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IEEE
STANDARD EXTENDS WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS TO LOW-POWER, LOW-SPEED,
LOW-COST DEVICES
IEEE 802.15.4 Expected to Foster Wireless Use
of Sensor and Actuator Networks
Contact:
Robert F. Heile, IEEE 802.15.4(TM) Working Group Chair
+1 508 222 1393, bheile@ieee.com
or
Karen McCabe, IEEE Senior Marketing Manager
+1 732 562 3824, k.mccabe@ieee.org
PISCATAWAY,
N.J., USA, 2 Sept. 2003- A new standard from the Institute
of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) opens the
world of wireless communications to inexpensive applications from
sensors and switches for industrial and residential use to smart
tags and badges, interactive toys, inventory tracking and much
more. The standard, IEEE 802.15.4(TM), provides for low-data-rate
connectivity among relatively simple devices that consume minimal
power and typically connect at distances of 10 meters (30 feet)
or less.
IEEE 802.15.4, "Wireless Medium Access Control (MAC) and
Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications for Low Rate Wireless Personal
Area Networks (LR-WPANs)," addresses fixed, portable and
moving devices that operate at data rates of 10 to 250 kbps. It
allows devices to form short-range ad hoc networks within which
they can interact directly.
"This is an enabling standard," says Pat Kinney, Chair
of IEEE 802.15 Task Group 4. "It builds a framework so existing
low-end wired devices can participate in wireless networks and
also creates a path for many new applications. The potential uses
have several things in common. They all involve relatively simple,
low-speed wireless links that need so little power that a set
of AA batteries might last three to five years or even longer.
"We believe a host of new applications will be based on the
standard. These might include motion sensors that control lights
or alarms, wall switches that can be moved at will, meter reader
devices that work from outside a house, game controllers for interactive
toys, tire pressure monitors in cars, passive infrared sensors
for building automation systems, and asset and inventory tracking
devices for use in retail stock rooms and warehouses."
According to José A. Gutierrez, Chief Technical Editor
of the standard, IEEE 802.15.4 is based on a vision of a new wireless
niche for communication among things. "It is the first wireless
scheme to allow simple sensor and actuator devices to share a
single standardized wireless platform. The IEEE 802.15.4 specification
complements the IEEE 802 set of wireless standards to enable sensor-rich
environments. It accommodates lower-end applications by trading
off higher speed and performance for architectures that benefit
from low power consumption and cost."
Wireless links under IEEE 802.15.4 can operate in three unlicensed
frequency bands. These accommodate data rates of 20 kb/sec in
the 858 MHz band, 40 kb/sec in the 902-to-928 MHz band, and 250
kb/sec in the 2.4 GHz band. When lines of communication exceed
30 feet, the standard allows for the creation of self-configuring,
multihop network topologies. It also provides features that allow
devices operating under the standard to coexist with other wireless
devices, such as those that comply with IEEE 802.11(TM) or Wi-Fi(R)
and IEEE 802.15.1(TM) or Bluetooth(TM).
IEEE 802.15.4
was sponsored by the IEEE Computer Society, LAN/MAN Standards
Committee.
About the
IEEE Standards Association
The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting
body, develops consensus standards through an open process that
brings diverse parts of an industry together. These standards
set specifications and procedures based on current scientific
consensus. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of more than 870 completed
standards and more than 400 standards in development. Over 15,000
IEEE members worldwide belong to IEEE-SA and voluntarily participate
in standards activities. For further information on IEEE-SA see:
http://standards.ieee.org.
About the
IEEE
The IEEE has more than 380,000 members in approximately 150 countries.
Through its members, the organization is a leading authority on
areas ranging from aerospace, computers and telecommunications
to biomedicine, electric power and consumer electronics. The IEEE
produces nearly 30 percent of the world's literature in electrical
and electronics engineering and in computer science. This nonprofit
organization also sponsors or cosponsors more than 300 technical
conferences each year. Additional information about the IEEE can
be found at http://www.ieee.org.
IEEE 802.15.4,
P802.15.1, and 802.11 are trademarks of the IEEE. All other names
or product names are the trademarks, service marks or registered
trademarks of their respective holders.
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