()

gadgets (/category/gadgets/),
internet of things (/tag/internetofthings/), nest (/tag/nest/),
samsung (/tag/samsung/), arm (/tag/arm/)
Samsung, ARM, and Nest
launch Thread, a low-power
network for the smart home
GooglesNestsubsidiaryandheavyhittersincludingSamsungElectronicsandArm
Holdingsarelaunchingthelatestbidtomakesensors,cameras,appliancesandother
devicesinhomeseasilytalktoeachother.
Machinesarealreadycommunicatingaroundconsumershomes,whileothersare
chattinginfactoriesandpowergrids.Butwhatsouttheretodayismoreacollectionof
differentnetworksthantheInternetofThingsthatssupposedtotransformourlives.
ThepointofIoTisthedatapointsitcollectsandthethingsitcancontrol.Themoreof
thosethatcomeintoplay,themoreusefulitwillbe.
Stephen Lawson
@sdlawsonmedia
Jul15,20146:14AM
THREADGROUP
(https://cms
images.idgesg.net/images/article/2014/07/thread
home100356938orig.png)
Thatsthepurposeofthenewspecification,calledThread,whichwasannouncedon
Tuesdayandisexpectedtoappearincertifiedproductsstartingnextyear.Butits
jumpingintoagamewheretherearealreadyseveraltechnologiesinuse,including
ZigBee,ZWaveandBluetoothSmart.
IoTspansmanyareas,includingfarflungfactoriesandtransportationnetworks,but
homesmayseethemostcloselywatchednewInternetdevicesinthenextfewyears.
Productsfromagrowingarmyofvendors,includingearlymoverNest,areexpectedto
controlsystemssuchaslights,heatingandburglaralarmsinthecomingyears.Today,
theylargelyspeakdifferentnetworkingprotocols,allofwhicharedesignedto
communicateoverrelativelyshortdistanceswithoutsuckingupbatterylife.
Threadisonemorestabatthatproblem,thoughitsbacker,theThreadGroup,saysits
notanotherstandardsbody.Instead,theThreadspecisbasedonexistingstandards
andaddssoftwareforfunctionssuchassecurity,routing,setupanddevicewakeup
thatshouldsavepreciousbatterylifeandmakeIoTeasierforconsumerstouse,
accordingtoChrisBoross,presidentoftheThreadGroup.
Wewantedtousesomethingofftheshelf,but...weknewthatwehadtodo
somethingnewtomakethebestproducts,saidBoross,whoalsoworksonthe
productmarketingteamatNest.
Threadsfoundationis6LoWPAN,apowerefficientPAN(personalareanetwork)
protocol.Buttherearetwostandardsunderlyingthatonethatareevenmoreimportant:
IPv6(InternetProtocol,Version6),thenextgenerationnetworkspecthathasan
almostunlimitedaddressspace,andIEEE802.15.4,whichisusedinchipsthatare
alreadybeingmassproducedforZigBeeandafewothertechnologies.
IPv6futureproofsThreadforthefutureofIPnetworks,and802.15.4willkeep
manufacturersfromhavingtodesignandrampupanewgenerationofsilicon,Boross
said.ProductsfromNestalreadyuseanearlyformofThread.Itsevenpossiblethat
someZigBeedevicescouldturnintoThreadgearwithjustasoftwareupgrade,hesaid.
ThebiggestthreattohomeIoTtodayis
theverycomplexitythatallthecurrent
andemergingdevicespresentto
consumers,saidLeeRatliff,alowpowerwirelessanalystatresearchfirmIHS
Technology.
Threadsnotmakingthatanyeasierbyofferinganalternativetoexistingsolutions,
Ratliffsaid.Butcompetitionthereisntnewandwontbeoversoon,hesaid.Theres
justsomuchmoneytobemadeinthatspace,nobodyswillingtogiveupeasily.
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BluetoothSmart,alowerpowerversionofthefamiliarpersonalareanetworkstandard,
hastheinsidetrackbecauseitsalreadyinmanysmartphones,Ratliffsaid.The
specificationworkswithallthemajormobileoperatingsystems,includingiOS,Android
andWindows,andthecompaniesbehindthoseOSeswouldhavetohaveagood
reasontointegrateanotherprotocoliftheyalreadyhaveone,hesaid.
YoucannotunderestimatetheimportanceofBluetoothSmartspositioninthemobile
platform,Ratliffsaid.
ThemainthingBluetoothSmartlacksistheabilitytoformmeshnetworksthatdont
dependonconnectionstoanyonedevice,Ratliffsaid.Meshnetworksareresilient
becauseconnectionscanbereroutedifalinkordevicefailssomewhere.Threadand
otherprotocolsusemeshnetworkingalready,butthereareeffortsunderwaytoadd
thatfeaturetoBluetoothSmart,hesaid.
ThreadGroupsBorossdoubtsBluetoothSmartwillbeabletomakethatleap.Thread,
ZigBeeandeverythingelsebasedon802.15.4cancommunicateovertensofmeters,
orhundredsoffeet,betweendevicesonamesh.Amongothershortcomings,Bluetooth
Smartwontbeabletocompeteatthatrange,Borosssaid.
Threaddoeshaveanimpressivelineupofsupportingcompanies,whichinadditionto
Nest,SamsungandArmincludesFreescaleSemiconductor,SiliconLabs,Yale
Security,andBigAssFans,amakerofhomeandcommercialceilingfans.That
doesntnecessarilyputtheweightofallthosevendorsonthesideofThreadand
againstrivalspecifications,IHSsRatliffpointedout:Itscommonforbigtech
companiestobackmultipletechnologies,somejustforresearch,thenusethecold
factsofmarketsharetochoosewhichtoimplement.
Butthegrouphaschosenaprovenmodelforgettingitsspecificationoutthere.Likethe
WiFiAlliance,theThreadGroupispositioningitselfasamarketeducationgroupthat
willcarryoutproductcertification,testingproductsforcomplianceandinteroperability
beforeallowingthemtocarrytheThreadlogo.TheWiFiAlliance,formedin1999,
estimatesthat2billionWiFiproductsweresoldlastyear.
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