One essential part of the tele-medicine applications and devices are small, reliable, non-invasive or less-invasive (as possible) sensors.That’s the reason why in this area a lot of research and innovation is needed. One example is here…
Multi-tasking microneedle sensor tracks glucose, alcohol and lactate levels in real time. Wearable sensors that monitor biomarkers in biofluid just under the surface of the skin (wirelessly, painlessly and in real-time) could be of wide medical benefit. Such devices could measure glucose for diabetes management, for example, support the individualization of prescription drug dosing and automatic drug delivery, or even monitor alcohol levels in the body.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego developed a device with:
➡️ multitasking and continuous monitoring features
➡️ compactness and low-power operation
➡️ disposable sensor (the microneedle array)
➡️ reusable electronics (powered by a 30-day rechargeable battery)
➡️ low costs and easy replacement of the disposable elements.
By filling the current gaps between research and commercialization, the current work presents a leap forward in the field and can accelerate the emergence of next-generation, patient-centred remote monitoring wearable sensors, thereby offering a pathway to transform digital healthcare as we currently know it.
In some Industry Updates we focused on Digital Healthcare Trends for patient treatment and Medtech integration with healthcare workflows which are clearly ongoing and a big future trend. Today we have a look about the past, how the patient sees the use of telehealth.
Patient experience with telehealth appears to be better than provider experience. E.g. only 15 percent of patients claimed that obtaining expected care was difficult, compared to the 58 percent of providers that reported difficulty when examining patients via telehealth.
Only 30 percent of patients said that they or their provider experienced technical issues during a virtual visit, compared with 58 percent of providers.
➡️ many patients and providers continue seeing benefits to telehealth
➡️ patients stated they think they will end up participating in both in-person and virtual care
➡️️ providers agreed the future of healthcare will include both, virtual and physical visit
➡️️ the care modality allowed the providers to care for more patients
➡️ telehealth has given providers an expanded view into their patients’ lives which is helpful e.g. for mental health professionals
➡️ providers must continue to gather telehealth information regarding patient behaviours
Patients’ characteristics play a more vital role than provider characteristics in determining telehealth use.
These characteristics relate to ethnicity, insurance status, and location of residency.
In our weekly post series we had two Industry Updates with medical deserts, and medical drug delivery with drones . Here is an additional important component using e.g. the microneedle sensors from last week’s Industry update, to support shortage of care in rural and urban areas.
Wearable technology devices are smart electronic devices that can be physically worn by individuals in order to automatically collect, monitor, analyse and communicate personal data, advice, warning, and in emergency case alarms. Examples of wearable devices are smartwatches, wristbands, accessories, sensors embedded in garments, and even tattooed on the skin.
Here some aspects which are explained in more detail in the video below:
Whilst most smart devices monitor biometric data for medical purposes, wearable technology has expanded into a wide array of other fields, ranging from sports technology to entertainment and fashion which also makes these applications easier to use in the medical field and encourages even more people to go for telemedicine.
Here is an interesting discussion about medical wearables …
and how can technology alleviate them? Medical desert is a term used to describe regions whose population has inadequate access to healthcare due to geographical and economic causes, whether the lack of healthcare is general or in a specific field, such as dental or pharmaceutical.
It is primarily used to describe rural areas although it is sometimes applied to urban areas as well.
The term is inspired by the analogous concept of a food desert.
AI-infused health IT tools and telehealth can help in the areas below :
➡️️ Mobile clinics
➡️ Virtual care 24/7
➡️️ Chatbots and Telemedicine
➡️️ Remote patient monitoring
➡️ Predictive analytics
With these solutions and the technology behind the healthcare industry can address medical deserts by understanding a community’s needs and building trust and credibility within that population
Diabetes has always been at the forefront of technological advances in patient care. This overview introduces connected and continuous glucose sensing technologies, smart insulin delivery systems and more innovations that help patients and doctors monitor and manage glucose levels and guide decision-making in diabetes care.
➡️️ Connected Care – Realtime, remote monitoring of glucometers, with its data being combined with data from Apps that monitor food and carbohydrate intake.
