Evolution of wireless connectivity standards is bringing a lot of convenience in daily life. IoT evolved from connected device via connected home and connected cities. Through all of those changes more people and devices are communicating to one network infrastructure.
The greatest advantage of these changes is ease of data exchange, configuration and networking by various devices. End products operating in different standards can communicate with each other, creating one ecosystem.
Many benefits of the new networks standards will simplify design and make life easier for end users. However what it means for developers, engineers and manufacturers, what they should know and consider. Let’s take a closer look on the newest wireless standards and what they will bring to daily life.
Bluetooth LE and Bluetooth Mesh Software
Next generations of Bluetooth not only improve available functions in terms of power consumption, range and connection quality but also bring unique capabilities. Current generations of Bluetooth stacks 5.4 / 5.3 and Mesh, open new doors for the standard in the growing and demanding IoT market.
Currently Bluetooth is supporting topologies with specified functionality:
1. BEACONING
- iBeacon, EddyStone and other beacon formats supported
- Support for advanced Bluetooth 5 beacon features
2. POINT - TO - POINT AND STAR
- Bluetooth peripheral and central modes up to 32 connections and dual topology
- Simultaneous peripheral and central operation
3. MESH
- Bluetooth mesh for large device networks and many-to-many communications
- Simultaneous Bluetooth LE and mesh use
Upgraded Bluetooth 5.3 is compliant with Bluetooth stack with build in functionalities:
- Bluetooth 5.2 Dynamic TX power control
- Bluetooth 5.1 Direction Finding
- Bluetooth 5.0 standard features
- Bluetooth 4.x features
Latest Bluetooth mesh profile expand network capabilities in terms of density, communication latency and new profiles. Introduced and upcoming Bluetooth mesh features and functionality will simplify maintenance of devices and network, lower power consumption and secure each node and network.
Complete Bluetooth mesh profile, supporting:
- Proxy, relaying and friend nodes
- Bluetooth mesh low power nodes (LPN)
- Low latency communications down to 10ms per hop
- Large network support - up to 4096 nodes
Bluetooth®Mesh–The Advantages
Benefits of New Bluetooth® Mesh Features
1. SIMPLIFIED NETWORK UPGRADE
- Automatic check for new firmware, and installing it
- Standardize and simultaneous Over-the-Air firmware updates for homogenous devices
- Automatic check for new firmware, and installing it
2. SCALABILITY MADE EASY
- Scalable commissioning in large deployments
- Provisioner NO LONGER needs to be within radio range
- Scalable commissioning in large deployments
3. PLUG AND PLAY
- Automatic detection of change in device ownership
- Reset nodes for security and identity purposes
- Automatic detection of change in device ownership
4. INCREASE NETWORK SECURITY & PRIVACY
- Onboarding authenticated devices
- Certificates to authenticate devices before provisioning
- Onboarding authenticated devices
Upcoming Bluetooth® Mesh Feature Enhancements
- Device Firmware Update (DFU)
- The DFU feature of Bluetooth mesh adds a standard way to update the firmware on thenetwork’s nodes
- Remote Provisioning (RPR)
- Bluetooth mesh will soon introduce Remote Provisioning that provisions and configure the network through a proxy node, eliminating the requirement to be within radio range of provisioner
RPRenablesfasterandsimplernetworksetup
- Certificate Based Provisioning (CBP)
- The new Certificate Based Provisioning feature introduces a new method that uses certificates during provisioning to authenticate devices being added to the network
Certificate Based Provisioning (CBP)
- Subnet Bridging
- Allows communication between devices in different subnets
- Subnet bridges have bridging tables
SubnetBridging
- Directed Forwarding
- Directed forwarding feature improve the scalability of the network by adding Directed
Forwarding Node type, configuration models, paths and method to create and maintain them
Directed Forwarding example
- Private Beacons
- Private Beacons feature encrypts static information to prevent privacy risks during beaconing
- Private beaconing ensures devices, or users of those devices in a network cannot be tracked using static information contained in a beacon message
Complexity of mesh network and different types of nodes require various hardware resources like Flash / Ram size. Silicon Laboratories developed series 2 product families which will support specified functionalities / profiles.
Recommended SoCs Based On New Bluetooth® Mesh Features
New Bluetooth® 5.4 and future-oriented Electronic Shelf Labels profile
Latest Bluetooth 5.4 stack is improving the bi-directional communication with thousands of end nodes from a single access point. Demanding and growing Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) market will highly benefit from this feature.
