Ble mesh v1.1 direct forwarding feature support

[Nagajans]

I would like to implement ble mesh direct forwarding feature in my code but i am not finding zephyr library for that. Is there any possibility to get link for zephyr direct forwarding feature code or library?

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

The current implementation does not support Bluetooth Mesh Directed Forwarding (MDF). See Subnet Bridge and Directed Forwarding. 

Regards,
Amanda H.

[Nagajans]

This feature is really important to us to choose BLE mesh over zigbee and thread for our upcoming project. I would like to know when can we expect the support for Bluetooth Mesh Directed Forwarding (MDF) in Zephyr?

[Amanda Hsieh]

Please contact your regional sales manager or use the form of Sales related questions for the request/schedule/roadmap. 

[Nagajans]

I raised query at sales team but i didnt get any reply so far but i wonder how they know software related release dates in zephyr for MDF feature support?

[Lorenzo Amicucci]

can you please elaborate the use case? numeber of nodes, topology, gateway vs no gateway, vendor model vs standard model, payloads, etc?
We see no real impact of MDF in some scenario. MDF provides an edge only in some specific use cases.

Thanks

BR
LA 

[Nagajans]

We are a leading manufacturer of EC fans integrated into energy-efficient HVAC systems. In cleanroom environments, we may deploy up to 1,000 EC fans connected via a mesh topology with a central gateway. Our implementation currently uses a vendor-specific model with a maximum payload of 80 bytes, with potential plans to scale up to 256 bytes. We believe that the MDF (Mesh Directed Forwarding) feature will significantly help in reducing network traffic in such high-density deployments.

[Lorenzo Amicucci]

Ok. Based on our estimations, MDF can provide some benefits (in some topologies) only if max-hops between sender and receiver are more than 5/6 hops. Otherwise MDF is not useful, it is more bloat than help. Note: MDF is not currently supported on our SDK. Our suggestion is to try to explore other techniques that could help to limit/isolate the traffic. example the Bluetooth® Mesh Subnet Bridging, which is already supported in nRF Connect SDK:  https://www.bluetooth.com/mesh-subnet-bridging/

 

[Nagajans]

We are currently in the initial analysis phase, and it may take another 2 to 3 years before we are ready to launch the complete product in the field. During this development timeline, is it possible to receive MDF Feature support on your SDK?

Additionally, we would appreciate your guidance on the practical scalability of the network. Specifically, how many nodes can be reliably supported in a single network with a gateway? For instance, in the case of managing 1000 fan nodes, how should we plan the number of subnetworks required to ensure efficient handling of network traffic?