Biprotokoll

Biprotokoll is a lightweight, bidirectional communication protocol designed for integration in resource‑constrained devices, particularly in the Internet of Things ecosystem. The name derives from the combination of the prefix “bi‑”, meaning “two,” and the German word “Protokoll,” indicating a two‑way protocol that enables simultaneous sending and receiving of data streams over a single physical medium. Developed in the early 2010s by a consortium of German universities and industrial partners, Biprotokoll was conceived to address shortcomings in existing serial communication standards such as UART and SPI, which lack built‑in flow control and error detection suitable for noisy industrial environments.

The core architecture of Biprotokoll consists of a header frame, a payload section, and a checksum field. Each data packet begins with a two‑byte start sequence, followed by a one‑byte control field that encodes message type, priority, and flow‑control flags. The payload may range from 0 to 256 bytes, allowing the protocol to accommodate both small sensor readings and larger configuration files. A cyclic redundancy check is appended at the end of each packet to detect transmission errors. Importantly, Biprotokoll implements a basic stop‑and‑wait mechanism combined with an optional periodic keep‑alive signal so that devices can detect link failures quickly.

Applications of Biprotokoll are most common in automotive sensor networks, where modules such as tire pressure sensors and brake‑control units require deterministic latency and minimal power consumption. It is also used in small consumer electronics, including smart home hubs and wearable devices, where bandwidth constraints and low power budgets necessitate efficient, low‑overhead communication. Because the protocol is open source, manufacturers can adapt the specification to their proprietary hardware without licensing fees. While newer protocols such as 6LoWPAN and Zigbee have surpassed Biprotokoll in terms of feature richness, its simplicity and proven reliability continue to make it a viable choice in niche settings that emphasize minimalistic design.