➡️️ Non-/ minimal invasive glucose monitoring – Wireless driven “smart contact lens” technology that could detect diabetes and further treat diabetic retinopathy just by wearing the lense
➡️️ Insulin delivery: smart pens and pumps- Self learning AI that is specifically adapted to the patient’s history
➡️️ Artificial pancreas – Bionic or artificial pancreases basically replicate the function of a healthy organ
The emergence and advancement of these technologies have improved the quality of life for patients tremendously!
What challenges do you need to overcome to deliver outstanding software for medical-grade devices? One crucial stage, that many hopefuls fumble, is testing.
At Thaumatec Tech Group, we know that expert testing is essential to the development lifecycle and the success of your end product. That’s why we have dedicated teams who test, define test strategies and automate the execution.
Today, we are talking with Pawel Adamek, the Lead Quality Assurance Engineer at Thaumatec. He shares his experiences and explains how our unique approach to testing minimizes software failures and the risks related to software embedded in medical devices.
Pawel Adamek
Pawel, could you tell us a little about yourself?
I live in Wroclaw with my family and like to spend most of my free time with them. Besides my family, my passion is exploring new technologies.
I love diving deep into topics… I try to truly understand them so that I can resolve any related issues that may pop up in the future. I’m lucky because this process of exploring and investigating is what I get to do daily at Thaumatec. Having my career and my passion align is very rewarding and simplifies my life a lot!
Currently, I’m the Lead Quality Assurance Engineer in Thaumatec. This means I’m responsible for planning, executing, automating, and measuring quality targets throughout the whole development lifecycle.
And Thaumatec is focused on HealthTech and medical devices, do you have a particular interest in this area?
Yes, Thaumatec is a HealthTech company. This means we engage in projects which are from the people for the people, to help them, to improve their quality of life.
The perfect example of how we do this is through medical device development. At Thaumatec, our main focus is the software side of development. In the medical sphere, this requires stringent preparation of documentation for certification, which is also one of my responsibilities. So having a keen eye for detail and accuracy is paramount.
That’s interesting. When you say “documentation”, what needs to be considered? What are the steps in the process?
When we are talking about the development and testing of medical devices there are certain requirements and rules which must be met to pass certification.
For example, Thaumatec is ISO13485 certified, which means Thaumatec has a Quality Management System which meets the ISO13485 standard, which is required to develop medical-grade software. We prepare our software according to the IEC62304 standard.
The order that one must follow according to these standards is very strict… but it’s also logical!
First off, you need to prepare the project requirements and planning documentation, which includes the development and verification plans. Once these are complete, then the development stage can begin.
It’s at this stage that our developers start implementing our plan and we create test cases and automated test scripts. Once the test plan and scripts are ready, our testers trial them and provide feedback about the software quality to the developers so that the developers can fix any issues. This is an iterative process.
Once it’s sufficiently tested, it’s time to release the software. At this stage, we prepare a set of documents called “the release documentation”. This includes reports, traceability, and coverage information. We then gather the implementation and required documentation and share them with the notified body for certification.
Let’s focus on the testing part. What’s important when testing a medical device?
The testing scope depends on the software safety classification, which is described in IEC62304. There is no limit for testing per se, but there are minimal requirements regarding testing for each software safety class. For example, IEC62304 specifies 3 classes: A, B, and C.
Software is considered to fall under class A when it does not contribute to hazardous situations or where the hazardous situations could result in an acceptable risk. Class B is when a hazardous situation could lead to a non-serious injury and class C is when the software could cause serious injury or death. As you can imagine, class C requires much more testing.
Can you tell us more about how the flow and testing are impacted by the safety classifications?
Okay, let’s take class A as an example. The first testing step is to prepare a verification plan. This plan needs to contain all the rules required for testing in that class. Next, we organize a set of tests to cover all the software requirements. When these are prepared and a software version is ready for testing, test execution can start. When anomalies are found during testing, we funnel them through a software problem resolution process. This involves documenting the issue, repairs, and verifications.
