WIFI-CAST
Wi-Fi CAST
Overview
WIFI-CAST is a WIFI communication protocol defined by Realtek. Different from the standard WIFI transmission method, WIFI-CAST devices can transmit application data without establishing a WIFI connection with a router, thus achieving ultra-low data latency and flexible networking topology.
The following is a comparison diagram between standard WIFI and WIFI-CAST communication:
WIFI-CAST supports networking scenarios including one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many, as shown below:
Even when devices maintain a standard WIFI connection with a router, they can still use WIFI-CAST to communicate with other WIFI-CAST nodes, forming a hybrid network, as shown in the figure below:
Advantages
- Devices do not need to establish a standard WIFI connection, eliminating processes such as authentication, key exchange, and TCP connection, greatly improving networking speed.
- Application layer data is sent directly to the WIFI driver, bypassing the TCP/IP stack, effectively reducing latency and improving response speed.
- Since standard WIFI and TCP/IP stacks are not used, memory and code usage can be significantly saved.
- The transmitter can enter uA-level low-power mode if there are no transmission tasks, greatly improving battery life for battery-powered products.
- Supports millisecond-level wake-up and exit from low-power mode.
- Data can be transmitted directly to the link layer, bypassing the traditional TCP/IP protocol stack, which effectively reduces latency and provides faster response speed.
- Omitting protocol stack processing significantly saves SRAM and Flash resources and improves system performance.
- Uses direct link layer transmission to reduce delay caused by network congestion and packet loss, ensuring stable data transmission and meeting high real-time requirements.
- Utilizes CCMP-128 encryption technology to protect data frames and ensure transmission security and reliability.
Typical Applications
Custom Mesh Applications
Take advantage of WIFI-CAST's flexible networking and direct data transmission to easily implement custom WIFI-Mesh applications.
Remote Debugging
When there is no debug serial port available, WIFI-CAST can be used to send core logs to a dedicated WIFI-CAST node for analysis.
Remote Control Applications
With low power consumption and fast networking, remote control applications can be easily implemented with higher bandwidth and longer distances.
