LANiin

LANiin is a local area network technology designed to provide deterministic, low-latency communication for latency-sensitive devices within enterprise environments. It combines a deterministic transport protocol with modular hardware and software components, aiming to improve reliability and energy efficiency in industrial and campus networks.

Design and architecture: LANiin uses a two-layer model: a deterministic transport layer that schedules packets with microsecond precision and a management layer that handles device discovery, configuration, and fault management. The transport layer operates over standard Ethernet PHYs but uses a time-slotted access method to guarantee worst-case latency. Power management features include per-port idle gating and fast wake-up modes to reduce energy use.

Deployment and compatibility: LANiin hardware typically includes switches and edge devices that support the LANiin protocol, and can interoperate with conventional Ethernet networks via gateways. The standard emphasizes interoperability through defined interface profiles and a gateway layer that translates LANiin traffic to IP/TCP or UDP as needed.

Applications and adoption: Target use cases include industrial automation, robotics, smart buildings, and high-frequency data collection in campuses. As of its latest revisions, LANiin has limited mainstream adoption, with pilot deployments in selected facilities and ongoing work to broaden ecosystem support and certification programs.