LIGHT UP YOUR INDUSTRIAL IoT DESIGN
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INTRODUCTION
Low Power Wide Area (LPWA), which as its
name implies covers a wide area with low power
consumption, is attracting increased attention
as a wireless protocol for IoT. LPWA actually
encompasses numerous methods, each with
different advantages and drawbacks. In this article
we will introduce the latest development trends of
Wi-SUN, a protocol ROHM is promoting.
WHAT IS WI-SUN?
Wi-SUN is short for Wireless Smart Utility
Network, a newer communication standard
formulated in recent years. The Wi-SUN Alliance
was established in 2012, and standardization
based on IEEE802.15.4g is currently underway.
Figure 1 shows how Wi-SUN compares with
other wireless standards for IoT.
As you can see from the above chart, Wi-SUN is
characterized by longer communication distance
than Wi-Fi and faster speeds than LoRaWAN
and Sigfox. These balanced characteristics
featuring a moderate transmission rate that
does not depend on a base station make it the
best wireless protocol for the IoT market. This
allows it to coexist with 5G, which is expected
to be launched in the near future, enabling
complementary usage of 5G.
The Latest Technology
Trends of Wi-SUN Wireless
Communication Modules
Figure 1: Wireless Communication
Technologies for IoT (Source: ROHM))
