Green Society - Role of Wireless Information and Communications Technologies: Comparative Analysis, Applications and Markets

PracTel Inc, August 2009, Pages: 141

There has been a significant increase on the level of concern regarding climate warming and environmental sustainability issues; and the industry are under increasing pressure from customers, shareholders and proposed legislative changes to improve their environmental credentials. Likewise, the environmental impact of Information and Communications Technologies (CIT) under the banner of “Green ICT” has started being discussed by academia, media, industry and government. Currently, 3 %-4% of the world-wide energy is consumed by the ICT infrastructure (approximately, 1.5%-2% by wireless), which causes about 2 % of the world-wide CO2 emissions (which is comparable to the world-wide CO2 emissions by airplanes or one quarter of the world-wide CO2 emissions by cars). If this energy consumption is doubled every five years, serious problems may arise. Therefore, lowering energy consumption of wireless radio systems is demanding greater attention.

The industry already takes this issue seriously, and the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions committed to the rapid development of global, market-driven standards for the information, entertainment and communications industry, has just published three standards used to determine telecommunication equipment’s energy efficiency. The standards introduce the Telecommunications Energy Efficiency Ratio, or “TEER,” as a measure of network-element efficiency. The standards provide a comprehensive methodology for measuring and reporting energy consumption, and uniformly quantify a network component’s ratio of “work performed” to energy consumed.

This report analyzes the specifics of green wireless Information and Communications Technologies. These technologies make possible many enhancements in the industry and in our everyday life; examples include:

- Intelligent Transportation Systems – ITS
- Office and Industrial Automation
- Wireless Sensor Networks – WSN.

Due to their proliferation and applications extensions, it is very important to keep wireless ICT green, i.e., to utilize technologies that allow low power consumption; as well as to use power harvesting. Three wireless technologies are analyzed from this prospective:

- Ultra Wideband – UWB
- ZigBee, and
- Bluetooth.

The report addresses applications, marketing and technological specifics of these standards. All three technologies are known by their very low power consumption; ZigBee very soon will be equipped by a “green” profile, making harvesting of power available. Bluetooth SIG provided Ultra Low Power profile; and UWB is in the winning position when a large bandwidth is required by users – this technology is the most attractive from green perspectives in large bandwidth applications. The report also researches a power harvesting industry and shows that power harvesting has already attracted many manufacturers - the report is analyzing portfolios of these manufacturers and discusses various harvesting methods.

The report shows that wireless ICT deployment must follow a simple rule: a balance between “green” dollars and introduction of additional pollutants (by ICT manufacturing, powering and so on) must be always considered. So far, as it has been shown by the industry, utilization of wireless ICT can significantly reduce maintenance and staffing expenses (which are the largest burden on service providers). Also, some applications (such as ITS) made wireless ICT an important and necessary part of their functioning.

Research Methodology

Considerable research was done using the Internet. Information from various Web sites was studied and analyzed. Evaluation of publicly available marketing and technical publications was conducted. Telephone conversations and interviews were held with industry analysts, technical experts and executives. In addition to these interviews and primary research, secondary sources were used to develop a more complete mosaic of the market landscape, including industry and trade publications, conferences and seminars.

The overriding objective throughout the work has been to provide valid and relevant information. This has led to a continual review and update of the information content.

Target Audience

This report is important to a wide population of researches, technical and sales staff involved in the developing of “green” wireless services and products. It is recommended for both service providers and vendors that are working with related technologies. The report also helps to understand issues associated with relationship between “green” ICT and other technologies.

