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a wireless device to the network. Gateways can combine the functions of a
wireless access point and router, and often provide firewall security too. These
converged devices save desk space and simplify wiring - one device replaces
two. A gateway can also act as protocol converter for the installed base’s devices
and transfer the converted data upstream using the new Internet data formats
including RESTFul, XMPP and MQTT.
Multiradio solutions are particularly suitable when there is a need for different
wireless technologies to connect devices in a gateway configuration. One
technology is used to communicate downstream to sensors and actuators. A
second radio communicates with existing networks upstream.
Consider the example of a medical device such as an infusion pump. Bluetooth
low energy may be used with a handheld scanner to ensure that the pump is
being connected to the right patient and that the correct medication is being
administered. This connection carries very little data but within the same pump
a Wi-Fi link may be used to provide a higher bandwidth connection for sending
continuous monitoring data over a hospital network.
Using different technologies downstream and upstream is also ideal when a
number of battery powered sensors require low power wireless communication
and you then want up-stream
connectivity to existing infrastructure,
perhaps over Wi-Fi. For instance,
you can use Bluetooth low energy
to connect to sensors downstream
and use Wi-Fi to transfer the sensor
data upstream. The same technology
can be used to extend geographical
coverage using the Wi-Fi upstream
link as a repeater. In this case, Wi-Fi is
used to connect several Bluetooth low
energy gateways in order to achieve
greater coverage.
The u-blox ODIN-W262 is an
example of a multiradio wireless
module designed for the kinds of
applications described above. The
14.8x22.3x4.5 mm module supports
multiple, concurrent Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz
and 5 GHz), Classic Bluetooth and
Bluetooth low energy links for product
design flexibility and is configured
easily for individual applications using
AT-commands. Radio type approved
in countries throughout the world,
it even has a built-in antenna to
make adding multi-protocol wireless
connectivity to any product as quick
and easy as possible.
Enabling the Internet of
Things
When the Bluetooth Core Specification
added a standard means of creating a
dedicated data channel for IPv6 the
groundwork was laid for future IP
connectivity. With the rapid market
adoptionof BluetoothSmart (Bluetooth
low energy) and the addition of IP
connectivity, everything points to
Bluetooth as one of the fundamental
wireless links in the Internet of Things.
The recent additions to the standard
make it possible for Bluetooth Smart
sensors to use IPv6, giving developers
and OEMs the flexibility they need to
ensure connectivity and compatibility.
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