LoRa Flipbooks

p. 10 Bluetooth Mesh Network As technology develops and as people become more reliant on wireless networks, the demands placed on these networks also continues to grow. Adopted in 2017, Bluetooth mesh is a networking Bluetooth technology that replaces the one-to-one Bluetooth exchange with a many-to-many (m:m) relationship between Bluetooth devices. Mesh networks, in general, can effectively meet communication requirements over large areas while monitoring and managing many devices. Bluetooth mesh networking, more specifically, accomplishes these things while also maintaining compatibility with current PCs/tablets/ smartphones and, because it depends on Bluetooth LE technology, does so with low-energy efficiency. This type of mesh capability can enhance the development of large device networks. For example, one IoMT use case for a Bluetooth mesh network is a hospital that needs to track patients, equipment, and even hospital staff from any laptop, PC, or other device located on the hospital premises. Using non-mesh technology, it may not be possible to connect the entire hospital effectively or consistently due to the vast number of obstacles (walls, electronic equipment, people, etc.). Bluetooth mesh networking allows some devices to function as relays, retransmitting messages they receive from other devices. In this manner, devices can communicate with other devices that are not within their radio range. This mesh network technology is effective because it uses a technique called managed flooding. A mesh node transmits (or "floods") data omnidirectionally to all nodes within its direct range. Those nodes each then do the same – flood all nodes within their direct range. This pattern continues until the published data reaches all nodes within the network. Only applicable nodes (ones that are addressed or subscribed) act on this transmitted data. The rest simply relay the messages. With no single-purpose centralized routers, multiple paths available for a published message, and the ability to self- heal, Bluetooth mesh networking is an extremely reliable system. All of this is achieved while maintaining its low-power feature. Bluetooth mesh enables low-power devices to work with other nodes ("friends") which are not power-constrained. These non-power-constrained nodes do the hard, high-energy work: they store messages intended for low-power nodes and only deliver the messages when the low-power nodes request them. Low-Power Wide-Area Network The growth of IoMT implies more and more devices connecting to a central application server which is usually based in the cloud. Enterprise Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are effective local area network technologies that can leverage the Enterprise network to connect back to the cloud. But in some instances within the Enterprise space, it is not practical or there are security concerns with devices connecting directly to the Enterprise network. In these cases, devices and sensors may leverage LPWAN technology to bypass the local network and connect to a carrier network to connect back to the cloud. With some applications, using a LPWAN protocol like LoRa operating in the 900 MHz range allows greater range and better propagation through various building materials than Wi- Fi or BLE. Therefore, LoRa can be a cost-effective gateway technology that gathers data from distributed sensors and then communicates that data back to the cloud server from one fixed point. This allows low-cost sensor deployment and IoMT across a healthcare provider's campus without requiring the need for the sensors to connect to the LAN. The emerging LPWAN technologies like LTE CAT-M1 and NB-IoT are becoming very effective in connecting remote sensor devices including medical devices being utilized in the home. These protocols are different from standard cellular services because they are meant to support low data rates at much lower cost than support for standard voice and data cellular service. This is empowering more and more patient care to be administered within the home while the provider stays connected and receives real time updates from the point of care. An important consideration for deployment in the home for these technologies is zero provisioning from the patients. Basically, they turn on the devices and automatically begin connecting. No extra steps by the patient should be needed to establish the IoMT connection. Rather than being a single technology, LPWAN (low-power wide-area network) is a broad term to describe a group of protocols that operate using low powered devices to communicate small amounts of data over long-distances. There are several technologies competing within the LPWA realm including LoRa and LoRaWAN and cellular protocols such as LTE CAT-M1 and NB-IoT.

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