Category: Technology

When one hears the term “flat-panel display,” the first thing that may come to mind is a modern 21st-century classroom where a teacher gives lessons on an interactive flipchart to students using smart whiteboards. And this vision would not be wrong. However, this technology is being adopted into many other industries, such as:

• Automotive
• Banking
• Entertainment
• Financial services
• Healthcare
• Industrial
• Insurance
• Military and defense
• Retail
• And more

In fact, the flat-panel display market is booming. In a recent ResearchAndMarkets.com report, the global market for this technology was valued at $116.80 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach $189.60 billion by 2026.

Flat-Panel Display Defined

So, what is a flat-panel display?

The science and technology encyclopedia, HandWiki, defines flat-panel displays as follows:

Flat-panel displays are electronic viewing technologies used to enable people to see content (still images, moving images, text, or other visual material) in a range of entertainment, consumer electronics, personal computer, and mobile devices, and many types of medical, transportation and industrial equipment. They are far lighter and thinner than traditional cathode-ray tubes (CRT)  television sets and video displays and are usually less than 10 centimeters (3.9 in.) thick.

The Different Types of Flat-Panel Displays

There are five basic types of flat-panel displays:

1. LCD
2. LED
3. PDP
4. OLED
5. EL

Following is an overview of each type.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

The LCD is by far the most common type of flat-panel display used today. Here’s how it works:

The LCD is comprised of millions of liquid pixels (picture elements). The picture quality is described by the number of pixels. For example, the “4K” label indicates that the display contains 3840×2160 or 4096×2160 pixels. Each pixel is made up of three subpixels: red, green, and blue (called RGB for short). When the RGBs in a pixel change color combinations, a different color is produced (e.g., red and green produce yellow). With all the pixels working together, the display can make millions of different colors. And finally, a picture is created when the pixels are rapidly turned off and on.

LED Displays (Light-Emitting Diode)

LED displays are the second most common display technology. In essence, the LED display is an LCD as it uses the same liquid diode technology but uses light-emitting diodes to backlight instead of cold cathode fluorescent (CCFL) backlighting. 

LEDs are more expensive than LCDs but have several advantages. Compared to LCDs, LEDs:

• Use less electricity
• Are thinner
• Have higher contrast
• Produce more vivid colors
• Are more durable
• Have a flicker-free image
• Have less environmental impact

OLED Displays (Organic Light-Emitting Diode)

The “O” in OLED stands for “organic,” as these flat-panel displays are made of organic materials (like carbon, plastic, wood, and polymers) that are used to convert electrical current into light. With OLED technology, each pixel is capable of producing its own illumination. Whereas both LCD and LED technology uses a backlighting system.

OLEDs are noted for the following features:

• Exceptional picture quality
• Fast response
• No ghosting
• Wide viewing angles

The drawbacks of OLEDs are that they are quite pricey, extra sensitive to water, and have a much shorter life expectancy than LCDs and LEDs.

PDP (Plasma Display Panel)

PDPs contain an electrically charged gas (plasma) that is housed between two panels of glass. PDPs are known for their vivid colors and have a wider viewing angle. However, one disadvantage with this technology is that it tends to “burn” permanent images onto the viewing area. In addition, when compared to an LCD, the PDP tends to be heavier and thicker because of the two glass panels, and it typically uses more electricity. 

EL Displays (Electroluminescent)

EL Technology places electroluminescent material (such as gallium arsenide or GaAs) between two conductive layers. When an electric current is introduced to the layers, the electroluminescent material lights up, thus creating a pixel. EL displays are most typically used for instrumentation for rugged military, transportation, and industrial applications.

How Industries Are Implementing Flat-Panel Displays

In today’s world, interactivity is king. Devices like mobile phones and tablets are everywhere, and people are looking for similar experiences in their workplace and as they go about their daily lives. As a result, multi-video walls, kiosks, and interactive flat-panel displays are cropping up in almost any place you can think of.

Automotive

Automobile dealerships are installing interactive flat-panel displays that allow shoppers to view their line-up of cars. These panels have touchscreen features that enable customers to view a vehicle from all angles and even zoom in on different parts. With this technology, buyers can order a fully customized car by choosing the upholstery, trim, accessories, and even some of the engine features of their new car. 

Healthcare

Doctors have many non-invasive diagnostic tools in their toolkits—things like x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, ultrasound, PET, etc. These days, new techniques have been developed that combine multiple scans into 3D renderings. These images require high-quality (medical-grade) flat-panel displays that provide the highest resolution possible. And because these displays are in constant use, they must be durable and long-lived. LCDs with edge-lit LED backlights are currently the industry standard with about 93 percent penetration.

Military

One of the best weapons in peace and war is information. The Pentagon is placing flat-panel displays on almost every surface they can think of—war rooms, control rooms, ships, planes, trucks, and even helmets, rifle sights, and radios. The displays used by the military must be:

• Ultra-durable
• Low cost
• Sunlight readable
• Lightweight
• Power-efficient
• High resolution 

Retail

Brick and mortar retail stores’ biggest competition is e-commerce sites. Interactive flat-panel displays combine in-store and online selling with the use of self-service kiosks. Salespeople are using these kiosks to personalize customer service and enhance their product availability beyond what they stock in the store. This technology can also help retailers customize their products for their customers and are particularly helpful to boutiques and luxury retailers.

To Finish Up

As we have demonstrated, there are many uses for flat-panel displays in a multitude of sectors.  Flat-panel displays produce high-quality images, are stylish, consume less power, and give a maximum image in a minimum space. Best of all, they disperse information and help make our lives easier and safer.

Versa Technology’s objective is to keep our customers fully informed about a broad array of communication and networking technologies. We sincerely hope you found this article informative. Versa has over 25 years of experience in networking solutions. To learn more about our products and services, please visit our homepage.

Mission-Critical Government Clients Will Soon Require Technology That Meets New Security and Environmental Standards

In response to recent cyber attacks against our country’s infrastructure, President Biden issued (in May 2021) an Executive Order to improve the nation’s cybersecurity. This Executive Order covers the following five areas:

1. Removing barriers to sharing threat information
2. Modernizing federal government cybersecurity
3. Enhancing software supply chain security
4. Establishing a Cybersecurity Review Board
5. Standardizing the federal government’s response to cybersecurity vulnerabilities and incident

In this article, we will discuss the impact the government’s security changes will have on the unified communications field.

Unified communications offer efficient and flexible ways to communicate by combining voice, video conferencing, and instant messaging to the 21st-century workplace.  Unfortunately, these same communications tools are within reach of malicious actors who “eavesdrop on conversations, impersonate users, commit toll fraud, or perpetrate a denial of service effects.”

Definition: Unified Communications

Per Gartner:

Unified communications (UC) products—equipment, software, and services—provide and combine multiple enterprise communications channels, such as voice, video, personal and team messaging, voicemail, and content sharing. This can include control, management, and integration of these channels. UC products and services can also be integrated with networks and systems, IT business applications, and, in some cases, consumer applications and devices.

