6LoWPAN
Speaker:施創宏
Date:2010-06-02
Outline
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Overview
What is a Smart Object
IETF (Internet Engineer Task Force)
ISA (Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society)
Problem of 6LoWPAN
Vision
Reference
Overview
 6LoWPAN is an acronym of IPv6 over Low power
Wireless Personal Area Networks.
 A simple low throughput wireless network comprising
typically low cost and low power devices.
 Common topologies include – star, mesh, and
combinations of star and mesh.
 The Phy and MAC layers conform to IEEE 802.15.4-2003
standard
6LoWPAN Characteristics
 Small packet size (127Byte)
 16-bit short or IEEE 64-bit extended media
access control addresses
 Low bandwidth. (250kbps)
 Low power, typically battery operated
 Relatively low cost
What is “The Internet Of Things ?”
 It is fundamentally the idea of
connecting SmartObjects to enable a
myriad of new applications !
 It is in fact about connecting Smart
Objects using IP: either via a (virtual)
private network OR the Internet.
What is a Smart Object?
 An intelligent tag (RFID),
 A sensor: device that measures a physical quantity
and converts it to a analog or digital signal: power
consumption and quality, vibration of an engine,
pollution, temperature, CO, motion detection, …
 An Actuator: device that controls a set of equipment
(e.g. control and/or modulates the flow of a gas or
liquid, control electricity distribution, perform a
mechanical operation)
 Any combination of the above features to form a more
complex entity.
Typical Applications
Protocol and Architecture
 High number of proprietary or semi-closed
solutions:Zigbee, Z-Wave, Xmesh,
SmartMesh/TSMP, … at many layers
(physical, MAC, L3) and most chip vendor
claim to be compatible with their own
standard.
 Many non-interoperable “solutions”
addressing specific problems.
 Different Architectures,
 Different Protocols
Which protocol and architecture ?
 The architecture and protocol MUST have a
specific properties.
 Based on open standards: for interoperability,
cost reduction and innovation …
 Flexibility in many dimensions:
 Support a wide range of media
 Support a wide range of devices
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Always favor global than local optimum.
Highly secure
Plug & Play
Scalable
IP: The perfect fit !
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Based on open standards:
for interoperability, cost
reduction and innovation
Flexibility in many
dimensions:
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Support a wide range of media
Support a wide range of
devices
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Always favor global than local
optimum:
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Highly secure
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Plug & Play
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Scalable
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Open standard: The Internet
Engineering Task Force.
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Flexibility in many dimensions:
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Serial, SDH, FR, ATM, Ethernet,
Wireless, Optical …
From cell phone to high speed
routers
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Always favor global than
local optimum: “IP if good
enough for everything: from
email to video to realtime
protocols”
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A very secure and well proven
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Biliions of connected
devices
IP to the Sensors
 New services and applications
 M2M, remote management
 New Markets
 Process Control for factories
 Control and Automation for home, building, cities
 Larger Core Market
 Open standards to the sensor
 Lower cost
 More connected devices and new applications
 A wider Internet
 Shaping the future
 Internet of things
Why IPv6?
 Advantage
 More suitable for higher density
Statelessness mandated.
 No NAT necessary.
 Possibility of adding innovative
techniques such as location aware
addressing.
 Defect
 Larger address width(128bit).
 Complying to IPv6 node requirements.
IETF
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網際網路標準主要是由網際網路工程任務小組(Internet Engineer Task Force,
IETF)負責研究發展和制定的。IETF是一個屬性相當開放的組織，是由來自於全世
界關心網際網路技術發展的網際網路設計者、營運業者、使用者和研究人員 所組
成。最特別的是，IETF由眾多名為「工作群組」(Working Group, WG) 的委員
會所組成，這些工作群組絕大多數都是針對特殊問題或程序而建立起來的，所以都
是以短暫性的存續運作為常態，只要工作目標完成就會終止該工作群組的運作。目
前在IETF的網站上，可以看到各個工作群組的相關資料和運作現況。
6LoWPAN
 The Working Group will generate the necessary
documents to ensure interoperable
implementations of 6LoWPAN networks and will
define the necessary security and management
protocols and constructs for building 6LoWPAN
networks.
 6lowpan will work closely with the Routing
Over Low power and Lossy networks (roll)
working group which is developing IPv6 routing
solutions for low power and lossy networks
(LLNs).
ROLL
 ROLL: defining the routing
solution within the LLN (Low
power and Lossy Network).
Description of Working Group
 Low power and Lossy networks (LLNs) are made up of
many embedded devices with limited power, memory,
and processing resources. They are interconnected by a
variety of links, such as IEEE 802.15.4, Bluetooth, Low
Power WiFi, wired or other low power PLC (Powerline
Communication) links.
