Today there are many technologies for organizing wireless networks data transmission, among which the most famous are Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Z-Wave, WirelessHART / DUST, ISA 100a, various versions of the 802.15.4 protocols, as well as some patented versions of ISM-band protocols. But, due to complexity and high power consumption, many protocols are of little use for the development of some network automation and parameter monitoring applications.

In battery powered applications, given that time is a critical factor battery life and low operating costs, the range of available wireless technologies is narrowing even further. However, two short-range wireless communication standards have emerged that meet these requirements: Bluetooth Low Energy and ANT.

Wireless network topology

There are many ways to implement wireless networks to meet specific application requirements (Figure 1). A wireless node in a network (each circle in the figure) can be a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver. Some nodes are Slave only, they are only managed or monitored. Others become masters or data aggregators, and are used to connect to external communications. Some nodes can be used as repeaters when transmitting data from one node to another.

A point-to-point topology is the simplest form of network (Figure 1a). This could be a simple connection between a transmitter and a receiver, or two transceivers. The transmitting node can be some kind of sensor, and the receiver, for example, an actuator.

The next common network topology is “star” (Figure 1b). Multiple nodes are connected to a central controller. Therefore, such a connection can be defined as “multipoint-to-point”. The nodes do not “communicate” directly with each other; data exchange occurs only with the central controller. A star topology can have another configuration in which the central controller broadcasts data to all other nodes. In this case, the connection is defined as point-to-multipoint.

In a network with a “cluster tree” topology, there can be many branches (Figure 1c). The figure shows that in this case, data exchange is carried out between two networks with a star topology through central controllers. The next common topology characteristic of wireless sensor networks, “each-to-everyone” (Mesh), can have many configurations (Figure 1d). Key Feature Such a network is the ability of nodes to exchange data directly with each other.

Additionally, in a mesh network, most or every node can be a relay, allowing data to be transmitted from one node to another even if they are not directly connected. For example, distance or limited power prevents node F from connecting directly to node A, but it can transmit data through other nodes (say B or E and C). The features of this topology make it possible to create wireless networks with a large number of nodes and a very large coverage area.

Even by structural diagram Mesh networks show that this topology guarantees high reliability. If one node fails (for example, due to a low power supply), or is blocked for some reason, then alternative paths can always be found to transmit data on this network. As a rule, such networks are more complex, but the additional costs of their implementation are justified by reliability and coverage area.

All considered wireless network topologies include a central controller (central node). Can act as a central node Personal Computer, mobile phone or special device - a router that connects to local network(LAN) or Internet.

Applications

Most wireless network technologies with ultra-low power consumption are used in household and medical devices, in devices for fitness and sports. Most often, these are mobile compact devices with one battery that can function for several years. Possible areas of application include:

• Consumer Appliances:
  • Electronic devices for tracking people or objects
  • Proximity detectors in identification, authorization and wireless lock systems
  • RFID-like devices
  • Metering devices with remote reading function
  • Toys
  • Automotive applications
  • Home Area Networks
  • Human-machine interfaces and peripherals.
• Medical devices and systems:
  • Devices remote monitoring health
  • Pulse meters, temperature meters, etc.
  • Body Area Networks.
• Devices for sports and fitness:
  • Sports watches and monitoring devices
  • Bicycle computers
  • Straps and belts with heart rate transmitter.

Bluetooth Low Energy technology

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or Bluetooth 4.0 is a technology wireless communication for short-range communications, developed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) in 1998. Unlike previous standards - Bluetooth 2.0, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Bluetooth 3.0 - the BLE standard is initially focused on use in self-powered data collection and monitoring systems.

BLE technology, also known as Bluetooth Smart, is a marketing name for low-power devices. Bluetooth is probably the most widely adopted technology wireless transmission short-range data due to use in billions of mobile phones (headsets and accessories) and millions of laptops. Thanks to the introduction of the Smart version, the technology is expected to become even more widespread around the world.

