Intelligent management systems for IoT devices are becoming urgently needed, given the unprecedented development of these devices, which are estimated to be sold in excess of 50 billion by 2020 (according to a Cisco study). Also, if we take into account an estimated Earth population of 7.5 billion inhabitants by 2020 and the fact that in African countries the Internet is not widespread, we can predict a distribution of 1:10 IoT devices for every inhabitant of the Earth. This accelerated increase in the number of devices reported per inhabitant of the Earth is illustrated by the Internet of Things chart.
“A typical family home could contain more than 500 smart devices by 2022 (…). We expect a very wide range of home appliances to become ‘smart’, in the sense of having a certain level of sensory side and intelligence , combined with the ability to communicate, especially wireless ”. The statements appear in a paper by Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT), world leader in research and consulting.
This multitude of devices available in homes in the near future must be managed by a connection infrastructure adapted to the growing needs of modern families. That is why we aim to identify what are currently the technologies and protocols used in commercially available IoT products, their limitations related to connectivity, compatibility with other devices and the ability of these devices to connect to a home management computer.
For this, we have determined a set of relevant criteria from the point of view of the HOME AUTOMATION / Intelligent HOME systems integrator, mentioned below:
• Communication technologies / protocols widely used in commercially available products with a global reach
• Maximum number of identification addresses available in a controller (with potential for use in a home)
• Data encryption used natively in the studied technology / protocol
• The supply voltage of the main controller or BUS
• Degree of compatibility between manufacturers – determined by random testing of several products widely available on the market
• Number of manufacturers and affiliated members providing certified products in that technology
• Number of products certified by the representative associations for each technology – used to determine the range and diversity of products (it will be studied to what extent the available products satisfactorily cover the main areas of a smart home system – LIGHTING, AIR CONDITIONING, MULTIMEDIA, SECURITY )
• Existence and quality of software tools for interfacing with a PC system, with the role of home management, with operating systems WINDOWS, ANDROID, iOS, widespread in the market
• Maximum coverage distance of the specific network studied
• Data transfer speed
Thus, since the beginning of this year, the VIKI team started to analyze, and where there are favorable premises for commercial developments, to test functionally with the development of VIKI interconnection modules, the following technologies: UPB, DALI, MODBUS, X10. Insteon, KNX, Bluetooth, BLE, EnOcean, Wi-Fi, Z-wave, ZigBee, Infrared (IR).
We present below some technical data related to the studied protocols, noting that for Z-wave and DALI software modules have been developed that allow the integration of equipment in the VIKI ecosystem.
* The study is carried out within the Microinv project: Project ID P_40_391 “Micro-inverters with high power density and high efficiency for renewable energy sources” – MICROINV, is carried out based on the financing contract no. 16 of 01.09.2016 concluded with the National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation (ANCSI), as Intermediate Body (IB), on behalf of and for the Ministry of European Funds (MFE), as Managing Authority (MA) for the Operational Program Competitiveness (POC).
Bibliography:
https://www.digitalilluminationinterface.org/
https://z-wavealliance.org
http://www.zigbee.org/
https://www.insteon.com