Architecture:Protocols:Main Page
AOWIS will need to have an LPWAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Network) as its main backbone to communicate between Sensors, Controllers, Actuators. Here is an overview about the most common technologies available:
| ISO/OSI Layer | LoRa | LoRaWAN | MQTT | AMQP | Zigbee | Z-Wave | EnOcean | Sigfox | NB-IoT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7. Application | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| 6. Presentation | |||||||||
| 5. Session | |||||||||
| 4. Transport | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| 3. Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| 2. Data Link | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| 1. Physical | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
For AOWIS, the most interesting is LoRaWAN for Layers 1 - 3 and MQTT for Layer 7:
- LoRa/LoRaWAN: Low-Power, Long-Range Radio transmission up to 15 km.
- MQTT: MQTT is optimized as the Application Layer for LPWANs.
- NB-IoT: Narrowband Internet of Things: LPWAN using 3GPP (part of LTE/4G family) mobile networks run by cellular operators.
MQTT vs AMQP
| Feature | MQTT | AMQP |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Message Queuing Telemetry Transport | Advanced Message Queuing Protocol |
| Purpose | Lightweight pub/sub messaging for constrained devices | Enterprise-grade messaging with queues, routing, and transactions |
| Typical Use | IoT sensors, mobile devices, low-bandwidth systems | Backend systems, enterprise integration, cloud services |
| Transport | TCP/IP (often with TLS) | TCP/IP (often with TLS) |
| Complexity | Simple, minimal implementation | Complex, feature-rich |
| Messaging Pattern | Publish / Subscribe | Publish/Subscribe, Queues, Request/Reply |
| Broker | Required | Required |
| Routing | Topic-based | Exchanges, routing keys, queues (flexible routing) |
| Delivery Guarantees | QoS 0, 1, 2 | Acknowledgments, durable queues, transactions |
| Bandwidth Usage | Very low | Higher overhead |
| Device Suitability | Excellent for constrained devices | Typically server-side, not for small devices |
| Scalability | High (many devices, simple topics) | High (complex distributed systems) |
| Best Fit | IoT, telemetry, real-time updates | Enterprise workflows, reliable processing, integration |
SigFox vs LoRaWAN
AI-Generated Content Notice: The following content (the comparison table) was generated using ChatGPT on 2026-04-07.
[Included in accordance with the AOWIS AI Usage Guide (REQ-AI-007, REQ-AI-008) and MAY require verification and/or post-editing.]
| Feature | Sigfox | LoRaWAN |
|---|---|---|
| Type | LPWAN (proprietary) | LPWAN (open standard) |
| Frequency | Sub-GHz ISM bands (868 MHz EU, 902 MHz US) | Sub-GHz ISM bands (868 MHz EU, 915 MHz US) |
| Network Topology | Star (device → base station → cloud) | Star-of-stars (device → gateway → network server → cloud) |
| Ownership | Operator-managed (public network) | Public or private gateways |
| Protocol | Ultra-narrowband | LoRa modulation + LoRaWAN MAC |
| Typical Range | 3–10 km urban, 10–50 km rural | 0.5–2 km urban, 2–15 km rural |
| Indoor Coverage | Moderate | Good, depends on gateway placement |
| Infrastructure Needed | Base stations operated by Sigfox | 1–2 gateways per farm/field usually sufficient |
| Max Payload per Message | 12 bytes | 51–242 bytes (depends on settings) |
| Max Messages per Day | ~140 | Hundreds (depends on duty cycle & spreading factor) |
| Latency | High / asynchronous | Low to moderate (depends on class: A/B/C) |
| Device Battery Life | 5–10 years (ultra-low power) | 5–10 years (ultra-low power) |
| Duty Cycle | Very low | Flexible, can handle more frequent messages |
| Network Cost | Subscription fee per device | One-time gateway cost + optional server |
| Flexibility | Limited to Sigfox network | Can deploy private networks; mix public/private |
| Scalability | Limited by network policies | Scales well for thousands of devices per gateway |
| Best Fit | Very low-frequency sensor updates, minimal infrastructure | Large-scale farms or water networks, more frequent updates, private control |
ZigBee vs Z-Wave vs EnOcean
AI-Generated Content Notice: The following content (the comparison table) was generated using ChatGPT on 2026-04-07.
[Included in accordance with the AOWIS AI Usage Guide (REQ-AI-007, REQ-AI-008) and MAY require verification and/or post-editing.]
| Feature | Zigbee | Z-Wave | EnOcean |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Short-range wireless mesh | Short-range wireless mesh | Ultra-low-power / energy harvesting |
| Frequency | 2.4 GHz worldwide (also 868/915 MHz regional) | 900 MHz regional (868 MHz EU, 908 MHz US) | 868 MHz EU, 315 MHz US, 2.4 GHz worldwide |
| Network Topology | Mesh | Mesh | Star or small mesh |
| Typical Range | 10–100 m indoor, up to 300 m outdoor | 30–100 m indoor, 100 m outdoor | 30–300 m, depends on environment |
| Device Density | High (many nodes in mesh) | Medium (mesh limited to ~232 nodes) | Medium (fewer nodes, simpler network) |
| Power Source | Battery, mains | Battery, mains | Energy harvesting (kinetic, solar, thermal) or battery |
| Battery Life | 1–5 years depending on device | 1–5 years depending on device | Essentially unlimited with energy harvesting |
| Data Rate | 20–250 kbps | 9.6–100 kbps | 125–1,000 bps |
| Latency | Low to moderate (mesh hops add delay) | Low to moderate | Low (small messages) |
| Max Payload per Message | 127 bytes | 100 bytes | 14–30 bytes (small sensor messages) |
| Security | AES-128 encryption | AES-128 encryption | Lightweight encryption, optional |
| Best Fit | Home/building automation, sensors, lighting, HVAC | Home/building automation, locks, sensors | Battery-free sensors, building automation, energy-harvesting devices |