By John Arthur Wilson and David Shiller
This is the second of a four article series about important concepts in wireless networked lighting controls (NLC).
What Is A Gateway?
A gateway is a hardware device that connects two networks with different protocols. Two common examples that most people are familiar with are WiFi routers and smart phones. In addition to translating between two different protocols, gateways often include APIs, routers, hubs, and firewalls. For NLCs, gateways typically translate between the intranet & internet (i.e. WiFi and IPv6) and the lighting network (i.e. Bluetooth or IEEE 802.15.4).
Wireless NLC Evolution
Wireless NLC have evolved in terms of networking ability, system capabilities, and hardware requirements. The graphic above shows the progression from standalone controls, to room-based systems, to networked systems with gateways, to networked systems with gateway + server that enables IoT capabilities. This was the evolution until about 2018. The big development since 2018 is wireless mesh topologies.
Systems used to require a gateway to expand the network beyond the room level. Gateways were also needed in order to have app-based configuration, which became critical for ease of use. Since the development of mesh networks, you no longer need a gateway for those capabilities. However, NLC still do require a gateway for things highlighted in the graphic below, such as remote system access and other more advanced features.
Is Gateway A Dirty Word?
Gateways have become a dirty word because they add cost, complexity, and cybersecurity risks (real or perceived risks). As a result, manufacturers go out of their way to call their gateways other names such as a “hub,” “a wireless area controller (WAC),” or “a bridge + router.” It is also common to see manufacturers market their NLC as “gateway-less,” “patented no gateway architecture,” or “gateway-free. It would be more accurate if manufacturers said that no gateway is required for basic operation, and the NLC system can be scaled up to additional capabilities by adding a gateway.
No matter how much manufacturers try to avoid the word gateway, the fact remains that if you need to translate from one communication protocol to another, you are going to require a gateway. Similarly, if you need the NLC to access the internet, you are going to need a gateway.
The first article in this series was about integration versus networking capabilities and can be found here.
About The Authors:
John Arthur Wilson is a lighting control and utility rebate consultant to utilities and manufacturers. For the past few years, John has been conducting market research into wireless lighting controls and educating utilities and contractors on the most important considerations in NLC systems. John’s research resulted in a learning guide that can be used to support basic education around wireless trends in lighting. The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) has published that document on their Better Bricks website, available to the public, here. John’s consulting firm is Fernhill Shopworks, LLC.
David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW and President of Lighting Solution Development, a leading consulting firm in the lighting industry
All Images: John Arthur Wilson
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