editor's blog
Subscribe Now

A New IoT Protocol

We’ve got a number of ways of getting our devices to talk to each other. Some time back, I opined that Bluetooth Low Energy and WiFi seemed to have the edge, largely influenced by the burgeoning Internet of Things (IoT). Zigbee, meanwhile, seems to have more sway in the Smart Grid.

Well, some folks still aren’t happy with these options. There are three capabilities that are desirable, and yet none of the above standards can do all three:

  • Low power (of course)
  • Native IP6 support
  • The ability to mesh

WiFi is the only one that handles IP-based traffic, but it loses on the power front; Bluetooth can’t mesh natively (although a mesh product has been announced overlaying Bluetooth); and Zigbee doesn’t do IP natively.

Hence the Thread protocol. It’s built over 802.15.4, the low-cost, low-power physical layer and media access control layer that underlie Zigbee and some other protocols. It handles IP6 via 6LoWPAN.

image002.jpg

It appears to have originated out of Nest Labs (now Google), and they’ve assembled a group of other companies to promote the protocol. Most of the other names are familiar electronics guys – ARM, Freescale, Samsung, and Silicon Labs – but they also have a couple ThingMakers: Big Ass Fans (seriously) and Yale (think door locks).

Note that this isn’t about setting a standard: “promote” really is the right verb, since Thread is already shipping in Nest products. They’re going about this by putting together a certification program to ensure that all devices carrying the Thread designation pass muster. The certification program should be in place by the end of the year, with full availability early next year.

And what are the targets for Thread? Their site says, “… all sorts of products for the home.” They list specifically:

  • Appliances
  • Access control
  • Climate control
  • Energy management
  • Lighting
  • Safety
  • Security

Given that this is intended for non-technical consumers connecting Things in the home, they’ve also focused on ease-of-setup, via phone or computer or tablet.

You can find out more (and even participate) via their announcement.

Leave a Reply

featured blogs
Oct 4, 2023
Explore why multi-die systems adoption calls for collaboration across the semiconductor industry w/ panel insights from EDA experts at Ansys, Bosch, & Intel.The post Industry Insights: How Collaboration Will Accelerate Adoption of Multi-Die Systems appeared first on Ch...
Sep 21, 2023
Not knowing all the stuff I don't know didn't come easy. I've had to read a lot of books to get where I am....

featured video

Intel Agilex® 3 FPGA and SoC FPGA

Sponsored by Intel

Extend Intel Leadership with Intel Agilex® 3, to complete the full spectrum of FPGAs portfolio from high to low, all built on our resilient global supply chain.

Click here to learn more about Intel Agilex® 3 FPGAs

featured paper

Accelerating Embedded Software Development with the Intel® Simics® Simulator for Intel FPGAs

Sponsored by Intel

In a traditional FPGA design flow, the main portion of the software development cannot start until hardware is available. Intel provides the Intel Simics simulator for Intel Agilex 5 SoC FPGAs to give developers a vehicle to exercise their software in parallel with hardware development. Developers can run the same compiled binary software files providing the same results in the software’s execution. Software can be developed, debugged, and verified on the virtual platform up to a year in advance of the physical hardware becoming available.

Click here to learn more about the Intel Simics simulator

featured chalk talk

Johnson RF Connectivity Solutions
The growing need for remote patient monitoring and wireless connectivity has made RF in medicine applications more important than ever before. In this episode of Chalk Talk, Amelia Dalton chats with Ketan Thakkar from Cinch Connectivity Solutions about the growing trends in medicine today that are encouraging the use of RF, why higher frequency, smaller form factor, cable assembly expansion and adapter expansion are vital components in today’s medical applications and why Johnson medical solutions could be a great fit for your next medical design.
Nov 28, 2022
36,215 views