In order to create an Internet of Things that does not consist of many isolated solutions, but can really connect everything with everything, leading manufacturers from the consumer electronics market have launched the open source project AllJoyn, which is now maintained by the Open Connectivity Foundation. The aim of the project is to provide an engineering and runtime framework that allows devices of all kinds to communicate with each other - in other words, interoperability across all protocol, technology and manufacturer boundaries. As a universal framework, AllJoyn therefore connects devices peer-to-peer and via clouds and is independent of transport layer, device type, controller platform or operating system.

The advantage of such a framework is that it makes it easy to connect devices and provide shared applications and services, which also increases the added value of any AllJoyn-enabled product. Providers of industrial applications also benefit from the widespread use of such powerful frameworks in the commercial segment. The prevalence gives them the certainty that it is comparatively more mature, so that solutions can be implemented more cost-effectively. Another advantage is that users are already familiar with the application of the technology, as they also use it in their private environment. Manufacturers can also already draw on solutions from over 200 technology partners from a wide range of industries. These include numerous suppliers of branded products from the consumer and home electronics sector, such as LG and Loewe from the smart TV segment or Elektrolux from the household and kitchen appliance sector, as well as Netgear with network products and Honeywell from the automation sector. Well-known semiconductor manufacturers such as Intel, Qualcomm and Samsung are also members, as are network and service providers such as Vodafone and software providers such as Microsoft and Symantec. Other members include the Red Cross in Spain and other user organizations such as the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA).

Comprehensive ecosystem

AllJoyn supports star and mash topologies via WLAN, WiFi-Direct, Ethernet and Powerline and connects leaf nodes directly to each other, regardless of their connection type to the routing node.

© RTSoft

The AllJoyn framework is not a vision that still needs to be implemented. Rather, there are ready-made software development kits and the corresponding documentation that developers can download from the AllJoyn website to connect their products to the ecosystem. There are already dozens of products on the market that have been AllJoyn-certified and have therefore proven their interoperability. Certified products include the Microsoft Surface and the Windows 10 Professional operating system, the LG Smart TV 58UH6700, the BUFFALO AirStation-1900 and solutions from the home automation sector, such as light bulbs from Lifix. It is therefore already possible to control lamps with a tablet, smart TV or wireless router - simply because the products are certified accordingly. The more certified products come together, the more multifunctional the entire environment becomes and the more services can be used.

Now you may say: "Well, I've seen this before with various fieldbuses and other IoT standardization initiatives. What's different here?

What is unique?

An application example: The fan is connected to WLAN via CAN network. The Android-based smartphone reads the fan speed. The two CAN-supporting Beaglebone devices in the middle were enabled via Autosar AllJoyn.

© RTSoft

Connecting heterogeneous components with one another using IIoT technologies is a particularly convenient option. This is because it is not just a protocol, but an entire framework for connecting devices to clouds and apps: from the server to the sensor - and the software stack is already available with a mature range of functions. It is also expected that the AllSeen work group within the Open Connectivity Foundation will continue to expand the certification program. AllJoyn has also recently become available under the Apache 2.0 license, which makes it easier to integrate into other open source projects. It is hosted together with Iotivity at the Linux Foundation. In the future, it is expected that the software stacks will also be connected to the native cloud architecture of the Open Connectivity Foundation and the UpnP specifications, which will further optimize convenience.

It should also be emphasized that although AllJoyn allows you to develop your own apps for devices, you do not have to develop or install them. Microsoft's IoT Explorer, for example, is sufficient to find and control devices. Suitable security mechanisms are also available, which simplifies the implementation of this technology and also makes it secure. This IT and CE segment is therefore providing an open source framework that is or is likely to become as important as the Linux operating system - because networked IoT devices are the communication platforms of the future.

So why not use this huge framework and its system services for industrial applications, just like PC technology and its operating systems? It provides a framework for bidirectional communication for the many fieldbus-based devices - from the IoT cloud to sensors and actuators and back again, as well as between sensors and actuators of different native designs. It can therefore also be used for the homogeneous connection and interaction of countless heterogeneous machines and systems and their sensor networks, which are currently being built around the machines. In contrast to conventional protocol implementations for the IIoT such as MQTT, XMPP, DDS, AMQP, SMQ, STOMP and OPC, open source frameworks such as AllJoyn offer a more complete solution for rapid application development with built-in security features and support for multiple operating systems 'out-of-the-box'. They are also transport layer agnostic and can therefore be used universally.