The development of Bluetooth Smart was based on a combination of various technical and radio techniques in order to achieve minimal power consumption. The communication protocol has been modified to implement very short transmission duty cycles or short signals transmissions between long pauses. The combination of extremely low power consumption in sleep mode and short transmission duty cycles allows the Bluetooth Low Energy device to operate on a single coin cell battery for many years.

BLE, like standard Bluetooth, operates in the unlicensed ISM range 2.4 - 2.483 GHz. However, this technology uses a different method of pseudo-random hopping of the operating frequency (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum). IN standard protocol Bluetooth operating frequency hops 1600 times per second within 79 1 MHz wide channels. Bluetooth LE uses 40 2 MHz channels to improve the reliability of data transmission over long distances. Bluetooth data rates can be 1, 2 or 3 Mbps, and maximum speed BLE is 1 Mbps throughput networks 260 Kbit/s. BLE also uses GFSK modulation (Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying).

The output power of BLE transmitters is 0 dB (1 mW), with a typical maximum communication range of 50 m. Latency is measured as low as 6 milliseconds. The combination of adaptive frequency hopping (which reduces interference) with 24-bit CRCs and a 32-bit MIC field improves communications reliability. The encryption algorithm is AES-128, and the most common network topologies are point-to-point and star.

However, one thing needs to be taken into account key moment: BLE is not compatible with standard Bluetooth, BLE devices cannot communicate with classic Bluetooth devices. However, if you need to solve this problem, you can use dual-mode devices that support both protocol stacks.

The dual-mode device is an integrated circuit that includes RF blocks for both standard Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy. Each of them works separately, but not simultaneously, although they can share one antenna. Some manufacturers such as Broadcom, CSR, EM Microelectronics, Nordic Semiconductor and Texas Instruments offer dedicated dual-mode Bluetooth ICs. Complete solutions in the form of Bluetooth modules are offered by connectBlue (Figure 2).

ANT technology

ANT is another ultra-low power short-range wireless technology designed for sensor networks and similar applications. Just like Bluetooth, the 2.4 GHz ISM band is used. The proprietary protocol is developed and sold by the Canadian company Dynastream Innovations, a subsidiary of Garmin. Until recently, the technology was used mainly in the field of sports applications and to create personal networks for monitoring human health. However, it is applicable for all applications described above.

ANT technology has a lot in common with Bluetooth LE. The ANT protocol stack also uses short data transfer techniques and deep sleep mode to reduce power consumption. Each wireless node in the ANT network can be a slave or a master, can transmit or receive data, and also act as a repeater.

The ANT protocol uses only one 1 MHz channel for multiple nodes, so it is based on time division multiplexing technique. Each node transmits data only in its own time slot. The basic message duration is 150 µs, while the 8-bit message rate (time between transmissions) varies and corresponds to a frequency range of 0.5 Hz - 200 Hz. 16-bit cyclic redundancy codes (CRC16) are used to detect errors. Up to 65536 time slots can be defined for each channel. If interference is detected on the channel, the node transceivers can switch the channel. Again, GFSK modulation is used.

Relatively recently, ANT+ was added to ANT. This is a purely software extension of the original technology that implements a managed network interaction function that simplifies the collection, automatic transmission and tracking of data from sensors to monitor all nodes and devices used in the network. Another distinctive feature of ANT is the SensRcore wireless sensor network development system. Custom transceiver chips are produced by Nordic Semiconductor and Texas Instruments (Figure 3).

ANT+ is a wireless data transfer protocol. It operates at 2.4 GHz (similar to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) and has low power consumption, so it is used in sports and medical equipment such as online calorie and cadence counters, as well as smart home systems.

Standardization means that devices that support them can communicate with each other without additional settings. A classic example of this is a heart rate monitor. The sensor is able to communicate with all sports Garmin watch, supporting this protocol, as well as with the Health application Samsung smartphone S. An ANT+ device can be used with any device like it.

The protocol is being developed by the open group ANT Alliance, and ANT Wireless is a division of Dynastream, which is owned by Garmin.

Convenience for the manufacturer

The ANT+ consortium holds developer conferences every year to meet product manufacturers and programmers. This is where discussions happen and product managers request new profiles for upcoming features. It's also a place where startups submit new designs and profiles in hopes that manufacturers will license them, or simply want to make things themselves.

