Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum Technology (FHSS)

FreeWave leverages FHSS to securely link wireless devices and smart sensors across long distances, extending coverage to remote areas where existing network infrastructure is not available or feasible to install.

FHSS was originally developed in the 1940s for military security purposes and to prevent radio signal jamming, but has been used in industrial operations for decades since then to enable I/O and telemetry applications.

Today, FHSS has become the inherently cybersecure wireless alternative to expensive Wi-Fi bandwidth, fiber, or cost-prohibitive cellular for automating processes at the network edge.

How It Works

FHSS is a wireless technology that spreads signals over rapidly changing frequencies. Each available frequency band is divided into subfrequencies, and signals rapidly change, or “hop,” among these subfrequency bands in a pre-determined order. This not only makes it highly resistant to interference, but difficult to intercept. FHSS also transmits data over distances of up to 60 miles.

Industrial Applications

In 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz, FHSS provides a low-power, long-range alternative to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa or Zigbee. FreeWave’s FHSS products enable mission-critical applications including unmanned ground and aerial systems, real-time monitoring and remote site automation, and other IIoT edge applications. They are also used by OEMs to integrate secure, industrial-grade wireless technology within their innovations.

In addition to the inherent cybersecurity offered by FHSS, FreeWave radios utilize 128 or 256 bit AES encryption.