For systems of all kinds

The software service provider RTSoft has taken on the task and developed the first AllJoyn implementations for the Controller Area Network (CAN) by enabling the Automotive Open System Architecture (AUTOSAR) for the AllJoyn framework. This concept can be ported to all CAN specifications so that the complete open source IoT ecosystem of the Open Connectivity Foundation can be used for the IIoT connection of CAN-based devices. The same also applies to any other fieldbus protocol from industrial and building automation. This portability is ideal for IoT applications, as there is currently a Babylonian confusion of languages in the 'brownfields', i.e. the installed base of the industry, which can be standardized with AllJoyn. Another advantage: users no longer have to carry out 1000 installations to be able to address all devices. With AllJoyn, you have one language that can be transmitted across all channels and understood everywhere.

OEMs benefit from savings compared to both fully commercial IP (intellectual property) and in-house developments or other proprietary solutions or isolated solutions that continue the patchwork of industrial communication in the IIoT. At the same time, they open up enormous potential as they can integrate AllJoyn-enabled, interoperable products, services and services into their applications at any time - regardless of which bus topologies, controllers and operating systems are used in the company.

Develop devices

But how exactly does an implementation work? Basically, AllJoyn is based on a client-server model in order to organize itself. There are routing nodes, which connect nodes to each other, and leaf nodes, which only connect to a routing node as a kind of peripheral device. Star and mesh networks are supported. Communication takes place via Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) via a virtual software bus. This hides the underlying transport layers and physical details. A leaf node can address any other leaf node. A light can therefore be switched on and off as a server by any client, such as a tablet, router or cell phone. Multi-sessions can also be started. In other words, several lights can be switched on and off at once from one of these devices. Each server in a network is identified by an XML file called 'Intro-spection', in which the capabilities and the services that can be requested are stored.

AllJoyn can also bridge protocols so that fieldbus protocols can be mapped in AllJoyn networks - currently mainly Ethernet, WLAN, WLAN-Direct, Powerline and Bluetooth. An open source project has also been launched for bridging the MQTT protocol so that the framework can also be used for devices with this M2M interface. Ready-made implementations for Windows 10 IoT already exist in the form of device system bridges for Z-Wave, Zigbee and BACnet.

No matter which AllJoyn device is used for communication: A security framework is always implemented, with which applications and devices authenticate each other and with which encrypted data is exchanged. The framework therefore offers sophisticated end-to-end security. Authentication and data encryption take place via the application.

Use standard services

One of the standard services provided by the AllJoyn framework is the onboarding service, which is used to bring devices into the WLAN. In fieldbus systems, this service is provided via bus-to-WLAN bridges or gateways. The configuration service is used to set entries for device names, standard language, passwords and similar. The notification service can be used to send and receive messages as texts, audio files and images as well as monitoring URLs. The control panel service also provides virtual control panels for remote monitoring. This means that all devices can be managed with a single application. AllJoyn-enabled devices can therefore provide all functions and services so that they can communicate with each other and monitor and manage them. Incidentally, RTSoft sees target markets for the implementation of AllJoyn primarily in the area of industrial machines and systems, as this is where the greatest IoT pressure has arisen. In addition, high efficiency increases can be expected here, and at the same time this is where the greatest language confusion exists.

The implementation of AllJoyn is supported by software service providers and solution providers such as RTSoft, whose services for OEMs in mechanical and plant engineering start with the requirement engineering for the IoT connection of their devices. They can take on the complete integration work for entire factories with all services or also sub-areas within a project in which an OEM wants to AllJoyn-enable its devices, machines or systems or its IoT sensors and actuators. Here, for example, the company develops the glue logic for the device or the client services - such as the dashboard for the Android- or iOS-based cell phone. Standard clients and router node services are available under Windows 10 IoT as well as Linux and, for example, Open-WRT for routers, which also makes integration in this environment much easier.