Cisco and a group of leading tech companies have formed an industry alliance that promotes the Internet Protocol (IP) for interconnecting millions of embedded devices such as thermometers and light switches, forming an “Internet of Things”. Many OSNews readers should be familiar with the technical basis of the alliance: embedded open source developer Adam Dunkels’ lightweight uIP TCP/IP stack from the Contiki operating system. Nice to see that open source OSes besides Linux and BSD also have a major impact on the technology industry.
why should my light switch be online?
“oh no, my light goes on and off, seems it has an virus” xD
Just jokeling^^
I know that was just a joke, but I think that in many cases these items won’t be online, just on the local network, for home automation and other local networking uses. There’s currently a patchwork of competing proprietary protocols for these things, which is not necessary and hampers adoption. I welcome a move to IP for these kinds of devices.
Some applications of powered low voltage networking come to mind
Upcoming LED and OLED lighting for ceilings with no AC wires (stupid US homes)
Loads of sensors for smart home control, temp in attic, ouside every window, door, where ever. Cars have sensors everywhere, homes should have even more since they use more energy.
Shared UPS backup for every low power widget likes clocks,
Atomic time becomes available to all devices, no more clock settings
In fact many lowpower devices that either use odd shaped AC bricks or use batteries could use raw 12V right off the network, smaller connectors, easy to hide, and shared battery back up.
Eliminate requirment of hiring overpaid certified unionized electricians to do mundane low power electrical tasks, leave them to do HVAC work.
If very small PC, LCD, DV players really get low power, those could lose their power bricks too and likely be power managed much better.
Kill off X10 which is 1975 technology and pretty limited, gee it pokes along at a few packets per/sec.
Come to think of it USB can already do most of those things too but only from a 5V base, could you imagine living in a home with dozens of USB devices everywhere, that would probably be far cheaper and quicker to do, but less power to play with.
One thing I don’t like, network cables connectors are so damn flimsy, I wish they would come up with something more solid. otherwise I have to learn to crimp my own.
If you are looking for solid connectors, DoD avionics use these exclusively:
http://www.gore.com/en_xx/products/cables/copper/networking/quadrax…
Who knew that Duff’s device would someday be taken seriously, go Adam!
Okay those MIL connectors look real nice, a little too nice and no doubt pricey. It’s upto the industry to choose proper connectors to do the job that can withstand some abuse, just lighten up on using the plastic with bits that will snap off please. Besides the vast majority of the sensors that will be on the network only need a KB/s bandwidth or so plus limited power in the USB range.
Your article says “Cisco IP Alliance”, but the original one states: “A group of leading technology vendors that include Cisco and Sun Microsystems as well as end users have formed the IP for Smart Objects (IPSO) Alliance”
Cisco, Sun and many others are part of the alliance, it’s not a Cisco IP Alliance