The "no sweat" way to create and configure a wireless network

This paper first introduces basic wireless network concepts; a variety of alternative
solutions are then discussed, including a revolutionary out-of-the-box, plug-and-play,
self-forming network.
By avid !wing, "ynapse
#age $ of %
&ireless 'et esign(ine
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The world is currently seeing an exponential growth in the use of wireless networks for
monitoring and control in consumer, commercial, industrial, and government markets.
3ses range from building automation )lighting, heating, 0+4. . .2 to industrial control to
security applications to home automation.
There are a number of different techni5ues and technologies that may be used to embed
wireless intelligence and networking capabilities into everyday devices. 1any solutions
are based on the 6igBee specification, which is managed under the auspices of the
6igBee 0lliance )www.7igbee.org2.
6igBee can be used to implement extremely sophisticated wireless networks, but the
time, resources, and complexity associated with designing, implementing, configuring,
and managing 6igBee-based solutions should not be underestimated. 8urthermore, in
order to provide the capability to support extremely high-level procedures and practices
that are of interest to relatively few users, 6igBee re5uires a relatively large amount of
memory and consumes a disproportionate amount of power. 0s this paper will show,
there are alternatives available. . .
The fundamental building-blocks forming a wireless network
0s illustrated in Fig 1, a typical wireless network comprises a number of elements. 0t the
"front end" of the network is the network administration software )the Administrator2
running on a host computer. This software is first used to configure the other elements
forming the network )telling them "who they are" and "what they do"2. 8ollowing
configuration, the administrator is used to monitor the values being presented to the
network from external sensor devices and to control actuators )relays, switches, etc.2 that
can affect the outside environment.
1. The fundamental building blocks forming a wireless network.
Click here for a larger, more detailed version of Figure 1
The host computer is linked to a Coordinator, which 9 as its name suggests 9 is used to
coordinate the wireless communications traffic with the other elements forming the
network. The "workhorses" of the network are the End Devices; these are fed by real-
world information from sensors and they also drive the actuators )relays, switches, etc.2
that are used to affect the outside world. :f necessary, one or more Reeaters!Routers )not
shown in Fig 12 may be used to extend the range of the network )see also the Alternative
"etwork Toologies topic later in this paper2.
!ach of the 4oordinator, !nd evice, and ;epeater+;outer units is e5uipped with a
#ireless $odule )also known as an RF Engine2, which is in charge of receiving and
transmitting packets of data. The ;8 !ngine is also responsible for error checking and
recovery )including re5uesting the re-transmission of a corrupted packet or responding to
such a re5uest from another ;8 !ngine2. :n the case of secure applications, the ;8
!ngine will also be in charge of decrypting received data and encrypting any data to be
transmitted.
Alternative network topologies
The various devices forming a network can be connected together in a variety of different
ways. The simplest configuration 9 known as a %tar Toolog& 9 is illustrated in Fig '. :n
this case, the 4oordinator communicates directly with a number of !nd evices )only a
few !nd evices are shown here for simplicity; but a real network might contain tens,
hundreds, or even thousands of these units2.
'. A (%tar( network toolog&.
:n order to extend the range of the network, it is possible to use ;epeaters to implement a
Tree Toolog& )sometimes referred to as a Cluster Tree Toolog&2 as illustrated in Fig ).
:n addition to communicating with a set of !nd evices, the 4oordinator also
communicates with one or more ;epeaters. :n turn, each ;epeater may support its own
set of !nd evices and 9 if re5uired 9 one or more additional ;epeaters. :n fact, a
network may contain daisy-chains of ;epeaters.
). A (Tree( *or (Cluster Tree(+ network toolog&.
Click here for a larger, more detailed version of Figure )
The most sophisticated )and complex2 network configuration is known as a $esh
Toolog& as illustrated in Fig ,. :n this case, Routers )which may be considered to be
more-sophisticated versions of the ;epeaters used in a tree topology2 are used to establish
a mesh of communications. This form of network provides a lot of redundancy and is
applicable to certain mission-critical tasks, but it may be "over-enthusiastic" for the vast
ma<ority of applications.
,. A ($esh( network toolog&.
