¶ We met with Hibee, a company that develops Zigbee-based network algorithms that support over 2,000 connections simultaneously without deviating from existing standards.

► What kind of company is Hybee?

Founded in 2015, Hibee is a seven-year-old company with five developers and two general employees. It is currently developing a multi-hop algorithm based on 2.4GHz Zigbee and is in the process of mass-producing an SoC based on ARM's Cortex-M0 architecture.
► I understand that if it's Zigbee-based, it usually only allows for less than 100 connections...

Although Zigbee alone is typically claimed to support fewer than 50 connections, this is not guaranteed in practice. This is due to interference from other nearby frequency bands.
Wi-Fi, which is widely used, is a representative communication protocol of 2.4GHz. Because Zigbee uses the same frequency band as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to communicate, it is very vulnerable to interference between devices.
Hibee has developed an SoC with its own IoT networking function, Zigbee RF, and Cortex M0 core, enabling stable operation even when more than 2,000 modules are connected.

► How does Hibee respond and recover when the network is disconnected?

Hibee designed a three-home multi-tree structure algorithm. This concept is similar to the existing mesh network. What's more unique is that, when restoring the network, instead of connecting to a pre-determined node, the module itself searches for and connects to a module that's easy to attach to. In other words, the structure can be viewed as one that automatically determines who becomes a node, router, or end device, and then connects accordingly.
► Customers purchasing SoCs may require additional development tailored to their specific application. How is the SoC structured for development?

While communication is a core technology for real-world IoT devices, the attachment of sensing devices to assess on-site conditions is essential. The HiBee offers a total of 21 GPIOs, 128KB of E-Flash, and 32KB of SRAM. Furthermore, by providing SPI, UART, and Timer/PWM as standard, the environment is designed to facilitate additional development by customers. Additionally, communication security is secured by applying the AES-128 encryption module.
► Is it possible for a total of 5 developers to handle everything from SoC design to network protocol and module development?

Hibee is a company focused on network protocol development. While it does possess an SoC, it designs the SoC configuration concepts required to implement Hibee's algorithms, outsourcing the actual SoC internal design, allowing it to retain only its core personnel.

► How do you respond when a problem occurs after product delivery?

It's also being used in avocado farms in the United States and in three parking lots at the Uniquest Building in Bundang, South Korea. In fact, a problem with an IoT network means a single module is malfunctioning, not the system itself going down. However, when a problem occurs, we respond by replacing the product, and the defect rate is not high.

► What are your plans for the future?

As a company that focuses on core technology development, we plan to focus internally on developing IoT networking core technology and seek out appropriate partners for IC design and IoT service construction.
At the previous AIoT exhibition, Hibee demonstrated a real-time connection of 300 modules and 7 LEDs. Currently, approximately 820 modules are in operation, deployed across three floors of the parking lot of the Uniques building in Bundang and at an avocado farm in San Diego, USA. Recently, an IoT module developed using Hibee's HB2200 received Microsoft Azure certification, and the company is working closely with Microsoft in the smart farm and smart building sectors.