LonTalk

Not to be confused with LocalTalk.

LonTalk is a protocol optimized for control created by Echelon Corporation for networking devices over media such as twisted pair, powerlines, fiber optics, and RF. It is popular for the automation of various functions in industrial control, home automation, transportation, and buildings systems such as lighting and HVAC; see Intelligent building.

LonWorks

LonTalk is part of the technology platform called LonWorks.

Protocol

LonTalk is defined by ANSI Standard ANSI/CEA 709.1. The LonTalk protocol has been ratified by standards setting bodies in the following industries & regions:

• ANSI 709.1 - Control networking (US)
• EN 14908 - Building controls (EU)
• GB/Z 20177.1-2006 - Control networking and building controls (China)
• IEEE 1473-L - Train controls (US)
• SEMI E54 - Semiconductor manufacturing equipment sensors & actuators (US)
• IFSF - International forecourt standard for EU petrol stations

Recognition

Also recently, aspects of LonTalk have been recognized by international standardization bodies:

• ISO/IEC 14908-1 - Communication protocol
• ISO/IEC 14908-2 - Twisted pair wire signaling technology
• ISO/IEC 14908-3 - Power line signaling technology
• ISO/IEC 14908-4 - IP compatibility (tunneling) technology

The protocol is only available from the official distribution organizations of each regional standards body or in the form of microprocessors manufactured by companies that have ported the standard to their respective chip designs.

See also

• BACnet -- A gateway-to-gateway protocol supported by ASHRAE.

External links

• Echelon Corporation Homepage
• Global Engineering Documents (purchase the current EIA, non-ANSI, specification document for EIA/CEA 709.1
• Adept Systems - wrote the C Reference Implementation of the LonTalk protocol