6TiSCH: deterministic IP-enabled industrial internet (of things)

TLDR

Industrial IoT is emerging from the convergence of low‑power wireless networking and IP‑enabled standards such as Time‑Synchronized Channel Hopping, WirelessHART, ISA100.11a, and IEEE802.15.4e. The article highlights the standardization effort to merge low‑power wireless and IP capabilities. The 6TiSCH working group in the IETF is developing standards that enable the Industrial Internet of Things. Resulting networks deliver reliable, low‑power performance suitable for demanding industrial applications while enabling easy integration and end‑to‑end Internet connectivity.

Abstract

Industrial and IP-enabled low-power wireless networking technologies are converging, resulting in the Industrial Internet of Things. On the one hand, low-power wireless solutions are available today that answer the strict reliability and power consumption requirements of industrial applications. These solutions are based on Time- Synchronized Channel Hopping, a medium access control technique at the heart of industrial standards such as the WirelessHART and ISA100.11a, and layer 1 and 2 standards such as IEEE802.15.4e. On the other hand, a range of standards have been published to allow low-power wireless devices to communicate using the Internet Protocol (IP), thereby becoming true "fingers of the Internet," and greatly simplifying their integration into existing networks. This article acknowledges the standardization effort to combine those capabilities. The networks resulting from this convergence exhibit reliability and power consumption performances compatible with demanding industrial applications, while being easy to integrate, and following the end-to-end paradigm of today's Internet. In particular, this article presents the work being done in 6TiSCH, a newly-formed working group in the Internet Engineering Task Force, which is standardizing the mechanisms making the Industrial Internet of Things a reality.