IoT for Commercial Smart Lighting: A Reality Check and Reference Architecture

Internet of Things (IoT) technology is getting more momentum in the connected lighting and building automation domain. This article presents a modular architecture that acknowledges the legacy of existing device ecosystems based on the Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) protocol, and offers a flexible approach to add wireless Internet Protocol (IP) communication capabilities to luminaires. IP to the luminaire enables lighting installations for use cases beyond lighting applications. An implementation and evaluation of the real-world applicability is conducted. The results demonstrate the readiness of the proposed architecture and technology stack.