1.0 Introduction

1.1 General

1.2 Scope

1.3 Research Methodology

1.4 Target Audience

2.0 ICT Features: Benefits and Limitations

2.1 General

2.2 IEEE Work

2.2.1 P2030

2.2.2 IEEE 802.3az

2.2.3 Wireless

2.3 Leveraging ICT Features

2.3.1 Considerations

2.3.2 Data

2.3.3 Design

2.4 ICT: Contributors

2.4.1 ICT Growth

2.4.2 Strategy

3.5 ICT Applications

3.6 ICT Impact

3.0 UWB: Technology and Market Specifics

3.1 General

3.2 Benefits and Obstacles

3.3 Definition

3.3.1 Rates

3.4 Spectrum Allocation

3.4.1 Choices

3.5 Major Features

3.6 Standards and Regulations

3.6.1 Multiband OFDM

3.6.2 DS-UWB

3.6.3 Comparison

3.6.4 Standards Bodies

3.6.5 FCC and ETSI

3.6.6 ECMA International

3.6.7 European Regulators

3.6.8 Comparison

3.6.8.1 Impulse Radio– Pulse Link, Time Domain

3.6.8.2 DS-CDMA – Motorola and other

3.6.8.3 Multi-Band OFDM (FH) – MBOA

3.7 Applications

3.7.1 General

3.7.2 Home Security-UGS

3.7.3 Voice Communications

3.7.4 RFID

3.7.5 Communications and Imaging

3.7.6 WPAN

3.7.7 Imaging systems

3.7.8 Ranging

3.7.9 Public Safety

3.8 WSN and UWB

3.8.1 General

3.8.2 UWB Role

3.8.2.1 UWB-structured WSN

3.8.2.2 Features

3.9 Issues

3.9.1 Comments

3.10 Applications Summary

3.10.1 Specifics of Power Consumption

3.11 UWB Market

3.11.1 General

3.11.1.1 Major Segments

3.11.2 Forecast

3.12 Industry

Aether Wire & Location (localization sensors)

Alereon (chipsets)

Artimi (merge with Staccato –November 2008)

BBN (radio, first responders)

Belkin (UWB-USB)

Camero (radar, equipment for first responders)

Focus Enhancement (chipsets)-Filed for Bankruptcy in 2009

Fujitsu Components (antenna, filter)

General Atomics (chipsets)

Intel (chipsets)

Multispectral- was acquired by Zebra Technologies in 2008 (RFID and others)

Parco (RFID-Health Care)

Pulse~ Link (chipsets)

Sigma Designs (Chipsets)

Staccato (chipsets)

Time Domain (chipsets-fusion of communications & radar)

Tzero (chipsets)-Closed doors in 2009

Ubisense (RFID-tracking)

Wisair (chipsets)

4.0 ZigBee

4.1 General

4.2 Technology

4.2.1 Major Features

4.2.2 Device Types

4.2.3 Protocol Stack

4.2.3.1 Physical and MAC layers – IEEE802.15.4

4.2.3.1.1 Frame

4.2.3.2 Upper Layers

4.2.3.2.1 Interoperability

4.2.3.2.2 Security

4.2.4 Platform Considerations

4.2.4.1 Battery Life

4.2.5 ZigBee Technology Benefits and Limitations

4.3 Standardization Process

4.3.1 ZigBee Alliance

4.3.1.1 Objectives

4.3.1.2 Smart Energy Profile

4.3.1.2.1 Features

4.3.1.3 ZigBee IP

4.3.2 802.15.4- ZigBee Basis

4.3.2.1 IEEE 802.15.4 Radio

4.3.2.2 Application Specifics - Profiles

4.4 Applications

4.4.1 General

4.4.2 Home

4.4.2.1 PC

4.4.3 Manufacturing

4.4.4 WSN-UGS and ZigBee

4.4.4.1 ZigBee Role

4.4.5 “Green” ZigBee

4.5. Market

4.5.1 Expectations

4.5.2 Segments

4.5.3 Forecast

4.6 Industry

Airbee (Software; Includes Medical Applications)

Amber (RF Systems)

Arch Rock (WSN)

Atmel (Chipsets)

CEL (modules)

Chipcon –TI (Chipsets)

Cirronet-RFM (Modules-Industrial Applications)

Crossbow (WSN, Environment Monitoring, motes)

Digi (Radio, Medical Application)

Duolog (Transceivers)

Ember (Chipsets)

Falcom (Modules)

GreenPeak (WSN)

Helicomm (Modules)

Jennic (Chipsets-Modules-Health Care)

Freescale (Chipsets)

Oki (Chipsets)

Renesas (Platforms)

