynamic Frequency Selection and Transmitter Power Control are implemented. If Transmitter Power Control is not used, then the maximum power (e.i.r.p.) value must be reduced by 3 dB;
Indoor and Outdoor Systems: In the band 5250 – 5350 MHz, the maximum power is 0 dBW (1 W) e.i.r.p. and the maximum permitted power spectral density is −13 dBW/MHz (50 mW/MHz) e.i.r.p., provided Dynamic Frequency Selection and Transmitter Power Control are implemented in conjunction with the following vertical radiation angle mask where θ is the angle above the local horizontal plane (of the Earth):


Maximum permitted mean power density

Elevation angle above horizontal

−13 dB(W/MHz)

for 0° ≤θ <8°


−13 - 0.716(θ - 8) dB(W/MHz)

for 8° ≤θ <40°


−35.9 - 1.22(θ - 40) dB(W/MHz)

for 40° ≤θ ≤45°


−42 dB(W/MHz)

for 45° <θ;

Ch96 (actually Ch100) to Ch144

We must not implement Ch96, typically we begin at Ch100 for Wi-Fi, but the document does specify that this piece of spectrum begins at 5470MHz which is Ch96.

5470MHz to 5725MHz
Max EIRP 0dBW
Use is limited to wireless LAN
In the band 5470 – 5725 MHz, the transmitter peak power must not exceed −6 dBW (250 mW). The maximum power is 0 dBW (1 W) e.i.r.p. and the maximum permitted power spectral density is −13 dBW/MHz (50 mW/MHz) e.i.r.p., provided Dynamic Frequency Selection and Transmitter Power Control are implemented. If Transmitter Power Control is not used, then the maximum power (e.i.r.p.) value must be reduced by 3 dB.

Ch149 to Ch169 (actually Ch168)

The published frequency range includes Ch169, but we must not use Ch169 in New Zealand.

5725MHz to 5850MHz
Max EIRP 23 dBW
In the band 5725 – 5850 MHz, the transmitter peak power must not exceed 0 dBW (1 W) and the power spectral density must not exceed 17 dBm/MHz. The maximum power of any emission must not exceed 23 dBW (e.i.r.p.). Transmission is permitted from customer premise equipment with integrated antenna that is part of a point-to-multipoint system receiving from and transmitting to a central access point.


It is interesting to note that the RSM boundaries fall on the centre frequencies of wide Wi-Fi channels, meaning that the upper and lower halves of the channel may have different regulations. I invite any commenters to clarify this.

This diagram sets out the Wi-Fi channels that you can and can’t use in New Zealand.
and here is a static image in case that link becomes unavailable:

Aruba Outdoor AP Mounting Bracket Photos

These are the 4 outdoor AP mounting brackets for Aruba AP 270 series, 360 series, 370 series 275, 365, 367, 374, 377, 374, 380

MNT-H1 - JW054A - Hanging install (can tilt)
MNT- H2 - JW055A - Hanging install (flush, cannot tilt)
MNT-V1 - JW052A - Long arm pole/wall mount (300mm from wall)
MNT-V2 - JW053A - Short arm pole/wall mount (75mm from wall)

Important: If using AP377 or AP387 or other directional AP, don't use the wall mount or you'll end up aiming the antennas at the floor! Rather use the MNT-H1 mount on a wall or pole.


All will become clear when you see the photos: