676  Protocol Comparison Simulator

Interactive Multi-Dimensional Protocol Analysis Tool

676.1 Protocol Comparison Simulator

NoteLearning Objectives

By using this interactive tool, you will be able to:

• Visualize protocol tradeoffs using comparative displays
• Simulate real-world performance under different environmental conditions
• Compare up to 4 protocols side-by-side on key metrics
• Understand why certain protocols excel in specific scenarios
• Export your analysis for documentation or team discussions

TipFor Beginners: Understanding Protocol Tradeoffs

Every IoT protocol makes tradeoffs - like choosing a vehicle:

Need	Vehicle	Protocol Analogy
Speed	Sports car	Wi-Fi (fast, power-hungry)
Fuel efficiency	Hybrid	BLE (balanced performance)
Heavy loads	Truck	Ethernet (reliable, wired)
Long distance	Airplane	LoRaWAN (far, but slow)

The Key Insight: No protocol wins on every metric. Use this simulator to understand which tradeoffs matter most for your project!

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676.2 Select Protocols to Compare

protocolDb = {
  return [
    {id: "ble", name: "Bluetooth LE", category: "Short-range", color: "#3498DB",
     range: 25, bandwidth: 35, power: 85, latency: 75, security: 70, cost: 90,
     rangeText: "10-100m", bandwidthText: "125 kbps - 2 Mbps"},
    {id: "wifi", name: "Wi-Fi", category: "Short-range", color: "#E74C3C",
     range: 25, bandwidth: 95, power: 20, latency: 90, security: 85, cost: 75,
     rangeText: "10-100m", bandwidthText: "11 Mbps - 1 Gbps"},
    {id: "zigbee", name: "Zigbee", category: "Mesh", color: "#27AE60",
     range: 30, bandwidth: 15, power: 80, latency: 60, security: 70, cost: 85,
     rangeText: "10-100m (mesh)", bandwidthText: "250 kbps"},
    {id: "thread", name: "Thread", category: "Mesh", color: "#9B59B6",
     range: 30, bandwidth: 15, power: 80, latency: 65, security: 80, cost: 80,
     rangeText: "10-100m (mesh)", bandwidthText: "250 kbps"},
    {id: "lorawan", name: "LoRaWAN", category: "LPWAN", color: "#F39C12",
     range: 95, bandwidth: 5, power: 90, latency: 15, security: 75, cost: 70,
     rangeText: "2-15 km", bandwidthText: "0.3-50 kbps"},
    {id: "nbiot", name: "NB-IoT", category: "Cellular", color: "#1ABC9C",
     range: 90, bandwidth: 20, power: 70, latency: 20, security: 90, cost: 55,
     rangeText: "1-35 km", bandwidthText: "20-250 kbps"},
    {id: "ltem", name: "LTE-M", category: "Cellular", color: "#E67E22",
     range: 85, bandwidth: 45, power: 55, latency: 70, security: 90, cost: 50,
     rangeText: "1-35 km", bandwidthText: "375 kbps - 1 Mbps"},
    {id: "zwave", name: "Z-Wave", category: "Mesh", color: "#34495E",
     range: 35, bandwidth: 10, power: 75, latency: 50, security: 75, cost: 65,
     rangeText: "30-100m", bandwidthText: "9.6-100 kbps"},
    {id: "sigfox", name: "Sigfox", category: "LPWAN", color: "#8E44AD",
     range: 98, bandwidth: 2, power: 92, latency: 5, security: 60, cost: 80,
     rangeText: "3-50 km", bandwidthText: "100-600 bps"}
  ];
}

scenarios = {
  return [
    {name: "Custom Selection", protocols: [], description: "Select your own protocols"},
    {name: "Smart Home Battle", protocols: ["zigbee", "thread", "ble", "zwave"], description: "Popular smart home protocols"},
    {name: "LPWAN Showdown", protocols: ["lorawan", "nbiot", "sigfox", "ltem"], description: "Long-range low-power options"},
    {name: "Range vs Speed", protocols: ["wifi", "ble", "lorawan", "nbiot"], description: "Classic distance vs data rate tradeoff"},
    {name: "Battery Optimized", protocols: ["ble", "lorawan", "sigfox", "zigbee"], description: "Best for battery-powered devices"}
  ];
}

