Expanding Industrial Mesh Network Solutions with Wirepas

From smart metering to building automation applications, wireless connectivity consists of implementations of massive scale. All industry verticals demand complete production-grade solutions that can work and scale quickly and effectively, within minutes. This translates into a great number of devices that need to connect in a secure and reliable manner. How great of a number? Potentially up to 4 billion devices in a single network. Yet, with multiple gateways and a multi-hop operation, Wirepas can enable limitless growth of the network. Throughout the years, Wirepas made a name for itself as the IoT network protocol software that can be used to connect, locate, and identify sensors, beacons, assets, machines, and meters in buildings, industrial environments, and logistics.

Silicon Labs and Wirepas have built a strategic partnership and ecosystem for a range of industrial applications and use cases. This has led to many high-density, long-range mesh networks operating in demanding radio environments. Today, this is expanding into new solutions for smart metering, asset tracking, and building automation.

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Solution is Powering 250 Million Smart Meters by 2026

Due to inaccurate billing, lengthy processes, and even meter tampering, conventional meters can lead to all kinds of revenue leakage. With the goal of strengthening supply infrastructure in the power sector, India has embarked on a large-scale project to address this by upgrading 250 million conventional meters with smart meters, over the next 3-5 years. Besides obvious economic benefits for the power utilities, users regain control and transparency over their consumption.

As the project is picking up pace, Silicon Labs is teaming up with Wirepas to deliver a complete Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) solution with a connectivity suite profile fit for the job. The Silicon Labs EFR32FG23 sub-GHz SoC, with the Wirepas Mesh 865-868 MHz profile, successfully forms a single mesh network. In line with the local regulations, the sub-GHz profile is designed to enable reliable, long-range wireless connectivity for main-powered devices in the widely used ISM bands.

The Silicon Labs EFR32FG23 sub-GHz SoC offers 1+ mile wireless range and energy efficiency, with PSA Certified  Level 3 security.

Decentralized Mesh Network Connectivity for Building Automation

From office spaces to hospitality, each smart building presents different connectivity needs for optimizing efficiency, comfort, user experience, and safety. By connecting core energy systems, facility managers can monitor in real-time the health of their occupants, accurately identify areas of high energy use, and successfully mitigate costly energy leaks. To ensure the comfort of tenants, the captured metrics go beyond indoor temperature data, humidity levels, or air quality by registering usage data and occupancy levels. Insight across building systems and critical equipment boosts the building longevity and lowers maintenance costs.

Multi-level buildings demand new levels of flexibility in adding, removing, and updating connected nodes. the EFR32MG24 multiprotocol wireless SoC paired with Wirepas can connect entire buildings, offering residents a seamless and pleasant experience while allowing building management companies the ability to scale to larger networks and to more services. Use cases with ultra-low power nodes range from occupancy sensing to asset tracking to indoor wayfinding.

Creating Formidable Industrial Mesh Networks

“Within the building automation market and use cases that range from simple water leak detectors to building access control systems and all the way up to full room controllers, the EFR32MG24 paired with Wirepas can connect entire buildings,” said Mark Beecham, Senior Product Manager of Building Automation at Silicon Labs.

The MG24 has been designed specifically for smart IoT devices targeting Zigbee, OpenThread, and Matter protocols with features that include a 2.4 GHz radio, low power consumption, 1.5 MB of Flash, and 256 kB of RAM. “Chosen already by leading building management system companies, customers can upgrade their designs from the BG21 to MG24 with minimum software effort thanks to one SDK,” said Jani Vehkalahti, Head of Sales at Wirepas.

The combination of Silicon Labs and Wirepas offers a fully autonomous and self-configuring network that can’t fail, supporting both main and battery-operated devices.