Cy-Net
Ad hoc mesh network technology overview
Cy-Net offers a robust self-forming, self-healing mesh network capability for use with Cyan's eCOG range of microcontrollers. For wireless sensor networks, distributed control or low power networks this provides an ideal solution. Cy-Net can be used with both low cost end nodes, and high capability gateway nodes.
Cy-Net runs on RF hardware at any of the common frequency bands (eg. 433MHz, 470MHz, 868MHz, 915MHz, 2.4GHz). It is able to do this by using Cy-Net's modular architecture, allowing different software drivers to be used with different RF transceiver parts. Cyan currently provides support for Micrel's Radiowire® series of transceivers, with further drivers in development. An Application Programming Interface (API) is made available for third-party developers to write transceiver drivers that can be used with Cy-Net.
Applications
- Wireless sensor networks that require a large number of potentially low power sensors to report information back to a central gateway.
- Industrial control applications where remote devices may need to be controlled from a central gateway.
- Automated meter reading (AMR) and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) allowing utility meters to be read and controlled from a central location, using a local gateway to communicate to a number of distributed nodes.
In the first two cases, the entire network can be run using Cy-Net with the gateway node (or nodes) allowing a physical connection to a monitoring workstation. For AMR and AMI applications, a Cyan based gateway will perform a bridge to a wide area network back to base.