Image Source: datastreamsolutionsafrica.net

Unified Communication Devices Pose Risk

Integrators who deal with mission-critical unified communications have always had to comply with a precise mix of protocols that are somewhat different from those who work in a more commercial setting. And now, these mission-critical integrators face changing and growing government security standards. Specifically, there have been significant security issues involving Wi-Fi-enabled communication devices, government command and control centers, and large wall display screens.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines “mission critical” as follows:

Any telecommunications or information system that is defined as a national security system (Federal Information Security Management Act (FISM) of 2002) or processes any information the loss, misuse, disclosure, or unauthorized access to or modification of, would have a debilitating impact on the mission of an agency.

The Impact on Government Contractors

While still in their early stages, these changing government standards will directly impact organizations that contract with the US Government—with the most immediate effect on companies that provide IT and OT software or cloud services. But it is fair to say that, although the executive order focuses primarily on IT and OT providers, the full impact of these changes will be felt in both public and private sectors. Manufacturers and other industrial concerns will experience the impact as well.

All organizations interested in winning or keeping government contracts must be aware of the most common cybersecurity challenges government contractors experience.

Most Common Government Security Challenges

Phishing

Phishing is a social engineering attack that occurs when a cybercriminal impersonates a trusted entity and tricks the victim into opening an email, instant message, or text message. Opening the message then leads to the installation of malware.

According to cybersecurity leader, Imperva, Inc.:

Phishing is often used to gain a foothold in corporate or governmental networks as a part of a larger attack, such as an advanced persistent threat (APT) event. In this latter scenario, employees are compromised in order to bypass security perimeters, distribute malware inside a closed environment, or gain privileged access to secured data.

Per a recent report by PhishMe entitled Enterprise Phishing Susceptibility Report, 91 percent of all cyberattacks are set in motion with social engineering. 

Data Breaches

Probably the most widely known recent data breach occurred with the December 2020 hacking of SolarWind’s Orion product, which was used by the Commerce, Energy, Homeland Security, State, and US Treasury departments. However, SolarWinds is not the only data breach that has affected the US government and its agencies. Statista’s study entitled Number of Data Breaches in the United States from 2013 to 2019, by industry,”  reports that in 2018 alone, there were 100 reported data breaches in the government/military sector.

Malware and Ransomware Attacks

Another major cybersecurity challenge for government entities and contractors is malware and ransomware. Malware is an umbrella term for any type of malicious software. Common examples of this are adware, spyware, viruses, and worms. Malware is introduced into a networking system via email attachments, misleading websites, peer-to-peer downloads, and phishing attempts.

Ransomware is a specific type of malware that blocks access to all or parts of a computer system. Access to the system can only be returned to the victim when they pay the cybercriminal a specified amount of money (a ransom). 

What Contractors Should Know About Government Security for 2021 

Requirements are changing, and there will be more change in the future. Following is a list of some things to make note of:

1) The Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act became official as of December 2020.  This act requires that all IoT devices purchased with government funds must adhere to specific security standards. This Act also addresses certain supply chain security issues.

2) The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) specifies standards for authorizing, assessing, and monitoring cloud system security. Unfortunately, despite some attempts at improvement, this program’s processes are expensive, slow, and burdensome at best.

3) The Department of Defense (DoD) is completing a new structure to address specified cybersecurity risks that are posed by DoD contractors. The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is closely tied with The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-171. Much confusion surrounds the CMMC process; however, it is important to note that it is expected to become universally mandatory at some point in the near future. Matt Laszacs, Director of Technical Operations at Diversified, states, “ I think it’s [the CMMC] starting with a few commands now, and it’s eventually going to work its way into all federal contracts. Everybody right now that’s a government contractor is very busy preparing to meet these compliance needs.”

TAA-Compliant Devices A Factor

The 96th U.S. Congress passed the United States Trade Agreements Act (TAA) in 1979. The TAA authorizes government program management offices (such as the General Services Administration or GSA) to procure only those goods and services manufactured or wholly transformed in the US or a TAA-designated country. 

All government-operated facilities fall under the umbrella of the TAA. Therefore, those countries that work closely with the US are the only ones who can supply products to our government. In addition, TAA compliance requires higher standards than those that are non-compliant. And that includes cybersecurity too.  

Versa is TAA Compliant

It is a fact that TAA-compliant hardware is more reliable, meets higher standards, lasts longer, and can work under extreme operating conditions. Versa Technology is proud of its array of stellar TAA-compliant networking solutions. It has been our unwavering mission to sell top-of-the-line products that are versatile, user-friendly, cost-effective—and, yes, TAA-compliant.

To check out our products, click here.

News about 5G seems to be everywhere these days. With all the noise surrounding this hip, new technology, it would be easy to dismiss all the hype as overkill. However, it is important not to overlook this latest generation connectivity standard’s unprecedented low latency, high speed, reliability, and flexibility. 5G is genuinely revolutionary and is positioned to provide numerous benefits for consumers and organizations alike.

What is 5G?

Qualcomm defines 5G as follows:

5G is the 5th generation mobile network. It is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. It enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together, including machines, objects, and devices.

This wireless technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra-low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users. Higher performance and improved efficiency empower new user experiences and connect new industries.

5G is based on several underlying technologies:

1. OFDM: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing is “a method of modulating a digital signal across several different channels to reduce interference.”
2. 5G NR: The “NR” stands for a  ‘new radio’ interface and radio-access technology for cellular networks—a physical connection method for radio-based communication.”

Other examples of radio-access technologies include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 4G LTE.

1. S-6 GHz and mmWave: 5G will operate in both lower bands, thus expanding its bandwidth enormously.

A Brief History of Mobile Networks

First Generation (1G)

1G was first introduced in Japan in 1979 and was rolled out in the US in 1980. This network was reliant on analog, which means it could only make phone calls; there was no texting. This network was notoriously unreliable and had security issues. Cell coverage dropped often, there was lots of interference from other radio signals, and the network could easily be hacked. 

Second Generation (2G)

2G was introduced in 1991. It ran a digital signal (not analog) that significantly improved its capacity and security. With 2G, short message service (SMS) and multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages could be sent, although they were slow and often unsuccessful. In 1997, general packet radio service (GPRS) was launched, enabling users to send and receive emails.

Third Generation (3G)

3G hit the US in 2002 and wholly transformed mobile connectivity. Along with much greater speed, 3G users could use their phones for video calls, share files, surf the internet, watch online TV, and play online games. Suddenly, mobile phones became the hub of social connectivity. 3G is still in use today. However, all major cellphone carriers are planning to shut down 3G networks in 2022.

Fourth Generation (4G)

Released in 2013, 4G is five times faster than 3G with speeds up to 100Mbps (at least theoretically). 4G offers connectivity for smartphones, tablets, and laptops and is noted for better latency, high-quality voice and streaming, fast downloads, and more. 

Fifth Generation (5G)

According to multinational aerospace company, Thales Group:

The 5G network is on its way and is widely anticipated by the mobile industry. Many experts claim that the network will change not just how we use our mobiles but how we connect devices to the internet. The improved speed and capacity of the network will signal new IoT trends, such as connected cars, smart cities, and IoT in the home and office.

How is 5G better than 4G?

