What implications will IEEE 802.15.4 have regarding customer demand for new product features in the marketplace?
The idea of objects which can communicate with their environment is the next Internet revolution. The "Internet of the things" era is coming and it will require a common and stable communications platform which let simple "objects" and complex devices communicate among them automatically.
Manufacturers will have to design their devices not just to work with their "family products" but to work and integrate with the other manufacturer's devices which take part of the customer life. IEEE 802.15.4 lets adhoc communications among devices without having to use a centralized unit.
However, protocols such as ZigBee, require a more complex and hierarchical topology. This paradigm will lead the creation of a new mesh protocol instead of ZigBee, which lets create complex communications topologies without having to centralize the communications.
For the moment all the efforts are focused in the creation of a standard ZigBee protocol, however, the first step is to get the 802.15.4 link layer protocol to be fully compatible among all the manufacturers, which is one of the non solved problems as far as now. Interconnection, scalability, security and low power consumption are
the main issues which will have to be follow in order to be inside the "game".
 Chris Wang FreakLabs Open Source Zigbee Project. Founder & Software Developer www.freaklabs.org |
I see a lot of wireless sensor network (WSN) news since I’m in the industry and also run a WSN newsfeed aggregator. This leads me to say that trying to predict the impact of cheap wireless communications in less than three hundred words is probably not possible.
Just about any product can benefit from wireless communication. Even mundane products like a table or a chair can be given a high tech luster by adding wireless capability to them. Some crazy guys even put wireless transceivers inside drink coasters that would automatically sense the weight of the cup and signal to the bartender when the cup was empty.
Along with the more serious impact of cheap wireless sensor networks such as enabling improved hospital patient monitoring, efficient disaster relief efforts, and improving crop yields through precision agriculture, the 802.15.4 protocol is catching on in whimsical applications such as clothing that communicates wirelessly. And of course the industry is targeting obvious consumer markets like wireless home automation and control, although there are still a lot of usability issues that need to be tackled.
One issue that the industry needs to deal with is the proliferation of networking protocols that ride on top of 802.15.4. In order to gain mass adoption, the industry needs to consolidate the numerous networking protocols into one or two standards. Currently, there are more than five wireless networking standards targeted at the consumer market and two major standards aimed at the industrial market. Until there are clear winners, people will just continue designing their networks to be one-off or private networks which will limit their size and complexity.
Regardless of the outcome, for something as general and universally applicable as 802.15.4, the important thing is to just make the software and tools cheap, easy to use, and accessible to everybody so that people can tailor the technology to fit their own needs…and also make it available to the crazy hackers and artists so we can have more wireless robotic jellyfish.
IEEE 802.15.4 delivers low-power wireless routing with speeds up to 250 kbit/S and flexible network architectures. With the addition of a network layer such as Zigbee, it becomes the basis for self-organizing mesh networks.
Some of the challenges that IEEE 802,15,4 face are data speeds and adoption at the IT layer. These two challenges are addressed by WiFi and IEEE 802.11, although 802.11 does not generally offer the low-power advantages.
Applications including distributed environmental monitoring, data center management, energy monitoring, and structural health monitoring require low-power devices that can operate for three to five years on the same battery.
These applications need self-organizing mesh networks to ensure data reliability and connectivity so data is available on the devices such as laptops and WiFi-enabled smart phones.
IEEE 802.15.4 technology addresses several application requirements, but does not provide native internet connectivity; to address the requirement a system approach with software is required. The software layer to provide seamless connectivity between an 802.15.4 mesh network and the internet is the one additional key component that is needed to solve applications today.
The IEEE 802.15.4 wireless communications standard enables extremely low-power radio communications to be used, license-free, all over the world. Recent advances in tiny processors, miniaturized antennas, and software programmable 15.4 radios allow wireless communications chips to be embedded in a wide range of devices, machines and structures.
These tiny radio chips and antennas can be powered automatically by an emerging technology called “energy harvesting,” which uses ambient light, electro-magnetic fields, thermal gradients, vibrations, and cyclic strains to eliminate the need for battery maintenance. Combined with sensing and control capabilities, advanced machines, structures and critical systems are being developed with an embedded wireless nervous system.
These smart machines and structures are capable of tracking and classifying their operational temperatures and loads over their lifetimes. This information enables the machine to automatically track wear and fatigue, and therefore to predict the remaining life of critical components.
Then, using secure internet communications protocols, historical reports are provided, and maintenance alerts are automatically sent. These technologies enable the next generation of smarter and safer machines and structures.
For use in home automation and meter reading, the mesh network structure utilized by Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4) is near perfect. A mesh network works by transferring the information through a large number of other devices on the network to reach its end point, requiring each device on the network to be always on.
For something like your electricity meter this is fine. Zigbee is also well suited for the rare occasions that the utility company will need both your meter reading and your AC power line reading. However, if a mobile phone or laptop needs to be ready to act as part of the network at any time this will drain the battery. This is why Zigbee style mesh networks are never likely to play a large role in the consumer market which is based on low power, battery operated devices.
The technology best suited for consumer products is either Bluetooth low energy, or a combination of Bluetooth with a higher speed radio for transferring large files. Unlike 802.15.4, Bluetooth only needs to be on when it is sending or receiving. During down time the radio is switched off to save power. Bluetooth low energy is designed for products such as watches, sports devices and products that do not need to send large amount of data.