It’s also possible to leave anomalies unresolved if stakeholders decide that it does not pose an unacceptable risk, but such a decision needs to be documented in writing and include the rationale behind it.
When retests are done all records need to be collected, including the name of the tester, their steps taken, and a list of anomalies. This way, tests can be repeated if need be.
Here it’s important to mention the review process, which is also a type of testing. When it comes to medical products, reviewing the development is crucial at every stage and during each level of development. Reviews are required for the source code, and therefore, they must be properly documented.
As I already mentioned, more testing is required for classes B and C. These classes are very similar in that similar testing activities need to be done for both. Of course, all actions described for class A are also valid for B and C classes, but in addition, unit and integration testing is also necessary.
That’s a lot of information. It’s clear that you are an expert in your field. What would you like to say to others who may be interested in pursuing a similar career?
In real life, going about our daily tasks, there often isn’t enough time to set up and test activities before we dive into them. In medical product development, there is no way to omit these processes because it will result in failure at the certification phase.
Because it is so strictly structured, I think software development for medical products is a fantastic way to hone your knowledge and grow your testing abilities. The standards can seem intimidating at first, but in actuality, they are a very useful resource – you can read them, study them, and refer back to them whenever you need.
Another way to learn is by doing, through mentorship and on-the-job practice. At Thaumatec, we are big on knowledge sharing. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, we are always on the lookout for talent. You can reach us at hr@thauamtec.com.
How has your career developed since starting with Thaumatec, would you recommend the company to others in the field?
Absolutely. One thing that springs to mind right away is the responsibility, trust, and respect the team gave me as soon as I walked in the door. It’s satisfying that I have the flexibility to make changes and improvements.
I also really enjoy having direct contact with management and clients. The culture of communication is very open in this way. We all share our opinions, problems, and ideas and collaborate on solutions, which is very intellectually rewarding. I think this stems from the fact that we are all inquisitive people. We love learning about new tech, it’s in our DNA.
I feel seen and my efforts are rewarded. I would definitely recommend it!.
IOT Wireless | The rise of connectivity | diversity and choice
In my 40-year career, I have seen hundreds of tech trends come and go, experienced innovation first-hand, and witnessed a worldwide, technological evolution.
Internet of things (IoT) started as one of these hypes but now, after many years, it has earned its place in the history books as an innovation. Today, IoT is essential to the function of almost every industry, company, and private life. Although many don’t realize this because IoT works quietly in the background.
One of the core characteristics of IoT systems is wireless connectivity with low power consumption solutions for sensors, actuators, and devices with long lifespans.
But not all IoT solutions are equal. At Thaumatec labs we have undertaken many experiments and trials to understand how different connectivity technologies interact and how to produce reliable, secure, and well-performing systems.
We are proud to share with you some of the connectivity insights we’ve gained while working on IoT solutions for clients in the automotive, smart city, healthtech, and safety and security industries.
Kurt Neubauer, Technology Network and SOO
Overview
Wireless and mobile connectivity is one of the most quickly growing access methods and is used in almost every industry to gain independence from location and enable freedom of movement. Many different radio technologies and standards are available on the market, but they are usually only designed for, applicable with, and perform well in particular use cases
IOT Radio Access Infrastructure:
Thaumatec is using its comprehensive IoT expertise and experience in different types of radio access to create prototypes and design, develop and test wireless and mobile devices and applications to improve these systems.
Typically, we use 3 types of wireless access:
Low-power, long-range radio technology
LPWAN (low-power wide area networks) transport data, status and information from connected low power and autonomous sensors and devices to the decision-making application for storage in the data backend. The network infrastructure can be set up in its own network, which requires environmental and maintenance costs or fee-based operator services. When it comes to LPWAN, we offer LoRa WAN, NB-IOT, CAT-M and Sigfox solutions.
Short range radio technology
This refers to transporting data, status and information from close (room- or house distance) sensors, access-points and devices to the decision-making application for storage in the data backend. The network infrastructure can be set up in its own network, which may require environmental and maintenance costs. For short-range radio technology, we offer RFID, NFC, BLE and Wi-Fi-based solutions.