Silicon Laboratories (Chipsets, Modules, Medical)

Synapse (Module, Protocols)

Telegesis (Integrator)

TI (Chipsets)

5.0 IEEE 802.15.1 (Bluetooth-BT)

5.1 BT Protocol Stack

5.1.1 Transport layer

5.1.1.1 Radio Layer

5.1.1.2 Baseband and Link Manager Layers

5.1.1.2.1 Power Consumption

5.1.2 Middleware Layer

5.1.2.1 Sniffing Mode

5.1.3 Bluetooth Security

5.1.4 Highlights

5.1.4.1 The Standard:

5.1.4.2 The Technology:

5.1.5 Evolution

5.1.6 Profiles

5.1.6.1 Power Consumption-ULP

5.1.7 Market Estimate

6.0 Non-traditional Power Sources – Friends of Environment

6.1 Methods

6.2 Batteries

6.3 New Technologies

6.3.1 Energy Sources

6.3.2 Industry

Advanced Cerametrics

Advanced Linear Devices

AD Hoc Electronics

AmbioSystems

Ambient Micro

Cymbet

EnOcean

GreenPeak

GreyStone

JDL

Jennic

Micropelt

Nokia

Perpetuum

Perpetua

Powercast

Schneider Electric

Sentilla

TI

Zarlink Semiconductor

7.0 Power Consumption Comparison

8.0 Conclusions

Appendix I: ZigBee Pro Major Features

Appendix II: Requirements-Ultra Low Power Consumption Radio

Appendix III: Wibree

List of Figures

Figure 1: Estimated Distribution of Global CO2 Emissions from ICTs

Figure 2: UWB Spectrum

Figure 3: OFDM Frequency Segments

Figure 4: DS-UWB Spectrum Characteristics

Figure 5: Spectrum Regulations-UWB

Figure 6: Spectrum Illustration

Figure 7: WSN-UGS and UBW

Figure 8: Power Consumption

Figure 9: Market Estimate: UWB Circuitry ($B)

Figure 10: Market Estimate: UWB IC Shipments (Unit M)

Figure 11: Estimate of UWB Market – Communications Applications ($B)

Figure 12: UWB IC-WSN-UGS Market Segment ($M)

Figure 13: ZigBee Protocol Stack

Figure 14: Profiles

Figure 15: Estimate: ZigBee Modules Market Worldwide ($M)

Figure 16: Estimate: ZigBee Modules Market Worldwide (M Units)

Figure 17: ZigBee Market Segmentation (2009)

Figure 18: ZigBee Market Segmentation (2013)

Figure 19: Bluetooth Protocol Stack

Figure 20: Piconets Illustration

Figure 21: Estimate –BT Market (Unit Shipped in Million)

Figure 22: Estimate –BT Market ($B)

Figure 23: BT Market Geographical Segmentation

Figure 24: Normalized Energy Consumption (Tx)

Figure 25: Normalized Energy Consumption (Rx)

List of Tables

Table 1: Comparison: DS-UWB and MB-OFDM

Table 2: FCC Emission Limits

Table 3: Comparison

Table 4: UWB Applications: Summary

Table 5: UWB Market Segments

Table 6: ZigBee Parameters

Table 7: ZigBee Smart Energy Profile Feature Set

Table 8: Bluetooth Profiles

Table 9: Illustration-Bluetooth Profiles

Table 10: Parameters

Table 11: Sources

- AD Hoc Electronics

- Advanced Cerametrics

- Airbee
- Amber
- Ambient Micro

- AmbioSystems

- Arch Rock
- Atmel
- CEL

- Chipcon –TI
- Cirronet-RFM
- Crossbow
- Cymbet

- Digi
- Duolog

- Ember
- EnOcean

- Falcom (Modules)

- Freescale
- GreenPeak

- GreyStone

- Helicomm
- JDL

- Jennic

- Micropelt

- Nokia

- Oki
- Perpetua

- Perpetuum

- Powercast

- Renesas
- Schneider Electric

- Sentilla

- Silicon Laboratories
- Synapse
- Telegesis
- TI

- Zarlink Semiconductor

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