 LLNs are transitioning to an end-to-end IP-based
solution to avoid the problem of non-interoperable
networks interconnected by protocol translation
gateways and proxies.
Protocol Translation Gateways
 Complex to manage, expensive!
 Lack of end to end routing consistency, Multi-topology
routing, management, security, …
ISA
 Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation
Society is a non-profit technical society for engineers,
technicians, businessmen, educators and students,
who work, study or are interested in industrial
automation.
 It was originally known as the Instrument Society
of America.
 ISA provides leadership and education in the
instrumentation and automation industries, assisting
engineers, technicians, and research scientists, as
well as many others, in keeping pace with the rapidly
changing industry.
ISA100.11a Working Group
Charter
 This project addresses:
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Low energy consumption devices, with the ability to scale
to address large installations.
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Wireless infrastructure, interfaces to legacy infrastructure
and applications, security, and network management
requirements in a functionally scalable manner.
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Robustness in the presence of interference found in harsh
industrial environments and with legacy systems.
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Coexistence with other wireless devices anticipated in the
industrial work space.
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Interoperability of ISA100 devices.
ISA100.11a, IP technology
 ISA 100.11a endorsed 6LoWPAN
 IPv6 packets but not stack (ND, ICMP)
 Internet Control Message Protocol(TCP/IP協
定中IP協定的上層,通過ICMP可對發信人進行通知
和檢測通訊前對方節點是否存在)
 Backbone Router draft @ 6LoWPAN
 Proposing an IPv6 based best practice
 To promote full IPv6 in ISA100.11a
 And WSN in general by contagion
Problem
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No method exists to make IP run over IEEE 802.15.4
networks
Stacking IP and above layers “as is” may not fit within one
802.15.4 frame
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IPv6 40 octets, TCP 20 octets, UDP 8 octets + other layers
(security, routing, etc) leaving few bytes for data
Not all adhoc routing protocols may be immediately suitable
for LoWPAN
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DSR (Dynamic Source Routing) may not fit within a packet.
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AODV (Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector) needs more
memory.
Limited configuration and management necessary
Security for multi hop needs to be considered
Challenges of LoWPAN
Impact
Analysis
Addressing
Routing
Security
Network
management
Low power
(1-2 years lifetime on
batteries)
Storage
limitations, low
overhead
Periodic sleep
aware routing,
low overhead
Simplicity (CPU
usage), low
overhead
Periodic sleep
aware
management, low
overhead
Low cost
(<$10/unit)
Stateless
address
generation
Small or no
routing tables
Ease of Use,
simple
bootstrapping
Space constraints
Low bandwidth
(<300kbps)
Compressed
addresses
Low routing
overhead
Low packet
overhead
Low network
overhead
High density
(<2-4? units/sq ft)
Large address
space – IPv6
Scalable and
routable to *a
node*
Robust
Easy to use and
scalable
IP network interaction
Address routable
from IP world
Seamless IP
routing
Work end to
end from IP
network
Compatible with
SNMP, etc
Goals
 Support stateless auto configuration of IPv6
addressing.
 In all cases, reuse existing protocols before creating
new ones .
 Specify/use header compression schemes.
 Specify encoding/decoding for device discovery
mechanisms.
 Define security mechanisms, security configuration.
Vision
 Building automation
 Today:
 Highly fragmented market
 Limited to no IP/wireless
 Potential for:
 open standards
 ISA100.11a extension
 Applications
 Energy savings
 Regulation
 Security
Vision
 Smart cities
 Today:
 Slowing development of mesh networks
 Few applications (surveillance, muni info)
 Potential for:
 WIFI/WIMAX integrated Mesh
 ISA100.11a
 IPv6 networking
 Applications
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Energy/Water savings
Water leak detection
Traffic Regulation
Physical Security
Air quality monitoring
Vision
 Home Automation
 Today:
 Lot of wires
 Some powerline (homeplug)
 Potential for:
 WIFI Low Power 802.15.4
 IP home networking
 Applications
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Energy/Water savings
Home security
Home Safety
Remote healthcare
Air quality monitoring
The golden path
 Vision
 Sensors and actuators using Internet
technology.
 That’s Billions of devices in the next 10 years.
 Enabling new services and applications.
 Steps
 IP for automation open standards (ISA100.11a).
 IP for LLN (Low power and lossy networks)
(6LoWPAN and ROLL).
Reference
 http://solomon.ipv6.club.tw/Course/ProtocolEn
gineering/internet_of_things.pdf
 http://solomon.ipv6.club.tw/Course/ProtocolEn
gineering/cisco_thubert_m2mworkshop.pdf
 http://solomon.ipv6.club.tw/Course/ProtocolEn
gineering/6lowpan-4.ppt