2G network applications in the Internet of Things
Talking about 2G network gives the first impression should be a 2G phone, but 2G mobile phone has been eliminated for many years, but now in the field of things is widely used. Moveable outdoor Things products, 2G accounted for more than half of the share.
What is 2G communication
2G, mainly GSM and GPRS networks. 10 years ago the mainstream mobile phone network. That's the phone can only make phone calls, send text messages, look at the text of wap pages.
That time, or Nokia, Motorola era overlord, but suddenly defeated 3G, 4G era of Apple and Samsung. Mobile Internet phone, completely out of the telephone handset.
10 years ago, mobile phones, had no use, but still active in the 2G communication around us, to become absolute main means of communication, the Internet of Things products.
Old wine in new bottles
While 2G technology is very old technology, and also has been eliminated on the phone, but now appears to be rising in the field of the Internet of Things.
· Children Watch
Children watch, positioning and voice intercom, are using the 2G network
· Shared bicycle
Shared bicycle, thanks to the friction and unlock the password ofo update, use 2G
· Locator
By GPS and LBS positioning, then back to the server by 2G
2G communication module main functions:
· data transmission
Apparatus through mutual data transfer between 2G and GPRS network server. GPRS network actual transmission speed of about 10KB / s, is used to transmit control commands, status information, and other small low bit rate voice data.
Mentioned above, for example, mobile pos machine,
the amount of data each time a small credit card payment, GPRS network enough to use. Image localization and cycling such products, and each content of communication between the server location information only, not to the amount of data even 1K, 2G networks such low enough.
· Positioning
2G network, can make high precision positioning LBS via the base station, the urban level is accurate to 100 meters, it can be roughly determined position of the device.
Such as radio and television broadcast of the previous generation of stars, even through the built-in 2G module LBS positioning satellite receiver to determine whether the terminal is in rural areas, if the terminal receives a base station signal in rural areas, are allowed to broadcast television.
Some modules 2G, built-in GPS receiver, can be directly used for GPS + "+ reporting positioning" feature of the GPRS.
· Calls and text messages
2G module, are derived from the previous 2G mobile phone technology, mobile phones capable of things, the module is also capable. So module can also be used for calling and texting. Most modules support both functions.
But when the actual application, use these two functions of the product is relatively small.
2G and 4G communications comparative advantages of NB-IOT
The reason why the 2G communication products used in such a wide range of things, much larger than the amount of 3G and 4G transmission, mainly because some of the following features:
· Transmission distance
As long as there are 2G mobile phone signal place, 2G data can be transmitted. The distance and coverage far exceeds the level of tens of meters WIFI and Bluetooth.
· Hardware cheap
A module requires only 20-30 blocks 2G, 3G and 4G module and to at least 100 pieces. 3G4G relatively 2G network speed advantage, not in general use in the scene, it was widely used networking products 2G and 3G module instead of 4G.
This is mainly because the main components of the 2G modules are
· Cheap rates
Mobile and China Unicom have launched a dedicated IOT card, the lowest month need only a dollar, much cheaper rates than 4G. It is suitable for large quantities of Things devices.
· Simple to use
Hardware design time, a UART interface, coupled with twenty-three reset and wake GPIO can be used. Software through a simple AT commands, you tell it what address to send what data, then do not have control.
Hardware and software use are very simple, very suitable for rapid development "SCM + 2G Module" architecture.
· Very slow
Limited by network operators to limit the current 2G transmission average speed of not more than 10kB / s, compared to 100Mbps slowly than 4G.
But if only upload a battery message, issued an unlock command, the amount of data is so small, with 2G are more than sufficient. Slow is not a problem.
