New-Tech Europe Magazine | July 2017

IoT Special Edition

Fig. 1: IoT ecosystem with Melexis sensor and wireless products

of an IoT ecosystem where sensor data is remotely acted upon via the Internet. Melexis sensor and wireless products can be used in several applications here, both in the IoT sensor devices themselves and in the gateway that interfaces to the wider Internet. Sub-GHz – Enabling greater distances There is an industry-wide debate regarding whether to use a Sub- GHz or a 2.4GHz radio as the preferred carrier for all types of wireless data communication and sensing applications. Within the IoT infrastructure, 2.4GHz most often means Bluetooth-based technologies (often Bluetooth Low Energy – BLE) or Wi-Fi. Sub-

spectrum bandwidth becomes even more crucial to the evolution of localized wireless sensor networks (WSN) into the IoT. In the IoT space each connected device is a smart node that senses information and performs some form of signal processing and conditioning, either digital or analog. An example of this would be the filtering of valuable signals from noise in order to reduce the spectral bandwidth needed for data communications. In commonly-used configurations, IoT sensor devices communicate with a gateway (or data collector) from which, data can be routed into the Internet to a centralized data storage that securely protects, stores and processes that information. Fig. 1 shows one potential representation

(including automated lighting and heating controls). Innovators will continue to drive the IoT to create new applications – many that we are talking about already and, without doubt, some that have not even been thought of yet. Yet, by definition, the IoT relies on communication for its very existence and with many devices, such as sensors, being placed remotely, wireless communication technologies are enabling the brave new world of the IoT. IoT Ecosystem As we see a strong trend of applications moving from wired to wireless, the whole radio spectrum is a valuable asset which is being used extensively. Availability of

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