In addition two significant improvements will be implemented in the new Bluetoot 5.4:
- Periodic Advertising with Responses (PAwR)
- Enabling the implementation of a time-synchronized star network with bi-directional communication using an enhanced Periodic Advertisement with a Response feature
- Can support huge star network implementations in a highly powerful and efficient way
- Encrypted Advertising Data (EAD)
- Enabling the ability to encrypt advertising data
The major ways how Silicon Labs portfolio can maximize the new Bluetooth 5.4 features:
- Key products for Bluetooth devices: EFR32BG22 and EFR32BG24
- Key products for Bluetooth access points: EFR32BG21
Evolution of Wi-Fi – Wi-Fi 6 in IoT market
Wi-Fi is one of the most recognized communication standard, used in daily life. The advantages of
using the standard in IoT Application is beneficial from many perspective:
- Simplified installations and cost reductions
- Use existing Wi-Fi router/modem
- Native IP protocol for internet communication
- No additional Hub/Gateway required
- Extended range, battery life, throughput
- Energy efficient and longer range 4GHz single-band
- Power saving capabilities
- Higher data rate support
- Improve user experience and interoperability with
- The new Matter protocol
- Ecosystem cloud integration and connectivity
- Local area network connectivity
- Bluetooth Low Energy usage with Wi-Fi
- Simplified provisioning
- Proximity detection
- Sensor connectivity
Summary of key differences between Wi-Fi standards
The current evolution of the standard has introduced new features which redefine the standard in low power IoT applications. Wi-Fi 6 is evolving to serve the explosion in IoT devices, by providing:
- Reduces power consumption significantly in higher density which increases battery life
- A higher density of IoT devices can be supported per AP or network
- Higher throughput, increased efficiency, and reduced latency (better performance and energy efficiency)
- Improved network capacity, robust connectivity, and extended coverage per deployment for IoT devices
- 4 GHz, 20MHz client support for low power and long range
- Secure (WPA3) and backward compatible with previous generations of Wi-Fi devices
Example Wi-Fi 6 usage in IoT applications
To enable use of Wi-Fi standard in wider range of IoT application, Wi-Fi 6 gained significant changes which allow to meet IoT low power requirements.
Wi-Fi 6 key IoT characteristics
1. OFDMA vs OFDM: Better Spectral Efficiency and Capacity
- OFDMA allows simultaneous communication with multiple devices
- channels divided into sub-channels known as Resource Units (RU)
- Enables further AP customization of channel use to match client and traffic demands
- AP can allocate the whole channel to a single user or it may partition the channel to serve multiple devices simultaneously
- Increased efficiency for (high percentage of traffic) short data frames
2. Advanced Power-Save for IoT – Target Wake Time (TWT)
- TWT enables wireless AP and devices to negotiate and define specific times to access the medium
- TWT has two available methods
- Individual TWT: each device can negotiate sleep period with AP
- Broadcast TWT: AP provides sleep period for a group of devices
- Individual TWT is ideal for battery operated IoT devices
3. Uplink Multi-User (UL OFDMA and UL MU-MIMO)
- Wi-Fi 5 introduced MU-MIMO but with only 4x4 downlink
- Wi-Fi 6 doubled that to 8x8 and added support for Uplink (UL) for both MU-MIMO and OFDMA
- Wi-Fi 6’s MU-MIMO and OFDMA techniques increase concurrent access capacity, balance throughput, improve range and reduce latency
4. Basic Service Set (BSS) coloring enables additional ch (spacial) re-use
- What is BSS Coloring?
- A subchannel “color” assigned to a Unique BSS (Basic Service Set)
- Channel is blocked only if color is same
- Concurrently transmit data to multiple devices in congested areas
- BSS coloring benefits:
- Maximizes network efficiency and performance
- Reduces interference, collisions and contention
- Prevents unwanted device on time
- Enhanced coexistence and user experience with faster, energy efficient and more reliable Wi-Fi connections
Wi-Fi 6 Range and Performance Considerations for IoT – 2.4GHz vs 5GHz
The new standard is bringing us same questions in terms of range and performance. Wi-Fi 6 is supporting both generic frequency bands 2.4GHz and 5GHz, each frequency band has different pros and cons when it comes to selection.
2.4GHz is offering better range, and 5GHz offer higher throughput. So which frequency should be used in final product? Key aspects for this consideration are defined and explained in below table.
Why Wi-Fi 2.4GHz is good for IoT
Depending on which standard is best for our use, there are several options to consider for Wi-Fi standard and Wi-Fi 6.