There are five significant ways that 5G is better than 4G:

1. 5G  is faster: It delivers up to 10 Gbps which is 100 times faster than 4G. So, for example, downloading a high-def film over a 5G network takes just nine minutes, while downloading the same movie over 4G will take 50 minutes.
2. 5G has more capacity: It is designed to support 100 times more traffic than 4G.
3. 5G has lower latency: It decreases end-to-end latency down to 1ms, which is ten times lower than 4G latency figures. As a result, 5G delivers significantly more instantaneous, real-time access.
4. 5G is more capable: It is a  more competent network that enhances the general mobile broadband experience and supports new services like mission-critical communications and the enormous Internet of Things. Per Qualcomm, “5G can also natively support all spectrum types (licensed, shared, unlicensed) and bands (low, mid, high), a wide range of deployment models (from traditional macro-cells to hotspots), and new ways to interconnect (such as device-to-device and multi-hop mesh).
5. 5G makes better use of spectrum: Here is how Qualcomm explains it: “5G is also designed to get the most out of every bit of spectrum across a wide array of available spectrum regulatory paradigms and bands—from low bands below 1 GHz to mid bands from 1 GHz to 6 GHz to high bands known as millimeter wave (mmWave).”

Here is Why 5G is So Important

5G is driving remarkable global economic growth. Its impact is proving to be much greater than industry experts expected. Here are some statistics:

1. The global 5G IoT market is on track to be $3.6 billion (USD) in 2021 and is projected to reach $11.2 billion (USD) by 2026.
2. 5G’s total economic impact is expected to be realized by 2035, with a forecast of up to $13.1 trillion (USD) worth of goods and services globally.
3. The “5G effect” could support up to 22.8 million jobs worldwide.

Last Thoughts

You may be asking yourself: Is 5G available now? The answer is yes. 5G started launching in 2019 and has been deployed in over 60 countries so far. Consumers have responded quite positively to this new technology, and the continuing 5G launch has good momentum.

Versa Technology aims to keep our customers fully informed about a broad array of communication and networking technology. We hope you found this article informative. Versa has over 25 years of experience in networking solutions. To learn more about our products and services, visit our homepage.

PoE Networks Doing MORE Heavy Lifting Thanks to IoT Sensors and Machine Learning

The pandemic has significantly changed the workplace. As employees return to the office, they have high expectations for cleanliness, safety, and service. Today, more than ever before, there is a need for dynamic and predictive workplace management solutions. That is where things like Internet of Things (IoT)  sensors and machine learning come into the picture. 

Workplace Management Solution: IoT Sensors

The workplace can be pretty complicated. For instance, employees often do not have set work schedules and divide their work hours between home and office. In many workplaces, employees no longer have assigned seating or workstations; working in teams is also a common requirement. Add to all that the fact that COVID-19 is still with us, and cleaning becomes a challenge.

Sensors are a mighty tool for these challenges. They detect office activities and produce daily occupancy reports. The best sensors communicate directly with service request software that transmits occupancy data in real-time, which helps facility managers to develop relevant and efficient cleaning schedules, among other things.

There are four types of sensors needed in an office environment:

1. Occupancy data: Office density can be a problem. Sensors help monitor the comings-and-goings of employees. They also give insight into occupancy trends, such as how many people are in the office on Monday as opposed to Friday. 
2. Space utilization data: Sensor data regarding occupancy numbers is important, but beyond that, sensor data can help you see just how workers are using the office space that is available to them. With this valuable information, necessary changes or adjustments can be handled efficiently.
3. Environmental sensor data: COVID-19 has made it essential to monitor a workplace’s humidity levels. In a recent study led by Professor Michael Ward, an epidemiologist at the Sydney School of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney, it was found that for every one percent decrease in relative humidity, COVID-19 cases could increase by as much as seven to eight percent. At a ten percent decrease, those percentages can double. IoT sensors can monitor humidity levels and temperatures throughout a building and automatically adjust the environment to ensure constantly desired humidity levels of 40 to 60 percent.
4. Asset utilization data: IoT sensors can send notifications when a restroom is low on soap or needs paper towels. Sensors can be attached to restroom doors and notify facility managers when the number of door swings reaches a certain threshold, indicating high usage and the need for cleaning. IoT sensors can also detect problems with furnaces or water heaters before they fail. This type of information leads to something called predictive workplace maintenance.

What is predictive workplace maintenance?

Predictive maintenance is a strategy that uses an asset’s actual utilization to decide when to perform maintenance. This tactic uses historical and current performance data provided by sensors, usually embedded in LED lighting systems, to determine when a malfunction is likely to happen. Armed with this information, a facilities manager can perform maintenance before the malfunction occurs.

For example, vibrations or temperatures beyond the normal range could indicate an impending disaster to an HVAC system. Sensor data of this type will trigger a work order within the facility maintenance software. As a result, technicians can be called out to inspect the HVAC unit and repair or replace any failing parts before a malfunction happens. This saves expensive and frustrating downtime and can often prevent more costly repairs or equipment replacement.

For a traditional office setting, predictive IoT sensors make the environment proactive. For example: Why wait until the air conditioning has stopped and employees are uncomfortable and grouchy? With the right sensors in place, a technician gets an immediate repair order on their smartphone.

Workplace Management Solutions: Machine Learning

Today’s top organizations use machine learning-based technology to optimize workplace processes, employee commitment, and customer satisfaction. Here are five ways machine learning adds value:

1. Personalizing customer service: Machine learning enhances customer service while lowering costs. By combining customer service data, natural language processing, and algorithms that learn from each interaction, customers can get high-quality, quick answers to their questions. As a result, chatbots are being accepted by consumers. Though they still prefer talking with humans, chatbots respond very quickly and can resolve simple requests while reducing service costs by up to 30 percent. Customer service reps can always step in to handle the more difficult problems—while algorithms peek over their shoulders to learn what to do next time.
2. Improving customer retention: Companies can collect data such as customer actions, transactions, and reactions to identify customers at high risk of leaving. This data helps when deciding what “next best step” procedures to take to retain unhappy customers. Businesses can also use machine learning to help anticipate customer behaviors that require customized offers to keep them from defecting to a competitor.
3. Hiring the best people: Corporations are known to get as many as 250 applications for each job opening. Therefore, one of the most time-consuming tasks of the hiring process is shortlisting candidates. Machine learning eliminates human bias and often finds great candidates who might have been overlooked because they do not fit traditional expectations. 
4. Automating financial processes: Machine learning can speed up financial processes and can even problem solve. For example, when a payment comes in without an order number,  an employee will have to determine which order the payment corresponds to. With machine learning, the system learns to recognize these types of situations and can often find ways to resolve the matter without employee input.
5. Detecting fraud: According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the typical corporation loses five percent of its annual revenue due to fraud. This 2016 survey found “an average loss of $2.7 million per case, with $150,000 being the median loss.”  The report goes on to state: “Small organizations are particularly vulnerable to fraud because they have a significantly lower implementation of anti-fraud controls and have fewer resources to withstand losses. Small organizations also are much less likely to have anti-fraud controls in place than larger organizations.” Machine learning algorithms build models based on historical transactions, social network information, and other external data sources to develop pattern recognition that spots anomalies. As a result, suspicious patterns are detected in real-time.

Last Words

Cutting-edge workplace management solutions such as IoT sensors and machine learning are increasingly creating business environments that are clean, safe, and comfortable for the workforce while making the customer experience quick, customized, and efficient. Streamlining your company’s work processes and building maintenance is cost-effective in the long run and leads to employee satisfaction and customer retention. 

