2008 IEEE Pacific-Asia Workshop on Computational Intelligence and Industrial Application

The analysis of 6LowPAN technology

Xin Ma, Wei Luo
The Key Laboratory of Network Control Technology and Intelligent Instrument
Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications
Chongqing 400065, China
thincucumber@126.com, weiweiopiu@163.com

Abstract are throughput and battery-limited, by compressing the

IPv6 over IEEE802.15.4 (a.k.a. 6LowPAN), has
become the standard for low-rate wireless personal area
networks(LR-WPAN). IPv6 is taken as an interconnection
scheme for IEEE802.15.4 equipments at network layer,
6LowPAN technology has attracted extensive attention.
This paper introduced IEEE802.15.4 standard and
6LowPAN technology, discussed 6LowPAN’s advantages,
analyzed its key technologies, and the applications of
6LowPAN were explored.
1. Introduction
Recently, LR-WPAN has been a hot issue, and how to
integrate IPv6 and LR-WPAN has also been an important
topic. LR-WPAN is a communication network for limited
power and relaxed throughput requirements. It comprises
devices that conform to the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and
are characterized by short range, low bit rate, low power
and low cost. These devices work together to connect the
physical environment to real-world applications, e.g.,
wireless sensor networks and industrial wireless.
But, IEEE802.15.4 only prescribed the standard of
PHY and MAC, didn't come down to the criterion above
network layer [1]. To realize the networking of devices and
the interoperability of different equipments, it is necessary
to institute uniform standard of network layer. Due to the
address space and openness of grand scale,
6LowPAN(IPv6 over Low-rate WPAN) working group
was formally established by IETF to institute LR-WPAN
standard based on IPv6, the purpose of this group is that
introducing IPv6 into LR-WPAN which takes
IEEE802 ． 15 ． 4 as its basic bottom layer standard.
WirelessHART Communication Standard which was
released in September 2007 includes 6LowPAN
technology [2], and ISA100.11a network layer is also
based on 6LowPAN standard providing IPv6 connectivity
to every wireless field device [3]. 6LowPAN facilitates
IPv6 connectivity over 802.15.4 compliant devices that
IPv6 packets.
2. IEEE802.15.4 standard
IEEE802.15.4 working group was founded in
December 2000. It is devoted to define a sort of low cost,
portable Wireless Network Access Technology for
fixed/mobile devices. This group promulgated
IEEE802.15.4 standard which specifies the PHY layer
and MAC layer of WPAN, with 1% of 802.11 powers,
easier to embed, as easy to use. The architecture as Figure
1 displays.
Upper Layers
802.2 LLC
SSCS
Mac Layers
Phy Layers
Physical Medium
Figure 1 The architecture of LR-WPAN
The main characters of IEEE802.15.4 standard include:
(1) Low-rate: The 868/915 MHz PHYs support over-
the-air data rates of 20 kb/s, 40 kb/s, and optionally
100kb/s and 250kb/s. The 2450 MHz PHY supports the
data rate of 250 kb/s [1]. The PHY chosen depends on local
regulations and user’s preference.
(2) Low power: Small batteries for months or even
years.
(3) Low cost: Usually using the low-end embedded
device of limited hardware resource.