Click here for a larger, more detailed version of Figure ,
:n fact, there is a lot of confusion with regard to the advantages and capabilities
associated with 6igBee-based mesh configurations. =ne of the biggest misconceptions is
that every !nd evice in a mesh topology can act as a ;outer to forward traffic through
the network, but 9 as illustrated in Fig , 9 this is simply not true. :nstead, each !nd
evice has to communicate with the main 4oordinator or with a local ;outer. This means
that, if a ;outer fails, any !nd evices associated with the failed ;outer have to be able
to access another ;outer located in close enough proximity. 8urthermore, in many cases,
a tree configuration can provide the same level of redundancy as a mesh topology )see
also the discussions on -ff.the.%helf %"A/ %olutions later in this paper2.
PHYs, MACs, and tacks
0s illustrated in the previous diagrams, each of the 4oordinator, ;epeater+;outer, and
!nd evice units employs a &ireless 1odule );8 !ngine2 to actually perform the ;8
);adio 8re5uency2 communications. !ach ;8 !ngine comprises a sophisticated mixture
of hardware and software )Fig 02.
0. The main elements forming a #ireless $odule *RF Engine+.
The /12 )which stands for "physical"2 is the lowest layer in the network. This is the part
that actually transmits and receives ;8 )radio fre5uency2 signals. &ith regard to the
6igBee, "imple 104, and "'0# solutions presented later in this paper; the #>? is
based on the :!!! @*-.$A.% standard.
The term "tack refers to the software that actually defines the communications protocols
and the data+control packets that are to be passed around the network. The 104 )1edia
0ccess 4ontrol2 layer is software that interfaces the "tack to the #>?. 8inally, the
0pplication (ayer is the software that interfaces the stack to the outside world. :n the
case of an !nd evice, for example, the 0pplication (ayer will be in charge of
monitoring signals from any sensors and controlling any actuators. The software 104,
"tack, and 0pplication (ayers all run on a microprocessor, which also resides on the ;8
!ngine.
!ff-The-helf "ig#ee olutions
&ith regard to the previous topic, it is important to note that many people consider
6igBee and the :!!! @*-.$A.% standard to be synonymous, but this is not the case. :n
fact, the term 6igBee refers to a particular "tack implementation that sits on top of the
@*-.$A.% #>? and @*-.$A.% 104 layers. >owever, it is true that the @*-.$A.% 104 is
often referred to as the "6igBee 104" as illustrated in Fig 3.
3. An off.the.shelf (4ig5ee( $AC and 4ig5ee %tack.
:t is common to see advertisements for "off-the-shelf" 6igBee solutions boasting/ (Eas&
#ireless with 4ig5ee Technolog&(. 0s many users have discovered at great expense,
however, designing, implementing, and configuring a 6igBee-based wireless network is
not a trivial task. :n reality, there is no (Eas& #ireless with 4ig5ee( and there are no off-
the-shelf 6igBee wireless network solutions. :nstead, there is off-the-shelf 6igBee
hardware, which developers have to use as a starting point to build up into a working
solution. This can consume a substantial amount of financial and engineering resources
and can easily take nine months )or more2.
4ombined, the 104 and 6igBee "tack occupy around B* CB of memory and consume a
relatively large amount of power. =n top of this, the developer has to create an
application layer that interfaces the 6igBee stack with the outside world. :n addition to
re5uiring a high level of expertise, designing and implementing an applications layer can
be time-consuming and resource-intensive. 8urthermore, in the case of cost-conscious
systems with limited memory resources, the relatively large si7e of the 104 and "tack
combo can significantly restrict the amount of memory available to the applications layer.
The main advantages associated with a full 6igBee solution are as follows/
:t can be all things to all people.
o :t includes support for "tar, Tree, and 1esh topologies.
:t supports high-level protocols that facilitate interoperability.
:t includes support for encryption.
:t is an open standard.
The main disadvantages associated with a full 6igBee solution are as follows/
:t can be all things to all people.
o (arge code si7e + memory footprint )limits memory available for
0pplication (ayer2.
o "low performance on @-bit microprocessors.
o (arge ;01 re5uirements for ;epeaters+;outers.
o ;e5uires a lot of expertise to create the 0pplication (ayer.
o ;e5uires a lot to expertise to configure and manage the network.
o Throughput is limited.
o #ower consumption is relatively high.
