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45 | implementation for wireless communications is RF technology. Some of the preeminence of RF technology is the legacy of early radio and how it changed human life. More importantly, that legacy sparked investment and research into RF technologies, leading to the incredible capabilities of modern RF wireless communication systems. The rise of cellular phones and the internet helped drive the widespread adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) technology. These new use cases led to the development and growth of different wireless communication standards and protocols. The mass use of new IoT technologies and wireless communications has also spawned a host of security concerns and new technologies to improve the safety of communications and control through wireless systems. Common Wireless Communication Standards & Protocols For RF systems of the same type to efficiently and effectively exchange information so that digital data within the signals can be embedded and extracted from those signals, the RF systems need to have compatible protocols. A wireless communication protocol is a standardized set of specifications and procedures that dictates how wireless communication devices exchange signals and information. These protocols are defined by standards organizations that develop and maintain the protocols. These standards bodies are generally industry consortia, but there are also international government-funded organizations that cover RF technologies and host some protocols. These cover very detailed operations for wireless devices that meet the certification requirements for the protocol to intercommunicate at an acceptable level of reliability (Table 1). Many wireless protocols evolve, and new versions that take advantage of new technology and methods are proposed and eventually incorporated into a standard. This process can take a few years, as industry support is often required to pair hardware and software along with the new protocol for it to succeed. Top Wireless Communication Applications and Use Cases For many people, the most common wireless communication technologies they encounter daily are cellular telecommunications and wireless local area network (WLAN) technologies, mainly Wi-Fi. Bluetooth is common for connecting personal electronic devices, such as smartphones, automobiles, wireless audio headsets, and wireless speakers, and for provisioning IoT devices. Contactless payment using near-field communication (NFC) is growing in popularity, while RF identification (RFID) is increasingly being used for access control to buildings, hotels, storage, and equipment. EFR32BG29 Series 2 BLUETOOTH® Wireless SoCs mouser.com/silicon-labs-efr32bg29-socs

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