IoT mesh technology and solutions
IoT mesh technologies transport the data, status and information from close (room- or house distance) sensors, industrial areas, and closer rural areas via access points and devices to the decision-making application for storage in the data backend. This is completed without any network planning or any other physical or technical construction works related to connectivity.
Simply place and play: the radio network configures itself and is prepared to handle many nodes and comprehensive infrastructure. The reliability, performance, safety and security features for this solution have been greatly improved in the last decade. Here we offer ZigBee and Wirepas mesh solutions.
Decision-making criteria
The differences in these technologies can be examined using the following parameters:
Range and urban range
Power usage and long life
Reliability
Security
Performance and data rates
Environmental and operating costs
These parameters must be matched, tailored, and customized carefully according to your requirements. For example, IoT applications with radio network functionality often require a combination of two or more radio standards. In some cases, this means a mediation between long and short range, in other circumstances, it ensures security during outages.
Compare your options
This table provides an overview of the existing criteria, capabilities, weaknesses, and strengths of the available technologies.
Low-power, long-range radio technology:
Comparison parameter
LoRa WAN
LTE NB-IoT
LTE-CAT-M
Sigfox
Urban – rural area range (km)
15 – 30
30
30
30-50
Urban area range (km)
2-5
5-8
11
3-10
power usage for long life(mw)
100
1000-5000
1000-5000
50
Reliability
In the case of full, real-time requirements, LoRa is not the best choice due to message delay constraints.
Reliable high level 3GPP standard
Reliable high level 3GPP standard
Alternative network operator, private and independent network, good performance, bigger range
Security
LoRaWAN™ application payloads are always encrypted end-to-end between the end-device and the application server.
Unauthorized use of the dedicated spectrum is subject to prosecution. All mobile operators employ SIMs with secure integrated circuits,layer two tunnelling protocol (L2TP), or internet protocol security (IPsec).
Unauthorized use of the dedicated spectrum is subject to prosecution. All mobile operators employ SIMs with secure integrated circuits,layer two tunnelling protocol (L2TP), or internet protocol security (IPsec).
In a Sigfox network, each IoT device stores a unique ID, a Network Authentication Key (NAK), and an Encryption Key (Ke), the last two being secret and 128 bits in length.
Performance and data rates (kbps)
27
110
1000
0.8(140 messages/hour)
1 device costs(per Modul EUR)
10-14
8-14
10-40
6-12
Environmental and operating costs(per monthly fee EUR)
1-2 (public)0.25 (private)
<1 (100kB)
2-6 (1 Mb)
<1
Overall performance
LoRa communications are reasonably resilient to detection and jamming and are immune to Doppler deviation. Very low power consumption.
Globally available, good safety,global service by operator and vendors
Globally available, good safety,global service by operator and vendors
#1 rating in shipping and services
Typical usage
LoRa is a very useful and good choice in case of small data transfers and actions needed in networks to connect small and battery powered devices without cabling.
Leased infrastructure and smaller data rate, mobile IoT devices as in vehicles or in non-urban area, agriculture, telematics, real time close
Leased infrastructure and higher data rate, mobile IoT devices as in vehicles, telematics, real time close
Companies, production, manufacturing sites
Plus & minus
+ Open protocol and very low power consumption- Urban range short, not for real time applications, smallest urban range
+ power save, simple radio technique, global reach- No HOV, fee to pay, does not support VoLTE for speech transmission
+ TCP/IP use (connect servers), low data on small costs, good coverage (especially USA), global reach- Higher energy consumption, fee to pay
+ message efficiently due LwProt, wide coverage- sigfox device interference to wideband systems, one way communication without acknowledgement
Short range radio technology:
Comparison parameter
Wi-Fi
BLE (BT 5 best)
NFC
RFID
Range (max)
100m, (11 b/g/n)1 km (11ah)3km + (11af)
50m-150m
4cm
100m
Reliability
Good performance and long experience on the market
Error correction procedures during set up (but reduction on the data rate)
NFC possible if devices are switched off or empty battery, no battery NFC tags (power via antenna induction)
Specific use, fast connection set up and data exchange, safety features and safety worker suits and gloves, access control solutions
Main security issues: pairing process and BLE in general are passive, eavesdropping, man in the middle. (MITM) attacks and conducts identity tracking.
