6LoWPAN stands for IPv6 over Low-power Wireless Personal Area Networks.
It is a standard protocol for realizing IPv6 communication
on wireless networks composed of low-power wireless modules.
Low‐power Wireless Personal Area Networks over IPv6.
Allows for the smallest devices with limited processing ability to transmit information wirelessly using an
Internet protocol.
Allows low‐power devices to connect to the Internet.
Created by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) ‐ RFC 5933 and RFC 4919
Allows IEEE 802.15.4 radios to carry 128‐bit addresses of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).
Header compression and address translation techniques allow the IEEE 802.15.4 radios to access the
Internet.
IPv6 packets compressed and reformatted to fit the IEEE 802.15.4 packet format.
Uses include IoT, Smart grid, and M2M applications
6LoWPAN Security
6LoWPAN can use AES-128 link layer security which is defined in IEEE
802.15.4. This provides link authentication and encryption.
ADVANTAGES OF 6LOWPAN IN IOT :
1.Pv6 Compatibility: 6LoWPAN allows devices to utilize IPv6 addressing, enabling seamless integration with existing IPv6 networks. This compatibility ensures that devices
can communicate directly with other IPv6-enabled devices and services on the internet.
2.Low Power Consumption: 6LoWPAN is designed to operate on low-power devices with constrained resources, such as battery-powered sensors. The protocol is optimized for
efficient energy usage, extending the battery life of devices and making it suitable for IoT applications.
3.Small Packet Overhead: 6LoWPAN reduces packet overhead by compressing IPv6 headers and adapting them to fit within the constraints of low-power wireless networks.
This optimization minimizes the amount of data transmitted over the network, conserving bandwidth and reducing latency.
4.Mesh Networking Support: 6LoWPAN supports mesh networking, allowing devices to communicate with each other through intermediate nodes. This feature enhances
network reliability and coverage, as devices can relay data to reach distant destinations, overcoming obstacles and signal attenuation.
5.Scalability: 6LoWPAN is highly scalable, capable of supporting a large number of devices within a network. Its efficient use of addressing space and optimization techniques
enable the deployment of extensive IoT deployments with thousands or even millions of interconnected devices.
6.Interoperability: 6LoWPAN promotes interoperability among diverse devices and networks by leveraging standard IPv6 protocols. This interoperability simplifies the
development and deployment of IoT solutions, as devices from different manufacturers can communicate seamlessly within the same network.
7.Security: While security mechanisms may vary depending on the implementation, 6LoWPAN supports encryption and authentication protocols to ensure data confidentiality
and integrity. This helps protect sensitive information transmitted over the network and prevents unauthorized access to IoT devices.
8.Standards-Based: 6LoWPAN is standardized by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), ensuring that it is well-documented and widely supported by various vendors and
organizations. This standardization fosters innovation and ensures the long-term viability of 6LoWPAN-based solutions.
• so offers one-to-many and many-to-one routing.
Zigbee is a standards-based wireless technology developed to enable low-cost, low-power wireless machine-to-machine (M2M) and
internet of things (IoT) networks.
General Characteristics of Zigbee Standard:
•Low Power Consumption
•Low Data Rate (20- 250 kbps)
•Short-Range (75-100 meters)
•Network Join Time (~ 30 msec)
•Support Small and Large Networks (up to 65000 devices (Theory); 240 devices (Practically))
•Low Cost of Products and Cheap Implementation (Open Source Protocol)
•Extremely low-duty cycle.
Disadvantages of Zigbee :
1.Limited range: Zigbee has a relatively short range compared to other wireless communications protocols, which can make it less suitable for certain types of applications or
for use in large buildings.
2.Limited data rate: Zigbee is designed for low-data-rate applications, which can make it less suitable for applications that require high-speed data transfer.
3.Interoperability: Zigbee is not as widely adopted as other IoT protocols, which can make it difficult to find devices that are compatible with each other.