metrics = ["range", "bandwidth", "power", "latency", "security", "cost"]
metricLabels = {
  return {
    range: "Range",
    bandwidth: "Bandwidth",
    power: "Power Efficiency",
    latency: "Low Latency",
    security: "Security",
    cost: "Cost Efficiency"
  };
}

viewof selectedScenario = Inputs.select(
  scenarios.map(s => s.name),
  {label: "Quick Scenario:", value: "Custom Selection"}
)

currentScenario = scenarios.find(s => s.name === selectedScenario)

viewof selectedProtocols = {
  const preselected = currentScenario.protocols.length > 0
    ? protocolDb.filter(p => currentScenario.protocols.includes(p.id)).map(p => p.name)
    : ["Bluetooth LE", "Wi-Fi", "LoRaWAN", "NB-IoT"];

  return Inputs.checkbox(
    protocolDb.map(p => p.name),
    {label: "Select Protocols (2-4):", value: preselected}
  );
}

selectedData = protocolDb.filter(p => selectedProtocols.includes(p.name)).slice(0, 4)

html`
<div style="margin: 15px 0; padding: 12px; border-radius: 8px;
            background: ${selectedData.length >= 2 && selectedData.length <= 4 ? '#D5F4E6' : '#FADBD8'};">
  ${selectedData.length < 2
    ? 'Select at least 2 protocols to compare'
    : selectedData.length > 4
    ? 'Maximum 4 protocols for clear comparison'
    : 'Comparing ' + selectedData.length + ' protocols: ' + selectedData.map(p => p.name).join(', ')}
</div>
`

---

676.3 Metric Comparison

viewof focusMetric = Inputs.select(metrics, {
  label: "Compare by:",
  value: "range",
  format: m => metricLabels[m]
})

comparisonBars = {
  if (selectedData.length < 2) {
    return html`<div style="padding: 40px; text-align: center; color: #999;">
      Select at least 2 protocols to see comparison
    </div>`;
  }

  const maxVal = Math.max(...selectedData.map(p => p[focusMetric]));

  return html`
    <div style="padding: 20px;">
      <h4 style="margin-bottom: 15px; color: #2C3E50;">${metricLabels[focusMetric]} Comparison</h4>
      ${selectedData.map(p => html`
        <div style="margin-bottom: 15px;">
          <div style="display: flex; justify-content: space-between; margin-bottom: 5px;">
            <span style="font-weight: bold; color: ${p.color};">${p.name}</span>
            <span>${p[focusMetric]}/100</span>
          </div>
          <div style="background: #E5E5E5; border-radius: 8px; height: 25px; overflow: hidden;">
            <div style="background: ${p.color}; height: 100%; width: ${p[focusMetric]}%;
                        transition: width 0.3s; border-radius: 8px;"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      `)}
    </div>
  `;
}

