I. Major Classifications of Wireless Communication Technologies
1. U.S. Communications Commission (FCC) Classification
In 2015, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Technology Advisory Committee (TAC)
The Cybersecurity Working Group of the Internet of Things (IoT) categorized IoT communication technologies into the following four types in a white paper:
Mobile/WAN, Wide Area Network - Mobile wide area network with wide coverage.
WAN, Wide Area Network, has a large coverage area and is not a mobile technology.
LAN, Local Area Network – has a relatively small coverage area, such as residential areas, buildings, or campuses.
PAN, Personal Area Network - coverage ranges from a few centimeters to several meters.
The main wireless technologies and their classifications are shown in the table below:
For some reason, the FCC TAC categorized Sigfox as a LAN and LoRaWAN as a WAN. Both Sigfox and LoRaWAN belong to the narrowband technology category of LPWAN, and both offer wide-area coverage. Weightless SIG will primarily promote Weightless-P in the LPWAN field. NB-IoT is not included either. New technologies are constantly emerging and reshaping the landscape of the IoT market.
2. KEYSIGHT Classification
In a PowerPoint presentation titled "Low Power Wide Area Networks, NB-IoT and the Internet of Things," KEYSIGHT provides a detailed breakdown of IoT wireless technologies, as shown in the diagram below:
KEYSIGHT categorizes wireless communication technologies into three main types based on their communication range or distance: 10cm, 5km, and 100km.
3. Close range and long range
As can be seen from the above classification, wireless communication technologies are basically categorized by coverage area or communication distance. After some refinement, we have divided communication technologies into two main categories: short-range and long-range communication technologies, as shown in the following diagram:
Narrowband wide-area optics has been one of the fastest-growing fields in the past two years, with NB-IoT and LoRa network construction in China proceeding rapidly. However, there isn't a complete historical record of transmission performance, and it's primarily used in civilian applications, such as smart parking systems. In my country, short-range wireless communication technology is relatively mature, and the industry chain is well-established. Wireless product quality varies greatly, and prices differ significantly, so it's crucial to choose products based on specific applications. For personal testing, lower-priced products are sufficient. For industrial manufacturing applications requiring long-term use, reputable brands should be chosen. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for; the quality of the core hardware in a stable and reliable product is the primary guarantee of stability.
4. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has defined several standards, such as the IEEE 802 series of standards for local area networks (LANs) and metropolitan area networks (MANs), which have also become the basis for some Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.
These main standards include:
IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN (WLAN) & Mesh (Wi-Fi certification)
IEEE 802.15 Wireless PAN
IEEE 802.15.1 Bluetooth certification
IEEE 802.15.3 High-Rate wireless PAN (eg, UWB, etc.)
IEEE 802.15.4 Low-Rate wireless PAN (eg, ZigBee, WirelessHART, MiWi, etc.)
IEEE 802.15.6 Body area network
IEEE 802.11 defines a set of Media Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) specifications for enabling wireless local area network (WLAN) computer communication in the 900MHz, 2.4GHz, 3.6GHz, 5GHz and 60GHz frequency bands, and is now the standard commonly used in wireless local area networks.
IEEE 802.15 defines the Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) standard, which has 10 main areas.
IEEE 802.11ah, also known as "Wi-Fi HaLow," is a WLAN network defined in the unlicensed 900MHz frequency band. Compared to 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, it consumes less power and has a longer range. 11ah can be used in a variety of applications, including large-scale sensor networks.
IEEE 802.15.4c China's WPAN has added new RF spectrum specifications: 314-316MHz, 430-434MHz, and 779-787MHz.
The IEEE 802.11p communication protocol is primarily used for wireless communication in automotive electronics. It is an extension of IEEE 802.11, mainly targeting applications related to Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).
IEEE 802.15.4 is the technical standard for Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks (LR-WPANs). It forms the basis for technologies such as ZigBee/ISA100.11a/WirelessHART/MiWi and Thread, all of which extend the standard by developing upper layers not defined in IEEE 802.15.4. Additionally, it can be used with 6LoWPAN to define upper layers.
Today, the "Internet of Everything" is no longer just a vision. Localized IoT has already been implemented in many practical applications, such as industrial automation, smart agriculture, intelligent public transportation, and high-end hotels. The Internet of Things is the most promising field for the next decade, and related wireless communication technologies are gradually emerging.
