Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1520712
4 Next-Gen Connectivity for Smart Living The number of connected devices within our homes continues to rise as consumers increasingly rely on them for convenience, comfort, health, and safety. Some are inside our homes, some are outside. And while these devices are designed to be part of a network, they often communicate using different standards—languages, if you will—depending on the application. Most of us are familiar with the Wi-Fi standard, which enables content sharing and internet access in the home. But there are several Internet of Things (IoT) technologies other than Wi-Fi, such as Bluetooth ® Low Energy, Zigbee ® , and Thread ® . These low-power, low-data-rate wireless standards are commonly used in IoT-connected products such as door locks, LED lighting, and appliances (Figure 1). The challenge that these multiple and different technologies pose is that vendors must decide in advance what kind of technology they are selecting for their devices. For example, in selecting either Zigbee or Bluetooth® Low Energy—or both—each choice has its own impact on product design. Looking forward, even more technologies are coming that target similar smart home use cases, such as the Connected Home Over IP initiative, which combines multiple technologies (802.15.4 and Bluetooth® Low Energy) into a single standard. These developments will make the choice between technologies and future-proof solutions even more challenging. While today's communications devices have some form of dynamic multi-protocol (DMP) support, this approach requires different tradeoffs. DMP alone is insufficient to realize the connected home's full benefits. Truly seamless connectivity can only be achieved by the ability to listen to and hear all devices on the network simultaneously, not just a few. ConcurrentConnect TM Technology As a Solution Today, customers have the benefit of not having to choose between communication standards or compromise connectivity. The next major leap in multi-standard capabilities— Bringing Devices with Multiple Standards Together in the Connected Home By Qorvo Figure 1: As smart home technology proliferates, so does the challenge of ensuring that devices built on different standards can quickly and effectively communicate. (Source: Qorvo)