Serial to WiFi Adapters

Generally about wireless serial RS232 connectivity.

Connecting a wireless serial RS232 device to a computer can be quite complicated if you don't know where to start. We will here take a look at two of the most used products to accomplish this task.
Connecting devices over a wireless RS232 link used to be a very expensive solution compared to wiring devices with cables and wires the old-fashioned way. This might be one of the reasons why wireless serial RS232 today is often underestimated when installing and connecting new serial devices. Truth is that wireless serial today is a very reliable and efficient way to connect serial devices, and by saving the cost of cables it can actually result in huge savings. Even connecting two serial devices within a few hundred feet can be done economically and reliable with today's low-cost wireless serial RS232 products.

Mainly two types of wireless RS232 serial products are used, which is serial Bluetooth RS232 adapters and Radio Frequency (RF) RS232 modules. We will here take a closer look at each product type.

Serial Bluetooth RS232 adapters.

Serial Bluetooth RS232 adapters are probably used more often than serial RF radios. The reason is that serial Bluetooth is low-cost, reliable, secure and many existing devices already have Bluetooth built-in, for example many laptops and GPS devices. By using a serial wireless Bluetooth RS232 adapter for connecting for example a GPS to your laptop you will enjoy the benefits of wireless connectivity for only a few more dollars as what a premium wired serial RS232 adapter would cost.

The technical aspects of wireless serial Bluetooth RS232 adapters.
RS232 serial Bluetooth adapters typically have a communication range of up to 300 feet, typically 50 to 300 feet are used for many consumer and business applications.
For a wireless RS232 adapter to work properly and reliable, it needs to be paired together as a receiver and a transmitter. A standard wireless RS232 Bluetooth adapter converts RS232 signals to Bluetooth and back again from Bluetooth to RS232 signals, this is also referred to as a bi-directional adapter.

Wireless serial Radio Frequency (RF) RS232 modules.

Wireless serial RF modules or radios are often more expensive and requires a bit more configuration than Bluetooth serial adapters, this may be a reason why serial RF radios are mostly used in business and industrial applications. The advantage of wireless serial RF RS232 radios is that they communicate in the 433.30MHz band, and inherently radio frequency has a longer communication range than serial Bluetooth adapters, so the communication range for wireless serial RF RS232 modules typically range from 1000 feet to 9800 feet but can go as high as 12 miles or even more.

Conclusion:
To determine if a Bluetooth or a RF radio is best for you, start by determine the communication range with which you plan to use the adapter.