Among the communication technologies used to realize the Internet of Things (IoT), Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, GPRS, and NFC are the most widely used wireless technologies. Besides these, many other wireless technologies quietly work in their respective suitable scenarios, playing indispensable roles. This article will introduce you to the true nature of IoT communication technologies by examining the advantages, disadvantages, and application scenarios of ten common wireless communication technologies.
Advantages, disadvantages, and application scenarios of ten major IoT communication technologies
1. Features of Bluetooth Technology
Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables short-range data exchange between fixed devices, mobile devices, and personal area networks (PANs). Bluetooth modules can connect multiple devices, overcoming the challenge of data synchronization. Bluetooth technology was originally created by telecommunications giant Ericsson in 1994. Today, Bluetooth is managed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), which has over 25,000 member companies worldwide, spanning telecommunications, computing, networking, and consumer electronics.
Bluetooth technology features include frequency hopping to combat signal fading; fast frequency hopping and short packet technology to reduce co-channel interference and ensure transmission reliability; forward error correction coding to reduce random noise during long-distance transmission; and FM modulation to reduce device complexity. The core Bluetooth specification provides two or more piconet connections to form a distributed network, allowing specific devices to automatically and simultaneously act as both master and slave devices within these piconet networks. A Bluetooth master device can communicate with up to seven devices in a single piconet, and devices can switch roles via protocols; a slave device can also become a master device.
2. ZigBee Technology Features
Unlike Bluetooth, ZigBee is a short-range, low-power, and inexpensive wireless communication technology. ZigBee is a low-speed, short-range wireless network protocol. The name comes from the figure-eight dance of bees, which uses flight and the "buzzing" (zig) flapping of their wings (bee) to communicate the location of pollen to their companions. In other words, bees rely on this method to form a communication network within their colony.
ZigBee modules are characterized by short range, low complexity, self-organization, low power consumption, and low data rate. The ZigBee protocol, from bottom to top, consists of the physical layer, media access control layer, transport layer, network layer, and application layer. The physical layer and media access control layer comply with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. ZigBee technology is suitable for automatic control and remote control applications and can be embedded in various devices.
3. Features of WiFi Technology
Wi-Fi is ubiquitous in our lives; almost every public place in major cities has wireless networks, thanks to its low cost and transmission characteristics. Wi-Fi communication technology allows electronic devices to connect to a wireless local area network (WLAN). It typically uses the 2.4 GHz UHF or 5 GHz SHF ISM radio frequency bands. Connections to WLANs are usually password protected; however, they can also be open, allowing any device within WLAN range to connect.
Because wireless network frequency bands do not require any telecommunications operating licenses worldwide, WLAN wireless devices provide a globally usable, extremely inexpensive, and high-bandwidth wireless air interface. Users can quickly browse the web and make and receive calls anytime, anywhere within Wi-Fi coverage areas. With Wi-Fi functionality, we no longer need to worry about slow speeds and high costs when making long-distance calls, browsing the web, sending and receiving emails, downloading music, and transferring digital photos.
Wireless networks are becoming increasingly common in handheld devices, and smartphones are a prime example. Unlike Bluetooth technology, which was previously used in mobile phones, Wi-Fi modules offer wider coverage and higher transmission speeds, making Wi-Fi phones a trend in the mobile communications industry in 2010.
4. Characteristics of LiFi Technology
LiFi, also known as visible light wireless communication, is a novel wireless transmission technology that utilizes the visible light spectrum for data transmission. It was invented by Professor Harald Haas, a German physicist and Chair of the Department of Mobile Communications at the School of Electronic and Communication Engineering, University of Edinburgh. LiFi utilizes pre-installed infrastructure, creating a device similar to a Wi-Fi hotspot by embedding a tiny chip in a light bulb, allowing devices to access the network at any time.
The most significant feature of this technology is that it transmits data by changing the flicker frequency of room lighting. As long as the lights are turned on indoors, internet access is possible without the need for WiFi, making it a promising technology for smart homes in the future.
5. Features of GPRS technology
GPRS is something we are very familiar with. It is a mobile data service available to GSM mobile phone users and belongs to the data transmission technology in second-generation mobile communication. GPRS can be said to be a continuation of GSM. Unlike the previous method of continuous transmission on a channel, GPRS modules transmit data in packets. Therefore, the user's cost is calculated based on the amount of data transmitted, not the entire channel used, which is theoretically cheaper.
GPRS technology, also known as 2.5G, is a technology between 2G and 3G, laying the foundation for a smooth transition from GSM to 3G. With the development of mobile communication technology, 3G, 4G, and 5G technologies have been developed, and GPRS has gradually been replaced by these technologies.