We hope you found this article helpful. Versa Technology is a global distributor of high-quality network technologies. Our chief goal is to provide first-rate support that enables our customers to attain their networking goals. To view our Power over Ethernet (PoE) products and services, visit the Versa Technology homepage.

Meeting the Challenges of COVID-19

With the advent of the pandemic, many businesses sent their workers home to work. As people begin to return to the office this year, many questions are being asked: Will things just pick up where they left off? Or will workers want to see some changes? What about social distancing? What kind of employee protection is a business responsible for? The future of the workplace is hard to see at this point. The subject is complicated and fraught with pitfalls. However, smart building technologies can help businesses to take on three fundamental challenges:

1. Implementing new standards of sanitation
2. Implementing further workspace utilization to accommodate social distancing
3. Ensuring worker comfort and “peace of mind” during this stressful time

Smart Building Technologies to Reduce COVID-19 Transmission

Probably the most common risk of infection is touching infected surfaces. This article will discuss six of the most popular smart building technologies that help workers avoid touching surfaces as they go about their workday. 

1. Facial Recognition Systems

Many business owners use facial recognition systems as security access credentials at turnstiles. This system is contactless and even helps reduce administrative duties as well. Changes in algorithms can even be made to these systems so they can recognize people wearing masks. There are also “opt-in” programs that allow those who feel comfortable with facial recognition to use it, while others can “opt” to use other contactless credentials, such as smartphone apps.

2. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Technology

Smartphone apps, using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, are used as workplace security credentials rather than RFID cards. BLEs ensures no contact, and there is no RFID card to misplace. 

BLE technology is also used to monitor social distancing. Per the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE):

An android application has been developed for the Social Distancing Alert System (SDAS). The system is based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) proximity detection technology, which uses the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and Transmission Power  (TxPower) of user’s android handsets for the estimation of real-time social distancing status and to alert them. It notifies users through real-time popup notifications on the screen of the handsets and by vibration and notification sound when another app user gets closer to a range of 2 meters with four levels of granularity. This application also provides other compelling features like past social distancing status tracking of the past 30 days, power-saving, and OR scanning to ignore specific people without an internet connection. 

3. Wave to Unlock/Open Technology

Wave to Unlock (also called Wave to Open) technology uses sensors to open manual doors. This technology delivers both hygiene and energy conservation to the workplace. This advanced contactless technology is being deployed in various areas, such as commercial real estate, factories, gyms, places of worship, retail, and schools.

John Kim, Senior Director of Products at Openpath, a leading provider of keyless door control systems, says:

The “Wave to Unlock” feature is becoming a key concept for workplace compliance initiatives to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We’re hearing from building owners, tenants, city planners, architects, and security consultants that this touchless entry solution is calming some employee concerns about returning to the workplace. Creating frictionless solutions is at the core of our business, and while our current product offered similar technology, we understood the need to adapt and evolve firmware with the current state of concern.

4. Tenant Experience Platforms (TEPs)

In general terms, tenant experience platforms (TEPs) give workers and their employers the ability to control the amenities within their work building. TEPs include COVID-19 protections like:

• Contactless experiences using smartphone apps
• Direct control of each person’s environment (e.g., lighting and temperature)
• Management of “high touch” areas, such as elevators and coffee machines.
• Real-time data regarding space occupancy levels that enable workers to seek out less congested areas to work in 

5. Demand-Based Cleaning Systems

Office cleanliness is of vital concern to employees, especially in the light of COVID-19. In  December 2020, Openworks conducted a  nationwide survey (3) regarding employee expectations for workplace sanitation. Here are a few key takeaways:

• 90% of those surveyed wanted frequent disinfection and cleaning of all high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs and light switches.
• 90% wanted the cleaners to  use EPA-approved antimicrobial disinfecting products.
• 76% wanted cleaners to be certified in disinfecting through the cleaning company’s training program.
• 71% wanted cleaners to be certified in disinfecting through a governing authority.
• 70% wanted immediate test results showing bacteria has been eliminated.
• 68% wanted cleaners to use a sprayer or mister to apply disinfectant to all surfaces.

With a demand-based cleaning system, cleaning staff can be advised in real-time as to when bathrooms need cleaning, doorknobs need to be sanitized, etc., via texting or email. These systems often include:

• People-counting devices in high-touch spaces (e.g., lobbies, bathrooms, entrances, etc.)
• Air quality sensors that monitor odors in the bathrooms 
• User cleanliness perception feedback
• Historical data collection to help cleaners predict an effective cleaning schedule.

6. Motion-Controlled Bathroom Touch Points

Motion-controlled soap dispensers, sink faucets, and toilet flush valves are already prominent in many commercial bathrooms. However, COVID-19 will require all businesses to get on board with this technology. 

Smart Building Technologies That Helps to Manage Social Distancing

There are a couple of interesting smart building technologies that help manage social distancing.

1. Elevator Destination Control (Destination Dispatch)

According to Elevatorpedia:

Destination dispatch is an optimization technique used for multi-elevator installations, which groups passengers for the same destinations into the same elevators, thereby reducing waiting and travel times when compared to a traditional system where all passengers wishing to ascen or descend enter the same elevator and then request their destination.

Not only does this system group passengers by destination, they also limit the number of passengers to prevent overcrowding.

2. Smart Lighting and IoT Sensors

The IoT sensors in a smart LED lighting system can help make a work environment safer by providing heat maps and motion trail patterns, thus identifying:

• Areas of the office that are too densely populated
• Common traffic patterns within the office
• Areas that become bottlenecked
• The time any of the above conditions occur during the workday

With the help of this type of data, office traffic can be rerouted, workstations can be reconfigured to allow for more space between workers, and heavily used pathways can be made one-way to help reduce employee contact. In addition, the data collected by these sensors can identify where workers have been throughout the day, enabling cleaners to focus on heavily traveled areas.

LEDs Magazine states:

Despite best planning efforts, any employee may test positive for SARS-CoV-2. Once again, the IoT sensory system can do new things, such as workplace contact tracing. While providing anonymity and privacy options, employees wear badges and the IoT-based RTLS system locates where within the workplace a positive individual has been, what other badges they have interacted with, and for how long. This can circumvent the need to quarantine an entire building of people while ensuring potentially contagious employees stay home. This information also helps focus deep sanitation efforts

The solutions discussed in this article are just some of the smart building technologies on the market that have been developed or adapted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is paramount that responsible employers meet the challenges presented by COVID-19. The world’s future depends on conquering these troubles aggressively.

Last Words

Versa Technology delivers last mile networking solutions globally. With two decades of experience, Versatek has developed an expansive product portfolio to support a variety of networking applications in a diverse range of networking environments. 

 

To read more about smart LED lighting, check out these blogs:

Does PoE Lighting Save Energy Costs?

The Adoption of PoE Lighting is Accelerating Intelligent Building Growth

The Link Between Power Over Ethernet Lighting and Workplace Productivity

The Internet of Things (IoT) has captured the imaginations of government space agencies and private space industries alike. As a result, IoT is no longer earthbound.