:t supports high-level protocols that facilitate interoperability.
o These are currently in a primitive state and donDt fit the application well.
:t is an open standard.
o #roducts re5uire certification to ensure compatibility.
:t can take nine months )or more2 to develop and test a new solution.
$o-%t-Yourself imple MAC-based olutions
0s an alternative to using an "off-the-shelf" 6igBee solution as discussed in the previous
topic, some developers opt to create a custom network from the ground up. This usually
involves licensing and modifying an existing "imple 104 to create a 4ustom 104,
then developing a 4ustom "tack, and then developing the 0pplication (ayer )Fig 62.
6. 4ig5ee versus custom $ACs and %tacks.
The main advantages associated with a do-it-yourself solution are as follows/
:t has a small code si7e of around $B CB for the 104 and "tack combo )the
104 is typically around - CB and the "tack is around $% CB2.
:t performs well on inexpensive @-bit microprocessors.
:ts power consumption is reasonable.
:t is free.
'o certification is re5uired.
The main disadvantages associated with a do-it-yourself solution are as follows/
0 4ustom 104 on its own is an incomplete solution. 0s discussed in the /12s,
$ACs, and %tacks topic earlier in this paper, the 104 is the portion of the system
that interfaces the #>? to the "tack, so it is also necessary to develop a 4ustom
"tack and an 0pplication (ayer.
:t re5uires a massive amount of speciali7ed networking software knowledge and
expertise.
:t re5uires a massive amount of :!!! @*-.$A.% #>? knowledge.
:t is not interoperable.
:t can take one-to-two years )or more2 to develop and test a new solution.
:n order to truly make wireless networks easy to install and use, "ynapse )www.synapse-
wireless.com2 provides a complete range of low-cost, off-the-shelf, end-to-end wireless
network solutions. "imple to install and maintain, these solutions include 4oordinators,
;epeaters, !nd evices, ;8 !ngines, and the intuitive /ortal #4-based network
administration software.
0s illustrated in Fig 7, a key differentiator from conventional networks is the %&nase
"etwork Aliance /rotocol *%"A/+, which is a high-performance, low-power, small-
memory-footprint protocol that allows anyone to create and configure an intelligent
wireless network "in a "'0#" without having to know anything about wireless networksE
7. 4ig5ee versus custom versus %"A/ $ACs and %tacks.
"'0#-based networks are self-forming; when a "'0#-based ;epeater or !nd evice is
powered-up, it is automatically recogni7ed by the "ynapse 4oordinator and incorporated
into the network without the user having to lift a finger )Fig 82.
8. A simle %"A/.based network.
Click here for a larger, more detailed version of Figure 8
8urthermore, in the case of a "'0#-based network, it is not necessary to devote any time
and resources toward developing an applications layer. 0s soon as a "ynapse !nd evice
has been incorporated into the network, the #4-based "ynapse #ortal software
administrator can be used to configure the behavior of the !nd evice. 0s an example,
this configuration allows the user to tell an !nd evice to do the following/
":f the reading from the sensor on "ynapse !nd evice 0 falls outside the
xxx to yyy range of values, turn off the relay on "ynapse !nd evice B."
=nce such commands have been issued, the "'0#-based 4oordinator and !nd evices
can be left to perform their re5uired tasks and the "ynapse #ortal can be disconnected
from the network if re5uired )this may happen in the case of remote installations whereby
a roving human administrator e5uipped with a portable computer re5uires only
intermittent access to the network2.
The "ynapse ;8 !ngine has an outdoor line-of-sight range of up to three miles and
"'0# networks can employ both "tar and Tree topologies. :n the case of a Tree
configuration, this means that the "'0# network can extend up to fifteen miles using a
daisy-chain of four ;epeaters )Fig 192.
19. A %&nase %"A/ network can e:tend for u to fifteen miles.
Click here for a larger, more detailed version of Figure 19.
0s noted in the Alternative Toologies topic earlier in this paper, a mesh configuration
provides a lot of redundancy and is applicable to certain mission-critical tasks, but it is
"over-enthusiastic" for the vast ma<ority of applications. :n many cases, a "'0#-based
network can provide the same level of redundancy as a mesh topology. This is achieved
by duplicating ;epeaters as re5uired; for example, consider a portion of a "'0#-based
network as illustrated in 8igure $$.