Since June 2012, the ANT+ technology development team has been led by Sebastian Barnovsky, who is creating profiles - a communication language for a specific type of information.

Thus, heart rate data has its own profile, as does power, speed, cadence, etc. This allows you to work with devices from different brands, which is a boon for everyone. Closed systems like Polar's proprietary language simply don't have a future where ANT+ technology is headed.

Integration efficiency

So what happens if someone wants to send new information, which is not in the current profiles? According to Barnowski, this can be done in two ways. The first and fastest option is to create your own profile, which is necessary to quickly bring a product to the market or to hide something from other devices. This can be done at any time at the manufacturer level, which significantly speeds up the development cycle.

The second option is to request a new public ANT+ profile. This is necessary if, say, Speedplay wants to convey sole pressure or pedaling speed. This requires a computer company that will receive this data and, upon request, provide it to various electronics for reading and display. In this case, Speedplay representatives will contact ANT Plus and tell you what they need.

Coach

Wahoo Fitness is a brand that touts Bluetooth connectivity and produces iPhone-centric devices. But this company, having first created its own profile for the Kickr trainer, is collaborating with ANT+ to create a standardized trainer profile. This will make it possible to sell different types of them and work with different online training programs. Existing Kickr trainers have been updated since the final public release, but the user will also have to update their computer or mobile device.

For a profile to be valuable, programs that can read its data are needed. A collaboration between Wahoo and Kinomap, the latter's videos are fully integrated with Kickr (and eventually other trainers). This allowed, for example, the software to change the load depending on height or other training program data. In other words, ANT+ technology allows you to synchronize efforts with video and vice versa. When the app starts, it looks for compatible sensors so it knows what data to work with, so it needs to program what piece of information will go to the virtual athlete on the screen.

Kinomap Products

According to the developers, there is a demand for premium content on top of the huge amount of user-generated data. To take advantage of it and discover other possibilities using Kinomap Reply - a new open API that allows other developers to transmit Kinomap content through their own third party application. They can purchase dedicated streaming hours or receive unlimited content for a monthly fee, which is then passed on to the end user.

There is also a Kinomap Group Training model that allows you to track many people and average out their efforts to train at spinning gyms.

Sport display

How else is this technology used? 4iiii produces the Sportiiiis display, which syncs with the ANT+ sensors on your bike to help you simple LEDs show the current workout status. The system mounts on any sunglasses and uses a series of red, yellow and green lights, the latter of which is in the center, to indicate whether the athlete is above or below your target zone. Voice guidance from the rear speaker provides a wider range of data, including heart rate, power, speed and cadence.

Beyond competition

What about Bluetooth? According to Quarq co-founder and CTO Jim Mayer, despite the hype surrounding the relatively low power consumption of this communication standard, the only one that works wireless technology for real power measurements it is ANT+. Its great advantage is that one device can transmit data and several can read it. This is important for products like Sportiiiis and others (racers probably use Bluetooth as their primary display. It's connected to a phone or something and no other device can hear that transmitter.

A real-world example of the benefits of this solution is triathlon. You can connect your sports watch and Garmin cycling computer to the power meter, and they all have access to the measurements. Another example is when the display is in the team car, but the driver wants to see the information on his computer. Everyone probably won't need this, but the important thing is that users can do it. According to research, approximately 30% of customers transfer data to multiple devices at the same time.

Operating range

Although the specification states that ANT+ has a range of up to 30m, it doesn't say that all devices must have that range. Most likely, sensor manufacturers will settle on a fairly minimum, such as the distance from the bike sensor to the handlebars, thereby reducing power and significantly improving the device's internal battery life. The Kickr is mains powered so it can handle maximum ANT+ signal. The receiver on the PC also operates at full power. Therefore, you should not be surprised if you easily receive signals from Kickr that the online calorie counter installed on your bike stops functioning if the exercise machine is moved a little further from the receiver.

