The faster, smarter network
C-LAN is the next generation of wireless sensor networks that is designed to provide both the required
functionality and bandwidth for any wireless application while maximizing the cost/performance ratio.
C-LAN was designed from inception to provide bi-directional Internet connectivity to any wireless device
operating within the coverage area of the C-LAN network. Once established within a space, any type of
device or application can run on top of C-LAN much like an application running on top of Windows OS.
Multiple applications can run on the network simultaneously and independently of each other.
C-LAN exists in three forms, each offering a higher degree of functionality and application bandwidth
allowing the best cost/performance ratio of any potential application.
The C-LAN network topology is best described as an optimized tree cluster which results in the shortest,
fastest connection between any network device or cell and the master cell. It was found that this
topology provided the optimum network formation to maximize the network bandwidth where ALL RF
packets received by ANY network cell are routed to a single master cell. Once the RF packet is
transported to the master cell via cell to cell network transport, the master will re-route the packet to
another device within the same network, route the packet to another device in another C-LAN network
via an Internet connection, or send the packet to a local or remote application for additional processing.
Currently, WIFI and Zigbee are the de-facto standards for wireless network communications and work
well for their intended applications, albeit limited. C-LAN provides ALL the functionality of both
standards in addition to advanced features not provided within the standards with a superior
cost/performance ratio.
WIFI, 802.11n, was designed to provide short range, High Bandwidth Internet connectivity to mobile
devices that are within point to point communications range of an Ethernet Access Point. Due to the
“star” topology used in the WIFI protocol, each network device must remain within the point to point
communications range of the access point, approximately 100 feet. This inherent protocol limit
precludes the ability to set up an area wide WIFI network referenced to a single access point. The most
current version of WIFI can support a data rate of 54 Mbps with up to 50 devices associated with a single
access point.
Zigbee, 802.15, was designed for very low bandwidth, high reliability, machine to machine
communications. Zigbee incorporates a “mesh” network topology to allow any Zigbee device to
communicate directly with any other Zigbee device within the mesh network via multiple paths to
create a robust communications link under harsh conditions.
Unlike the C-LAN protocol, the Zigbee network is formed between the actual Zigbee devices and does
not exist outside of the actual application. This networking limitation prevents multiple Zigbee
applications operating within the same physical space from “sharing” resources resulting in redundancy
and self- interference due to unsynchronized RF packet collisions. A typical Zigbee network can only
support 1000 or fewer devices with a very low bitrate of only 20 Kbps, with a maximum sustained data
rate of only 10 Khz.
C-LAN is offered in three bandwidth versions, C-LAN, C-LAN-PLUS, and C-LAN-WIBAND which allows the
network data rate to be tailored to the application for the best cost/performance ratio.
At the low end of the data rate application typically associated with Zigbee, C-LAN provides much higher
performance and functionality then Zigbee for a much lower cost per application.
At the high end of the data rate application associated with WIFI, C-LAN-WIBAND provides the same
bandwidth as WIFI but extends the network far beyond the physical range of a typical access point while
at the same time increasing the number of WIFI devices that can access the network via a single access
point to 1000’s. C-LAN-PLUS is an intermediate bandwidth network offering network performance
between C-LAN and C-LAN-WIBAND.
C-LAN
C-LAN® is the lowest bandwidth version and the most similar to Zigbee in performance. C-LAN provides
a bitrate of 2 Mbps, with a sustained data rate of 50 Khz. C-LAN provides all the functions of Zigbee plus
additional features due to the much higher bitrate and sustained data rate. Unlike Zigbee, C-LAN can
support compressed audio and low frame rate compressed JPEG files at up to 5 frames per sec. This
higher performance allows more advanced sensors and systems to utilize the resident C-LAN network
which cannot be supported by Zigbee. Audio and video meta-data can be transported to any cloud
server by C-LAN if the bandwidth requirements are within that of the basic C-LAN as described. Class 1
C-LAN devices are supported by C-LAN. Typical applications that can be supported by the basic C-LAN
are camera tracking, prop and actor tracking, motion capture, 2D to 3D conversion, to name a few.
