FUTURE TECHNOLOGY
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• A key consideration when designing IoT networks is the topology of the networks
• Any IoT application that requires operations over long distances can take advantage of cellular but the cost and power consumption are likely to be too high for most IoT applications
• In a mesh network every node is connected to each other
• In a star network topology all nodes are connected to one central node , which is typically the gateway to the Internet
• Industry forecasts expect 90 % of Bluetooth-enabled smartphones to be also Bluetooth Smart ready by 2018 .
• Mesh networks provide multiple internal paths for movement , require small amounts of power to transmit , and can add nodes relatively easily
• One of the biggest challenges across IoT devices , sensors , networks and applications is the ability to understand and to communicate with each other
Z-Wave Z-Wave is a low-power , low data rate , communication technology , designed for home automation . It supports full mesh networks and is scalable allowing control of up to 232 devices . Z-Wave uses a simpler protocol than others allowing faster development .
• Frequency : 900MHz
• Range : 30m
• Data Rates : less than 100kbps
LoRaWAN LoRaWAN targets wide-area network applications with low power requirements including mobile communication in IoT , smart city and industrial applications . It is specifically optimised for low-power consumption and supports networks with thousands and millions of devices . The data transfer rate is very low at less than 50 kbps .
• Frequency : Various
• Range : 2-5km urban , 15km suburban
• Data Rates : less than 50 kbps
6LowPAN 6LowPAN stands for IPv6 Low-power wireless Personal Area Network . 6LowPAN is a networking protocol and can be used across Ethernet , Wi-Fi , 802.15.4 and sub- 1GHz industrial , scientific and medical bands . A key attribute is the IPv6 stack , which has been important to enable IoT .
Bruce Zhou is CEO of Axilspot
IPv6 is the successor to IPv4 and enables any object in the world to connect to the Internet with its own unique IP address . It has been designed for home and building automation , and is a transport mechanism connecting complex control systems with devices through a low-power wireless network .
Thread Thread is based on IPv6 networking protocol and is meant for automating the home environment . It uses existing wireless silicon from chip vendors and supports a mesh network using IEEE802.15.4 . It is capable of handling up to 250 nodes with high levels of authentication and encryption . It is based on 6LowPAN and designed to complement WiFi . It recognises that while WiFi is good for many consumer devices it has limitations for use in a home automation setup . A software upgrade allows users to run thread on existing IEEE802.15.4-enabled devices .
• Frequency : 2.4GHz
WiFi WiFi connectivity is an obvious choice for developers , especially within home environments and LANs . It provides fast data transfer and can handle high quantities of data . But its power consumption is likely to be too high for many IoT applications .
• Frequencies : 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands
• Range : Approximately 50m
• Data Rates : 150-200Mbps is typical , 600 Mbps maximum , latest 802.11-ac offers 500Mbps to 1Gbps
Cellular Any IoT application that requires operations over long distances can take advantage of Cellular GSM , 3G , 4G . Cellular is suitable for high volumes of data , but the cost and power consumption for managing high volumes of data transfer are likely to be too high for most IoT applications . Cellular is suitable for sensor driven , low data projects , transferred over the Internet .
• Frequencies : 900 , 1800 , 1900 , 2100MHz
• Range : 35km max for GSM , 200km max for HSPA
• Data Rates : less than 170kps GPRS , less than 384kbps EDGE , less than 2Mbps UMTS , less than 10Mbps HSP , 3-10Mbps LTE
All the above parametres will find their way into IoT devices and applications based on the use cases . Future innovations rests in how they are combined and adapted to provide the best user experience in a costeffective manner , with high levels of security and robustness .
32 Issue 04 INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS