MYMESH SEMINAR

The

Mymesh

Philosophy

Why Business leaders choose Mymesh

We present a series of seminars to explain the working of Mymesh wireless technology in a concise way. Available to everyone, but mainly targeted at end-users and integrators that want to work with Mymesh to create a Smart installation, from lighting control, emergency lighting monitoring to creating the Smart Building of the future.

Explore where Mymesh is used

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Quick Starter Seminar

The Power of Mymesh

Mymesh is a wireless control system to create Smart Buildings. Many Business leaders already made that choice, and there are many more still to follow. Why is Mymesh the smart choice?

Mymesh addresses the key concerns that are associated with large installations. This comes down to the four pillars of our technology:

Secure

Mymesh uses a banking level of security with encrypted digital communication and strong offline procedures. It was specially designed to safeguard all the demands of the public, work and industrial space. Its the reason why Mymesh is the choice

Scalable

Scalability is the holy grail in network technology. We took decades to build the most scalable network in the world. Mymesh does not rely on cloud/internet connectivity to operate. Mymesh lets you connect thousands of lights effortlessly.

Robust

The network was engineered to be very robust and non-hierarchical. This means that it will operate under any circumstance. When one node falls away, the control signals are automatically diverted via other routes in the network which keeps the network ultra strong.

Adaptive

Due to its ability to download new updates and functionalities, Connected LED enables your building to grow with the changing demand of its occupants and the technological advancement of the outside world.

1.1 Encrypted devices

What?
Encryption of wireless communication is essential for security. Keys should change continuously to ensure continued protection. However, what does this encryption bring if you provide free access to these keys?

How?
Mymesh does not only protect the communication with 128-bit encryption, but also encrypts the chip-set with keys that change 10 times per second. This means that from the start, the programming of the devices is encrypted, and only for that device at that time. No chance of copying, no access to the keys.

Why?
This is an essential element of our end-to-end approach to security that is developed based on Secure-by-Design. Many organisations have an increasing focus on cybersecurity, especially now that more and more systems are interconnected. A Smart Building system will be at the centre of the building's operation and all elements need to offer maximum protection.
1.2 A ‘dumb’ Gateway

What?
A hint is in the name… the Gateway is the main connection point between the wireless system and the outside world. Security is paramount. And what would be more secure than not having any functionality other than the bare minimum.

How?
The Mymesh Gateway can only do 1 thing: looking for an outward connection with the Mymesh server and establishing a secure connection. It can not receive any communication (like a Ping), it has no other intelligence. It only establishes a connection between the network and the server.

Why?
One of the principles of Secure-by-Design is that everything works with the fewest privileges possible. In many architectures, the gateway is an ‘intelligent’ device and can do a lot more. Apart from being a single-point-of failure (more on that later), this potentially creates vulnerabilities for cyber attacks. A tiny mistake in the wide functionality may leave it open for hackers to obtain access.
1.3 No back doors

What?
Factory resets and back doors offer entry to a system that could potentially be exploited. Not offering the functionality keeps the system secure.

How?
Secure-by-Design means that the software is designed from the foundation to be secure. That is exactly how Mymesh works. First develop the security, then the functionality. Unfortunately, many systems do this the other way around.

Why?
With Secure-by-Design, the security is built into the system from the ground up and starts with a robust architecture design. A methodology becoming increasingly more mainstream in software development approach.

2.1 Gossip

What?
There are different approaches to wireless communication. One of the approaches is ‘gossiping’ that is well suited for scalable and dynamic environments. Gossip is a kind of peer-to-peer communication that is based on the way epidemics spread (and we all know how effective that can be). It relies on each node to pass data along to their neighbours. A node will stop communicating that data if it hears it back from other nodes (the ‘gossip’ is going around).

How?
Nodes will share a message with all neighbours that belong to the same network domain. There can be 100’s, 1000’s or even 10,000 nodes in one mesh network. The gossiping protocol makes it very flexible and scalable. Nodes can join the network and disappear without consequence for the network operation.

