Creating robust connections betwixt IoT devices tin hold out difficult. WiFi as well as Bluetooth are ubiquitous as well as operate good inwards many scenarios, simply endure limitations when mightiness is constrained or large numbers of devices are required on a unmarried network. In answer to this, novel communications technologies bring arisen to address the mightiness as well as scalability requirements for IoT.
Low-power Wireless Personal Area Network (LoWPAN) technologies are specifically designed for peer-to-peer usage on constrained battery-powered devices. Devices on the same LoWPAN tin communicate amongst each other using familiar IP networking, allowing developers to purpose criterion application protocols similar HTTP as well as CoAP. The specific LoWPAN applied scientific discipline that nosotros are most excited virtually is Thread: a secure, fault-tolerant, low-power mesh-networking applied scientific discipline that is speedily becoming an manufacture standard.
Today nosotros are announcing API back upwardly for configuring as well as managing LoWPAN equally a business office of Android Things Developer Preview 6.1, including fantabulous networking back upwardly for Thread. By adding an 802.15.4 radio module to 1 of our developer kits, Android Things devices tin communicate straight amongst other peer devices on a Thread network. These types of low-power connectivity solutions enable Android Things devices to perform edge computing tasks, aggregating information locally from nearby devices to brand critical decisions without a constant connexion to cloud services. See the LoWPAN API guide for to a greater extent than details on edifice apps to create as well as bring together local mesh networks.
Getting Started
OpenThread makes getting started amongst LoWPAN on Android Things easy. Choose a supported radio platform, such equally the Nordic nRF52840, as well as download pre-built firmware to enable it equally a Network Co-Processor (NCP). Integrate the radio into Android Things using the LoWPAN NCP user driver. You tin also expand back upwardly to other radio hardware past times edifice your ain user drivers. See the LoWPAN user driver API guide for to a greater extent than details.
To larn started amongst DP6.1, purpose the Android Things Console to download organisation images as well as flash existing devices. Then download the LoWPAN sample app to endeavour it out for yourself! LoWPAN isn't the alone exciting matter happening inwards the latest release. See the release notes for the amount laid of fixes as well as updates included inwards DP6.1.
Feedback
Please post us your feedback past times filing bug reports as well as feature requests, equally good equally asking whatever questions on Stack Overflow. You tin also bring together Google's IoT Developers Community on Google+, a dandy resources to larn updates as well as hash out ideas. Also, nosotros bring our novel hackster.io community, where everyone tin part the amazing projects they bring built. We await frontwards to seeing what y'all create amongst Android Things!