Very limited distance to the reader,2 factor authentication with OSs or web browser, NFC itself not secured against Third Party side channel attacks
Secure mechanisms can be applied to prevent attacks: cryptography, automatic detection of rogue devices, cloning resistance, secure storage of critical data in remote databases, use of secure physical modulations and medium access control (MAC) protocols.
Performance and data rates (kbps)
till 100 Mbit/still 9.6 Gbit/s (802.11ax)
till 2 Mbit/s (Bluetooth 5.0)
till 424 kbit/s
till 100 Mbit/s
Overall performance
Several Wi-Fi standards allow selection of the most suitable oneas it is available in all smartphones,highly applicable for monitoring and sensor solutions
Available in almost all smartphones,single chip solutions available
Fast transaction usage possible due to fast set up with reader, NFC tags and devices in no power mode make inductive accessible, available in more and more smartphones
Induction powered RFID tags without battery/power supply, read/write on tags, many devices at once
Typical usage
e.g. applications in smart home area, shops and malls, offices
Smartphones and tablets, wireless headphones, digital signage, car stereos, fitness trackers, smartwatches, beacons, HW devices, machine monitoring
Identity documents, contactless and mobile payment, key cards, electronic ticket smart cards, mobile phones, keys/car keys
+ Very popular, little investment, easy installation and integration- Not the most secure
+ Low power consumption and costs, easy integration- Security issues
+ Fast connection set up, e.g. pay and go- No certificate according to common criteria, low data rate
+ Fast scanning of many devices- Further security implementations needed
Mesh technology
This table compares the features and specialties of a mesh set up. The physical radio part for both is similar.
Comparison parameter
Wirepas
Zigbee
Rural area range
5 km
100m
Urban area range
40m
30m
Power consumption
Low power modeRouter: 25uA / 1.5 packets per second non-routing: 12uA with 8 sec access cycle
12uA sleeping mode54 mA transmitting mode
Interference
Wirepas Mesh dynamically avoids using the channel that other devices are using nearby.Wirepas Mesh dynamically adjusts the transmission power to the lowest setting to avoid interfering other devices
The 2.4 GHz band that ZigBee uses is often crowded. Crowded frequencies can cause interference which will result in lost or unreliable signals. You may also experience poor reliability if your devices are out of range.
Reliability
Wirepas Mesh does handle acknowledgements and re-transmitsautomatically for each message in case of packets lost. Messages are buffered until those have been successfully delivered.Router will automatically find an alternative route. No need for an application to have logic.
Lower network reliability will occur due to network complexity,more resource usage, and complex object relationships.
Security
Signaling message encrypted with AES128.Every message encrypted with AES128 CTR
128-bit AES encryption for secure data connections
Performance and data rates
Transmission of maximum 102 bytes dataPackage takes only milliseconds, thanks to 1Mbps bandwidth
20kbps – 250 kbps
environmental and operating costs(per Modul EUR)
e.g. Worth appr. 10 Eur
> 5.00 EUR
Environmental and operating costs
No operating costs for private network
No operating costs for private network
Features
Decentralized operation, low latency mode, Synchronous operation, ,self-healing of connectionsno single point failure, industry standard security, automatic roaming, OTA Update
Excellent self-configuration,highest security and reliability standard,effective operation and maintenance features,highest scalable IoT connection
Network increase and complexitycauses lower reliability,latency increases as network size grows
Typical usage
industrial mesh IoT networks
Smart lighting, HVAC controls, securityand energy management, home NW
Plus & minus
+ rentability for all kind of networks, both big and small
+ Good performance – Network growthcauses less reliability
Decision
These are just a selection of the radio technologies that we are experienced in. If they interest you, great. But there are many other technologies available that may fit your needs even better.
