In this article, we will analyze the most common standards for IoT applications, Various wireless technology solutions in the IoT, Bluetooth low energy (blue), Wi-Fi, and Lora. it is possible to distinguish between these wireless technologies depending on the application to be implemented.
What is the IoT?
Internet of Things (IoT) systems consist of smart devices connected to the Internet that use integrated systems such as processors, sensors, and communication hardware to send the collected data.
IoT devices share data by connecting to gateways that send information to the cloud for analysis. The connectivity protocols used by these devices depend heavily on the particular IoT application to be implemented.
Nowadays, the world is full of wireless connections with different technologies, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa, Zigbee, Z-Wave, NFC, etc.
Wifi of wireless technology solutions in the IoT
Wi-Fi devices are well-suited for applications that require short-range and high-speed data transmission. On the other hand, BLE technology is the best solution for applications that require low energy and short-range transmission. Lora technology is used for systems that require long-range data transmission and low energy consumption.
Wi-Fi technology is used for all applications that have high-speed data transmission requirements. This is undoubtedly the most widely used wireless transmission technology in the world. Tablets, laptops, cell phones, smart TVs, cameras, printers, cars, and other devices now use Wi-Fi technology.
Wi-Fi networks are local wireless networks (WLANs) based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, with signals transmitted over frequencies between 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz. Devices with Wi-Fi modules are connected to each other through an access point. The devices signal access requests to the access point and allow data transmission only after the authentication and association process.
Data transmission via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) can be used for any application that does not require high speed. The technology can be used for wireless charging applications, health monitoring, wearable devices, and smart homes. Bluetooth technology was born as a wireless transmission method from the RS-232 serial protocol for wired data transmission. Starting with BT4.0, this technology started to support low-power devices (BLE).
There are dual-mode devices on the market that can support both classic Bluetooth (BT) and low-power Bluetooth. the energy consumption of BLE can be estimated at 1% to 50% of classic Bluetooth, which is why they are particularly suitable for IoT applications. the battery life of BLE devices is estimated at 1 to 40 months. For example, iBeacon BT devices for indoor positioning systems can easily work for several years.
Lora of wireless technology solutions in the IoT
Lora (Long-Range) technology is suitable for all applications that require small packets to be transmitted remotely, with distances estimated from 5 to 10 km in urban environments and up to 30 km in rural areas.
The Lora protocol includes different application areas: smart agriculture, smart buildings (water loss detection, structural health monitoring), and smart house management (thermostats, sprinklers, door locks). Lora uses extended-spectrum modulation derived from CSS (linear spread spectrum) modulation. The radio bands used are below 1 GHz, 433 MHz, and 868 MHz in Europe.
These connectivity technologies are the most widely used in the IoT, and to improve connectivity, both Wi-Fi and Lora can be used in the same project. for example, data can be collected by a LoRa device and then transmitted to a web server via Wi-Fi.
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