11. A high.reliabilit& *mission.critical+ %"A/.based tree configuration.
Click here for a larger, more detailed version of Figure 11.
:n this case, wherever a ;epeater is located in a standard network, a duplicate )"backup"2
;epeater is placed in close proximity. =bserve the two ;epeaters annotated as "#rimary"
and "Backup" in Fig 11. :n reality, whichever of these units is first powered-up will
automatically become the #rimary ;epeater for this node, because this is the one that will
be "seen" and "locked-in" by any "upstream" and "downstream" ;epeaters and also by
any local !nd evices.
&hen the secondary )"backup"2 ;epeater is powered up, this will automatically be
incorporated into the self-forming network; it will be "seen" by its "upstream" ;epeater
)the one closer to the "source" of the network in the form of the 4oordinator2, but it will
be ignored by any local !nd evices and by any "downstream" ;epeaters.
'ow assume that, for some reason, the primary ;epeater fails. :n this case, as soon as its
local !nd evices and "downstream" ;epeaters reali7e that the primary ;epeater is not
responding, they will automatically start searching until they detect and lock-on to the
backup ;epeater.
(ast but certainly not least, in addition to its small memory-footprint )combined, the
"'0# 104 and "'0# "tack occupy only $B CB2, "'0# has been designed from the
ground-up with low-power applications in mind. 0 "'0#-based !nd evice 9 including
its plug-in "ynapse ;8 !ngine 9 can consume as little as %.F0, which means these units
can actually run for the specified shelf-life of the battery used to power themE
The main advantages associated with a "'0#-based solution are as follows/
:t has a small code si7e of around $B CB for the 104 and "tack combo.
:t runs fast with low latency and high throughput.
:t consumes very little power.
:t performs well on inexpensive @-bit microprocessors.
o 8or example, the processor has enough capacity to provide 0dvanced
!ncryption "tandard )0!"2 security.
:t is an out-of-the-box, plug-and-play, self-forming solution.
o :t takes no time to set up.
o :t defaults to common settings.
o 'ew modules are automatically discovered and integrated into the
network.
:t re5uires no networking software knowledge or #>?-layer knowledge.
'o certification is re5uired.
The main disadvantages associated with a "'0#-based solution are as follows/
:t is not an open standard.
:t is not free )it is however extremely affordable2.
ummar&
The world is currently seeing an exponential growth in the use of wireless networks for
monitoring and control in consumer, commercial, industrial, and government markets.
There are a number of different techni5ues and technologies that may be used to embed
wireless intelligence and networking capabilities into everyday devices. 1any solutions
are based on the 6igBee specification, which is managed under the auspices of the
6igBee 0lliance )www.7igbee.org2. 6igBee can be used to implement extremely
sophisticated wireless networks, but the time, resources, and complexity associated with
designing, implementing, configuring, and managing 6igBee-based solutions should not
be underestimated.
=ne alternative is to use a network based on the high-performance, low-power, small-
memory-footprint %&nase "etwork Aliance /rotocol *%"A/+. "'0#-based networks
are self-forming; when a "'0#-based ;epeater or !nd evice is powered-up, it is
automatically recogni7ed by the "ynapse 4oordinator and incorporated into the network
without the user having to lift a finger. 8urthermore, it is not necessary to devote any time
and resources toward developing an applications layer when using a "'0#-based
network. 0s soon as a "ynapse !nd evice has been incorporated into the network, the
#4-based "ynapse #ortal software administrator can be used to configure the behavior of
the !nd evice using simple commands.
The end result is to allow anyone to create and configure an intelligent wireless network
"in a "'0#" without having to know anything about wireless networksE
David Ewing is Director of %oftware Engineering at "ynapse. ;n this role, David is
resonsible for the strategic direction of %&nase software architecture and he manages
the coman&<s software technolog& roadma.
/rior to =oining %&nase, David held ke& engineering and management ositions with
Adtran, ;nc. and "okia 5roadband %&stems. David was also a founder and CT- of
Teracru>, ;nc, and %enior %oftware Architect for Discover&Com, ;nc. 1e holds a
5achelor of Electrical Engineering from Auburn ?niversit&. David can be contacted at@
smartguyGsynapse-wireless.com