Introduction
Since the first commercial incandescent bulbs since 140 years, the LED (LED) bulb is the biggest progress in the field of lighting. There are countless benefits of the LED light, and it is available. Compared to modern incandescent bulbs, they usually save 75% of energy and service life can be extended more than 50 times. Today's LED bulbs have been greatly improved than previous LED bulbs. They produce very heat, do not email ultraviolet or infrared, free of mercury, impact, and can operate in extreme environments.
The next wave of the lighting revolution is coming: intelligent interconnection lighting. Adding wireless connections and networked features for LED bulbs, not only provides a simple opening / custom function, but also provides more opportunities. You can adjust the brightness, color mild timing, or even remotely control the light during the journey via a simple smartphone application or voice assistant. Previously, applications, including wireless approaching sensors, triggered smart lights that triggered in the sensor, automatically illuminate corridors and rooms when you pass through housing or buildings, and bed lighting gradually wakes you in the morning, or hospital lighting use color improvement emotions, health and accelerate Rehabilitation. The convenience and benefits of intelligent connection lighting are unlimited.
Intelligent lighting is still in a new stage than traditional lighting, but in the residential, commercial and industrial market, the adoption rate of intelligent lighting is steadily improved, which benefits for a certain extent, benefited from green energy incentives and regulations, such as California Title 20. Based on research and market forecasting, by 2022, the global smart lighting market will reach 24 billion US dollars, and the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2018-12023 will be as high as 21%.
With more and more "objects" interconnects and consumers gradually accept smart home technology, the acceptance and demand for intelligent interconnection will continue to grow. That's why Acuity Brands, Cree, Eaton, GE Lighting, Philips / Signify, OSRAM and many other top lighting brands not only provide intelligent LED products, but also provide easy deployment, interoperability, safe and upgraded full lighting ecosystems. The reason.
Intelligent LED design challenge
Implementing wireless connections in LED bulbs in LED bulbs will bring a range of new design and implementation challenges to lighting OEM manufacturers in LED bulbs. For example, intelligent LED bulbs must meet stringent RF regulatory requirements, harsh energy efficiency standards, high temperature levels, and strict product dimensions and spatial restrictions. Lighting developers must also consider the security of equipment and networks, and ensure that smart LED bulbs are resistant to malicious hackers like any other connected IOT products.
Another key design consideration is the choice of wireless protocol. Many connectable lights are running on the 2.4 GHz band and use several popular standard short-range wireless protocols, such as ZigBee, low-power Bluetooth, Bluetooth Mesh. Or Wi-Fi. Standard-based protocol helps to achieve interworking with ordinary consumer products such as voice assistants, smartphones, and tablets, without additional custom gateways and network infrastructure products. Some smart LEDs may require multi-protocol connections, such as supporting low-power Bluetooth for device settings and control, and access to ZigBee-based multi-node lighting network networks through the gateway.
The proprietary wireless protocol other than the standards such as Bluetooth or ZigBee is also a choice. Although there may be very easy and cost-effective in short-term, this option may bring interoperability and long-term challenges of upgradeability. Standard wireless solutions have driven a large amount of production, so it may be more cost-effective options from the long run. From many available options, choose the right wireless technology and suppliers, need to have more in-depth understanding of RF design and performance weighing and risk.
Intelligent LEDs must also meet wireless standards and regulatory performance requirements that are not needed for traditional lighting products, such as electromagnetic (EM) radiation and energy consumption.
The challenge
In order to push new intelligent LED products to the market, lighting OEM manufacturers are also facing some implementation challenges involving engineering and operating resources:
· To develop professional knowledge and allocate resources to implement and successfully complete the certification tests of standards and regulations, such as FCC and CE certification.
· To consider ensuring that the product is deployed to the product function and security upgrade after the site, it is usually updated by wireless (OTA).
· Manage materials for purchases and multiple components of components.
· Verify interoperability between other wireless terminations and ecosystems in smart home or intelligent buildings.
· Optimize the material list (BOM) and development costs to deliver cost competitive products while meeting strict production plans and shorten the time to market.
Eliminate the challenges of design and implementation by means of module solutions
Although it is a difficult task to add wireless connections to LED bulbs to LED bulbs, it is now possible to use a pre-certified wireless module solution to simplify the task of smart LED product design. To minimize many challenges facing lighting OEM vendors.
Wireless modules are intended to provide a full range of plug-and-play solutions that integrate the key components required for developers to complete the connection sections of the LED design. The module supplier has completed an antenna design, impedance match, and the tuning and integration of passive devices, and an arduous task of radio frequency is based on radio frequency. For itself, OEM vendors that may lack the necessary RF or protocol expertise, these completed projects and integration can bring huge benefits. In addition, wireless modules typically include all required software, including the selected protocol stack. Module suppliers also offer easy-to-use development tools to support and simplify design and debugging processes.