---

676.4 Detailed Comparison

html`
<div style="overflow-x: auto;">
  <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background: white; margin: 20px 0;">
    <thead>
      <tr style="background: #2C3E50; color: white;">
        <th style="padding: 12px; text-align: left;">Protocol</th>
        <th style="padding: 12px; text-align: center;">Category</th>
        <th style="padding: 12px; text-align: center;">Range</th>
        <th style="padding: 12px; text-align: center;">Bandwidth</th>
        <th style="padding: 12px; text-align: center;">Power</th>
        <th style="padding: 12px; text-align: center;">Latency</th>
        <th style="padding: 12px; text-align: center;">Security</th>
        <th style="padding: 12px; text-align: center;">Cost</th>
      </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
      ${selectedData.map((p, i) => html`
        <tr style="background: ${i % 2 === 0 ? '#f8f9fa' : 'white'};">
          <td style="padding: 12px; font-weight: bold; color: ${p.color};">${p.name}</td>
          <td style="padding: 12px; text-align: center;">${p.category}</td>
          <td style="padding: 12px; text-align: center;">${p.rangeText}</td>
          <td style="padding: 12px; text-align: center;">${p.bandwidthText}</td>
          <td style="padding: 12px; text-align: center;">
            <span style="background: ${p.power > 70 ? '#D5F4E6' : p.power > 40 ? '#FEF5E7' : '#FADBD8'};
                         padding: 3px 8px; border-radius: 10px;">${p.power}</span>
          </td>
          <td style="padding: 12px; text-align: center;">
            <span style="background: ${p.latency > 70 ? '#D5F4E6' : p.latency > 40 ? '#FEF5E7' : '#FADBD8'};
                         padding: 3px 8px; border-radius: 10px;">${p.latency}</span>
          </td>
          <td style="padding: 12px; text-align: center;">
            <span style="background: ${p.security > 70 ? '#D5F4E6' : p.security > 40 ? '#FEF5E7' : '#FADBD8'};
                         padding: 3px 8px; border-radius: 10px;">${p.security}</span>
          </td>
          <td style="padding: 12px; text-align: center;">
            <span style="background: ${p.cost > 70 ? '#D5F4E6' : p.cost > 40 ? '#FEF5E7' : '#FADBD8'};
                         padding: 3px 8px; border-radius: 10px;">${p.cost}</span>
          </td>
        </tr>
      `)}
    </tbody>
  </table>
</div>
`

---

676.5 Scenario Simulation

Simulate how protocols perform under different real-world conditions:

viewof simScenario = Inputs.select([
  "Urban Building (Walls + Interference)",
  "Rural Farm (Long Distance)",
  "Industrial Factory (EMI + Reliability)",
  "Smart Home (Mixed Devices)",
  "Mobile Asset Tracking"
], {label: "Simulation Scenario:", value: "Urban Building (Walls + Interference)"})

scenarioDescription = {
  const descriptions = {
    "Urban Building (Walls + Interference)": "Walls reduce range; penetration becomes critical",
    "Rural Farm (Long Distance)": "Range is paramount; bandwidth needs are typically low",
    "Industrial Factory (EMI + Reliability)": "Reliability and security are essential in harsh environments",
    "Smart Home (Mixed Devices)": "Ecosystem compatibility and cost matter most",
    "Mobile Asset Tracking": "Balance of range, power efficiency, and responsiveness needed"
  };
  return descriptions[simScenario];
}

adjustments = {
  const adj = {
    "Urban Building (Walls + Interference)": {range: 0.7, power: 1.0, bandwidth: 1.0},
    "Rural Farm (Long Distance)": {range: 1.3, power: 1.2, bandwidth: 0.8},
    "Industrial Factory (EMI + Reliability)": {range: 0.9, power: 0.9, bandwidth: 1.0},
    "Smart Home (Mixed Devices)": {range: 1.0, power: 1.1, bandwidth: 1.0},
    "Mobile Asset Tracking": {range: 1.2, power: 1.3, bandwidth: 0.9}
  };
  return adj[simScenario];
}

scenarioScores = selectedData.map(p => {
  const adjustedRange = Math.min(100, Math.round(p.range * adjustments.range));
  const adjustedPower = Math.min(100, Math.round(p.power * adjustments.power));
  const adjustedBandwidth = Math.min(100, Math.round(p.bandwidth * adjustments.bandwidth));
  const avg = Math.round((adjustedRange + adjustedPower + adjustedBandwidth + p.latency + p.security + p.cost) / 6);
  return {name: p.name, color: p.color, score: avg};
}).sort((a, b) => b.score - a.score)

html`
<div style="background: linear-gradient(135deg, #E8F6F3 0%, #D5F4E6 100%);
            padding: 20px; border-radius: 12px; margin: 20px 0;">
  <h4 style="margin-top: 0; color: #16A085;">${simScenario}</h4>
  <p style="color: #2C3E50; font-style: italic;">${scenarioDescription}</p>

