Talq Consortium updates its protocol for Smart Cities

The TALQ Consortium has just updated its Smart City Protocol, which provides a global open API interface standard capable of extending interoperability between devices from different manufacturers. Version 2.4.0 is now freely available on GitHub for public review and implementation. And now includes, besides devices for street lighting networks, also devices for environmental monitoring solutions, intelligent traffic management, and intelligent parking.

In reference to environmental monitoring, the new profiling functions allow protocol implementers to model their individual solutions to monitor noise, atmospheric values, wind, precipitation, irradiation, clouds, water flow, water quality, gas, and other values. Other functions of the specification, such as the particulate matter sensor function, have been improved by extending them with more properties. Thus, the latest version of the 2.4.0 protocol is a very valuable step to stimulate environmental protection and sustainability in smart cities.

Regarding the new traffic and parking profiles, the latest protocol offers new functions not only to monitor traffic density and parking occupancy with sensors and cameras but also features to control information panels related to these verticals.

“Personally, I believe this is a very exciting time for the consortium, whose membership continues to grow. We are confident that greater exposure of the standard will further drive progress in the industry,” said Rui Peixe, Chairman of the TALQ Consortium Technical Working Group.

Since its founding in 2012, the TALQ Consortium has increased its adherence to its specifications. Today, approximately 50 companies are members of the entity, including Itron, Signify, Tvilight, Zumtobel Group, Schréder, and Dhyan Networks and Technologies, among others.

The Smart City Protocol is a specification for information exchange, suitable for integration into various software products and systems. This enables interoperability between central management software (CMS) and external device networks (ODN) from different vendors. Thanks to TALQ, a single CMS can configure, control, command, and monitor heterogeneous networks of smart city devices. 

Currently, there are 36 products certified to the 2.0 specification for managing street lighting: 16 Central Management Software (CMS) and 20 Gateways (Outdoor Device Networks, ODN) from 27 companies.

The entity’s commitment is to provide answers to the main challenges of truly smart cities, including increasing the safety and comfort of inhabitants, reducing energy consumption and CO 2 emissions worldwide, and increasing cost efficiency for operators managing smart cities.