IPSO Alliance Demonstrates Smart Object Interoperability With Next-Generation IPv6 Internet Protocol

Successful Interop Event Drives Delivery of IP-Based Smart Objects

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 06 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The IPSO Alliance, the leading organization defining the "Internet of Things," today announced the successful interoperability of two critical new elements of the IPv6 protocol for small, resource-constrained embedded devices known as "Smart Objects." Tested at an event in Anaheim, Calif., the interoperability of RPL, the emerging, IETF-specified, IPv6 routing protocol for low power and lossy networks, and of 6LoWPAN-HC, a header compression format for highly efficient IPv6 packet delivery over IEEE® 802.15.4 low-power wireless personal area networks (WPAN), are key to connecting smart objects such as meters, sensors or control devices, and smart appliances over the Internet.  

"The interoperability of these two elements, running on top of three different media, brings us another step closer to reaching our goal of creating IP-based smart objects," said Geoff Mulligan, chairman of the IPSO Alliance. "These events provide member companies great insight on the latest developments for IP-based solutions and new ways to raise the bar towards delivering stronger interoperability to end users."

Both RPL and 6LoWPAN-HC are currently being standardized by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and are significant components of the smart grid infrastructure that includes advanced metering and energy monitoring. The industry demand to employ Internet Protocol (IP) for smart objects has led to the rapid adoption of these protocols.

During the event, IPSO members conducted a series of successful interoperability tests with several independent implementations of RPL and of 6LoWPAN-HC. The RPL tests demonstrated for the first time IPv6 routing in a smart-object network running on top of IEEE 802.15.4, Ethernet, and low-power Power Line Communication (PLC). The IPSO organizations that participated in the implementations of RPL include Arch Rock, Cisco, Sensinode, SICS and Watteco SAS. The IPSO organizations that participated in the 6LoWPAN-HC include Arch Rock, Atmel, Cisco, Jennic, Sensinode, SICS, Sigma Designs and Watteco SAS.

"Our positive interoperability results in both the 6LoWPAN-associated header compression area and the RPL mesh routing protocol area enabled the participating IPSO members to provide valuable feedback to the IETF," said Roland Acra, president and CEO, Arch Rock Corporation. "As a result, the industry is steps away from being able to deliver multi-vendor IP-based open standards for smart objects."  

"Using IP standards through RPL and 6LoWPAN protocols allowed us to demonstrate that any wireless device can talk to any PLC device in any environment," said Didier Boivin, CEO, Watteco SAS. "This interoperability validates IPSO's efforts to make the 'Internet of Things' a reality."

About IPSO Alliance

The IPSO Alliance is the primary advocate for IP for smart objects for use in energy, consumer, healthcare and industrial applications. The Alliance, a non-profit organization whose members include leading technology, communications and energy companies, is providing the foundation for a network that will allow any sensor-enabled physical object to communicate to another as individuals do over the Internet. The IPSO Alliance membership is open to any organization supporting an IP-based approach to connecting smart objects. For more information, visit www.ipso-alliance.org.

SOURCE IPSO Alliance