C-LAN-Plus
C-LAN-PLUS® is a higher bandwidth version of the original C-LAN and incorporates the same optimized
tree cluster network topology. C-LAN-PLUS provides a bitrate of 4 Mbps and a sustained data rate of 96
Khz, sufficient to support CD quality audio and moderate frame rate uncompressed JPEG files. The
higher bandwidth allows advanced sensors and systems to operate on C-LAN-PLUS which require more
data thru-put then can be provided by the basic C-LAN. Higher bandwidth audio and video meta-data
can be transported to any cloud server by C-LAN-PLUS if the bandwidth requirements are within that of
C-LAN-PLUS as described. Class 1 and 2 C-LAN devices are supported by C-LAN-PLUS. Typical applications
that can be supported by C-LAN-PLUS are the same as C-LAN but can support a higher sample rate
and/or support a larger number of Class 1 or 2 devices.
C-LAN-WIBAND
C-LAN-WIBAND® is the highest bandwidth version of C-LAN also incorporating the same optimized tree
clusterl network topology. C-LAN-WIBAND provides a bit-rate of 54 Mbps with a sustained data rate of
over 10 Mhz, which is identical to the current WIFI 802.11n standard. C-LAN-WIBAND can be used to
transport standard WIFI data packets much like a WIFI extender but without any limit on the network
coverage. Class 1, 2, and 3 C-LAN, and WIFI enabled devices, are supported by C-LAN-WIBAND.
C-LAN-WIBAND can support uncompressed streaming audio and video identical to any WIFI wireless
router but with an unlimited range. Audio and video meta-data can be transported to any cloud server
by C-LAN-WIBAND if the bandwidth requirements exceed that of C-LAN-WIBAND as previously
described.
Higher bandwidth versions of C-LAN-WIBAND can easily be adapted to support the new Super-WIFI
standards needed to support HD video and uncompressed multi-channel audio streaming once the new
standard emerges.
Summary of similarities and differences between WIFI, Zigbee, and the three forms of C-LAN
Features
WIFI
C-LANWIBAND
C-LAN-PLUS
C-LAN
Zigbee
Bluetooth
Low Energy
(BLE)
Protocol
802.11n
proprietary
proprietary
proprietary
802.15.4
Bluetooth 4.1
Bitrate (max)
54 mbsp
54 mbps
4 mbps
2 mbps
20-250 kbps
1 mbps
Sustained
bandwidth
10 Mhz
10 Mhz
96 Khz
50 Khz
10 Khz
2 Mhz
Network
topology
star
Tree-cluster
Tree-cluster
Tree-cluster
P2P, star
Packet
transport
Asynch
(selfcollision)
Synch (no
collisions)
Synch (no
collisions)
Synch (no
collisions)
Asynch (selfcollisions)
Asynch (selfcollisions)
Protocol stack 100 KB+
9 KB
9 KB
9 KB
50 KB+
?
Network setup manual
Self-forming, Self-forming, Self-forming, Self-forming,
self-healing self-healing self-healing self-healing
?
Power
high
requirements
high
low
low
low
low
Cost per cell or
high
node
high
low
low
moderate
moderate
Cells or nodes
< 50
per network
64K
64K
64K
<1000
?
RF Band
2.5 Ghz
2.5 Ghz and
5.1 Ghz
2.5 Ghz
2.5 Ghz, 900 2.5 Ghz, 900
Mhz, 400 Mhz Khz
2.5 Ghz
Network
coverage
100' from
Ethernet
Access
Point
unlimited
unlimited
unlimited
100,000 sq. ft
100' from BLE
Receiver
Battery
operation
no
yes
yes
yes
yes
?
Security
Multiple
schemes
None (source None (source None (source Multiple
dependent) dependent) dependent) schemes
128 bit AES
Features
WIFI
C-LANWIBAND
Internet
Access
Ethernet
access
point
C-LAN master C-LAN master C-LAN master No intrinsic
Ethernet /
Ethernet /
Ethernet /
internet
modem
modem
modem
connectivity
C-LAN-PLUS
C-LAN
Zigbee
Bluetooth
Low Energy
(BLE)
No intrinsic
internet
connectivity