One of the most interesting IoT space endeavors in the works today is the use of constellations of low-cost, low-flying “nanosatellites” to collect data from the remotest parts of the world. This vision includes data collection from ships at sea, solar-powered vehicles in Antarctica, or even tracking roaming herds of animals in Africa.

What Does IoT in Space Mean?

The Internet of Things is the connection of intelligent devices to the internet or other connected devices.

But what does “IoT in space” mean?

According to Professor Johann-Dietrich Worner, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA):

The Internet of Things is based on data transmission between sensors and devices. These data can be transmitted terrestrially or even through space. This is particularly important wherever there is a lack of good network coverage on Earth: in remote areas, for example, or when transporting goods on trains or in container ships. Space can act as a kind of transmission bridge with the help of satellites, thus enabling data transfer at any time. Space is, therefore, a great enabler of IoT.

NASA Sends Nanosatellites to Space

On June 3, 2019, NASA deployed satellite “sprites” called ChipSats (nanosatellites) into Earth’s orbit. These tiny satellites are square-shaped and measure 3.5X3.5 centimeters, making them just a bit larger than a postage stamp. This initial deployment’s goal was to test the satellites’ ability to communicate with each other and transmit data back to Earth.

Image source: nasa.gov

This project aims to build a swarm of these ChipSats to provide a lower-cost way to gather information about our planet’s weather, environment, and wildlife. Beyond that, there is the potential for them to map the surface of asteroids and moons traveling around other planets.

The Private Sector and Nanosatellites

Along with NASA and other government-run space agencies, there are many companies around the world promising low-cost, low-flying “nanosatellites.” These companies are focused on two main things: 1) low-bandwidth, low-cost data collection networks and 2) who has global licenses and who does not. After that, each company’s approach diverges substantially.

Six of the top nanosatellite companies are:

1. Alen Space (Spain)
2. Astrocast SA (Switzerland)
3. Clyde SpaceLimited (United Kingdom)
4. Crest Astra (Japan)
5. Hera Systems (USA)
6. Orora Tech (Germany)

So, Just What is a Nanosatellite?

Any satellite that weighs less than 10 kilograms (approximately 22 pounds) is a nanosatellite. The term “nanosatellite” is a mass classification covering CubeSats, PocketQubes, TubeSats, SunCubes, ThinSats, and non-standard picosatellites, all of which are part of the same CubeSat standard of technology as defined by the CubeSat Design Specification (CSD).

CubeSats

CubeSats come in different sizes, but all are based on the standard CubeSat unit, a cube-shaped structure that measures 10X10X10 centimeters (approximately 4X4X4 inches). This standard unit is labeled 1U. CubeSats dimensions can range from 0.25U to 27U, with new configurations in constant development.

Image Source: nasa.gov

A Bit of History of the CubeSat

The CubeSat standard was developed in 1999 by California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, partnering with Standard University’s Space Systems Development Lab.  Professors Jordi Puig-Suari (Cal Poly) and Bob Twiggs (Stanford) wanted to enable their graduate students to design, build, test, and operate small satellites with limited capabilities that could fit within the constraints of time and money in a graduate degree program.

In 2014, Bob Twiggs reminisced about the project:

The early launch providers were Russian. We did go to some of the American launch providers, Lockheed Martin comes to mind, and they said, “If you give us a half-million dollars, we’ll study it, and then if it makes economic sense for us to launch it, we’ll do it.”  We kept asking them to take some of the lead (ballast) off and fly some of these things as secondaries, but they just didn’t go along with it. I was really disappointed that the aerospace industry couldn’t see the benefit other than profits from it. They couldn’t see the educational benefit from it and the potential of the educational benefit turning into commercial application. Now, you see the commercial applications coming along with Skybox Imaging with Planet Labs. Oh my goodness, they look like they have tremendous economic potential.

The first CubeSats were launched into orbit by a Russian Eurocket in June 2003. From then until 2013, most CubeSat launches were for educational purposes. After that, CubeSats and other nanosatellites have become a vital part of the aerospace industry and its commercial satellite expansion. In fact, as of April 2021, 1553 Cubesats have been launched into orbit. Some of the most prominent nanosatellite uses are:

• Planet Lab’s dozens of CubeSat-sized Dove satellites in orbit, as well as a few RapidEye  CubeSats, which are used in everything from disaster response to climate monitoring
• The International Space Station’s (ISS) NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer that launces CubeSats that have been hauled to orbit aboard an ISS vehicle
• NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CLSI) that provides opportunities for small satellites to fly aboard rockets planned for traditional launches

How Many Nanosatellites Are In Orbit?

Here are some facts from the Nanosats Database as of April 4, 2021:

• Number of nanosatellites launches: 1684
• Number of CubeSat launches: 1553
• Interplanetary CubeSats: 2
• Number of nanosatellites destroyed on launch: 93
• Most nanosatellites on a rocket: 120
• Number of countries with nanosatellites: 74
• Number of companies in database: 502
• Forecast: Over 2500 nanosatellites to be launched in the next six years

Predictions for the Future

Leading NewSpace company, Alen, has made the following predictions about small satellites:

• An increase in the number of launches: Between 513 and 745 launches are projected in 2023. If this happens, the number of launched nanosatellites will have doubled during the five years from 2018 to 2023.
• A more prominent role for larger CubeSats (6U and 12U): There is a growing need for these larger CubeSats because they have greater data and transmission capacity, artificial intellIgence, propulsion systems, etc.
• Larger constellations and improved coordination between CubeSats
• A transformation of nanosatellite technology thanks to artificial intelligence (AI): AI will help to simplify the management of all tasks associated with small satellite control and the services they provide
• Greater data processing and transmission capacity
• Increased use of propulsion systems for CubeSats: The use of electric, chemical, or water propellants will allow CubeSats to move in a more controlled and deliberate way.
• Improvement in active and passive de-orbiting systems: Space junk is a real concern, and there is a growing effort to improve de-orbiting systems that will help declutter space.
• High-tech solutions for antennas: Small satellites have space issues. Innovative measures are underway to face this problem. Alen explains, “For example, there are already missions such as NASA’s RainCube project, which apply the Japanese art of origami in this field. The parabolic antennas are folded to occupy as little space as possible and are only unfurled once in orbit.”
• Increased use of CubeSats for space exploration: MarCO A and B, the first two CubeSats to travel into deep space, were launched in 2018. And the ESA has two CubeSats 6U as part of their Hera mission to travel to the Didymos asteroid.
• New regulations: An increase of nanosatellites will require new rules to ensure safety, quality, cyber-security, and de-orbiting.

Last Words

The nanosatellite sector seems to be an inexhaustible source of business opportunities and promises of new and exciting technological advances. We truly hope you found this article informative. Versa Technology delivers high-quality networking technologies to IT professionals around the world. Our unwavering goal is to provide the best support to help our customers achieve their computer networking goals. To view our Power over Ethernet products and services, visit the Versa Technology homepage.

Network carriers are continually dealing with the challenges of bandwidth. Because of COVID-19, network traffic increased at an astounding rate in 2020—and it is expected to continue. For example,  AT&T reports that it expects its network traffic to increase five-fold in the next five years, with customers devouring an average of 4.5TB (Terabyte) of data per person.

This exponential traffic growth is driven by more and more video streaming, cloud computing, data centers, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), the ever-increasing amount of IoT devices, etc.

