Smart connected lighting and the Internet of Things

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Smart connected lighting and the Internet of Things [Copy link]

Humans are full of wisdom, so we invented devices that can provide us with light. In cities, towns and villages all over the world, people use the lighting equipment they created to illuminate dark places. All aspects of our civilized society are inextricably linked. This is a social order that drives society forward. These lighting devices can illuminate various places and provide us with a brighter future.

Once upon a time, people used simple candles for lighting. If you want to illuminate a large room and keep it well lit, you must spend some effort.

However, the current development of Internet of Things technology is able to develop an intelligent interconnected lighting system, and we can safely transmit data to the intelligent lighting system through wired or wireless communication. This article explains how the intelligent interconnected system can help us realize a bright future.

Smart connected lighting

An era of change is coming, and the Internet of Things revolution is just beginning to emerge. The combination of smart sensor technology and radio frequency (RF) wireless interconnection will derive new ways to sense and collect data and transmit data through the network. The Internet of Things makes it possible for building automation systems that can be used by industry and individuals (homes), and buildings and automation facilities in cities are becoming increasingly intelligent. Specifically, electronic systems are designed in a coordinated and integrated manner to imitate or even improve human intelligence, thereby realizing an automated system with a certain level of intelligence. In this case, intelligence means the ability to complete certain tasks or achieve a specific goal. The goal of these technological developments is to develop a more intelligent and powerful system to improve people's living conditions while reducing costs and reducing negative impacts on the environment.

Connected lighting systems consist of three key components:

• Light source, such as a light bulb or LED light

• Luminaires and electromechanical components for the connection of light sources and ensuring safety

• Light source switch or controller

In the past few years, we have experienced rapid development from traditional light sources to light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The adoption of LED light sources is a huge success and a natural trend in the development of software-controlled, intelligent, digital and interconnected lighting systems. In the past, we used simple up/down or button switches, but now we combine the Internet of Things and electronically controlled lighting products to make intelligent and interconnected lighting systems possible.

Smart connected lighting systems are mainly deployed in smart buildings, integrating multiple electronic systems and platforms, including motion sensors, with various lighting control methods to provide solutions for all lighting control needs. By accessing the Internet of Things and adopting an open and configurable infrastructure, we can collect data and use this data for intelligent decision-making and efficient operations. The high flexibility of software, digital design and simplicity of control provide advantages for smart lighting systems. Currently, leading electronic component suppliers are developing LEDs, LED drivers, sensors, power electronics and electronic control equipment for smart lighting products. This is a clear trend, and these manufacturers are working hard to ensure that their products can be successfully integrated with the building automation industry.

Automated lighting systems built in this way are called smart lighting, and in the future, businesses and owners will increasingly take advantage of the benefits provided by connected lighting and the Internet of Things. Smart lighting allows for automatic and programmatic control of the brightness and color of lighting, while determining when to adjust traffic or lighting conditions within a building, providing users and owners with a more optimized experience. Whether it is office lighting, home lighting, or street lights, traffic lights, or pedestrian lights, automated smart lighting can be seen everywhere in the modern urban landscape, and smart lighting is rapidly becoming the mainstream of smart cities and smart automated buildings (Figure 1).

Figure 1 : Modern smart buildings in Shanghai, China, where innovations in lighting systems are more evident

Wired and wireless communication methods

The control of smart lighting systems requires reliable communication connections. There are currently two main network communication methods that combine smart lighting and the Internet of Things: wired and wireless. In addition, these two main networking methods can be applied to various collaborative combinations, using various communication methods and protocols, such as Bluetooth mesh networks; of course, which method is used depends mainly on application requirements and the choice of engineers.

Wired networks rely on direct physical electrical connections between nodes in the network; wireless networks do not require physical connections between devices, do not require hard wiring, and can conveniently use devices within the network. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. Smart design engineers will consider which is best for the entire application and may design a solution that can take advantage of the advantages of both network methods while avoiding their respective shortcomings.