  <h5 style="color: #2C3E50; margin-top: 20px;">Scenario Rankings:</h5>
  ${scenarioScores.map((p, i) => html`
    <div style="display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 15px;
                background: white; padding: 12px 15px; border-radius: 8px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
      <span style="font-size: 1.3em; width: 30px;">
        ${i === 0 ? '1st' : i === 1 ? '2nd' : i === 2 ? '3rd' : '4th'}
      </span>
      <strong style="flex: 1; color: ${p.color};">${p.name}</strong>
      <div style="width: 150px; height: 20px; background: #E5E5E5; border-radius: 10px; overflow: hidden;">
        <div style="width: ${p.score}%; height: 100%; background: ${p.color};"></div>
      </div>
      <span style="width: 50px; text-align: right; font-weight: bold;">${p.score}%</span>
    </div>
  `)}
</div>
`

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676.6 Export Analysis

exportText = {
  const lines = [
    "PROTOCOL COMPARISON REPORT",
    "Generated: " + new Date().toLocaleString(),
    "Scenario: " + simScenario,
    "========================",
    "",
    "PROTOCOLS COMPARED",
    "------------------"
  ];

  selectedData.forEach(p => {
    lines.push(p.name + " (" + p.category + ")");
    lines.push("  Range: " + p.rangeText);
    lines.push("  Bandwidth: " + p.bandwidthText);
    lines.push("");
  });

  lines.push("SCENARIO RANKINGS");
  lines.push("-----------------");
  scenarioScores.forEach((p, i) => {
    lines.push((i+1) + ". " + p.name + ": " + p.score + "%");
  });

  return lines.join("\n");
}

viewof exportAction = Inputs.button([
  ["Copy to Clipboard", async () => {
    await navigator.clipboard.writeText(exportText);
    alert("Report copied to clipboard!");
  }]
], {label: "Export:"})

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676.7 Knowledge Check

Test your understanding of protocol tradeoffs:

NoteQuestion 1

A smart agriculture sensor needs to report soil moisture every hour from a remote farm 5km away, running on battery for 3+ years. Which protocol is MOST suitable?

1. Wi-Fi
2. Bluetooth LE
3. LoRaWAN
4. LTE-M

TipAnswer

C) LoRaWAN - LoRaWAN offers 2-15km range with ultra-low power consumption, making it perfect for infrequent agricultural sensing. Wi-Fi drains batteries quickly, BLE lacks range, and LTE-M has higher power and costs.

NoteQuestion 2

When comparing protocols, what does a higher “power efficiency” score indicate?

1. The protocol uses more power
2. The protocol allows longer battery life
3. The protocol is more expensive
4. The protocol has faster data rates

TipAnswer

B) The protocol allows longer battery life - Higher power efficiency means the protocol consumes less energy, enabling battery-powered devices to run longer on a single charge.

NoteQuestion 3

In an industrial factory with significant electromagnetic interference (EMI), which metric becomes MOST critical?

1. Bandwidth
2. Ecosystem support
3. Reliability
4. Cost efficiency

TipAnswer

C) Reliability - In EMI-heavy environments, protocols with better error correction and robust signaling (high reliability scores) are essential to maintain consistent connectivity despite interference.

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676.8 Related Resources

Resource	Description
Protocol Selector Wizard	Step-by-step requirement-based protocol selection
IoT Protocols Overview	Comprehensive overview of IoT protocol categories
Power Budget Calculator	Estimate battery life for your IoT devices

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676.9 Summary

The Protocol Comparison Simulator helps you:

• Visualize tradeoffs between different IoT protocols on key metrics
• Compare protocols side-by-side in a clear tabular format
• Simulate scenarios to see how protocols perform under specific conditions
• Export analysis for documentation and team discussions

NoteKey Takeaways

1. No perfect protocol exists - every choice involves tradeoffs
2. Context matters - the “best” protocol depends on your specific scenario
3. Use multiple metrics - don’t optimize for just one dimension
4. Validate assumptions - use simulators to test before deployment