IoT product development, dynamic multi-protocol quickly cater to diverse designs

The advantages of mesh technology continue to attract attention among IoT developers because end users will experience tremendous application performance gains from IoT devices that use this type of wireless interconnect network.

In the latest white paper released by Silicon Labs (also known as " Core Technology " ) - " Choosing the Right Wireless Mesh Network Technology " , we provide Internet of Things ( IoT ) developers with lighting systems, retail beacon systems or The recommendations for building or home automation to select a wireless mesh network are summarized in the white paper below. Please click “ Read the original ” to download the full article.

Mesh network applications and differences

Mesh networks use connected devices as nodes to expand connections, shorten the range of connections and allow device-to-device communication without cloud gateways. For example, each time a new light is introduced into the system, the lighting system's connection range is expanded so that any light switch operation can be left in the mesh network rather than through the cloud gateway. One of the major advantages of mesh networks is the ability to eliminate latency issues and accelerate device application performance.

The new white paper briefly introduces some applications that benefit from mesh networking, but focuses primarily on explaining the nuances of integrating IoT devices into wireless mesh networks.

This article will discuss in detail the interoperability of deployed wireless protocols such as Zigbee and Bluetooth and the best practices for using the Thread mesh protocol. Different service providers have requirements for specific protocols and / or multiple protocols ; therefore, designers must understand these details when choosing the appropriate connection solution. Many existing devices use Zigbee , and for new devices based on technologies such as Bluetooth mesh networking, it is necessary to consider interoperability policies through terminal devices or gateways supporting multiple protocols. This article discusses some other important interoperability insights and the importance of ensuring that the entire connected ecosystem is addressed, and adjusts the IP at the gateway as needed .

Dynamic multi-protocol quickly caters to multiple designs

Another valuable topic is the use of wireless standards and how to use the protocol based on the type of device and application. Of the three standards discussed in this article, the Thread Mesh standard is the only IPv6- based protocol that offers several unique advantages, such as end-to-end routing and addressing capabilities on the same network or across networks. Development techniques such as Bluebooth Low Power can be combined with Zigbee , simplify device setup via Bluetooth debugging, use a Zigbee device's smartphone, or provide the Bluetooth connection required to support Apple Homekit .

Silicon Labs has a multi-protocol software and hardware solution designed to solve many of the issues detailed in this article. This helps designers design a single product that supports multiple wireless connectivity protocols. This can be the same device that can connect to multiple protocols in the field, or a device that can be configured in the field or factory as one of many different wireless protocols.

Often, an agreement may not meet the needs of all products and markets. This article provides a fair amount of advice based on the type of application the designer is working on so that it can choose based on the needs.