Tiny IPv6-ready protocol stack created

By Iain Thomson on Oct 16, 2008 2:57 PM
Filed under Hardware

Cisco, Atmel and the Swedish Institute of Computer Science (SICS) have announced that they’ve built one of the smallest IPv6 stacks ever, and have open sourced it for general use.

The stack, dubbed uIPv6, has such a small memory and power requirement that it can be built into almost any devices, allowing for a host of new applications like in depth network monitoring, internet-enabled medical equipment and power monitoring systems in devices as small as a lightbulb.

"uIPv6 has the potential to impact a wide range of market verticals where automation is key, just as voice over IP did in enterprise telephony," said Rob Adams, senior director of Cisco's Corporate Development technology group.

The new stack needs just 0.5 KB of SRAM for data structures, a minimum of 1.3 KB of SRAM for buffering, and 11 KB of flash for the code.

Cisco has contributed IP networking experience to the project, while Atmel's have put the stack on low-power wireless hardware, dubbed Raven. SICS' knowledge in embedded operating systems design was also key to the development of uIPv6.

Patrick Wetterwald, president of the IP for Smart Objects Alliance (IPSO) said, "By running an IPv6 stack, operating a network of sensors thus becomes as easy as operating a network of PCs, IP phones, or any other IP devices."