Numerous communication protocols are available in today's electronics, from 2G to 4G and from WiFi to wired networks. But which protocol is the right choice for your IoT product? Johan Vonk from Betronic provides more insight into the options using a concrete practical example during his lecture at E&A 2019.
When choosing the optimal communication protocol, a number of factors are considered, such as price but also quality. In his lecture, Vonk wants to present a concrete case, a smart pool table: “I am going to describe a fictional case in which I explain what information is needed for the user and the owner. Those are two separate flows. I'm going to talk about a pool table. These can be purchased or leased.”
He continues: “There is a need for the pool table user to keep score in real time. And the owner needs information to, for example, estimate the time of maintenance. For example, he wants to know how often the table is used. The next question is: which communication protocol suits this best? That could be WiFi, or perhaps Lora, Bluetooth, or 4G.”
And Vonk thinks that the pool table case clearly sums up the questions: “The challenge there is, for example: how do I measure by applying the sensors. With what frequency do I do this? How quickly do I want the information available and how reliable should it be? I want to be able to immediately view the final score on my smartphone after a game of pool. If I own the table I want to know how often it is used and at what intensity, but I don't need to know that in real time. So: the wishes for the reliability and speed of the data can vary greatly.”
No 5G yet
During his lecture Vonk will not yet discuss 5G. In his view, it is still too early for that: “This case is certainly not suitable for 5G. It is not even in its infancy and companies looking for an IoT solution are not even aware of existing communication protocols. 5G is especially suitable for applications with a high data speed and low latency, such as a self-driving car. It would be overkill for these types of applications.”
Vonk's story ties in closely with the other lectures on the theme 'Communication protocols within IoT'. After his presentation, Itho will speak with a case surrounding the heat pump. “I still worked on that project,” says Vonk.
He hopes that the lecture program will give visitors a clear answer to the question: why do you want IoT? Vonk: “You can invest in it, but if you don't have a good business case or future strategy it is a waste of money, then you shouldn't do it. I do notice that customers are searching, but that they have already determined a strategy: 'I would like to connect my device to the internet, this is my return model'. Ultimately, the question is always how do I make money from this business case?”
You can visit Johan Vonk's lecture by yourself to register for free for a visit to E&A 2019.
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