Wirepas
Wirepas Mesh
Would you like to integrate Wirepas Mesh technology into your IoT solutions? We’ll explain how it works.
What is Wirepas technology?
Wirepas technology, developed by the company of the same name founded in 2010, is a wireless connectivity technology dedicated to industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications. Based on the 2.4GHz frequency range, this technology stands out for its ability to support a large number of objects in a single network.
We’re talking about a “Mesh” network in which each connected device can act as a data relay. This communication system offers numerous opportunities for the development of industrial IoT projects.
Wirepas technology use cases
This technology is particularly popular for locating equipment and people indoors, and for smart-building and smart-city applications.
Wirepas indoor location
Wirepas meets the indoor location challenges of industrial companies by offering a solution based on a lightweight infrastructure (battery-powered), easy to deploy and with an
Wirepas meets the indoor location challenges of industrial companies by offering a solution based on a lightweight infrastructure (battery-powered), easy to deploy and with an accuracy of around 5m.
As a result, companies can track the movements and utilization rate of their equipment (pallet trucks, tools, etc.), inventory and locate spare parts, or even locate people to ensure their safety (isolated workers, for example).
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As a result, companies can track the movements and utilization rate of their equipment (pallet trucks, tools, etc.), inventory and locate spare parts, or even locate people to ensure their safety (isolated workers, for example).
Environmental monitoring
As part of their energy transition, many companies are equipping their buildings with environmental sensors to monitor resources and consumption. Thanks to the Wirepas protocol, IoT sensors such as temperature, humidity, luminosity and presence sensors can be easily installed in buildings.
This is known as Smart Building, enabling companies to collect thousands of pieces of environmental data without the need for additional wiring, and with optimized operations (installation and maintenance) thanks to the functions natively offered by Wirepas Mesh.
Discover our range of Wirepas Mesh industrial sensors and location tags.
Wirepas technology operation and infrastructure
Wirepas technology is embedded in a number of IoT devices (called nodes), such as tags or sensors. To create a meshed network, the connected objects communicate with each other in a decentralized way, enabling many different types of data (position, temperature, humidity, movement, luminosity, etc.) to be transmitted. This network is self-organizing and resilient, which means it can dynamically adjust to changing topology. As a result, the network can easily be expanded by adding new nodes, and maintenance is equally straightforward.
Wirepas nodes can communicate bidirectionally. They send data to other nodes in the network, and can also receive data from these nodes. This enables information gathering from sensors, remote control and bidirectional data transmission.
Data transmitted across the mesh network is centralized by one or more gateways. An essential component of an IoT infrastructure, the gateway is the interface between the Wirepas Mesh network and other networks, including Ethernet. It transmits the data collected by the network to the user’s server/cloud via an MQTT broker.
Once on the server, data is processed and analyzed by tools such as WNT (Wirepas Network Tool) and WPE (Wirepas Positioning Engine). The former visualizes the diagnostic elements provided by the network, enabling users to monitor and configure their network, visualize the topology, check the state of communication between nodes and make adjustments in the field if necessary. The second, WPE, is linked to Wirepas’ network location functionality.
Finally, users visualize their data on an IoT platform in the form of graphs, maps or histories. These applications can be run locally on servers, in the cloud or on devices integrated into the network. They enable collected data to be exploited for various use cases, such as monitoring, energy management, preventive maintenance, etc.
Differences between anchors, mobile tags and sensors
The Wirepas mesh network is based on a set of autonomous connected devices, including fixed beacons called “anchors” or “routers”, mobile beacons called “mobile tags” or “non-router tags”, and environmental sensors. What’s the difference between these 2 types of equipment?
Anchors or routers
The anchors are positioned at a fixed point to create the mesh network. The position of each anchor is plotted on a virtual map and used by the Wirepas WPE tool.
Anchors are essential when using this technology to locate equipment or people, as they serve as reference points.
Anchors are used to send location data from mobile tags, as well as data from sensors in their immediate environment, routing the information to the gateway.
