TAIPEI, Taiwan — Wu Jin-rong, General Manager of Explore Microelectronics, commented on the forming of Thread is at the right timing for the upcoming Internet of Things era. Thread is aiming at the Wireless Sensor Network and it is being constructed under the existing technology, which will be an important technology in smart home and IoT.
Samsung, Google-owned Nest, ARM, Freescale Semiconductor, Silicon Labs, Big Ass Fans, and Yale Security have become the founding members of the Thread Group, an organisation created to push the adoption of its new low-power, IPv6-using networking protocol, Thread.
Wu Jin-rong said that Thread claims that more than 250 networked devices will be supported with its protocol, and that any 802.15.4 wireless-capable devices will only need a software update to use Thread. Nest already uses a version of Thread in its products.
There's already no shortage of network protocols and standards for home appliance and device makers to choose from. These include Zigbee Pro, Zigbee IP, Dust Networks, Qualcomm's AllJoyn, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, Home Kit, XMPP, and others. The Thread protocol will compete most directly with Z-Wave and Zigbee IP.
Wu Jin-ron pointed out that ZigBee and Z-Wave are commonly used in smart home Wireless Sensor Network, however, both technology were developed far before the appearance of IoT so that it has many obstacles adapting in IoT. Besides, Zigbee and Z-Wave can't support the Internet Protocol Version 6 (Ipv6), only the latest version of Zigbee supported.
“Nest Labs is a newly established smart home company, it sold out 1 million smart home products in 2013.” said Wu Jin-ron.
Now Nest Labs is a subsidiary company of Google, which is chosen Thread as its smart home Wireless Sensor Network that helps to promote Thread in smart home market.
Wu Jin-ron said Thread is being constructed under the existing technology so that component firms can easily roll out Thread's components, it only has to exchange the Firmware of the Zigbee chipsets to be used.
Wu Jin-ron gave positive reviews over Thread, saying that it's being unveiled at the right timing.
