Thread (network protocol)
{{Missing information|technical specification and licensing|talksection=Lacking consequential context|date=April 2025}}
{{Short description|Network protocol}}
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| developer = Thread Group
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| industry = Home automation
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Thread is an IPv6-based, low-power mesh networking technology for Internet of things (IoT) products.{{cite web|title=What is Thread - Overview|url=https://www.threadgroup.org/What-is-Thread/Overview|website=Thread Group|accessdate=25 October 2015}} The Thread protocol specification is available at no cost; however, this requires agreement and continued adherence to an end-user license agreement (EULA), which states "Membership in Thread Group is necessary to implement, practice, and ship Thread technology and Thread Group specifications."{{Cite web|url=https://www.threadgroup.org/ThreadSpec|title=The Thread group - Thread 1.1 Specifications|access-date=2021-06-26|website=Thread Group|language=en-US}}
Often used as a transport for Matter (the combination being known as Matter over Thread), the protocol has seen increased use for connecting low-power and battery-operated smart-home devices.{{Cite web |last=Tuohy |first=Jennifer Pattison |date=2022-07-29 |title=What is Thread and how will it help your smart home? |url=https://www.theverge.com/23165855/thread-smart-home-protocol-matter-apple-google-interview |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=The Verge |language=en}}
Organization
In July 2014, the Thread Group alliance was formed as an industry group to develop, maintain and drive adoption of Thread as an industry networking standard for IoT applications.{{cite news |url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-nest-idUSKBN0FK0JX20140715 |title = Google's Nest launches network technology for connected home|last=Noel Randewich|date=15 July 2014 | work = Reuters | accessdate=18 July 2014}} Thread Group provides certification for components and products to ensure adherence to the spec. Initial members were ARM Holdings, Big Ass Solutions, NXP Semiconductors/Freescale, Google-subsidiary Nest Labs, OSRAM, Samsung, Silicon Labs, Somfy, Tyco International, Qualcomm, and the Yale lock company. In August 2018, Apple joined the group,{{Cite news|url=https://9to5mac.com/2018/08/06/apple-the-thread-group/|title=Apple joins 'The Thread Group,' opening up the possibility of more advanced HomeKit tech|date=2018-08-06|work=9to5Mac|access-date=2018-08-23|language=en-US}} and released its first Thread product, the HomePod Mini, in late 2020.{{Cite press release|url=https://www.apple.com/ca/newsroom/2020/10/apple-introduces-homepod-mini-a-powerful-smart-speaker-with-amazing-sound/|title=Apple introduces HomePod mini: A powerful smart speaker with amazing sound|date=13 October 2020|website=Apple|language=en-US}}
Characteristics
Thread uses 6LoWPAN, which, in turn, uses the IEEE 802.15.4 wireless protocol with mesh communication (in the 2.4 GHz spectrum), as do Zigbee and other systems. However, Thread is IP-addressable, with cloud access and AES encryption. A BSD-licensed open-source implementation of Thread called OpenThread is available from and managed by Google.{{cite web |title=OpenThread |year=2024 |url=https://openthread.io/ |access-date=2024-07-13 }}
The OpenThread network simulator, a part of the OpenThread implementation, simulates Thread networks using OpenThread POSIX instances.{{Citation |title=openthread/ot-ns |date=2024-04-18 |url=https://github.com/openthread/ot-ns |access-date=2024-04-22 |publisher=OpenThread}} The simulator utilises discrete-event simulation and allows for visualisation of communications through a web interface.{{relevance inline|date=July 2024}}{{Cite web |title=Simulate Thread Networks using OTNS |url=https://openthread.io/codelabs/openthread-network-simulator |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=OpenThread |language=en}}
Use cases
In 2019, the Connected Home over IP (CHIP) project, subsequently renamed to Matter, led by the Zigbee Alliance, now the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), Google, Amazon, and Apple, announced a broad collaboration to create a royalty-free standard and open-source code base to promote interoperability in home connectivity, leveraging Thread, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth Low Energy.{{Cite web |date=18 December 2019 |title=Amazon, Apple, Google, and Zigbee join forces for an open smart home standard |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/18/amazon-apple-google-and-zigbee-join-forces-for-an-open-smart-home-standard/ |access-date=2019-12-18 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Project Connected Home over IP |url=https://www.connectedhomeip.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606155944/https://www.connectedhomeip.com/ |archive-date=2020-06-06 |access-date=2019-12-18 |website=Project Connected Home over IP |language=en-US}}
List of devices with Thread
See also
References
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External links
- {{Official website}}
- [https://openthread.io OpenThread]
- {{Github|openthread/openthread|OpenThread}}
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{{Wireless Sensor Network}}
{{Automation protocols}}