This excerpt focuses on the creation and definition of the LonTalk protocol. An article in the August issue of HTINews summarized the CEBus protocol. The Formation and Marketing of Echelon The Echelon Corporation of Palo Alto, California was formed in 1988 and funded by venture capitalists to develop communications technology and a protocol for interconnecting sensors, actuators, and controllers. Many manufacturers are adopting Echelon communications for building and factory automation products. The company is marketing heavily to the utility industry since they believe that utilities may help propel home automation into a major business.
Echelon offers hardware, firmware, and software components, plus tools for constructing networks.
Such a network is called a LON , for Local Operating Network. Echelon chose this term to distinguish the network from a LAN, or Local Area Network, developed for computer networks and office automation. The Echelon network with supporting hardware and software is collectively called LonWorks . Central to LON is a common interface for all devices attached to the network. This interface is called the Neuron Chip, an integrated circuit manufactured to Echelon specifications and sold by Motorola and Toshiba.