This is where 400G fits into the equation.

What is 400G Ethernet?

400G (400 Gigabit Ethernet) is the latest generation of cloud infrastructure and is four times faster than the previous standard of 100G. Also called 400 Gigabit, 400GbE, 400Gb/s, and Terabit Ethernet, this technology is defined as follows:

Terabit Ethernet is Ethernet transmission at one trillion bits per second (1 Tbps). True Terabit Ethernet is a future technology; however, in the meantime, Terabit Ethernet generally refers to Ethernet above 100 Gpbs. The IEEE 802.3bs task force has defined 200 Gigabit (200BASE) and 400 Gigabit Ethernet (400BASE), which are expected to be commonly deployed by carriers and large enterprises by 2020.

The Evolution of Ethernet Standards

The pace of Ethernet development has increased steadily over the past 24 years. Following is a list of the milestones of this technology:

• 1 Gigabit Ethernet (1G) is ratified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 1997.
• 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10G) is introduced in 2004.
• By 2010, 100 Gigabit Ethernet (100G) becomes the standard.
• The current 802.3bs standard of 200/400 Gigabit (200G/400G) was ratified by the IEEE on December 6, 2017.Image source: ethernetalliance.org

The Objectives of the 400G Solution

In an IEEE report entitled IEEE 802.3 Industry Connections Ethernet Bandwidth Assessment Part II, they state there is a “bandwidth explosion,” and they forecast that “device connections will grow from 18 billion [in 2017] to 28.5 billion devices [by 2022].” And the number of internet users will soar “from 3.4 billion in 2017 to 4.8 billion in 2022.”

In an earlier report dated November 2013, the IEEE 400 Gb/s Ethernet Study Group laid out their objectives for this latest standard, which are as follows:

• Support a MAC data rate of 400 Gb/s
• Support full-duplex operation only
• Preserve the Ethernet frame utilizing the Ethernet MAC
• Preserve minimum and maximum FramSize of current Ethernet standard
• Provide appropriate support for OTN
• Speedy optional Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) capability for 400Gb/s PHYs
• Support optional 400Gb/s Attachment Unit Interfaces for chip-to-chip and chip-to-module applications 

How 400G Works

First of all, the actual line rate of a 400G Ethernet link is actually 425 Gbps. The IEEE 802.3bs standard is designed to be 400G; however, it also establishes a forward error connection (FEC) procedure that detects and corrects transmission errors; the additional 25 bits are for this FEC mechanism.

But what makes 400G transmission possible?

Exfo, a company that designs and manufactures test instruments and service assurance for telecommunications networks, provides this brief technical deep dive:

It’s the adoption of 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM4). Using PAM4, operators implement 8 lanes of 50G or 4 lanes of 100G for different form factors (i.e., OSFP and QSFP-DD). This novel optical transceiver architecture supports transmission of up to 400 Gbit/s Ethernet data over either multiwavelength or parallel fibers.

However, multilevel modulation creates higher analysis complexity, so we need advanced tools such as PAM4 eye diagram histograms and pre-emphasis and equalization capabilities to manage this complexity.

The chart below details the distance, fiber mode, designation, and number of fibers specifications for both 200G and 400G.

The Benefits of 400G

The 400G solution has a lot going for it. 400 Gigabit Ethernet:

• Is perfect for high-traffic volume telecommunications service providers (TSPs), large data centers, and other enterprises experiencing relentless traffic growth.
• Delivers the power, efficiency, and density required for cutting-edge technologies such as 5G, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and 4K video streaming.
• Not only supplies data transfer speeds that are four times faster than 100G, it provides greater efficiency because its larger pipes are easier to manage and they transmit bits at a lower power percentage.
• Costs less: A single 400G port on a router is cheaper than four individual 100G ports.
• Consumes less power: A single 400G port uses less power than four individual 100G ports.
• Speeds support scale-up and scale-out architectures by providing low cost-per-bit, high density, and reliable throughput.

So, where does the technology stand now?

400G optical transceivers are one of the hottest networking trends for 2021. According to a report by Orbis Research, the optical transceiver market will reach $22.6 billion by 2023. Things like global internet adoption, social networking, online commerce, streaming video, cloud services, and software as a service (SaaS) will all play into this trend, as will the availability and cost-effectiveness of 100G and 400G devices.

Although we are still in the first stages of deploying the 400G standard, the need for more bandwidth is on such a rise that experts feel 800G and 1600G are not too far in our future.

2021 is the cloud era. Our network infrastructures need to be:

• Flexible
• Reliable
• Scalable
• Simple
• Secure

400G solutions are designed to help us meet these goals—and they do it fast!

Versa Technologies is a US-based provider of last-mile IT networking technology and one of the largest suppliers of Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch technology globally. Visit our PoE page to find out more about our IT networking solutions.

Perimeter security lighting is the first defense against theft, vandalism, and harm. Since most mayhem of this type happens in the dark, perimeter lighting should play a significant role in any organization’s security plans. However, until recently, fence line lighting was limited to the same legacy technology used to light roadways, parking lots, athletic fields, etc. Then came the first low-voltage, fence-mounted security system designed with security as its focal point: the CAST Perimeter™ Security Lighting System. In this article, we will look at perimeter lighting as a whole, as well as CAST Lighting’s one-of-a-kind security lighting system.

Perimeter Security Lighting is Vital

The importance of security lighting is evident. It is used to keep intruders out, detect them if they are in the area, and detain them if they breach the perimeter. According to the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), a security lighting system must:

• Deter crime against persons and property
• Deny potential hiding places along frequently traveled foot routes
• Provide a clear view of an area from a distance, allowing movement to be easily detected
• Allow for facial recognition with CCTV systems and on-site security personnel

The items listed above sound relatively straightforward; however, they have everything to do with how the human eye and a security camera register light. The everyday pole lights we are used to were never explicitly designed for security cameras or an on-site security crew. They were intended merely to provide light. Unfortunately, they give too much light in most instances, causing blinding glare and deep shadows where troublemakers can hide. To understand this, we need to take a quick look at how the human eye works.

Image Credit: cast-lighting.com

The Human Eye

The human eye works a bit like a camera lens. If you go out into the daylight, the iris of your eye automatically constricts to optimize your sight. In their e-book, entitled The Evolution of Perimeter Security Lighting, CASE explains:

More light is not necessarily better when it comes to night lighting. When illuminating for optimal security, it is important to understand how the human eye works and design around these parameters. The iris of the human eye—just like a camera aperture—widens or narrows depending on the amount of ambient light. In the daytime, the iris constricts to limit the amount of light into the eye, adjusting for optimal vision. In the evening, the iris naturally widens to its maximum opening, allowing for the greater amounts of light allowed in, giving the optimal light to see at night. As a result, the security lighting goal now becomes twofold. The first objective is to create the perfect interaction with the human eye for optimal performance; the second is to create the right light setting for CCTV camera operation.

Image Credit: pmgbiology.com

Many of today’s lighting designers are still designing to 1990s specs of outdated lumen (the total amount of visible light) and lux (the total amount of light falling to the ground) values. This traditional lighting provides way too much light, which not only uses unnecessary energy and equipment and creates light pollution but is also, ironically, unsafe. Simply put: conventional lighting systems are sufficient for parking lots and roadways. They are not okay for security lighting.