4.Security: Zigbee’s security features are not as robust as other IoT protocols, making it more vulnerable to hacking and other security threats.
Types of ZigBee Devices:
Zigbee Coordinator Device: It communicates with routers. This device is used for connecting the devices.
Zigbee Router: It is used for passing the data between devices.
Zigbee End Device: It is the device that is going to be controlled.
Advantages of Zigbee:
1.Designed for low power consumption.
2.Provides network security and application support services operating on the top of IEEE.
3.Zigbee makes possible completely networks homes where all devices are able to communicate and be
4.Use in smart home
5.Easy implementation
6.Adequate security features.
7.Low cost: Zigbee chips and modules are relatively inexpensive, which makes it a cost-effective solution for IoT applications.
8.Mesh networking: Zigbee uses a mesh network topology, which allows for devices to communicate with each other without the need for a central hub or router. This makes it ideal for use in smart home
applications where devices need to communicate with each other and with a central control hub.
9.Reliability: Zigbee protocol is designed to be highly reliable, with robust mechanisms in place to ensure that data is delivered reliably even in adverse conditions.
Zigbee Applications:
10.Home Automation
11.Medical Data Collection
12.Industrial Control Systems
Types of ZigBee Devices:
Zigbee Coordinator Device: It communicates with routers. This device is used for connecting the devices.
Zigbee Router: It is used for passing the data between devices.
Zigbee End Device: It is the device that is going to be controlled.
WPAN: WPANs are used to convey information over short distances (about 30 feet) among a private, intimate group of
participant devices.
The ZigBee stack resides on a ZigBee logical device. There are three logical device types:
Coordinator
Router
End device
It is at the network layer that the differences in functionality among the devices are
determined.
In a ZigBee network there is one and only one coordinator per network. The number of
routers and/or end devices depends on the application requirements and the conditions
of the physical site.
WPAN: WPANs are used to convey information over short distances (about 30 feet)
among a private, intimate group of participant devices.
A connection made through a WPAN involves little or no infrastructure or direct
connectivity to the world outside the link. This allows small, power-efficient, inexpensive
solutions to be implemented for a wide range of devices.
ZigBee basically uses digital radios to allow devices to communicate
with one another. A typical ZigBee network consists of several types of
devices
A network coordinator is a device that sets up the network, is aware of
all the nodes within its network, and manages both the information
about each node as well as the information that is being
transmitted/received within the network. Every ZigBee network must
contain a network coordinator.
Zigbee used adhoc on demand distance vector(AODV) for routing. To
find the final destination, the AODV broadcasts a route request to all its
immediate neighbours. The neighbour relay the same information to
their neighbours eventually spreading the request throughout the
network. Upon discovery of the destination, a low cost path is
calculated and informed to the requesting device via unicast
messaging.
6LoWPAN (IPv6 over Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Networks), is a low power
wireless mesh network where every node has its own IPv6 address. This allows the
node to connect directly with the Internet using open standards.
•It works great with open IP standard including TCP, UDP, HTTP, COAP, MATT and
web-sockets.
•It offers end-to-end IP addressable nodes. There’s no need for a gateway, only a
router which can connect the 6LoWPAN network to IP.
•It supports self-healing, robust and scalable mesh routing.
•Offers one-to-many & many-to-one routing.
•The 6LoWPAN mesh routers can route data to others nodes in the network.
•In a 6LowPAN network, leaf nodes can sleep for a long duration of time.
•It also offers thorough support for the PHY layer which gives freedom of frequency
band & physical layer, which can be used across multiple communication platforms
like Ethernet, WI-Fi, 802.15.4 or Sub-1GHz ISM with interoperability at the IP level.
•It is a standard: RFC6282
https://omaspecworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/6lowpan.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exTDmRKpUXk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHMHmIt5vbs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmznZiDnLes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udXmbDGPrug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fqKcRL4ABg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn9KH5GyLks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tCx4gjewcQ