Silicon Labs’ Wi-Fi SoC Portfolio Summary
Field Area Network (FAN) Evolution
Ongoing digital transformation of cities and modernization of grid demanding a solution which can handle multiple services and is standard based, low power, long range, secure and reliable. The Field Area Network two- way communication network, dedicated to use with devices as meters, sensors, relays and switches.
Wi-SUN (Wireless Smart Utility Network) is a Sub-GHz IPv6 mesh solution for smart infrastructure that provides:
- Scalable self-healing mesh
- High performance long range
- Interoperable & secure
The standard powers large-scale outdoor IoT networks like wireless mesh networks for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), home energy management, distribution automation, and other large scale outdoor network applications including FAN (Field Area Networks) and HAN (Home Area Networks).
Wi-SUN Network Architecture
Wi-SUN Network Components Function & Characteristic
1. Border Router
- Provides WAN connectivity
- Maintains source routing tables
- Node authentication and key
- Disseminate PAN wide information such as broadcast schedules
Router Nodes
- Upward and downward packet forwarding within a PAN
- Services for relaying security and address management protocols
Limited Function Nodes (LFN)
- Discover and join a PAN
- Battery operated devices
- Send/receive IPv6 packets
Latest version of Wi-SUN standard is supporting both profiles of network Wi-SUN FAN 1.0 and
Wi-SUN FAN 1.1.
Wi-SUN FAN 1.0 profile characteristic
- Deploy a mesh network with up to several thousands’ nodes
- Native IPv6 communication through 6LoWPAN
- Based on FSK PHYs (up to 300 kbps)
- Interoperable
- Secure
Wi-SUN FAN 1.1 profile characteristic:
- Enable battery powered devices in the network (water/gas metering, smart city sensing…)
- Expanded global footprint (Japan, Brazil, EU…)
- Introduction of OFDM PHYs (up to 2.4 Mbps) for high performance use cases like distribution automation
- Modulation and data rate negotiation between nodes to make use of the different PHYs for optimum performance
Long Range vs Mesh IoT Protocols
Biggest advantage of Wi-SUN network in comparison to long range standards like LoRA is mesh topology. In urbanized area to ensure full network coverage the topology has to be suitable, robust and easily adaptive.
Long Range networks are using star topology which is based on expensive base stations. In an urban environment or RF challenging layout, deploying enough base stations to cover the entirety of an area is tedious.
Long-range network coverage in urbanized area
On the other hand mesh topology is more flexible, routers can be deployed on grid powered devices (electric meters or streetlights). Having a complete RF coverage of such an area becomes possible.
Mesh network coverage in urbanized area
Wi-SUN – Silicon Labs Offering
Silicon Laboratories as leading IoT company is providing to their customers both stack and hardware solutions.
1. Stack features
- IPv6 UDP messaging
- Frequency Hopping Supported
- Data link layer all FAN 0 mandatory features
- RPL used as the L3 routing protocol
- FAN discovery and join
- Wi-SUN PKI and EAPOL
2. Silicon Labs Wi-SUN offering
- FAN 0 certified Wi-SUN Stack
- IPv6-6LoWPAN connectivity adaptation layer
- CoAP Library and Sample Applications
- Studio 5, Border router Demo and Network Analyzer
Sub-GHz Wi-SUN Series 2 SoC for Metering, Street Lighting, DA & Industrial Applications
Matter Connectivity Standard
Matter standard is developed by over 280 industry leading companies. The goal was to simplify and make it easy to setup and control smart devices with multiple ecosystems. Devices and ecosystem with Matter logo are interoperable by design. Local ecosystem has to be consistent and responsive, connectivity that still works even without internet connection. All devices are authenticated before joining the network and data transfer is encrypted. The standard is universal for smart home, IP based and running on Wi-Fi, Thread and Ethernet.
Network Topology
Matter network and topology is based on combination of Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread and Bluetooth. Devices are commissioned onto a Matter network via Bluetooth, and are connected to the network over Wi-Fi or Thread. Thread devices are connected to the other IP networks through Border Routers. Bridges can link to other protocols like Zigbee and Z-Wave, based on IPv6 and with native support for Wi-Fi and Thread.
Matter Network Topology
Matter Target Applications
As the technology stack comes into focus, so do the smart home devices that we are initially targeting, which include lighting and electrical (e.g., light bulbs, luminaires, controls, plugs, outlets), HVAC controls (e.g., thermostats, AC units), access control (e.g., door locks, garage doors), safety and security (e.g., sensors, detectors, security systems), window coverings/shades, TVs, access points, bridges and others. Scoping exercises are also underway for additional consumer electronics products and the commercial industry.
