4.0 PERSPECTIVE ON STANDARDS
Wireless Communications Standards: The Battle for the IoT The Internet of Things (IoT) is dependent upon devices connecting and therefore wireless communications are vital. However with so many wireless standards available, how do you know which one to use? This article explores the various standards that are available. by Richard Edgar, Imagination Technologies
The success of the Internet of Things (IoT) depends upon every device being connected to the rest of the world, and wireless communications will be the predominant method used to achieve this. With so many different wireless standards available, which one should be used? Since they are on virtually every mobile phone today, communication technologies such as cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are very well known. There are also several other technologies, some old and some new, which offer an alternative for IoT applications. Depending on the application, factors such as range, data requirements, security and power demands, battery life and the target market will dictate the choice of one or some combination of these technologies. 26 | RTC Magazine JUNE 2017
When selecting a wireless standard, power consumption is a key consideration. Will your device be battery powered or will it be plugged into a wall? Battery powered devices must conserve as much energy as possible to limit the necessity to change or recharge the battery. The type of battery that will be used is also an important consideration. If you want to run the device from a coin cell battery and not change it for a couple of years (for example a temperature sensor), then your choices will be much different than if you expect the device to be charged regularly (for example a watch). Data rate is also an important consideration. How much data will need to be communicated between the device and the user’s phone, the cloud, or a central hub? Certain wireless commu-