CAST Perimeter states:

The solution is to match the optimal and natural light level for the human eye to the onsite camera systems. Providing an evenly distributed, lower-level, glare-free lighting system is the goal of any optimized perimeter security lighting system.

Types of Security Systems: Passive vs. Active

The first step to take when selecting a security system is to determine if it should be passive or active. Here is the difference:

Passive Security System

Passive security systems are designed to discourage intruders. The goal of this type of system is to make threats difficult and to delay them. Should a breach occur, you will become aware of it only after it takes place. You will need to replay the video to determine what happened, then call the police and insurance companies for help.

Active Security System

Active security systems react to intrusions as they happen, allowing action to be taken immediately. One example of an active system is a CCTV surveillance system that sends a signal to the owner, monitoring company or the police.

CAST Perimeter says,

When coupling lighting with these proactive solutions, you gain a tactical advantage slowing down the threat and exposing the intruder, causing him or her to pause or retreat. Intruders don’t like to be seen. The ability to disorient intruders when they are first detected will usually cause the perpetrator to think twice. This is done by dimming lights or turning them on or off repeatedly. A good security plan will contain layers of security features and will not rely on any one single security measure for success.

Image Credit: cast-lighting.com

What Makes CAST Perimeter™ Security Lighting Different?

This first-of-its-kind security lighting system has many unique features. This system uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which can be custom made or purchased in ready-to-install kits that range from 800 to 1200 feet. The benefits of this LED lighting system are:

1. Low Voltage: 24-volt power is safe and easy to install. Because of the low voltage, there is no need to hire an expensive electrician. Instead, this system can be installed by a certified low-voltage technician.
2. Low Maintenance: With this lighting system, there is no need for large concrete footings, cranes, bucket trucks, or yearly maintenance. It is fast and easy to install, and care calls for one worker, a truck, and a step ladder.
3. Safe: All CAST products are:

• UL listed (1838 and 8750 standards)
• IP66 ingress protection rated
• CE listed
• FCC Class B certified

4. Dark-Sky Friendly: CAST’s lighting system adheres to the nonprofit Dark-Sky Association, which advocates against light pollution, the Modern Light Ordinance of North America, and meets the IESNA standard for “full cutoff” optics.

The Bottom Line

The CAST Perimeter™ Security Lighting System boasts the following benefits:

• 50 to 80 percent less material cost than traditional lighting systems depending on the fixture selected

• 50 to 80 percent less labor cost than traditional lighting systems depending on the fixture selected

• Safe low-voltage 24-volt power supply

• Low 7 to 28-wattage consumption models available to save ongoing energy costs

• Excellent L70-life expectancy of 65,000 hour LEDs

• Simple, fast installation

• Mounts easily to a fence, post, pillar, or wall

• Great warranty

A Word About Us

Versa Technology delivers last-mile networking technologies to IT professionals in Africa, Australia, China, Europe, North America, South America, Southeast Asia, and more. Our unwavering goal is to provide the best support to help our customers achieve their computer networking goals. To view our products and services, click here.

We live in electrifying times—and we mean that literally!

We are reaping the benefits of the Third Industrial Revolution—the digital revolution that has been occurring since the middle of the last century. Our world is now positioned in the first stages of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, complete with Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices and non-IoT connected devices numbering in the billions. According to Statista, there will be just over 10 billion non-IoT active devices by 2025.¹

Here’s where the challenge comes in: Those 10 billion devices need energy currently supplied by batteries. Examples of these battery-dependent devices are:

• Smartphones
• Laptops
• Calculators
• Digital cameras and camcorders
• Portable radios and TVs
• Electronic razors and toothbrushes
• Power tools
• And more.

Installing, maintaining, and replacing billions (maybe even trillions) of batteries is a big logistical nightmare. In addition, improperly discarded lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries leak into the soil at landfills and cause air contamination. They have even been reported to have exploded and caused fires. Another problem is the expectation that many lithium-ion raw materials will be scarce by the middle of this century.

One alternative that is currently emerging is the Zinc-ion battery, which is not as caustic and explosive and is made up of raw materials that are still quite plentiful. However, it is still a battery.

It’s all about energy

According to ONiO, a healthcare-focused semiconductor company that brings self-powered, batteryless solutions to the IoT market:

Globally, we use about 607 quintillion joules of energy each year. Our energy needs are only increasing, with our rapid population growth, and global energy expenditure is expected to be around 777 quintillion joules by the year 2040. These are mind-bending figures and it is no wonder then that issues of energy and energy shortage feature so prominently in global policymaking.²

Because of these nearly unfathomable numbers and the fact that many of our energy sources are finite, we are constantly hearing about the need for renewable, environmentally-friendly energy sources.

So, here is where energy harvesting comes in.

What is energy harvesting?

Energy harvesting (also called energy scavenging or ambient power) captures small amounts of ambient energy and converts it into electricity. This harvested energy can either be used immediately or stored for use later. Energy harvesting is in the first stages of development. It shows signs of potential for providing electricity to areas with no power grid and where the installation of wind turbines or solar power is inefficient.

What is ambient energy?

As we move about our daily lives, there is energy all around us that is going to waste. There is electromagnetic (EM) energy from cellular, TV, and radio transmitters and from satellite and other wireless communication systems. There is energy from light, heat from the sun and the earth’s interior, wind, ocean waves, river currents, and sound waves that simply dissipate into the ether. Even when you walk down the street, you generate energy. The movement from your arms and legs generates kinetic energy; the friction with your clothing as you move generates thermal energy. The idea of energy harvesting is to capture this wasted energy and convert it into electricity to power a device.

How does energy harvesting work?

As mentioned before, energy harvesting is still in its early stages. However, there are still some interesting energy harvesting applications available today. (More about this later). Energy harvesting works differently based on the source, amount, and type of energy being harnessed. There are four basic sources of energy:

• Heat energy (waste energy from heaters, friction, engines, furnaces, etc.)
• Light energy (either sunlight or artificial)
• Kinetic energy (from vibration or mechanical stress)
• RF energy (radio waves)

In its most basic form, the energy harvesting system needs energy waste from one of the sources listed above, plus the three following components:

• Transducer: This is the energy harvester. Typical transducers include:

• • Thermoelectric for heat
  • Photovoltaic for light
  • Piezoelectric for kinetic
  • RF for radio frequency
• Energy storage: This will be a battery or supercapacitor
• Power management: This includes electrical energy conditioners, such as regulators and complex control circuits that manage the power, making it suitable for the intended application.

Figure (A) Basic components of an energy harvesting system.

What are the benefits of energy harvesting?

The good news is: There is lots of ambient energy around just waiting to be captured and converted into electricity to power circuits. And there are several compelling reasons why we should do so. Energy harvesting:

• Provides a way to power electronics in places where there is no conventional power source
• Eliminates the need for frequent battery replacement
• Is nearly maintenance-free
• Is environmentally friendly

What are the main applications for energy harvesting technologies?

