The Internet of Things (IoT) gateway, as a new term, will play a very important role in the future IoT era, acting as a bridge between the sensing network and traditional communication networks.
In wireless sensor networks, IoT gateways are essential core devices. Additionally, IoT gateways need to have device management capabilities, allowing operators to manage the underlying sensing nodes through the IoT gateway devices, understand relevant information about each node, and achieve remote control.
Key technologies for IoT gateways include two aspects:
1. Multi-standard Interoperability
Currently, there are many technical standards used for short-range communication. Common sensor network technologies include ZigBee, Z-Wave, RUBEE, WirelessHART, IETF6LoWPAN, Wibree, etc. Various technologies are mainly targeted at specific applications and lack compatibility and system planning. For example, Z-Wave is mainly used in wireless smart home networks, RUBEE is suitable for harsh environments, and WirelessHART focuses on industrial monitoring. Achieving interoperability among various communication technology standards has become a problem that IoT gateways must solve. Should separate gateways be designed for each standard and then realized through a unified interface between gateways, or should a standard adaptation layer be used to develop corresponding interfaces for different technology standards?
2. Manageability of Gateways
As a network-connected element, the IoT gateway itself must have certain management functions, including registration and login management, permission management, task management, data management, fault management, status monitoring, remote diagnosis, parameter query and configuration, event processing, remote control, and remote upgrades. To achieve overall network manageability, not only must the management of the gateway device itself be realized, but further management of each node within the subnet must also be achieved through the gateway, such as obtaining node identifiers, statuses, attributes, etc., as well as remote wake-up, control, diagnosis, and upgrade maintenance. Depending on the technical standards of the subnet and the complexity of the protocols, the management content that can be performed varies significantly.
The Forms of IoT Gateways
From the definition of IoT gateways, it is difficult for IoT gateways to appear in a relatively fixed form. Generally speaking, any device that can convert and send the information collected by the sensing layer to the Internet through this terminal’s protocol can be considered an IoT gateway. The form can be box-shaped or tablet-like, it can have an interactive form with a display screen, or it can be a closed or semi-closed non-interactive form.
Application Directions of IoT Gateways
Where there are IoT applications, there must be IoT gateways. By connecting sensors, RFID, MEMS, and smart embedded terminals at the sensing layer, the applications of IoT gateways will span intelligent transportation, environmental protection, government work, public safety, home security, smart firefighting, industrial monitoring, environmental monitoring, streetlight control, landscape lighting control, building lighting control, square lighting control, elder care, personal health, flower cultivation, water system monitoring, food traceability, reconnaissance, and intelligence gathering, among others. The protocols used and the forms of gateways vary for different application directions, but their basic function is to convert various information collected by the sensing layer into high-speed data transmission to the Internet through related protocols while achieving certain management functions.
The Internet of Vehicles gateway: The Internet of Vehicles is considered one of the industries with successful IoT applications, recognized by the academic community as the first viable IoT system, which has been validated by national expert groups.
Smart home: The use of IoT gateways in homes is also a representative IoT application. Nowadays, many household devices are becoming increasingly diverse; some devices themselves have remote control capabilities, such as air conditioners and televisions; others, like water heaters, microwaves, rice cookers, and refrigerators, do not have such capabilities. Even if these devices can be remotely controlled, their control capabilities and ranges are very limited, and these devices exist in isolation from each other, failing to effectively share resources and information. With the development of IoT technology, especially the maturity of IoT gateway technology, the issue of interconnection between various household devices in smart homes will be resolved.
Industry professionals believe that the role of gateways must be emphasized in IoT development. Regardless of the technology used, gateways are an indispensable part of the entire system. The most important method of IoT is networking, whether incorporated into private enterprise clouds or public clouds; only through the interconnection of networks can the grand vision of IoT be realized. Currently, Shunzhou Technology has made achievements in this area, with ZigBee & GPRS gateways, ZigBee & Wi-Fi gateways, and ZigBee & BLE gateways already on the market, helping enterprises quickly network and grow.
The concept of IoT has been around for a long time, but there has been no unified opinion on the specific implementation methods and composition architecture of IoT. As a key technology, IoT gateways still face many issues, such as high development costs, long development cycles, software and hardware incompatibility, difficulties in mastering core technologies, uncertain business models, and challenges in standardization.
Source: Sohu
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