Components of Amazon Sidewalk

The key components of Amazon Sidewalk are described below.

Sidewalk gateways (also known as Sidewalk bridges)
Sidewalk gateways route data between Sidewalk devices and the cloud. Gateways are Amazon devices, such as the Echo (4th Gen) device or the Ring Floodlight Cam, that support the following physical layer communication protocols for wireless communication:

SubG-CSS
SubG-FSK
Bluetooth LE (BLE)

Sidewalk endpoints
Sidewalk endpoints roam on Amazon Sidewalk by connecting to Sidewalk gateways. Endpoints are low-bandwidth, low-power smart products, such as:

Smart utility meters
Environmental sensors (temperature, humidity, light level etc.) ‘
Sidewalk-enabled lights
Leak sensors or door locks
Products that in certain cases can be attached to objects for identifying their location (asset trackers)

Sidewalk Network Server
The Sidewalk Network Server is the backbone of Sidewalk. It is responsible for verifying that the incoming packets are coming from authorized Sidewalk devices, routing packets to the desired destination (an Application Server, Sidewalk Endpoint, or Sidewalk Gateway), and keeping the network time-synchronized. The Sidewalk Network Server is operated by Amazon.

Application server
Application servers host Sidewalk endpoints and implement the business logic for the user experience and the desired product functionality. Application servers are managed by the Sidewalk Endpoint manufacturer, which can be Amazon or a third party.

Packets
Packets (or messages) are exchanged between the application server and Sidewalk endpoints using Sidewalk gateways and the Sidewalk Network Server. Packets are sent from (to) the Sidewalk Endpoints to (from) the ApplicationServer (through the Gateway and Sidewalk Network Server). Similar to a letter in the mail, the letter insidethe envelope (or packet) contains information needed to perform a service (for example, the command,“Turn on light.”) Like the post office, the Sidewalk Network Server reads the routing information on theoutside of the envelope to direct the packet to the correct Endpoint and Application Server. The Sidewalk Network Server reads the routing information of the packet and directs the packet to the correct Sidewalk endpoint and the application server.

For more information about the network architecture and protocols, see Amazon Sidewalk specifications.