Home Area Networking (HAN)

We BCPL are a niche player with coveted skills and hands-on experience in selected HAN technologies.

A home-area network (HAN) connects in-home digital devices, such as PCs, mobile phones, entertainment technology, thermostats, home security systems and smart appliances, into a common network. An important function is the sharing of Internet access, often a broadband service provisioned by Internet service providers (ISPs).

In the context of energy utilities, HAN is a means for utility companies to extend their reach beyond the meter, and to incorporate the "smart thermostat," direct load control appliances, smart appliances and in-home energy display into utility systems, as well as to enable demand response (DR) and energy efficiency programs.

Physical transmission media for HAN: Home networks may use (a) wired or (b) wireless technologies.

Wired Systems

Typically use shielded or unshielded twisted pair ETHERNET cabling, such as any of the Category 5 (CAT5) or Category 6 (CAT6) classes, but may also be implemented with COAXIAL cable, or over the existing ELECTRICAL power wiring within homes.

Wireless System

Also known as wireless local area network (WLAN) typically uses a Wi-Fi (802.11a /b /g/n) system which operates around 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz bands.

We are probably few companies in the World to work with "Super WiFi" based on IEEE 802.22, is a standard for Wireless Regional Area Network (WRAN) using white spaces in the TV frequency spectrum.

In Wireless HAN domain the various other standards or protocols or platform or architecture which we are conversant and have hands-on experience are

  • ZigBee networks (IEEE 802.15.4) and experimenting with ZigBee Smart Energy V2.0 standards
  • Z-wave: is a wireless communications "protocol" designed for home automation, specifically to remotely control applications in residential and light commercial environments.
  • M-Bus (Meter-Bus) is a European standard (EN 13757) for the remote reading of gas or electricity meters. M-Bus is also usable for other types of consumption meters. A radio variant of M-Bus (Wireless M-Bus) is also specified in EN 13757-4.
  • Wavenis - Wireless connectivity 2-way "platform" dedicated to serving M2M applications.
  • While designing HAN it is inevitable to work with wireless personal area networks (WPANs) based on Network Standard - ISO 13157 or IEEE 802.15 technologies like RFID, Bluetooth and NFC
  • SOAP or Object Access Protocol, is a protocol specification for exchanging structured information in the implementation of Web Services in computer networks.
  • REST or Representational State Transfer is a style of software "architecture" for distributed systems such as the World Wide Web.
  • Modbus is a serial communications protocol with its programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Simple and robust, it has since become a de facto standard communication protocol, and it is now amongst the most commonly available means of connecting industrial electronic devices.
  • SNMPv3 makes no changes to the protocol aside from the addition of cryptographic security, it looks much different due to new textual conventions, concepts, and terminology. SNMPv3 primarily added security and remote configuration enhancements to SNMP.
  • DNP3 (Distributed Network Protocol) is a set of communications protocols used between components in process automation systems. It is primarily used for communications between a master station and RTUs or IEDs. ICCP, the Inter-Control Center Communications Protocol (a part of IEC 60870-6), is used for inter-master station communications.