Energy harvesting is a great way to extend the battery life of remote sensors found in commercial, industrial, and medical applications. For example:

• Equipment monitoring
• Implantable medical devices  (e.g., pacemakers) and remote patient monitoring
• Internet of Things
• Remote corrosion monitoring systems (e.g., air pollution, forest fires, etc.)
• Radiofrequency identification (RFID)
• Structural monitoring (e.g., worn out bearings, bridge stress, etc.)

What is the future of energy harvesting?

According to the EE Times:

Energy-saving initiatives are a key driver in the growth of the energy harvesting equipment market. Companies are considering a whole series of tools necessary for energy harvesting to satisfy the growing demand for energy.³

So, what will the future look like as energy harvesting develops?

Following are a few examples of things companies are now investing in:

• The continuing development of super long-lasting, environmentally-safe batteries (or maybe no batteries at all) for smart factories and IoT technologies
• The development of piezoelectric and photoelectric energy harvesting for products such as computer peripherals, electronic bracelets, watches, and surveillance cameras
• Vibrational energy harvesters convert body movement into energy and enables  visualization of this energy using light-emitting diodes. Hiroyuko Akinaga of the Nanoelectronics Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba, Japan writes:

As an extension of such technical development [described above], there may be a future where artificial intelligence (AI) acquires physical knowledge and sensation by perceptually learning tactile information. The AI implemented in a robot can obtain visual information as an image that contains kinetic information converted into light intensity. In addition, the AI learns as visual information of the motion commanded by the AI itself does not necessarily produce the result intended by control signals because vibrational energy harvesters are independent power supplies.⁴

Conclusion

Scientists feel there is real potential for energy harvesting to become a powerful tool for the sustainable development of our world. Even though the energy being currently harvested is small (measured in mere milliwatts), this converted electricity is able to provide power for embedded systems, wireless sensors, and other low-power applications—and it seems to have a great future!

________________________________

Resources

Figure (A): Image courtesy of harvesting-energy.com

(1) Statista: Internet of Things (IoT) and Non-IoT active device connections worldwide from 2010 to 2025

(2) ONiO: What is Energy Harvesting?

(3) EE Times: Energy Harvesting is the Future of Power Supply

(4) Japanese Journal of Applied Physics: Recent advances and future prospects in energy harvesting technologies.

Imagine this: You have just spent the morning setting up your home network. You have used all the latest Wi-Fi hardware and you have a 100Mbps connection. Pleased with yourself, you decide to go to your bedroom to relax and stream a movie—then the buffering begins. You call your ISP provider and confirm that everything checks out.

So, what’s the deal?

Chances are you need a mesh Wi-Fi system.

What is mesh Wi-Fi?

A mesh Wi-Fi (also called Whole Home Wi-Fi) system consists of a main router that connects directly to a modem, together with one or more satellite modules (nodes) that are placed strategically around a house (or an office) to blanket it with Wi-Fi. These are all part of a single wireless network and share the same Service Set IDentifier (SSID) and password.

In short, a mesh Wi-Fi system extends a wireless router signal to anywhere within a home or office to ensure internet access.

Who needs mesh Wi-Fi?

Mesh Wi-Fi is handy for those who work or live in surroundings that:

• Are larger than 3,000 square feet
• Have unusually shaped floor plans (like Ls)
• Have thick, brick, or metal internal walls
• Have rooms or areas that do not have electrical service

All of the situations listed above (and others) can lead to faulty internet connectivity that interferes with reliable service to computers, tablets, and smartphones.

How does mesh Wi-Fi work?

This technology is pretty straightforward.

A mesh router is different from a traditional Wi-Fi router in that it uses two or more “satellite” routers to deliver wireless coverage. These routers all work together to provide coverage and, as mentioned above, share the same network and SSID.

A mesh router system contains two or more components that act as nodes (the more nodes, the better the coverage). Depending on which router brand is used, one node is assigned the role of the primary router, with all the other nodes acting as satellites—OR—all the routers might be completely interchangeable.

One unit must be plugged into the internet modem or router with either type, while all remaining satellites are placed around the house or office to enable good coverage. The positioning of the satellite routers is essential. They must be put close enough together to communicate but far enough apart to be able to spread the total coverage.

Why should I consider mesh Wi-Fi?

Here are the main advantages of using mesh Wi-Fi:

1. Reliability

Homes and offices are often vulnerable to dead zones where there is not enough (or even no) wireless service for internet-connected devices to work correctly.

Should this condition exist, you can lose your Wi-Fi signal at any time—perhaps in the middle of a download or an app update. Mesh Wi-Fi puts an end to this problem by taking your router’s original wireless signal and rebroadcasting it at its original strength.

Your router’s signal will have a range of about 100 feet. However, the mesh Wi-Fi satellites that you place throughout the space will reproduce the wireless signal to cover the whole area.

It needs to be emphasized that mesh Wi-Fi satellites are not separate networks—they rebroadcast the original Wi-Fi signal, which means they connect to only one network and provide coverage throughout the entire building. And it gets even better because, with mesh Wi-Fi, there is coverage outside the building too.

Image Source: linksys.com

2. Speed Consistency

With a traditional Wi-Fi router, the Wi-Fi signal weakens as it travels further from the router, and you also lose speed as the signal weakens. If you live in a small house—say, 1,200 square feet—you may not notice anything. However, if your home is larger—like 3,000 square feet—the speed difference between your living room and bedroom could be significant. For example, you may be able to stream Netflix just fine in your living room, but it will not even load in your bedroom. This type of speed variation is frustrating!

This is where mesh Wi-Fi shines. With mesh Wi-Fi satellites strategically positioned throughout the entire house, you will have a solid wireless signal with consistent speed. If you choose, you can put a satellite in every room in your home, but only one or two satellites are necessary for most people.

When it comes to businesses, you will probably want more satellites—maybe even up to a dozen—as you will want a satellite in conference rooms, IT hotspots, and any remote offices in the building.

3. Network Management

Network management consists of things like fixing, improving and maintaining a network. This process usually requires specialized knowledge of and on-demand access to the wireless network. However, many mesh routers have built-in management tools, such as app integration that allows control of all aspects of the network without having to log into a web-based console. You can even use this app to control the network remotely.

Image Source: asus.com

4. Security

One of the biggest concerns that users have is: If I boost up my internet service, will strangers be able to use it without my permission?

Because of the networking features mentioned above, along with the manual control you have over your hardware, this almost never happens. In the unlikely event that it does happen, you can change your network settings, kick off every device from your Wi-Fi, change the password, and start again. Because of these types of capabilities, mesh Wi-Fi is one of the most secure wireless networking techniques on the market.

Are there some disadvantages when it comes to mesh Wi-Fi systems?

With every popular technology comes a few disadvantages; this is also true of mesh Wi-Fi. Here are a couple of things to consider:

• Mesh routers are more expensive than traditional single-unit routers. However, into this equation goes the fact that this is a one-time purchase which will last for years.
• You will have to deal with extra hardware. Each satellite will need a place to “live” (e.g., a table or shelf). These devices are not easily hidden from sight.

Conclusion

Mesh Wi-Fi is reliable, fast, secure, and can be managed and maintained easily. While most traditional routers are large, awkward, and have cables to contend with, mesh Wi-Fi satellites have been designed to have a much smaller footprint. They can be left out to blend with your home or office decor. If you are having problems with your wireless coverage, a mesh Wi-Fi system just might be a good solution.