The battery life of Bluetooth low-energy products such as a heart rate monitor could be years rather than weeks or months. The combination of Bluetooth with a higher speed radio such as Wi-Fi or UWB also gives the low power consumption of Bluetooth along with the ability to transfer large files in a very power efficient manner. When a large file needs to be transferred, the higher speed radio is switched on to transmit the file, then off to reduce power consumption.
The other key reason why Bluetooth low energy is best suited for consumer applications is the huge range of existing products already featuring Bluetooth technology. The number of consumer products available today with Zigbee is negligible, so from both a consumer demand and a designer’s perspective incorporating Bluetooth low energy makes more sense.
To understand the direction that Zigbee will take to the market, it is necessary to understand the difficulties faced in penetrating the market. The key issues are cost, loss of product differentiation, reluctance to damage the revenue streams coming from customer “lock-in,” as well as low node density in the average installation site.
For larger appliance manufacturers, their biggest concern is where they hold a dominant market share, particularly in installed systems. Many of them have tested and qualified Zigbee controls, but are not launching them. With Zigbee, they will lose the “locked-in” advantage in the same way as mobile phone manufacturers were reluctant to adopt Bluetooth.
From an end-users perspective, Zigbee is obviously what they want to see happen. As customers gain exposure to the benefits of networked appliances, the level of integration expected will grow. Energy efficiency and dynamic load management systems are fast becoming a key aspect of both consumer demand and energy capacity policy.
As Zigbee allows for control systems and interface panels to move outside the appliance, the 'smarts' of the appliance will no longer be controlled by the appliance manufacturers, but rather by dedicated control panel providers. There is more likely to be generic protocol platforms, which can be customized to suit the tastes and requirements of the individual user.
The current downsides to Zigbee of added cost and complexity will be offset by volume production and energy use savings.
 Rich Howell California Eastern Laboratories Director of Business Development www.cel.com |
IEEE 802.15.4 is increasingly being deployed for wireless control. Silicon integration has enabled single-chip radio solutions, driving silicon costs below $3 and certified modules below $10. This market maturity and resulting low cost has enabled many new applications.
802.15.4 technology fits well into Automated Meter Reading and Automated Meter Infrastructure (AMR/AMI) systems, making it a natural choice for electrical and gas utilities to install devices that monitor and reduce energy use.
This saves end users money by taking advantage of off-peak utility rates while reducing the burden on what are often already-stretched electrical grid systems. 802.15.4 radios in the utility meter bridge wirelessly into a corresponding device in the home allowing utility companies the control to increase rates on the hottest or coldest days (times of greatest usage) while enabling consumers to adjust usage accordingly, often automatically.
This will help avoid blackouts or the rolling brown outs experienced recently in California while saving ratepayers money.
Industrial control environments are typically dirty and dangerous, which makes them difficult places to pull monitor and control wires. 802.15.4 eliminates those wires permanently.
802.15.4 makes commercial buildings more energy-efficient by monitoring and controlling the heating, lighting, air conditioning, ventilation and irrigation systems. Such automatic control of these systems enables service only to those portions of the buildings that require them, and only when required, thus satisfying environmental concerns while saving energy and expense.
In summary, low cost 802.15.4 wireless technology enables many new applications, increasing efficiency and lowering costs.
In today’s tough and economically challenging times it becomes ever more important for product manufacturers to find affordable yet noticeable differentiators. RF-based remote controls compliant with the RF4CE standard do exactly this and can make the difference when markets are under pressure.
The new generation of remote controls is based on RF (2.4 GHz radio frequency, IEEE 802.15.4 compliant). An RF remote control does not require line of sight and the signal transmits through walls and floors. It is an excellent option for controlling equipment inside a cabinet or behind doors. With a nice stylish flat screen on the wall you do not want to have the DVD player or set top box in sight.
A two-way communication system also allows feedback on the remote control with information about the status of the device. On top of that, RF remote controls can be made maintenance-free with a single watch-type battery that can outlast the lifetime of the remote.
For the manufacturer, RF remote controls offers minimal impact on product cost, yet a huge impact on the user experience. In times where cocooning is stylish again, a trendy interior becomes more important. RF4CE-compliant remote controls play an important role here and add a new level of user experience to a device we use every day.
The IEEE 802.15.4 standard makes short-range wireless exceedingly simple, cost-effective and robust, and has already become a strong success in the marketplace. Market volumes are expected to double each year as more developers discover the ease of working with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard.
The technology is known for its benefits in cost, performance and efficiency for real-time control and monitoring. We've seen high demand for our IEEE 802.15.4 system-in-package and platform-in-package families as more customers take advantage of interference avoidance and extended battery life no other wireless standards provide.
As a result of the cost benefits, it’s becoming more economical for mainstream products where cost is important. For example, the RF4CE industry consortium, with founding members Sony, Panasonic, Philips and Samsung to create a new protocol based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard for CE remote controls and entertainment components. This new protocol paves the way for further adoption of RF controls into consumer multimedia products. In fact, Sony has already implemented 802.15.4 technology on many of its Bravia TVs.
Other popular standards such as the ZigBee protocol, the WirelessHart specification, ISA 100 and 6LowPAN use the 802.15.4 standard as the basis of their networks. You can expect to see significant growth in smart energy, industrial control, building automation and body-worn medical healthcare and fitness applications.
The IEEE 802.15.4 standard is expected to be as prevalent as WLAN and Bluetooth technology in the future and has already demonstrated itself to be a highly versatile and widely used technology. From a growth perspective, it is a fast growing wireless technology in the market today and is positioned to eclipse other short-range wireless technologies.