Why?
Many protocols will communicate with neighbours that exist in their address list. Research shows that about half of the wireless communication is ‘asymmetric’, meaning, one node can hear another, but not vice versa. This makes it very difficult to verify if a message is received or not. A protocol that does not need this handshake avoids the issue, but brings the advantages of superior flexibility and resilience.
2.2 Publish & Subscribe

What?
It is a messaging pattern where senders of messages (publishers), do not program the messages to be sent directly to specific receivers (subscribers). Messages are published to a ‘group’, without knowing if there are any subscribers.

How?
The message ‘floats’ around in the mesh network and describes the state of a certain group. Upon receiving a message, the subscriber will check if it is relevant for him, act on it, and then pass it on again.

Why?
This type of architecture can work in very large networks, as an unlimited number of nodes can subscribe. The ‘state’ floats around in the entire system, so a node (even if it was offline) will pick it up and know what it should do.
2.3 Equality

What?
A master-slave configuration gives great control, but can get quite complex for large installations. There is always a limit to how much/many you can control, resulting in various layers or parallel installations. This makes it difficult to set-up, organise and maintain.

How?
In a Mymesh all the nodes are at the same level. No single unit is in charge. Compare this to a flock of birds or a school of fish, moving as 1 but with no-one in control; 1,000’s, 10,000’s or more. Mymesh adopted this principle into their wireless protocol. The intelligence is in the system, not in a single unit. This is why we are the most suitable technology for large installations.

Why?
There are a lot of solutions for small installations, but not that many that can effectively and efficiently handle large ones. This is where Mymesh is the choice of the market. Yes, we can do small installations, but we excel at large networks.

3.1 Silence

What?
Silence is rare in the wireless space nowadays. A lot of devices have a Wifi and/or Bluetooth connection, filling up the free radio bands. The last thing you need is a control system adding to this. And it is not necessary. It is possible to be silent 90% of the time.

How?
Mymesh nodes all communicate at exactly the same time. They all wake-up, communicate and go back to sleep synchronously. So, no need to talk continuously, and no need to listen continuously. Mymesh does this 10 times per second, and for 10% of the time relays several messages. The rest of the time, it is silent.

Why?
The principle is: we don’t bother other systems, and since we take up little time-space, they don't bother us. Leaving room for all those other devices that need air time.
3.2 No single point of failure

What?
There is a saying about the weakest link. So, avoid the weakest link by introducing redundancy, no single point of failure. Systems with a central control unit are vulnerable. If this device fails then the whole system goes down or in limp mode if you are lucky.

How?
The answer is quite simple: no single point of failure. In the Mymesh network the intelligence is distributed, the state of the system is floating in the system. This means if one (or many) devices stop working (damage, loss of power), it will learn what it needs to do the second it comes back in the system. That is why a Mymesh Gateway is only just that: a Gateway between the Mymesh network and the Cloud. Relatively unimportant for operations, and easy to double-up.

Why?
Life is easy if all is well. But, will you stand out when things go wrong? A single point of failure will not do well: easy and efficient when things go right, but the weakest link if things get more challenging.
3.3 Frequency agnostic

What?
The 2.4 GHz frequency band is open and unlicensed. This results in a lot of systems using it, for example Wifi, Bluetooth, Zigbee all competing for scarce air time. And with increased communication it gets progressively more difficult to communicate. Ever tried Wifi during an exhibition? So you want to be able to use non-crowded frequencies.

How?
The Mymesh protocol is agnostic to the frequency. This can be used to operate on completely different frequencies (like 868MHz, 912MHz or 6GHz), with exactly the same protocol and architecture. Furthermore, within the band, Mymesh is free to choose the channels that are low in traffic, typically in the ‘valleys’ of Wifi and in the advertisement channels of Bluetooth.

Why?
Being able to communicate is at the heart of a wireless system. Being able to adapt to the existing usage of the wireless space is essential for large, busy installations.
3.4 Multi-tasking

What?
Having the possibility to do over-the-air updates is an essential element of keeping a system up-to-date and safe. However, you need to be able to actually implement an update as well. Not all installations have the luxury of being able to shut down for a significant time to roll-out a new firmware version.

