Lonworks - An Introduction
Submitted by Mark Lockareff Dec'96
Director, Business Development and Home/Utility Marketing, Echelon
Email / URL
LonWorks is a complete, open, off-the-shelf networking technology platform
for designing and implementing interoperable control networks. Today, over
2,500 companies worldwide are incorporating LonWorks networks into products
used in a wide variety of environments, including commercial buildings,
factories, vehicles, machines, mass transportation systems, homes and
utilities. Because of its proven reliability, open availability and low
costs, manufacturers and end users are increasingly turning to LonWorks
standard for control networking solutions.
A wide variety of companies including Echelon provide a full range of
hardware and software products to support the development, installation,
and management of LonWorks-based home control networks. The availability of
these products make it simple, inexpensive and quick to implement
interoperable, control networking solutions (see Echelon's Web site
echelon.com for a full listing of products).
In addition, an independent industry group, called the LonMark
Interoperability Association, controls the open standard which ensures that
products from different suppliers "plug and play" and can be easily linked
into multi-vendor systems. The LonMark Interoperability Association was
formed in May 1994 and has over 150 members. The mission of the Association
is to facilitate the development and implementation of open interoperable
LonWorks control products and systems. The Association provides an open
forum for member companies to work together on marketing and technical
programs to advance the LonMark standard for interoperability. LonMark
membership is open to all manufacturers, end-users, system integrators,
equipment specifiers and individuals. Association membership fees are used
toward promotional activities such as demonstrations, tradeshows,
literature, and advertising.
LonWorks networks is becoming the dominant standard for home networking
around the world. One of the key drivers making this happen is energy
management. Today, over 25 utilities located throughout the US and around
the world are pursuing projects using products based on LonWorks networks.
In addition, there are numerous OEM manufacturers and systems integrators
that have announced LonWorks-based products and services for the utility
industry. The projects represent a wide range of utility applications (e.g.
DSM, meter reading, home automation, distribution automation, substation
automation and generation plant control) and address all types of utility
customers (e.g. residential, commercial and industrial). A key strength of
LonWorks networks is its acceptance across all areas of a utility's control
networking needs.
While many utilities wish to keep their activities confidential at present,
the following 15 utilities have announced projects using LonWorks networks:
ø Central and South West
ø Detroit Edison
ø Duke Power
ø Entergy
ø Florida Power
ø Southern California Edison
ø The Southern Company
ø Wisconsin Electric
ø Wisconsin Public Service
ø Amsterdam Energy
ø Eastern Electric (United Kingdom)
ø China Electric Power
ø Mosenergo (Russia)
ø Scottish Hydro (United Kingdom)
ø Sydkraft (Sweden)
In addition, over 100 companies have announced products that apply to the
utility industry. (see Echelon's web site echelon.com for a full
listing of products).
What is LonWorks?
LonWorks control networking technology makes distributed control systems
affordable and easy to implement. As an off-the-shelf family of tools, ICs,
modules, and software, LonWorks provides the tools and building blocks
needed to build intelligent, interoperable nodes, sub-systems and systems,
and to install and maintain them. LonWorks provides an open platform. The
tools, modules, and ICs are readily available from multiple suppliers, and
can be further supplemented by third parties as needed. They are deployed
in a wide range of applications.
Each LonWorks node includes local computational and networking resources
and can also attach to local input/output (I/O) devices. The I/O resources
allow it to process input data from sensors or output data to actuators.
The computational resources allow it to process the data for signal
conditioning or as a part of the control loop. The networking resources
allow it to interact with other nodes on the network to complete the
control loop. Several choices of standard media - from twisted pair cable
to power line and others - are supported. Custom media choices can also be
supported. Different media can be used in various parts of the same
network, and are connected using routers.
The networking resources include the LonTalk protocol which is implemented
in firmware. The LonTalk protocol is a complete 7-layer communications
protocol that supports highly reliable communications for control
applications. The LonTalk protocol is available to anyone at no charge and
can be ported to an OEM's host processor of choice. One implementation, the
Neuron Chip, is a sophisticated VLSI device dedicated to LonWorks
technology and manufactured and distributed worldwide by Motorola and
Toshiba. The Neuron Chip incorporates communications, control, scheduling,
and I/O support. The Neuron Chip provides a consistent, interoperable
implementation of the LonTalk protocol, plus it provides the best gold
standard for testing other implementations of the LonTalk protocol. These
two aspects of the LonTalk protocol (portability and reference
implementation) deliver the highest degree of interoperability across
platforms.
LonWorks technology offers many benefits, including:
ø Reduced wiring and installation costs via use of shared wired and
wireless media
ø Better system response by elimination of communications bottlenecks
ø Better reliability by elimination of central points of failure
ø Simplified product development and integration through a comprehensive
system architecture supported by complete development tools
ø Easy system installation, maintenance, diagnostics and repair through
thorough architectural support for these needs, and a comprehensive,
compatible set of standard toolkits
LonWorks is an open architecture. Transceivers, network management tools,
network monitoring and control tools, host applications, and other products
that make up the building blocks of a LonWorks node or system, are
available from multiple suppliers. Custom versions can also be implemented
where needed.
Echelon supplies a full range of the above building blocks for OEMs
building LonWorks based products. These can be broadly classified as:
ø LonWorks Transceivers
ø LonWorks Control Modules
ø LonWorks Network Interface Products
ø LonWorks Routers
ø LonManager Network Services Products
ø LonBuilder Development Tools
Of particular importance to utility applications is Echelon's family of
power line transceivers. Use of power line communications is essential to
meeting installation cost targets, and the reliability of these
communications will have a major impact on the overall success of a
utility's application. Echelon's offering in this area, the PLT-21 power
line transceiver, has been demonstrated to be the most reliable power line
communication device available in the world today, and will be essential to
achieving market success.
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