2021
February
10

Standards Driving the Transition to Secure Wireless IP Networks for Building Automation

By Jorg Kennis, OSRAM Standardization Office

[Note: Project CHIP is now known as Matter]

The world of smart buildings and homes is currently undergoing a significant transformation: traditional smart building automation platforms recognize the many advantages of using IP (Internet Protocol) based networks, along with the flexibility of energy efficient, stable and secure wireless connections. Many parties involved with building automation standards are in the process of adapting their platform for these changes. Standardization is of the utmost importance in this process, in order for it to be as cost-effective as possible, offer the highest possible degree of interoperability with legacy systems and generate minimal disruption to existing operations.

Companies in the IoT industry should be actively involved with the standardization process of platforms for building automation. Doing so offers them a leading role in defining and prioritizing the functionalities of these technologies and optimizes connections with the solutions currently on the market. Further, being at the forefront of the standardization process provides vital business insights on customer and stakeholder demands and expectations.

Advantages of IP and Co-Existence

Standardization has always been critical to the IoT industry but is becoming increasingly vital as we witness a transition of legacy systems to IP-based networks. Using IP-networks brings enormous advantages in deployment scale by leveraging existing technologies and connecting to infrastructure that is already in place. There is better integration with the rest of the building’s IP-based network architecture and the systems connected to it, which allows for easier links to cloud and AI services, while leveraging the enormous worldwide investments in IP-based security. Systems that are not IP-based are less future proof in this context and will eventually become less relevant. For example, they do not offer the same level of integration with cloud services or flexibility when it comes to using multiple different physical wired and wireless network technologies or allow various concurrent applications to be used and integrated on the network. Additionally, new buildings will provide a secure IP-based network infrastructure that all building automation and control devices will be required to deploy by new legislation that is being put in place in various regions around the world.

Apart from the transition from legacy systems to IP-based systems, we will also see a transition from closed silos of platforms that only serve their own operating domain (e.g., only HVAC, or only lighting) to a world of coexistence, where platforms operate concurrently. In order to ease the transition of traditional building automation systems to IP, and to join forces of relevant standards organizations around harmonization of IP-based solutions,  IP-BLiS was founded. In addition to Thread Group, IP-BLiS currently consists of Zigbee Alliance, BACnet International, KNX Association, OCF and DALI Alliance.

Robust and Reliable

Wireless systems offer great opportunities to not only easily equip new buildings with the required IP network, but they are also ideal for making a relatively easy transition within existing buildings, without the need to install new physical wiring. To make the transition from traditional, mostly wired, systems to a wireless IP-based solution, the building and home automation world demands that the reliability, reach and security of the connections between all components (like sensors, switches, operating panels and HVAC or lighting installations) is guaranteed and remains at the same high level as wired solutions.

This is why Thread was designed from the ground up to not be dependent on a single hub as to eliminate a “single point of failure,” use intelligent mesh networking to offer large reaching networks that can span entire buildings or areas, and leverage AES encryption technology (common in the banking world) for its security.

Thread and Other IP Standards

One of the most interesting developments currently underway is Project CHIP (or, Project Connected Home over IP), the Zigbee Alliance initiative that is backed by major players in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), voice assistants, and home automation, to create a unified standard for communication between smart home and building devices.

This new standard will be fully based on IP, and therefore it can use existing network technologies like Ethernet and Wi-Fi. But more importantly, Project CHIP has chosen Thread and Wi-Fi as its primary wireless network solutions. Thread is a low power, self-healing mesh network, based on the same broadly-available and proven 802.15.4 radio technology used by Zigbee.

Notable examples of Thread’s rise in popularity are the introduction of Apple’s HomePod mini which supports Thread’s networking protocol, and the announcements that the DALI Alliance and KNX Association have embraced Thread as a foundational network technology for their lighting control and building automation devices respectively. In addition, OCF supports Thread under its core framework with streamlined joint certification of OCF and Thread, enabling apps built using existing building automation application protocols to quickly and securely move to IP. Also, members of both organizations have demonstrated BACnet web service apps built on OCF and Thread. Aligning the worlds of consumer electronics and home automation with those of large-scale building automation can bring huge advantages to both industries: standardization can quickly lead to a large number of components and products, and economy of scale enables production at low cost.

Participate in the Standardization Process

All of these developments underline the importance of standardization. What role a company or organization plays in an industry that is undergoing major transitions, depends on selecting and implementing the relevant standards and the organization’s willingness to be active in the standardization process itself. Members of standards alliances have many ways to influence the standard. For example, participation in various sub-committees (marketing and technical) as well as regional groups focused on regulations, use cases and requirements unique to specific regions, serve to further the standards alliance’s charter through member participation. Members of these organizations also benefit from the opportunity to network with global companies across the IoT industry - from silicon providers to system integrators and device manufacturers.

Now is the time to get involved in standards development efforts to create and promote universal standards through collaboration with innovative companies, grow the world of connected devices, and influence technology roadmaps.

For more information on becoming a member of Thread Group, please refer to https://www.threadgroup.org/Becomemember.