Communication protocols are required to exchange messages in or between computing systems and are required in telecommunications. Zigbee is a communication protocol that can control smart home devices. It also serves as a wireless technology for commercial uses. It’s based on a standard network architecture using an OSI model through an IEEE 802.15.4-2006 IP layer.
With Zigbee, devices can talk to each other in a language they will both understand. It also works in low-powered devices, that don’t have huge bandwidth needs, so if a device is sleeping, Zigbee can send a signal to wake it up so they can begin communicating. This makes it a suitable communications protocol used in smart home devices. The major thing to know about Zigbee is that it speaks to devices, so it’s technically part of the Internet of Things (IoT).
An Introduction to ZigBee – FTP Directory Listing
http://ftp1.digi.com › documentation › zigbeeintro
This manual provides an introduction to the various components of a ZigBee network. After a quick overview of ZigBee, we start with a description of …
Introduction of ZigBee – GeeksforGeeks
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org › introduction-of-zigbee
Introduction of ZigBee … ZigBee is a Personal Area Network task group with low rate task group 4. It is a technology of home networking. ZigBee …
Zigbee – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Zig
Zigbee is a low-cost, low-power, wireless mesh network standard targeted at battery-powered devices in wireless control and monitoring applications. Zigbee …
Introduction to Zibgbee Technology – eClass
ZigBee, a specification for communication in a wireless personal area network. (WPAN), has been called the “Internet of things.” Theoretically, your. ZigBee– .
An Introduction to ZigBee Communication | forElectronics
https://forelectronics.wordpress.com › 2017/12/11 › an-…
Contributor: LogicPro InfoSystem Team Introduction ZigBee Protocol is built on top of the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. ZigBee provides routing
How Zigbee Communicates
ZigBee devices are designed to communicate via radio frequencies. ZigBee has adopted 2.4 GHz for its worldwide standard frequency. Because of potential bandwidth interference, ZigBee uses 915 MHz in the United States and 866 MHz in Europe.
ZigBee devices are of 3 types, Coordinators, Routers, and End Devices.
- Firstly, coordinators control the network formation and security.
- Secondly, Routers pass on the signal and extend the network range.
- Thirdly, end Devices perform specific tasks such as turning on a light or taking a reading.
It’s the end devices that we’re most concerned with. For example, you may have seen Zigbee associated with the Philips Hue family of products. Zigbee is what guides the wireless signals used to control these devices, and it’s included in other types of products, such as smart switches, smart plugs, and smart thermostats.
ZigBee in Home Automation
ZigBees devices have been slow in gaining acceptance in the home automation market because they are open-source, which means the protocol can be altered by each manufacturer that adopts it. As a result, devices from one manufacturer sometimes have difficulty communicating with devices from a different manufacturer. This can cause a home network to have poor and sporadic performance.
However, as the concept of the smart home evolves, Zigbees is becoming more popular because it allows a wide range of control with a minimal number of smart hubs. For example, GE, Samsung, Logitech, and LG all produce smart home devices that leverage Zigbees. Even Comcast and Time Warner have included Zigbees in their set-top boxes, and Amazon has included it in the newest Echo Plus, which can serve as a smart hub. Zigbees also works with battery-powered devices, which extends its capabilities.
The major downside to using ZigbeeS is the range over which it communicates. That’s about 35 feet (10 meters) while some other brands of communication protocols can communicate up to 100 feet (30 meters). However, range deficiencies are overcome by the fact that Zigbee communicates at greater speeds than other communications standards.
ZigBee in Commercial Applications
ZigBee devices are also known to excel in commercial applications because of their capabilities on the Internet of Things (IoT). ZigBee’s design lends itself to sensing and monitoring applications and its use in large-scale wireless monitoring is growing fast.
Also, most IoT installations use products from only one manufacturer, or if they use more than one, the products are thoroughly tested for compatibility before installation.