Mobile or non-router tags
Mobile or “non-router” tags are attached to the equipment/persons to be located. Their role is to emit at regular intervals a unique identification number called UUID (Universal Unique Identifier).
Nearby anchors receive the RSSI signal from the mobile tags. The position of the mobile tags will be calculated for the WPE tool based on the strength of this signal.
Wirepas Mesh sensors
A Wirepas Mesh sensor is a wireless sensor that measures and collects a wide range of environmental data. Sensors incorporating Wirepas technology are the perfect answer to the main challenges of smart-building.
Thanks to this technology, it’s easy to deploy hundreds of environmental sensors to optimize building management and security, while enhancing user well-being. Sensors can be routers or non-routers.
The user can define the role of the sensors, but can also choose the “autorole” mode, in which case the sensors themselves define their role according to the network topology.
Why choose Wirepas?
Wirepas is the ideal solution for your IoT projects if you need wireless technology that’s easy to set up, low in energy consumption and scalable.
Unrivalled connectivity
Wirepas Mesh technology offers unrivalled connectivity thanks to its dynamic mesh network. Every device becomes a communication node, creating an intelligent process that adapts seamlessly to your environment. No more dead zones, no more data loss.
Low infrastructure costs
The flexibility of the Wirepas network and the battery-powered operation of the sensors and location tags used in the infrastructure mean that installation costs are kept to a minimum. And since IoT devices can be updated and maintained via the network, labor costs associated with network maintenance will be kept under control. However, it is essential to note that a license fee for access to the Wirepas software suite must be taken into account when using the WPE tool.
Interoperability
Wirepas is designed to work with a wide range of hardware and software, making it easy to integrate into existing IoT ecosystems. It can be used with a wide range of devices and sensors.
Optimized operations
Wirepas offers procurement and commissioning functionalities natively in the protocol. This enables customers to optimize their operations right from the design stage, maximizing savings in the field.
Scalability
Wirepas networks are highly scalable, meaning you can add new devices as your IoT network grows, without compromising network performance.
Network resilience
One of the distinctive features of Wirepas is its self-organization. When new nodes are added to the network, they automatically connect and become active members of the network. Nodes can also be moved or removed from the network without disrupting overall connectivity. Each object carries all the intelligence. If a node fails or a path is blocked, the network can quickly switch to alternative routes, ensuring uninterrupted data transmission.
Flexibility
Wirepas can be adapted to a variety of applications, from intelligent lighting management to agricultural monitoring and industrial automation. Its versatility makes it a suitable option for a variety of use cases in sometimes harsh environments, over a range that can be extensive.
Security
Wirepas offers security features to protect data and privacy. This includes encryption and authentication mechanisms to ensure that IoT data is protected, as well as data access control systems with different levels of authorization.
What alternative technologies are there to Wirepas?
Wirepas vs Quuppa
These two technologies offer different approaches to solving connectivity and localization problems. Quuppa’s technology is based on an infrastructure of wired 360° antennas fixed at height. To calculate the position of an object or person, Quuppa relies on the AoA (Angle of Arrival) method, which enables high-precision real-time localization (RTLS) (<1m).
Wirepas technology, on the other hand, offers localization with an accuracy of around 5m, but its mesh network operation requires no cabling, so installation costs will be lower than for Quuppa technology. The choice between the two depends on the specific needs of the application, notably the location accuracy required and the type of environment in which the solution will be deployed.
Wirepas vs BLE
BLE technology is a standard communication protocol integrated into many mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, computers, trackers, routers, etc.). This facilitates interoperability between devices and connections to existing IT solutions. As this technology can be used both indoors and outdoors, it can meet a wide range of industrial needs. In terms of localization, a BLE beacon needs to be close to a GPS-equipped gateway, which will limit position accuracy. This is known as zoning.
For indoor use, Wirepas technology is more suitable if you’re looking for better location accuracy (<5m), as well as greater responsiveness. As this technology operates without GPS, it is also perfectly suited to environments not covered by the satellite network, such as tunnels or mines.