Interference

ANT+ devices do not interfere with each other thanks to channel coding, modulation scheme and very clever time division of signals. But Bluetooth, wireless home phone, Smartphone WiFi and even home WiFi also occupy the very crowded unlicensed 2.4 GHz band. All of these ANT+ signals are noise and can cause errors and affect reception range. If there is reason to believe that the data is incorrect, you should look for extraneous sources of radiation (including a microwave oven). Moving WiFi to the 5 GHz frequency so that every device in the room works in this band (if it is modern enough) can help solve the problem.

A USB3 hub can also wreak havoc on ANT+ broadcasts. If there is something similar nearby, you can try to turn it off. If reception improves, then the source of interference has been found.

What is ANT+ in a smartphone?

ANT+ implemented on mobile Sony phones and Samsung. Apple does not support this technology. Other smartphones, PCs and Macs require a USB adapter. In the first case, you will need to install the ANT USB Service application. Otherwise, the operation of smartphones does not differ from the operation of other devices that support this technology. Thanks to time division techniques, many devices use a single 1 MHz channel. Each source broadcasts in its own time period. The message length is 150 µs, and the period between 8-byte broadcasts varies from 0.5 Hz to 200 Hz. Errors are corrected with a 16-bit CRC. If there is interference, the channel may change. Frequency modulation with Gaussian filtering is used.

Availability

The Alliance is not blind to the fact that many smartphones do not support ANT+ technology. For this reason, new transmitters are being produced that are capable of broadcasting in different formats. 4iiiis has something similar built into the Viiiive heart rate monitor, which allows you to use iOS app to configure your Sportiiiis device on the go. HTC, Sony, and Samsung are starting to include ANT+ transceivers in their tablets, phones, and laptops, and North Pole Engineering makes ANT-Wifi receivers that capture ANT+ information and relay it over Wi-Fi in a format that can be accepted by iOS devices. To use them, a developer must build a WASP NPE module into their application, and the fitness industry is a leading contender to use it. The cost of implementing hardware and software This technology is approximately the same as for Bluetooth.

Electronics are developing rapidly, and the most familiar household appliances are acquiring functions that no one could attribute to them before. A regular smartphone has a wide range of capabilities. Today we will talk about ANT technology, find out what it is and discuss its features.

What is ANT+?

This is a special protocol that allows a mobile device to receive information from nearby sensors. This is data from:

• speed sensors
• pedometers
• heart rate sensors
• calorie counters

To ensure that your mobile device can freely communicate with devices that measure your condition and physical activity, it is equipped with a special wireless communication module that supports information transport via the ANT+ protocol. There are many examples of such a module; the most common is the WCN3680 from Qualcomm. Data transmission is carried out at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, the communication range is approximately three tens of meters.

Principle of operation

ANT+ refers to adaptive synchronous protocols, where each connection occurs between two components, one of which is a slave and the other is a master.

Differences from Bluetooth

An inquisitive mind has already noticed certain similarities between Bluetooth and ANT+. Despite the general frequency of operation, the two communication standards have a number of differences from each other. They have different packet structures, different channel intervals and reception ranges - Bluetooth operates at a distance of up to 50 meters.

ANT+ outperforms its competitor in terms of power consumption. In sleep and active modes, the consumption is approximately identical, but when initiating communication sessions the difference is obvious. Features of the ANT+ format allow it to send less additional data. There are other points, the difference for each of which individually is small, but in total there is an advantage of 30 percent. The presence of this protocol will be a positive factor for people who attach great importance to the power consumption of a smartphone.

Conclusion:

ANT+ is a unique technology that allows you to connect many devices to your gadget at once. For now, it will only be useful to fans of sports-related utilities. But that's not all - the list of supported applications is quickly growing, owners of devices with this technology can control music playback, view navigation data, and so on.

(from the Greek antheo - I put forward). A type of pilaster built into the thickness of the front walls of the temple; in new architecture - any column protruding from the wall.

Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. - Chudinov A.N., 1910 .

from Greek antheo, I’m nominating. A pilaster built deep into the front walls of the temple; in new architecture: any column protruding from a wall.

Explanation of 25,000 foreign words that have come into use in the Russian language, with the meaning of their roots. - Mikhelson A.D., 1865 .