Engineers combine the requirements of the IoT's smart interconnected lighting system to understand system design, network speed, bandwidth, and low-latency specifications. Hard-wiring the system according to specific specifications undoubtedly has the best performance, but the lighting fixtures and switches need to be hard-wired, which undoubtedly reduces flexibility. The combination of wireless design may sacrifice some performance, but it provides configuration and management flexibility that cannot be achieved under the limitations of hard-wired design. However, the continuous improvement of RF wireless technology performance provides previously unimaginable performance and flexibility.

Smart lighting control and the Internet of Things often use wireless topology networks where different network nodes can communicate with each other (Figure 2). This so-called "many-to-many" topology provides a rich set of smart lighting control features: mainly because their redundant node interconnection prevents single points of failure while ensuring low latency, high speed and higher efficiency. Zigbee and Bluetooth are two popular protocols.

Figure 2 : Mesh networking offers exciting potential for smart lighting control systems

Zigbee and Bluetooth

The adoption of low-power and standards-based wireless sensor network (WSN) products can meet the needs of smart connected lighting applications. Topology network support systems are deployed around the world, securely connecting various smart devices and providing more intelligent, environmentally friendly and efficient solutions.

Zigbee, like Bluetooth, is also a protocol specification for wireless network communication. Zigbee technology has the characteristics of low cost, low power consumption, and low duty cycle. It is an ideal choice for wireless sensor networks (WSN) and other low-power networks. It supports long-distance communication transmission. Zigbee is built on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, but adds features such as beacon functions and routing protocols. It supports star networks and peer-to-peer networks (such as grids and cluster trees) topologies, making Zigbee dynamic, scalable, and decentralized. Zigbee technology does not compete with technologies such as WiFi (IEEE 802.11) or Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1). On the contrary, Zigbee is designed for important applications such as low data transmission rate, low power, and large capacity.

Bluetooth mesh network technology (launched in July 2017) is a network protocol based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) used in smart connected lighting and IoT systems, using Bluetooth radio technology to support network communications within a distance of 100 to 1000 meters. As a new field, it is still trying to demonstrate large-scale deployment, efficiency and superiority, and technical talents and companies from all walks of life are promoting the development of this technology.

data

Socrates (470-399 BC) believed that virtue is knowledge, and Francis Bacon (1561-1626) declared that knowledge brings power. In future IoT applications, the collection, storage and analysis of data will drive the expansion of knowledge. The IoT will use data-driven methods to help businesses and individuals make decisions. This trend will provide a range of new methods for implementing and utilizing smart connected lighting, including protecting and monitoring power failures, assisting in scheduling regular maintenance and maintaining the highest level of overall operating efficiency. Humans are imperceptible to low-latency, real-time decision-making and response (<0.05s). This will prompt the integration of more sensors in the system to collect data. This data will be analyzed and processed in smart terminal devices to provide the latest and most intelligent decision-making opinions, while increasing opportunities for new markets and value creation. Smart connected lighting will make data-based decisions a reality (Figure 3).

Figure 3 : The intelligent Internet of Things makes data-based decision-making a reality (Source: Mouser Electronics)

Safety

Data transmission must be secure even in adverse emergencies, so reliable and secure connections are required. Wired systems can be cut off or eavesdropped, while wireless systems can be interfered with, data lost, or even illegally accessed. Smart connected lighting systems and the Internet of Things use a multi-layered approach to protect security in multiple different parts of the entire system.

The key steps of this multi-layer design approach are to create appropriate credentials and access authorization passwords in a compatible and protected operating system (OS). Using appropriate protocols will enhance the device's connectivity capabilities while providing strong and robust performance and security under various operating conditions. Each connected device should be monitored and compliant with the appropriate software and firmware revision specifications to take advantage of the latest protections and safeguards. The collected IoT data should be subject to effective data validation before using and processing lower-level data, which can prevent security issues from occurring in the cloud server or higher-level data processing stages (Figure 4).

Figure 4 : Data protection is an integral part of smart connected lighting systems.

future

Seasons are constantly changing and technology is constantly evolving. The Internet of Things has opened the door to smart, connected lighting applications, using a coordinated, intelligent approach to wired and wireless communications to securely transmit data to connected lighting systems. This smart, connected lighting system and the Internet of Things are the main technologies needed for the next generation of lighting systems. Think about how much progress we have made since humans discovered fire, candlelight, and light bulbs!

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