How?
Mymesh is able to multitask by implementing a firmware update in a working system. First, the new firmware is distributed in the system, and then nodes will implement this at the moment that no control tasks are being performed. It can manage different priorities of commands.

Why?
Many large installations are operational 24/7, for example hospitals, hotels, retail centres. Switching the installation off is simply not an option. Still updates are essential, so an important consideration when selecting a system.

4.1 Information agnostic

What?
Some wireless protocols are optimised around efficiency. The problem is that this requires a new version the moment the world evolves. In the span of less than 10 years it can move from version 1.0 to version 5.0, the new not necessarily compatible with the old.

How?
Mymesh is a protocol that is agnostic to the information it carries. This means an older device can pass on a message that it does not recognise itself. It may not be able to act on it, but it can still carry out its vital communication role in the mesh network.

Why?
The IT world moves quickly, buildings don’t. Privately, we are used to not being able to use ‘old’ technology like cassette tapes, CDs, DVDs. Building technology will need to last for several decades. Technology that you install today, must have a degree of forward compatibility for the building to stay relevant.
4.2 Open API

What?
Businesses do not like to be tied into one specific supplier. Furthermore, operating more and more different systems creates the challenge of managing many ‘dashboards’.

How?
Mymesh offers an open API for other software to interface with the network. This API creates a level playing field by sharing all information equally. This enables different suppliers to collect and share information across different platforms, and to present it to the end-client in one single-pane-of-glass visualisation.

Why?
Horses for courses. No one supplier excels at everything a client needs. For an optimal solution different systems need to be integrated. Furthermore, as time moves on, there might be better and more efficient solutions available. You need the option to progress.
4.3 Ecosystem

What?
A Smart Building will use a lot of different sensors, actuators, interfaces, computer learning, visualisation, etc. Various suppliers will play to their strength. They need to be enabled to work together.

How?
The Mymesh protocol is used by many manufacturers to Mymesh-enable their products. Some operate via an interface module, but ideally the Mymesh protocol is integrated into the hardware.

Why?
Clients need choice, and different applications require many different solutions. Mymesh will be the mesh network in the building, connecting all sorts of devices. Delivering a secure, scalable, robust network that is adaptive for all sorts of technologies.

About the network

Mymesh comes in the form of a small device (LED controller or LED driver) that connects to any LED light, at any location. After Mymesh is connected to your light, it automatically begins to receive and transmit radio signals to communicate with surrounding lights.

The animation illustrates how a signal moves through our wireless network. When a control signal is received from any location in the network, all surrounding devices start to forward that signal to nearby devices. Those receive, process and forward that signal too. This system makes the network extremely scalable and very robust. A traditional cable only gives you one route to reach a device, Mymesh literally gives you thousands.

DISCOVER THE MYMESH ECOSYSTEM

How the Mymesh signal moves through our wireless network

The Power of Off

There are several reasons why companies need to check their energy consumption. Mymesh makes sure that lights are only on when needed, resulting in higher profits with a better ROI by becoming more sustainable.

Many (industrial) organizations spend a huge part of their operating expenditure on energy. Mymesh can save up to 80% on energy consumption as it makes sure that lights are only on when needed.

Mymesh significantly improves the return-of-investment of your new or existing lighting installation as it automatically dims or switches off the lights when they are not used. By doing so, Mymesh can double the lifespan of your lighting.

COMPANIES THAT RELY ON MYMESH

Lumitel - Single-Pane-of-Glass Dashboard

Power is data - Data is power

Your lighting network has more sensors than you might expect. Motion, temperature, and daylight are -in most cases- measured to great detail. Unfortunately, almost all this data gets lost as it is often only gathered on a device-specific location. When you combine all this data on a large scale, something amazing happens; You start to really to see valuable patterns that drastically improve the way your property is being used.

Lumitel was specifically designed to centralise all this precious data. The dashboard enables the user to monitor, analyse and control their building/property within a desktop environment. All data is visualised in clear graphs in order to make the right calls at the right moment. Mymesh also offers an advanced REST-API to software developers who create their own management system.