6LoWPAN stands for IPv6 over Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Networks. It is a communication protocol that allows IPv6 packets to be sent and received over IEEE 802.15.4-based low-power wireless networks, commonly used in Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
Designed to break down the barriers to using IPv6 in low-power, processing-limited embedded devices over low-bandwidth wireless networks, 6LoWPAN is ideal for energy-sensitive applications that need to connect to the Cloud.
6LoWPAN stands for IPv6 over Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Networks. It’s a communication protocol designed to enable small, low-power devices to connect over wireless networks.
As the full name implies – “IPv6 over Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Networks” – 6LoWPAN is a networking technology or adaptation layer that allows IPv6 packets to be carried eficiently within small link layer frames, such as those defined by IEEE 802.15.4.
6LoWPAN works by encapsulating IPv6 packets into smaller frames that can be transmitted over a low-power wireless network. The protocol uses header compression to reduce the size of the packets, making it possible for small, low-power devices to send and receive data.
6LoWPAN provides the upper layer system for use with low power wireless communications for IoT and M2M, originally intended for 802.15.4, it is now used with many other wireless standards. The 6LoWPAN system is used for a variety of applications including wireless sensor networks.
As a separate Internet Draft, "6LoWPAN Routing Requirements" will describe 6LoWPAN-specific requirements on routing protocols used in 6LoWPANs, addressing both the "route-over" and "mesh-under" approach. This document will be created and owned by this working group but is expected to be reviewed by the ROLL WG. This document will be informational.