Thread network device management using Golioth
Golioth is a flexible device management solution that allows you to manage devices that have IP addresses. This includes devices connecting over Ethernet, cellular, and Wi-Fi. Today we’re showcasing a demo of a Thread-based device. Utilizing the Golioth Console and API endpoints, it’s possible to manage a wide array of devices provisioned on the internet through a Thread Border Router. This enables even more low-power devices to reliably push data back to the internet for processing on the cloud.
In this post and the associated video, we show a demo of how developers can try out using Golioth to manage Thread based devices.
What is Thread?
Thread is a network protocol for low power IoT devices. It uses 6LoWPAN for mesh communications, in our case on 2.4GHz. In the examples above, we showcase Thread using OpenThread on an nRF52840 from Nordic Semiconductor. Multiple hardware vendors have Thread-based solutions, using Zephyr or other firmware solutions. Vit Prajzler shows how he is using the OpenThread documentation to build different types of devices that form a Thread mesh network, including a Radio Co-Processor (RCP) and a Full Thread Device (FTD).
Set up a Border Router
A Border Router is an element on a Thread Mesh network that allows the entire network to communicate with the broader internet. Each individual device (Node) has an IPv6 address, which allows Golioth to manage specific devices on a mesh.
While it’s possible to buy a few off-the-shelf Border Routers, we showcase building one using commonly available components. Vit is using a Linux computer (a Raspberry Pi), along with an nRF52840 dongle configured as an RCP to route network traffic from the mesh to the rest of the internet. In the case of his Thread network, Vit needs to include a translation layer (called NAT64) to talk from his IPv4-based router to the IPv6-based Thread network. In the future, when Vit gets an IPv6 address assigned to his home network from his ISP, no conversion will be required.
OpenThread software on a Linux device like a Raspberry Pi also has a web interface for managing connected devices. This is a useful way to visualize your network and the location of the Border Router within that network.
Using the Golioth interface in the Zephyr SDK
Once your Border Router has been set up, you can use the Golioth Zephyr SDK to compile an image for your device using OpenThread. In the video above, Vit is compiling for an nRF52840 (dongle). Once this device is loaded with Zephyr-based firmware and added to the mesh network–in this example, connecting directly to the Border Router–the device acts like any other IP connected device. It has an IPv6 address and can ping the address of the Border Router. It can also connect to various Golioth endpoints.
Vit demonstrates button presses and boot commands being logged in Zephyr, which then display over the UART. However, Zephyr logs are also tied to the Golioth logging end point (from the Thread network connection), so they can be viewed on the Golioth web console. As Vit presses a button on the Zephyr based device, the log message almost instantaneously shows up on the cloud.
Extending the examples
Towards the end of the video, Chris and Vit discuss how (Open)Thread-based devices built with Zephyr work very similarly to any other IP-based devices connecting to Golioth. This means that the other features that Golioth provides–such as control using LightDB State, or easy time series data tracking using LightDB Stream–is already in there. And yes, that means Firmware Updates as well. We’ll be showcasing these more in future videos.
We’re excited to bring Golioth and internet connectivity to even more devices, including the kind of teeny tiny low power ones that Thread enables. Please stop by the Golioth Discord or the Golioth Forums to ask questions and discuss the next device you’re working on!