By using wireless modules in LED design, lighting OEM vendors do not need to worry about management antenna, crystal oscillator, and multiple RF components such as passive devices. In addition, the same module can also be used in a variety of lighting products, thereby further simplifying procurement and inventory management.
Select the correct module solution
When evaluating the module option for the LED design, lighting OEM vendors should look for solutions designed specifically for interconnected lighting applications.
For example, the MGM210L and BGM210L modules of Silicon Labs are the first batch of modules that are optimized for application optimization in the lighting market. The MGM210L module supports ZigBee and Thread, as well as dynamic multi-protocol connections (such as ZigBee and Bluetooth Low Energy). BGM210L is designed for Bluetooth Low Energy or Bluetooth Mesh. These two new modules are designed to simplify and accelerate the development of rich, color optional and dimming LED lamps, while allowing developers to utilize Bluetooth, ZigBee, and Thread network ecosystems.
The XGM210L module is based on the Silicon Labs Series 2 EFR32XG21 Sirboard System (SOC) chip, and its peripherals are optimized for lighting applications. The SoC contains low-power ARM® Cortex®-M33 processor kernel, enough to support dynamic multi-protocol operations and OTA firmware updates to ensure future adaptability of smart lighting products, and support 802.15.4, Bluetooth Mesh protocol and Bluetooth High performance 2.4 GHz RF transceiver of Low Energy. Radio processes wireless network functions through single protocols or multi-protocol connections. The integrated RF power amplifier also allows the XGM210L module to handle remote applications that require hundreds of meters from the viewing connection.
High energy efficiency modules such as XGM210L devices provide a lower power consumption level, which is optimized to meet the efficiency regulations of California Title 20. Many lighting products that are shipped to the US market must comply with California Title 20 regulations and need to be certified for the manufacturer of lighting control equipment.
Module Solutions can help lighting OEM vendors reduce R & D cycles related to RF design, protocol optimization and regulatory certification. The XGM210L module has been pre-certified, can be used in North America (FCC and ISED), Europe (CE), South Korea and Japan, aims to minimize the time, cost and risk factors related to global wireless certification, thus making lighting OEM vendors. Rebate monthly product listing time.
As the manufacturer adds RF connectivity for more LED products, small-size bulb design brings complex size, power, and heat dissipation, and existing wireless solutions cannot be easily resolved. The XGM210L module is intended to address these restrictions. The custom printed circuit board (PCB) size (16 mm x 23 mm) of the module meets the compact dimensions of most LED bulb housings. It also has a rated temperature up to + 125 ° C, ensuring reliably running in the bulb housing (the bulb housing will heat after long use).
Security is another important consideration factor for intelligent LED products. Recent media reports that hackers invade smart home network through LED bulbs, which has made consumers and lighting developers aware of the urgent needs of the light bulb itself to the cloud. Lighting OEM vendors should seek modules that provide built-in hardware security features, which can enable developers to achieve powerful security in intelligent LED products without increasing costs.
For example, the XGM210L module has a dedicated secure core, the kernel isolates the application processor and provides fast, energy-saving encryption operation, and differential power analysis (DPA) countermeasures. Real random number generators (TRNG) that meet NIST and AIS-31 can enhance device encryption. Security boot with trusted root and secure loader (RTSL) technology helps prevent malware from invading and rollback, ensuring reliable firmware execution and OTA update. A security debug interface with unique lock / unlocking function allows authentication access to enhance fault analysis capabilities. The ARM Cortex-M33 kernel of this module integrates TrustZone technology, which can be used for system-level hardware isolation for trusted software architecture.
The complete module solution should come with a powerful wireless software protocol stack to enable developers to choose standard protocols, such as Zigbee, Thread, Bluetooth Mesh, and Bluetooth Low Energy. In addition, developers should expect a comprehensive software support, including powerful software development kits (SDK) and advanced tools to help verify network performance and assist debugging, optimizing the performance and energy of intelligent lighting applications. The XGM210L module has a powerful development tool kit, such as a network analyzer, an Energy PROFILER, and the like. The SDK contains all the libraries required to achieve low energy operations and all drivers needed to make light bulb and network communication.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that smart LED bulb products are increasingly popular in residential, commercial and industrial markets. It is now possible to use a comprehensive hardware and software solution to simplify the development of networked lighting products. Optimized wireless modules are now available, help shorten the time to market, reduce development and certification costs, and solve many wireless design challenges that OEM vendors may face.
Article comes from: Silicon Labs
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