ANTI, ANT

Greek adverb, against, opposite; or preposition; in compound words - Antarctic, anti-monarchical, antipathetic.

A complete dictionary of foreign words that have come into use in the Russian language. - Popov M., 1907 .

See what "ANT" is in other dictionaries:

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Type high-speed bomber Developer Tupolev Design Bureau Manufacturer No. 22 named after. Gorbunova (... Wikipedia

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Type heavy naval bomber Developer Tupolev Design Bureau Chief designer A. N. Tupolev First flight April 19, 1937 Status development discontinued Years of production 1937 1939 Units of production ... Wikipedia

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Light type Developed by OKB im. Tupolev Chief Designer A. N ... Wikipedia

Ant: Ant atoll in the Pacific Ocean Ant or Ants architectural element of the building ANT 20 ANT or ANT Case high-profile criminal case of the early 1990s Ants the name of the Slavic tribes among Byzantine historians Ant Russian rapper See also Ant English word... ... Wikipedia

The general name of aircraft developed in 1922 1937 under the leadership of aircraft designer A. N. Tupolev. In 1940-1970s. Tupolev's planes were called Tu. * * * ANT ANT, the general name of aircraft developed in 1922 42 under the leadership of ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Ant.- Ant. Anton name is ant. antonym Dictionary: S. Fadeev. Dictionary of abbreviations of the modern Russian language. St. Petersburg: Politekhnika, 1997. 527 p. Ant. Antonina name... Dictionary of abbreviations and abbreviations

Books

• ANT-4 - aircraft of the era. People and Fates, M. B. Saukke. In the book-photo album of a veteran of the OKB named after. A. N. Tupolev tells the story of the creation and operation in the Air Force and Civil Air Fleet of the unique ANT-4 aircraft, a milestone for our country. It served as the basis for...
• Anthology of fantasy stories (audiobook MP3), Ant Skalandis, Elena Khaetskaya, Nikolai Gudanets. This collection includes works by popular contemporary Russian-language science fiction writers Anta Skalandis (Moscow), Elena Khaetskaya (St. Petersburg) and Nikolai Gudanets (Riga,…

Articles and Lifehacks

Bluetooth support is available in almost any modern gadget. This has become the norm, and the usefulness of this communication standard is not discussed by anyone.

But the proprietary ANT protocol and the ANT+ technology developed on its basis are so far nothing more than exotic, mainly found in models and.

But no one will simply develop and develop an alternative protocol - it has its own advantages over Bluetooth.

What is ANT+

Moreover, among them are names such as Texas Instruments, which in itself indicates the importance of ANT.

This wireless technology uses the unlicensed 2.4 GHz band. The communication range is approximately comparable to: the protocol specification limits it to 30 meters.

It is clear that no one guarantees the maximum communication radius for any specific device using it.

Another useful feature is significantly lower power consumption. For a smartphone this is not so critical, but the fact that other devices using the ANT+ interface can be powered by a coin cell battery is much more important for developers.

But the key property of the standard is its multi-channel nature. Communication is organized according to the master-slave principle, and the master device is able to receive information from several slaves at once, without interfering with each other.

This is what made this protocol so attractive for creating all kinds of sports equipment.

In smartphones

There are many devices whose information needs to be transferred to the main device, which is the smartphone:

• Scales.
• Pedometer.
• Heart rate monitor.
• Blood pressure indicator.
• Thermometer.
• Calorimeter.

To service all these devices, corresponding applications have been developed for mobile devices, which can be found in or.

Regarding the latter, it should be said right away: iPhones do not support ANT+, but no one prohibits the use of adapters. The same applies to Android devices that do not have this interface.

Disadvantages of technology

The 2.4 GHz range used for operation can be “littered” by interference signals from Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cordless phones. As a result, interference with the interface may occur.

Software compatibility issues often arise mobile devices with connected sensors.

Finally

So if your gadget has it, it’s worth spending a little time and understanding its capabilities. Monitoring body parameters is a rather tempting idea, and its implementation requires minimal cost and effort.

Companies that produce equipment for athletes offer enough devices for almost any sport, with the possible exception of chess.