[Tuya IoT footprint] The mainstream communication method of the Internet

Preface series of articles >>>
[Tuya Internet of Things Footprints] Basic Introduction to Internet of Things
[Tuya Internet of Things Footprints] A panoramic introduction to the Tuya cloud platform.
Our series of articles will focus on how to complete the development of an intelligent "air kissing machine". Hope to help couples who are in different places or foreign countries!

            本文我们会大概讲解物联网的主流通信方式，毕竟和网络“通上话”是我们“智能化”的第一步~

1. Communication method: The language of communication between devices. In the
first article, we talked about the concept of "Internet of Things". The "Kissing Machine" we want to complete is also a manifestation of the Internet of Things. For the development process of the Internet of Things, it basically revolves around the step-by-step development of communication methods. After all, "Internet of Things", "things" are the foundation, and "connection" is the key. Only when devices can be connected to each other can they exchange data, that is, they can "communicate." Among them, the connection can be wired or wireless. Wired and wireless have different advantages and disadvantages, but for the inherently complex and large-scale Internet of Things, wireless is the more important connection method. The development of wireless communication technology has always been the driving force behind the Internet of Things.
(As for Howard’s "Air Kissing Machine" prototype, it is still connected by wire (see the red circle), so that for long-distance or foreign relationships, it is of little significance.)

Then we will introduce the main ones. Kind of wireless communication method!

2. Bluetooth: fast speed, low power consumption, high security
Bluetooth is a high-capacity, short-range wireless digital communication technology standard, originally created by the telecommunications giant Ericsson. Bluetooth can realize the direct short-distance data exchange between fixed equipment, mobile equipment and building personal LAN, mainly using radio waves in the 2.4-2.485GHz ISM band. The maximum data transmission speed is 1Mbps, and the maximum transmission distance is 10 cm to 10 meters. Data transmission can reach 100M by increasing the transmission power transmission distance. Bluetooth is widely used. In addition to the most common mobile phones, Bluetooth headsets, Bluetooth speakers, smart wearables, and home appliances all communicate through Bluetooth networking. Bluetooth communication is characterized by fast speed, low power consumption, and high security, but it has few network nodes and is not suitable for multi-point deployment.

3. Wi-Fi: Wide coverage and fast data transmission rate
Wi-Fi is familiar to everyone. It is a technology that allows electronic devices to connect to a wireless local area network (WLAN), usually using 2.4UHF or 5G SHF ISM radio frequency bands. Connecting to a wireless LAN is usually password-protected, but it can also be open, which allows any device within the range of the WLAN to connect. Wi-Fi plays an important role in our current lives. Personal PCs, mobile phones and more terminals can all be accessed via Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi has a wide coverage area and fast data transmission rate. However, Wi-Fi transmission has poor security, poor stability, and slightly higher power consumption.
The above two technologies*** in our daily life, I believe that even if you are not familiar with their technical characteristics, they have a certain understanding of their usage scenarios.

4. Zigbee: short-range, low-complexity, self-organization, low power consumption, low data rate.
In short-range wireless communication technology, Zigbee is also a technology with many applications in the Internet of Things, and is based on the IEEE802.15.4 standard. Power consumption LAN protocol.

The difference between Zigbee and cellular mobile communication is that Zigbee is widely used in industrial and smart home fields. It must be simple, easy to use, reliable, easy to use, and low in price. The mobile communication network is mainly established for voice communication, and the value of each base station is generally more than one million yuan, while each Zigbee "base station" is less than 1,000 yuan. Each Zigbee network node can not only be the monitoring object itself, for example, the connected sensors can directly collect and monitor data, but also can automatically transfer data from other network nodes.

In many IoT application scenarios, Zigbee is used for communication. Some smart home appliance terminals, including some IoT solutions converged through gateways, will use Zigbee in downlink communication. Zigbee is a short-distance, low-power wireless communication method. It is characterized by close range, low complexity, self-organization, low power consumption, and low data rate. Although Zigbee can reach hundreds of meters in a point-to-point open scene, in some scenes, such as smart parking lot scenes, when a large object like a car is blocked, the signal attenuation will be very severe, and the compatibility of different chips of Zigbee is poor, and Zigbee The network is flexible and difficult to maintain.
The above three are more typical communication methods of the Internet of Things. Of course, there are many wireless communication methods for the Internet of Things, such as NB-IoT, LoRa, Z-wave, etc. If you are interested, you can find relevant information on the Internet for understanding.

Today, I will leave a small question for you: For our "air kissing machine", which communication method do you think is more appropriate?