6LoWPAN stands for IPv6 over Low-power Wireless Personal Area Networks. It is a standard protocol for realizing IPv6 communication on wireless networks composed of low-power wireless modules. 6LoWPAN specification contains packet compression and other optimization mechanisms to enable the efficient transmission of IPv6 packets on a network with limited power resources and reliability, which makes efficient IPv6 communication over low-power wireless networks possible.

Various low-power wireless networks have been proposed and implemented before 6LoWPAN, but currently, 6LoWPAN is regarded as one of the preferred protocols to realize the Internet of Things (IoT). This is because 6LoWPAN communication based on IPv6 allows once closed low-power wireless networks to interface with the global network, the Internet, and implement more advanced intelligent services that were not possible in the past.

Let us take the future smart house architecture that UC Technology aims to realize, for example (the figure below).
Optimized control of a smart house requires the information to be collected from various sensors. The control system consolidates the information to recognize the real-world context then gives appropriate optimized feedback to the real-world environment using actuators.

Management of a smart house by executing control logic on the reliable cloud server infrastructure is cost-effective from the viewpoint of high scalability, usability, and low maintenance cost. To realize such a control framework, 6LoWPAN‘s conformance to the Internet protocol plays an important role.

Currently, 6LoWPAN is published as a series of standard specifications, including RFC6282. Related specifications also have been discussed actively and are being standardized one by one.

UC Technology provides development tools including 6LoWPAN.
For more information, please visit “6LoWPAN Development Tool” and “IoT-Engine Development Kit.”

If you would like to use the already available hardware and software in the above URLs,
please make sure you have obtained a permission to use the radio band from the proper authority in your country/region.
If you are interested in using different RF modules, porting service to such RF modules is available.
Please contact us with the details.