Thread protocol Officially Launches= IPv6 wireless protocol for IoT

[jos]

The Thread Group officially launched its IPv6-based wireless networking protocol for low-power smart home devices. The final specification is now available, so companies making products for connected homes can start implementing the Thread protocol into their products.

 

The Thread protocol promises to be much more resilient than other wireless protocols because of its mesh networking capabilities, which allow somewhere between 250-300 different devices to connect reliably to each other.

 

It's also a low-power protocol built on top of the 6LoWPAN (IPv6 over low-power Wireless Private Area Network) protocol, which enables it to also connect directly to the Internet through an IPv6 address, but also consume very little power.

 

Thread devices are also secure by default, a critical feature considering that the Internet of Things could turn into an unmanageable "Internet of Threats" without these sorts of precautions before the products are even released on the market.

 

The Thread Group will begin to certify connected home products that use the Thread protocol starting this September. In charge of the certification process will be Thomas Sciorilli, who will oversee whether the various Thread-enabled products interoperate properly and are secure out of the box.

 

The Thread certification will require companies to put a "Thread" label on their products, which will tell customers that the products have been certified for quality, security and interoperability.

 

The first chips to support the Thread protocol will come from ARM, Freescale and Silicon Labs. Millions of devices supporting 802.15.4 hardware are already on the market and will only require a software update to enable the Thread protocol. The first Thread-certified products should be available late this year.

 

160 Companies have partnered including Qualcomm

 

 

 

Now they need standard for inter-operability. EU common make it legally necessary,

 

Source:http://www.tomshardware.com/news/thread-mesh-networking-protocol-launch,29591.html

[Jerakl]

Nice to think they thought about threats... Or something.

I barely understood a word of this.

[SkywardKkalox]

Finally!!

[Sidiox]

So if I understand this correctly, is it a protocol that functions over the 802.11 wireless interface? So ontop of that via the 802.15.4 protocol?

Or does it replace the 802.11 wireless interface, which seems unlikely.

[jos]

So if I understand this correctly, is it a protocol that functions over the 802.11 wireless interface? So ontop of that via the 802.15.4 protocol?

Or does it replace the 802.11 wireless interface, which seems unlikely.

802.15 specifies wireless personal area network (WPAN) standards. It  is based on Bluetooth technology. It defines physical layer (PHY) and Media Access Control (MAC) specification for wireless connectivity with fixed, portable and moving devices within or entering personal operating space.

802.15.4 has low data rate but very long battery life (months or even years) and very low complexity. The standard defines both the physical (Layer 1) and data-link (Layer 2) layers of the OSI model.  Several standardized and proprietary networks (or mesh) layer protocols run over 802.15.4-based networks, including IEEE 802.15.5, ZigBee, 6LoWPAN, WirelessHART, and ISA100.11a.

6LoWPAN is an acronym of IPv6 over Low power Wireless Personal Area Networks. 

Thread is an IPv6 based protocol for smart household devices to communicate on a network. Thread is IP-addressable, with cloud access and AES encryption. It has support for over 250 devices on a network.

Initially the following companies was participating. It now grew to 160

1. Google
2. Samsung,
3. ARM Holdings,
4. Freescale,
5. Silicon Labs,
6. Big Ass Fans
7. Yale
8. ATMEL,
9. California Eastern Laboratories, Inc.,
10. CamPoint,
11. Energizer Holdings, Inc.,
12. GainSpan Corporation,
13. Granite River Labs,
14. Grid Connect,
15. Imagination Technologies,
16. Insteon,
17. Intellihot Green Technologies Inc.,
18. iOT Tech,
19. Jasco,
20. Keen Home,
21. Kwikset,
22. leakSMART,
23. Linx Technologies,
24. LUX Technology Group,
25. Marvell Technology Group Ltd.,
26. Midea Group,
27. Nanoleaf,
28. NET2GRID,
29. Pacific Gas & Electric Company,
30. Proximetry, Inc.,
31. SALTO SYSTEMS,
32. Sansa Security,
33. Shenzhen Rakwireless Technology Co., Ltd,
34. Skyley Networks, Inc.,
35. Stack Lighting,
36. Telegesis,
37. TÜV Rheinland Group,
38. Tyco,
39. UL,
40. Whirlpool Corporation,
41. WigWag Inc,
42. ZONEFIRST.

If i missed some company please do tell

[Sidiox]

-snip-

Thank you!

That was something I could actually completely understand and really cleared things up! 

(no that isn't sarcasm)