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DOI 10.1109/PACIIA.2008.72
 (4) Short distance: The range of signal coverage from
10m to 100m.
(5) Multiple types: Devices generally include the Full
Function Device (FFD) and Reduced Function Device
(RFD). FFD includes coordinator and router, coordinator
can form network and route packets, router routes packet
but can have additional functions. RFD is the end device
which has limited function, sleeps most of the time.
(6) Multiple modes: Two transmission modes are
defined by MAC layer, one is beacon-enabled mode, the
other is nonbeacon-enabled mode [1]. nonbeacon-enabled
PAN uses the CSMA-CA mechanism for collision
avoidance. However, beacon-enabled PAN realizes
synchronization through superframe structure, the use of
CSMA-CA mechanism based time slots could make the
idle device into low-power sleep state for saving power.
IEEE 802.15.4 defines four types of frames: beacon
frames, MAC command frames, acknowledgement
frames, and data frames. IPv6 packets must be carried on
data frames. Data frames may optionally request that they
be acknowledged.
Star Topology Mesh Topology
Coordinator
Coordinator Full Function Device
Reduced Function Device
Communication Channel
Figure 2 The network topologies of IEEE802.15.4
IEEE 802.15.4 carries information on radio transceivers-
roughly the same band as Wi-Fi but using about 1% of the
power [4]. Because this point limits transmission range,
collections of devices must work together to route
information hop by hop over longer distances and around
obstacles.
3. 6LowPAN technology
3.1. Brief introduction of 6LowPAN
6LowPAN working group works on the research of
IPv6 protocol suite based on IEEE802.15.4 standard, and
constructs self-organization 6LowPAN network with
route protocol [5]. Its appearance impelled the
development of LR-WPAN.
6LowPAN technology bottom layer adopts PHY and
MAC layer standards of IEEE802.15.4, and 6LowPAN
chooses IPv6 as the networking technology, its objective
market mainly is wireless sensor networks.
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In view of the addresses and security are demanded in
wireless sensor networks, as well as the further
development of IPv6, introducing IPv6 protocol into
embedded equipment has become an inevitable tendency.
Application Layer
Transport Layer
IPv6 Layer
Adaptation Layer
IEEE802.15.4 MAC Layer
IEEE802.15.4 PHY Layer
Figure 3 The reference model of 6LowPAN Protocol Stack
But the payload length supported by MAC in IPv6 is
much bigger than one provided by 6LowPAN bottom
layer, in order to implement the seamless connection of
MAC layer and network layer, 6LowPAN working group
suggested that adding a adaptation layer between MAC
layer and network layer to achieve the header
compression, fragmentation, reassembly and mesh route
forwarding. The reference model of 6LowPAN Protocol
Stack as shown in Figure 3.
3.2. Technical advantages of 6LowPAN
6LowPAN is a protocol definition describing how to
utilize IPv6 on top of low power, low data rate, low cost
personal area networks.
(1) Popularization
The application of IP network is widespread. IPv6 as
the core technology of next generation Internet [6], also
accelerates the pace of its popularity, using IPv6 in LR-
WPAN would be accepted more easily.
(2) Applicability
The structure of IP network protocol stack is widely
recognized, LR-WPAN can be exploited effectively based
on this structure.
(3) More address space
The biggest luminescent spot of IPv6’s application in
the LR-WPAN is the huge address space (it means there
are approximately 6.67*10^27 IPv6 addresses per square
meter on our planet), and this exactly meets the need of
disposing large-scale and high-density LR-WPAN
devices.
 (4) Support stateless address auto-configuration
In IPv6, when node starts to work, it can read the
MAC address automatically, and deploy the IPv6 address
according to the relative rules.
(5) Easy to access
LR-WPAN uses IPv6 technology, which would be
more easily to access other networks based on IP
technology, taking full advantage of IP technology to
develop.
It is concluded that the application of IPv6 technology
in LR-WPAN has a broad space, take LR-WPAN to
access Internet would greatly expand its application, and
make it possible to implement the large-scale sensor
control networks.
3.3. The key technologies of 6LowPAN
The charter of 6LowPAN working group is to define
how to carry IP-based communication over IEEE
802.15.4 links while conforming to open standards and
assuring interoperability with other IP devices. Some key
technologies of 6LowPAN are as follows:
(1) The coordination of IPv6 and IEEE802.15.4
The maximum frame size defined by IEEE802.15.4 is
127 bytes, the maximum length of MAC head is 25 bytes,
so the maximum length of the remaining MAC payload is
102 bytes. However, in IPv6, the maximum length of
MAC payload is 1280 bytes [7], the IEEE802.15.4 frame
can’t package the whole IPv6 data packet. Hence, it is
necessary to introduce the adaptation layer at the layer
below IP to achieve the functions of fragmentation and
reassembly.
(2) Address assignment and address management
One of the distinctive features of 6LowPAN is the
capability of the dynamic assignment of 16-bit short
addresses. By utilizing this short address, hierarchical
