
According to Rob Adams of Cisco, "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."
UIPv6 includes standard IP applications and can be easily customised for specific requirements. The protocol stack is integrated in the Contiki operating system developed by SICS, and can be utilised for both commercial and non-commercial applications.
"An open-source, standard-compliant, small-footprint IPv6 implementation is essential to enable the next generation of sensor network applications," said Adam Dunkels, senior scientist at SICS and Contiki project leader.
Patrick Wetterwald, president of the IP for Smart Objects Alliance (IPSO) concurred. "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."
The new uIPv6 stack requires a mere 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. UIPv6 also includes an implementation of the 6LoWPAN standard, the adaptation layer between 802.15.4 and IPv6.