What is ZigBee?
ZigBee is the set of specs built around the IEEE 802.15.4 wireless protocol. The IEEE is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. They are a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering technology involving electronics and electronic devices. The 802 group is the section of the IEEE involved in network operations and technologies, including mid-sized networks and local networks. Group 15 deals specifically with wireless networking technologies, and includes the now ubiquitous 802.15.1 working group, which is also known as Bluetooth®. The name “ZigBee” is derived from the erratic zigging patterns many bees make between flowers when collecting pollen. This is evocative of the invisible webs of connections existing in a fully wireless environment. The standard itself is regulated by a group known as the ZigBee Alliance, with over 150 members worldwide. While Bluetooth® focuses on connectivity between large packet user devices, such as laptops, phones, and major peripheral
ZigBee is the only standards-based wireless protocol technology that addresses the unique needs of remote monitoring and control and sensor network applications. The ZigBee wireless standard enables broad based deployment of wireless networks with low cost, low power solutions providing the ability for devices to run for years on inexpensive batteries in a typical monitoring application. What is the ZigBee Alliance? The ZigBee Alliance is global eco-system of companies creating wireless solutions for use in home automation, commercial building automation, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), automatic meter reading (AMR) among a variety of residential, commercial building and industrial applications. The ZigBee Alliance companies work together to enable reliable, cost-effective, low-power, wirelessly networked, monitoring and control products based on an open global protocol standard. What is ZigBee PRO? ZigBee PRO is an expanded set of features of the ZigBee protocol specification,
top ZigBee is an open global standard providing wireless networking based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and taking full advantage of a powerful physical radio this standard specifies. ZigBee is the result of collaborative efforts by a global consortium of companies known as the ZigBee Alliance. ZigBee includes the following key features: • Reliability and self-healing • Support for a large number of nodes • Fast, easy deployment • Very long battery life • Security • Low cost • Ability to be used globally • Product interoperability • Vendor independence The term ZigBee originates from honeybees method of communicating newfound food sources. This silent-but-powerful communication system is known as the ZigBee Principle. By dancing in a zig-zag pattern, the bee is able to share critical information, such as the location, distance, and direction of a newly discovered food source to its fellow hive members. What is IEEE802.15.4? top IEEE 802.15.4 is a standard defined by the IEEE (Institute
We’re beginning to hear more and more about this wireless technology called ZigBee. A catchy name for sure, but what is it and who needs it? We already have Bluetooth- and Wi-Fi-enabled devices, and WiMAX and Wireless USB proliferation are at the doorstep. Who needs another wireless standard? Each wireless technology that makes it to market serves a special purpose or function. Bluetooth and wireless USB provide short-range connectivity in what is called a personal-area network (PAN). Bluetooth serves a short-range, moderate-speed, wire replacer, and wireless USB provides short-range, high-speed device connectivity. Wi-Fi is for local-area networks (LANs) and WiMAX is designed to provide wide-area networking (WAN) or metropolitan-area networking (MAN). ZigBee fills yet another industry niche. It is a PAN technology based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. Unlike Bluetooth or wireless USB devices, ZigBee devices have the ability to form a mesh network between nodes. Meshing is a type of dai