Before deciding, it’s important to always:
Investigate the relevant use cases
Collect all valid connectivity criteria for these use cases
Check the connectivity standards and technology
Create a decision table and flow
Then, select the best fitting radio technology
Here is an example of a simple decision table which may help:
Making a selection using your most important criteria
Do you need a data rate >50kbps ?
YES
NO
Do you need a data rate >500kbs
Do you need a range > 10 km
YES
NO
NO
YES
NB-IoT
CAT-M
LoRA
Sigfox
Bandwidth and range are examples, but you can add any relevant criteria to this process to ensure your project is aligned at all decision levels.
Conclusion
To avoid surprises during testing and operation, you should always compare the details of the connectivity technologies you are considering before diving in. At Thaumatec, we have a wealth of experience and knowledge in this field and are happy to help you find a solution that fits your needs.
Overview of a broad field of specialized technology
Wireless and mobile connectivity is one of the most quickly growing access methods and is used in almost every industry to gain independence from location and enable freedom of movement. Many different radio technologies and standards are available on the market, but they are usually only designed for, applicable with, and perform well in particular use cases
In the previous article, we outlined how different types of radio access could be used for IoT applications and what the associated advantages and disadvantages were. In this article, we will provide definitions and elaborations on these radio technologies.
Low-power, long-range radio technology
(LPWAN low power wide area networks)
LPWAN (low-power wide area networks) transport data, status and information from connected low power and autonomous sensors and devices to the decision-making application for storage in the data backend.
Overview LPWAN
Narrow-band IoT (NB-IoT)
LTE Cat NB1 is a derivation of the LTE standard which is also specified in 3GPP release 13. It is designed for IoT applications that are even more constrained than those using eMTC. This technology is based on narrow-band communications and uses a bandwidth of 180 kHz. As a result, the data rate is greatly reduced (around 250 kbps down-link and 20 kbps up-link), which makes FotA updates hard to achieve using NB-IoT. On the bright side, NB-IoT consumes less energy and benefits from a greater range than eMTC.
Enhanced Machine-Type Com. (eMTC, LTE-M)
Long Term Evolution (4G) is a standard from the 3GPP. LTE Cat M1, which is known as either LTE-M or eMTC, is derived from the LTE standard and designed for Machine to Machine (M2M) communications (e.g., IoT). eMTC is a simplified version of LTE that aims to draw less battery power and to extend its range. In contrast to classic LTE, eMTC reduces the data rate to a tenth of LTE (up to 1 Mbps) and strips down the bandwidth from 20 MHz to 1.4 MHz. eMTC supports full-duplex and optional half-duplex operations to reduce consumed power.
Long Range (LoRa)
LoRa is a proprietary technology from Semtech. Based on Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) modulation, it can use several bands of the ISM sub-GHz spectrum depending on the geographical location. LoRa communications are reasonably resilient to detection and jamming and are immune to Doppler deviation. LoRa offers several parameters that can be modified (e.g., spreading factor) to adjust the trade-off between range and data rate (from 0.3 to 50 kbps). LoRa is the technology of the physical layer LoRaWAN, supported by the LoRa Alliance, and is an open protocol for the MAC and network layers.
Sigfox (proprietary end-to-end solution for IoT connectivity)
Sigfox positions itself as an alternative network operator and deploys base stations around the world. This technology uses Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) modulation over an Ultra-Narrow-Band (UNB) carrier of the sub-GHz ISM bands. UNB greatly reduces noise levels, which extends the communication range. The counterpart is a very slow data rate of 100 bps. To respect the duty cycle regulation imposed on the sub-GHz bands, Sigfox limits up-link communications to 140 transmissions of 12 bytes payload, and down-link to 4 transmissions of 8 bytes payload, per day and per device.
