Wavenis

Wavenis Wireless Technology is a 2-way Wireless connectivity platform dedicated to serving M2M applications. The main requirements in today's data-centric M2M industry are quite different from broadband and hi-speed Internet connections, and generally focus on providing ways to transmit small amounts of data wirelessly on a regular but non-permanent basis. Many M2M solutions are installed in places where access to electricity is not an option, so ultra-low-power consumption is a key feature for wireless M2M technologies, often with a requirement to provide multi-year operation in battery-powered devices such as utility meters and social alarms. Furthermore, a high link budget is required to provide acceptably long-range connections in a variety of dense urban environments as well as widespread rural areas.

Wavenis was created as a proprietary technology by Coronis Systems in 2001. In 2008, an initiative was undertaken to propagate the technology as an industry standard. The Wavenis Open Standard Alliance was created to manage and govern the technology moving forward. The alliance has 20 active members.

Diverse markets

Wavenis features ultra-low-power and long range wireless connectivity specifically for wireless sensor networks (WSN) in which communication requirements and energy autonomy generally present conflicting requirements. Several million Wavenis-based devices have been deployed across many applications such as Telemetry, industrial Automation, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Automatic meter reading (AMR), utility meter monitoring, home comfort, alarms, home healthcare, lighting and access control, cold-chain monitoring and active RFID applications.

Diverse requirements

Although the specific technical demands vary from market to market, Wavenis technology is designed for ultra-low-power energy consumption and long-range transmission of small amounts of data and low traffic communications.
Wavenis operates in the major license-free ISM bands around the world and complies with following regulatory standards.
• 868 MHz (EU EN300-220) with strict duty cycle regulation • 915 MHz (US FCC15-247, 15-249) with mandatory signal spreading • 433 MHz as straightforward extension (with no duty cycle restriction)

While Wavenis maximizes the link budget to achieve the longest possible wireless range, the technology is not recommended for use in the 2.4 GHz ISM band due to less efficient propagation conditions at the higher frequency.

Wavenis data rates are programmable, from 4.8 kbit/s to 100 kbit/s. Most Wavenis applications communicate at 19.2 kbit/s.

Benefits

Focusing on low data rate enables the use of a narrowband receiver, thus highly sensitive receivers that yield a high link budget. The result is wireless coverage that exceeds several hundred meters (LOS).

Long-range capability: high link budget

Maximizing the radio link budget between devices compensates signal attenuation indoors and outdoor, as well as for low antenna gain inherent to tiny footprint industrial designs and low-cost solutions. Then, maximizing link budget enables effective wireless links for hard-to-reach devices.
Highly sensitive receivers are specified to obtain acceptable operating range and last-mile coverage in the field, helping to avoid loading networks with dedicated repeater nodes. The Wavenis specification on receiver side is as follows:
• -110dBm sensitivity @ 19.2 kbit/s (50 kHz bandwidth channel)
• -113dBm sensitivity @ 4.8 kbit/s (25 kHz bandwidth channel)

Performance is achieved by combining data processing techniques such as fast Frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS), Forward Error Correction (FEC) with BCH(21,31), data interleaving (16x16 bytes matrix) to increase reliability and also contribute to power savings by maximizing the success of communications on the first attempt.
• In compliance with FCC15.247 (North America) and ETS300.220 (Europe) wireless regulations, link budget features :
> 113 dB with output power of 0dBm (1 mW)
> 124 dB with output power of +14dBm (25 mW)
> 137 dB with output power of +27dBm (500 mW)

References

• Description and Features of Wavenis on coronis-systems.com
• Wavenis Technology More Than Wireless on ferret.com.au
• Wavenis Presentation to ETSI Workshop on scribd.com
• Mesh Systems Uses Wavenis Technology for Wireless Sensor Networks on clickpress.com
• 1st ETSI Workshop on Machine to Machine (M2M) Standardization
• CES, Best Bluetooth Incisor TV born
• Frost and Sullivan : European Wireless Sensors Markets