Matter Connectivity Standard Stack
The stack provide required functionality to allow all devices cooperate in one ecosystem:
1. Common application layer + data model
- Interoperability, simplified setup & control
2. IP-based
- Convergence layer across all compatible networks
3. Secure
- AES-128-CCM encryption with 128-bit AES-CBC
4. Open-source development approach
- Based on market-proven technologies
5. Common protocol across device and mobile
- Extendible to cloud
6. Common data model
- Core operational functions, multiple device types
7. Low overhead
- MCU-class compute, <128KB RAM, <1MB Flash
Silicon Labs Matter Solutions – More Than Just Silicon
- Field-proven SoCs and modules for Wi-Fi, 4 with Bluetooth
- Best-in-class radio performance, low power, and wireless co-ex
- Vault security and AI/ML
- Support for all Matter device types, including border routers and bridges
- GitHub-based multiprotocol software platform with OTA
- Advanced development hardware, reference designs, and tools
- Ease of use through Simplicity Studio & GSDK integration
- Windows Development Support
- Inheritance for Thread and Wi-Fi certification
- Proven Matter certification
- Ecosystems certification
RecommendedMatterSolutions
EFR32MG24 product family:
- Feature Rich End Devices
- SoCs and Modules
- Thread + BLE
- Low Power
- Large Flash/RAM
- Robust peripheral set
- AI/ML accelerator
- Secure Vault High
EFR32MG21 product family:
- Optimized for Hubs/Bridges
- ICs
- Thread
- Radio Coprocessor
- Requires Host MCU/MPU
- Concurrent Zigbee / Thread
- Lowest BOM count
- Secure Vault High
SiW917 solution:
- Wi-Fi 6 End Devices
- ICs and Modules
- Wi-Fi 6 + BLE
- Ultra Low power
- SoC (internal ARM MCU)
- Secure (PSA L2)
- AI/ML accelerator
- SRAM/pSRAM/Flash
RS9116 solution:
- Wi-Fi 4 End Devices
- ICs and Modules
- Wi-Fi 4 + BT/BLE
- Ultra Low Power
- Requires external Host MCU/MPU
Matter applications requiring proper solution selection depending on end product purpose and functionality. The table below is showing all available products with use case and serving protocols.
Recommended SoCs Based On Matter® Use Case and Protocols
Amazon Sidewalk Enables a Distributed Network Beyond the Front Door
Amazon Sidewalk is a new ecosystem for creating shared wireless networks connecting IoT devices at homes, and beyond the front door. Amazon Sidewalk is a new way to enable IoT, compliments existing IoT protocols and allow device makers to connect securely without dedicated gateways. New ecosystem is enabling new types of applications, where the data is accessed through AWS.
The network is operated by Amazon at no charge to end-customers Amazon Sidewalk. Amazon is providing
free of charge infrastructure consisting of:
- Protocol stack
- Application layer
- Standard physical layer (BLE, FSK, CSS)
A unique secure network designed to make devices work better beyond the front door, simplify device setup and keep devices up-to-date even without Wi-Fi connection. Currently launched in USA with a plan for global implementation.
Products Enabling the Amazon Sidewalk Infrastructure
Amazon Sidewalk is enabling various protocols to exchange the data like BLE, FSK and CSS. Various network protocols enable devices using single communication standard to connect to the ecosystem. Amazon Sidewalk delivers significant values to end users like:
- Range extension
- Frustration free setup / automatic connection
- Remove need for proprietary gateway
- Reliable connectivity
- Free alternative to transport data to the cloud
SiliconLabs andAmazon Sidewalk
RecommendedAmazonSidewalksSolutions
- 2.4GHz Bluetooth LE Radio + MCU
- Secure Vault-High
- Line Powered Devices
- 2.4GHz Radio + MCU
- Secure Vault-High
- AI/ML Capability
- Support for FSK + Bluetooth LE
- FSK only xG2x (Alpha 23Q2)
Connected World is becoming reality with latest communication standards. Interoperability of the protocols enable to communicate with various devices, connected using different standard. All product manufacturers must stay connected and compatible with market trends. Plurality of standards and solutions can make some difficulties during selection process. However a key point for all developers and end product manufacturers is to select best solution in all terms like price and specification.
Please contact us if you will have any further questions regarding right stack or solution selection.
Kamil Prus | BDM & FAE Poland and Baltic States
tel. 660 141 060
Computer Controls Sp. z o.o.
Pańska 98/4 00-837 Warszawa
Detailed information about standards and solutions are available in TechTalk webinars on demand here.
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