Cost factors
Telcom versus other low-power, long-range technology costs to connect [in USD]
Technology
one module
connectivity
infrastructure
LTE-M
10-15
3-5 / Month for 1 Mb
NB-IOT
7-12
<1 / Monthfor 100 kb
Sigfox
5-10
<1 / Month
LoRa WAN Public
9-12
1-2 / Month
LoRa WAN Private
9-12
0.25 / Month
500
Short range radio technology
This refers to transporting data, status and information from close (room- or house distance) sensors, access-points and devices to the decision-making application for storage in the data backend
Overview short range tech
WLAN/Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards. Wi‑Fi is a trademark of the non-profit Wi-Fi Alliance. Wi-Fi technology may be used to provide local network and Internet access to devices that are within Wi-Fi range of one or more routers that are connected to the Internet. Exceptional for long range the HaLow extends Wi-Fi into the 900-MHz band, enabling the low-power connectivity necessary for applications, including sensors and wearables. Because this frequency is freely available for basic communications, HaLow is also a standard for IoT.
Bluetooth / BLE
Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances using short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the industrial, scientific, and medical radio bands, from 2.402 GHz to 2.480 GHz, and for building personal area networks (PANs). Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) is a wireless personal area network technology designed and marketed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) aimed at novel applications in the healthcare, fitness, beacons, security, and home entertainment industries.
NFC
Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols for communication between two electronic devices over a distance of 4 cm (11⁄2 in) or less. NFC offers a low-speed connection with simple setup that can be used to bootstrap more capable wireless connections.
NFC devices can act as electronic identity documents and key cards. They are used in contactless payment systems and allow mobile payment replacing or supplementing systems such as credit cards and electronic ticket smart cards. NFC can be used for sharing small files (e.g., contacts) and bootstrapping fast connections to share larger media such as photos, videos, etc.
RFID
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID tag contains a tiny radio transponder (a combination of radio receiver and transmitter). When triggered by an electromagnetic interrogation pulse from a nearby RFID reader device, the tag transmits digital data, usually an identifying inventory number, back to the reader. This number can be used to inventory goods. RFID tags are used in many industries. For example, automobile companies often use it to track progress through the assembly line, pharmaceutical companies often use it to track inventory through their warehouses, and farmers and pet owners are increasingly implanting RFID microchips to track and identify livestock and pets.
IoT mesh technology and solutions
IoT mesh technologies transport the data, status and information from close (room- or house distance) sensors, industrial areas, and closer rural areas via access points and devices to the decision-making application for storage in the data backend. This is completed without any network planning or any other physical or technical construction works related to connectivity.
Simply place and play: the radio network configures itself and is prepared to handle many nodes and comprehensive infrastructure. The reliability, performance, safety and security features for this solution have been greatly improved in the last decade.
Wirepas Mesh is a wireless connectivity technology for massive IoT. Wirepas Mesh running in the devices enables a scalable, reliable, and cost-efficient IoT solution. The network provides one horizontal connectivity layer for all IoT use cases: collect data from your sensors to an IoT application in the cloud, control remotely located devices, communicate device-to-device in the network with or without cloud and track the location of moving assets. All the networking intelligence is included in the Wirepas Mesh software to form a resilient large-scale wireless mesh network. The relevant radio standard is compliant IEEE 802.15.1, which is suitable with Zigbee, Thread, and other similar protocols. Currently supported are off shelf SoC Nordic nrF52832/33/40 and Silabs EFR 32 FG12/13.
Zigbee®
Robust, low-power mesh networks for smart homes and buildings
Zigbee is a standards-based wireless mesh network used widely in building automation, lighting, smart city, medical, and asset tracking. We have been a promoting member of the Zigbee Alliance for more than 10 years, providing robust stack delivery with the latest standards. Our Zigbee portfolio offers the lowest power mesh solutions enabling multi-year coin cell use or battery-less operation across industrial temperatures.
The technology defined by the Zigbee specification is intended to be simpler and less expensive than other wireless personal area networks (WPANs), such as Bluetooth and more general wireless networking such as Wi-Fi. Applications include wireless light switches, home energy monitors, traffic management systems, and other consumer and industrial equipment that requires short-range low-rate wireless data transfer.
