Short Range Technologies provide innovative solutions for M2M applications
by Milena Milosevic, Product Manager Short Range Devices
ZigBee and Wireless M-Bus Products
Maintaining a constant flow of innovation in m2m solutions requires changes and adjustments in technology. Today, short range devices supporting ZigBee or Wireless MBus standards are playing an important role in enabling machines and other traditional non-computing devices and sensors to connect with back-end IT-infrastructure in a wide automation network. The benefits of this standardization in connectivity include guaranteed interoperability, low power consumption, and significant cost reduction. In order to address current market requirements, Telit's portfolio of short range solutions includes modules, terminals, and USB dongles that are compliant with ZigBee and Wireless M-Bus standards.
ZigBee is a high level communication protocol with a low power, digital radio based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard for wireless personal area networks (WPANs). This standard meets the unique needs of sensor and control device systems and is well on the way to becoming a global sensor/ control network standard. ZigBee is targeted at radio-frequency (RF) applications that require a low cost solution, ease of integration, low data rate, reliable data transfer, long battery life, and secure networking. Telit developed, in house, protocol stacks for ZigBee 2006, ZigBee 2007, and the latest ZigBee PRO, which have all been tested by the ZigBee Alliance and certified as ZCPs (ZigBee Compliant Platform). A ZCP platform is the starting point for developers to guarantee interoperability with the ZigBee industrial standard. All of Telit's ZigBee compliant modules are available in the same form factor, measuring 25 x 15 x 3 mm, with options which include integrated antenna or different output power (e.g. the ZE50-2.4 rated at 1mW or the ZE60-2.4 rated at 100mW). Additionally, the next product generation ZE51-2.4 and ZE61-2.4 will be available in the same form factor as ZE50-2.4 and ZE60-2.4 and will host the new TI (System on Chip) SoC CC2530 with extended memory of 256kB flash. 
Wireless M-Bus (Meter-Bus) is a European Standard for the remote reading of gas, water, and electricity meters as well as other consumption meters specified by the EN 13757-4 standard. The standard is in the European ISM frequency band, which is becoming widely accepted as the basis for new Advanced Metering Infrastructures (AMI) installations. Modules embedding the Wire- less M-Bus stack must comply with the general SRD standard EN 300-220, as does Telit's TinyOne Lite 868MHz. The Wireless M-Bus specification defines several modes suitable for both one-way or two-way communication in different situations such as stationary, frequent transmit, or frequent receive mode. Telit's TinyOne Lite module with Wireless M-Bus has a UART interface for serial connection and configuration, a variant with integrated antenna, form factor dimensions of 38 x 21 x 3 mm, and eight I/O ports. It is also an ultra-low-power solution that is easily integrated into applications. In the next product generation, which will be available in the second half of 2010, Telit will reduce the form factor size to 25 x 15 x 3 mm, thus creating a unified form factor with Zig- Bee products.
SR to GSM/GPRS Gateway
Short range devices are highly suitable for power-sensitive or battery-operated applications. A prime example of this type of application is one under much growth pressure due to a number of initiatives for infrastructure modernization: Automatic Meter Management (AMM). AMM allows the system to frequently measure, collect, and analyze consumption, which improves overall system management. The leading communication technologies for AMM are ZigBee and Wireless M-Bus, because they provide twoway communication and data transmission while not being subject to recurring air-time charges within the local environment.
Although the benefits of short range technologies are great, the localized communication area can be extended with the integration of cellular connectivity. By having extensive, in house, knowledge of both cellular and short range technology, Telit is ideally positioned to integrate a gateway solution that allows the IP host and short range end node to establish a connection. Integrating short range and GSM/GPRS creates an optimal communication system not only suitable for smart grids but also for the automation of residential and commercial buildings or the management of large sites controlling HVAC (heating/ventilation/air-conditioning), lighting, access, irrigation, urban semaphores, airports, and harbors. Additionally, other segments and applications such as patient monitoring in healthcare and process control in industry can benefit from the ability to remotely control a local environment. A short range solution that integrates a cellular gateway can provide information to the IP enabling the transmission of an alarm via SMS or the activation of an emergency call.
The GG863-SR gateway is equipped with a Telit GSM/GPRS programmable module, the GE863-PRO3, and a short range Telit module that manages the short range network. The main application runs on the ARM9 processor embedded in the GG863-SR, and a dedicated API, developed by Telit, manages data transmit and receive, set up, and other operations related to GSM/GPRS or to the short range network and web interface. The local sensor network is a set of nodes that periodically report data to a coordinator node for processing. The coordinator node, located inside the gateway solution, gathers information from nearby sensor nodes over a short range wireless network, which then processes the data and sends the requested information over a wide area wireless network such as GPRS.
All short range functionalities are included in the gateway thus enabling completely transparent access and control of the local network, the data message flow, and the command execution to the external IP host. This process allows all of the necessary communication to be managed through a web server enabling direct management of the gateway interface. The behavior of the gateway can be customized through the embedded Linux interface, which provides a complete development environment and additional dedicated libraries for GSM and short range while the configuration of the main GSM/GPRS and short range network parameters are handled over a web interface.
Combining short range and cellular technologies offers an innovative solution that opens up new horizons for short range network structures and represents another revolution for m2m technology. At a time when the world is increasingly concerned about rising energy costs, short range solutions are viewed as a leading technology helping reduce energy costs in residential and commercial buildings through smart energy products.
The integration of GSM/GPRS allows customers to fully benefit from the low power consumption of Wireless M-Bus and the intelligent ZigBee mesh network topology and from savings created by the low-cost of the technology coupled with significantly reduced data transmission costs given that only data sent through the gateway over the cellular network is subject to charges. The first terminal released in the Telit gateway family, the GG863-SR, provides solutions based on the combination of GSM/GPRS + ARM9 with ZigBee, proprietary mesh, and Wireless M-Bus variants with plans already in place for investment in other innovative, reliable, and optimized applications.
Customized Gateway Solution
New gateway products are currently under development through the joint efforts of Telit and a leading multi-national, worldwide water metering company. The resulting products will be included in Telit's gateway portfolio to provide for improved data collection in the field and to extend capabilities to create fully automated long range RF architecture. Once this is development is completed, it will be possible to establish two network topologies, ZigBee to Bluetooth, for a semiautomated system that interacts with PDAs or Smartphones, and ZigBee to GSM/GPRS for autonomous systems connected to the internet or intranet. The new gateway will boast Bluetooth connectivity, integrated rechargeable Li-on battery, and increased casing protection (IP42).
Further articles can be found at www.telit.com/ebook
RSS feeds