routing can be employed [8]. Additionally, IPv6 supports
stateless address auto-configuration, relative to state
address auto-configuration, the expense of configuration
is smaller, and this is suitable for the features of LR-
WPAN equipments. Meanwhile, LR-WPAN equipments
may be largely and densely distributed in the places
where people are difficult to reach, so it is more important
to implement stateless address auto-configuration.
(3) Network management
Network management technology is crucial to LR-
WPAN [9]. Owing to the large scale of network and the
distribution of place, LR-WPAN should possess self-
healing ability, and LR-WPAN management technology
is requested to be able to manage highly dense
deployment equipments with a very low expense.
6LowPAN is apt to use SNMPv3 (Simple Network
Management Protocol) in LR-WPAN to progress network
management. But, the original intention of SNMP is to
manage IP-based Internet [10], in order to apply SNMP to
LR-WPAN which has restricted hardware resource, the
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further research and improvement are required, for
example: restrict data type, simplify radical code rule and
so on.
(4) Security problem
Because using security mechanisms need additional
processing and bandwidth resources, that is not suitable
for LR-WPAN equipments. AES security mechanism
provided by IEEE802.15.4 in link layer is relatively loose,
needs to be further strengthened. Therefore finding a
suitable security mechanism for LR-WPAN becomes one
of the key issues of 6LowPAN research.
As the new research hotspot of information field, many
key techniques of 6LowPAN need to be discovered and
researched. For example: service discovery technology,
equipment discovery technology, application
programming interface technology, data fusion
technology, etc.
4. The applications of 6LowPAN
With the fast development of LR-WPAN and wide
popularity of next generation Internet, 6LowPAN would
be applied widely in the fields include intelligent house,
wireless industrial, etc.
For instance, in intelligent house, 6LowPAN nodes can
be embedded in the furniture or electronic appliances,
connect with Internet through wireless network to realize
management of intelligent house. If every house installs a
home gateway, several 6LowPAN nodes, and linking one
wireless network transmittal module (Transmitter &
Receiver, accords with 6LowPAN standard) on the
gateway and every node. Then through these transmittal
modules, various data could be transmitted between the
gateway and node, so this intelligent system can collect
the data of ammeter, water and gas meter, defend
robber/fire and sound the alarm automatically,
communicate to the management center of residential
district, etc.
Water Meter
6LowPAN Node
AP
Gas Meter
Gateway
Management Center
Ammeter
Figure 4 The application of 6LowPAN in intelligent house
WirelessHART and ISA100.11a systems address
wireless industrial applications by providing reliable and
secure operation for wireless instruments involved in:
non-critical monitoring, supervisory control, open/closed
loop control applications. References
To sum up, the targets for 6LowPAN are the
applications that need wireless Internet connectivity at [1]
lower data rates for devices with very limited form factor.
The automation and entertainment applications of
6LowPAN in home, office and factory environments are [2]
becoming more and more extensive.
5. Conclusions [3]
[4]
6LowPAN is the coupling that is aimed at allowing
IPv6 packets to be sent to and received from LR-WPAN,
more specifically over IEEE 802.15.4 based networks.
IPv6 is the work horse for data delivery for wired [5]
networks—the Internet. Likewise, IEEE802.15.4 devices
provide sensing communication-ability in the wireless [6]
domain.
Because of its cheapness and practicality, 6LowPAN [7]
displays the great market foreground. Any equipments
which require the characteristics of low price, low-rate,
[8]
low power and dense deployment, could be realized by
6LowPAN technology, especially in the industrial
wireless domain, WirelessHART and ISA100.11a [9]
standard all utilize 6LowPAN to achieve fragmentation
and reassembly. Therefore, when 6LowPAN technology
is fully realizable and highly pervasive, it must bring great [10]
convenience to people's work and life.
Acknowledgement
The authors thank the reviewers for their constructive
comments and suggestions. This research was supported
in part by the National High Technology Research and
Development Program of China (863 Program No.
2006AA040302). It was also sponsored by Chongqing’s
Key Laboratory of Network Control Technology and
Intelligent Instrument.
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Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications
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September 2006.
WirelessHART Communication Standard. HART 7.0
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ISA100.11a Draft Standard release 1. ISA100.11a Working
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2005.
Document Action: '6LowPAN: Overview, Assumptions,
Problem Statement and Goals' to Informational RFC.
http://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/ietf-
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