Its low power consumption limits transmission distances to 10–100 meters line-of-sight, depending on power output and environmental characteristics.[2] Zigbee devices can transmit data over long distances by passing data through a mesh network of intermediate devices to reach more distant ones. Zigbee is typically used in low data rate applications that require long battery life and secure networking. Zigbee networks are secured by 128-bit symmetric encryption keys. Zigbee has a defined rate of 250 kbit/s, best suited for intermittent data transmissions from a sensor or input device.
Since 2019 when the Bluetooth Special Interest Group announced a direction-finding feature based on angles finding in their specification for Bluetooth 5.1 I was impatient to check if it is working!
Unfortunately, there is no mutch commercial DevKits or solutions to verify that feature, nevertheless, luckily now one of our engineers Arkadiusz Jagodzinski has prepared a custom HW solution based on the Nordic nRF52811 chip and verify how this feature works and how accurate it is based on measurements in special EM isolated chamber. In this first post I’d like to share with you
Bluetooth Low Energy Location Services
Bluetooth Low Energy is one of the most popular wireless technology standards. Around 4 billion Bluetooth enabled devices were shipped to the market in 2020. This number will grow and annual Bluetooth device shipments will exceed 6 billion by 2025 according to Bluetooth SIG forecast.
One of the Bluetooth key features is location services. 119 Million devices that use location services were shipped in 2020, mostly for Indoor Navigation and Point of Interest Information purposes.
Until now Bluetooth location services solutions were using Received Signal Strength Indicator. RSSI measurements allow determining the presence of a device or rough distance estimation to it.
Source: Enhancing Bluetooth Location Services with Direction Finding, bluetooth.com
By using some more sophisticated approaches Real-time Locating Systems and Indoor Positioning Systems are also possible by mixing together RSSI measurements, multiple transmitters or receivers and trilateration.
Source: Enhancing Bluetooth Location Services with Direction Finding, bluetooth.com
Bluetooth Direction Finding
In 2019 Bluetooth SIG announced Bluetooth 5.1 specification which introduces Direction
Finding features designed to improve location services. Direction Finding makes it possible to determine the direction of the received signal by using an antenna array and signal-phase comparisons.
Direction finding delivers two methods: Angle of Arrival (AoA) and Angle of Departure (AoD) which use the same principles.
In both methods, there are two devices: transmitter and receiver. The transmitter transmits Constant Tone Extension (CTE) signal after the regular BLE packet. The receiver role is to sample that signal and calculate the angle from which the signal comes.
In Angle of Arrival:
The transmitter has one antenna.
The receiver has an antenna array and it switches antennas when receiving CTE signal from the transmitter.
The angle of Departure is slightly different:
Transmitter has an antenna array and it does the switching when transmitting.
The receiver has only one antenna used to sample CTE signal from the transmitter.
Source: Enhancing Bluetooth Location Services with Direction Finding, bluetooth.com
Angle Estimation
After the sampling phase, we have IQ samples linked to each antenna. IQ samples represent the phase and amplitude of a signal. Using this data it is possible to calculate the signal phase difference between each antenna. Then using some trigonometry it is possible to calculate the angle of arrival.
Example angle of arrival estimation using two antennas in the receiver:
Using phase difference to derive angle of arrival
Source: Bluetooth Direction Finding A Technical Overview, Martin Woolley, 22 February 2021
Exploring Angle of Arrival method
In cooperation with Wrocław University of Science and Technology we will explore Angle of Arrival capabilities, mainly we will focus on examining the accuracy of:
Estimation of the angle of the transmitter to the receiver.
Transmitter positioning in 2D when using two receivers.
To do it we will use custom boards with Nordic nRF52811 chip and a uniform circular antenna array that can contain up to 8 antennas.
Enhancing Bluetooth Location Services with Direction Finding, bluetooth.com
Bluetooth Direction Finding A Technical Overview, Martin Woolley, 22 February 2021 https://www.bluetooth.com/wp-content/uploads/Files/developer/1903_RDF_Technical_Overview_FINAL.pdf
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