Today's high technology marketplace demands more capability and reliability from wireless technologies. This is especially true of low-cost, low-power wireless communications with relatively low data rates for applications such as home automation systems, games and automotive controls. Requirements for such devices had led the development of a new communication method called Zigbee.
ZigBee wireless technology and its underlying IEEE 802.15.4 standard is an attractive low-cost, low-power wireless solution designed to fulfill these needs. ZigBee wireless technology has been developed to address sensor and control applications with its promise of robust and reliable, self-configuring and self-healing networks that provide a simple, cost-effective and battery-efficient approach to adding wireless to any application, mobile, fixed or portable.
What is Zigbee?
-- ZigBee is a home-area network designed specifically to replace the proliferation of individual remote controls. ZigBee was created to satisfy the market's need for a cost-effective, standards-based wireless network that supports low data rates, low power consumption, security, and reliability.
-- ZigBee uses the physical (PHY) and media access control (MAC) layers defined by IEEE® 802.15.4, which is the short-distance wireless communication standard for 868 MHz, 915 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands. It is capable of connecting 255 devices per network and having a typical range of 30 to 70 meters.
-- ZigBee was formerly known as PURLnet, RF-Lite, Firefly, and HomeRF Lite.
-- The IEEE 802.15.4 standard was completed in May 2003.
-- The ZigBee specifications were ratified on 14 December 2004.
-- The ZigBee Alliance announces public availability of Specification 1.0 on 13 June 2005
What is the origin of the ZigBee name?
The domestic honeybee, a colonial insect, lives in a hive that contains a queen, a few male drones, and thousands of worker bees. The survival, success, and future of the colony is dependent upon continuous communication of vital information between every member of the colony. The technique that honey bees use to communicate new-found food sources to other members of the colony is referred to as the ZigBee Principle. Using this silent, but powerful communication system, whereby the bee dances in a zig-zag pattern, she is able to share information such as the location, distance, and direction of a newly discovered food source to her fellow colony members. Instinctively implementing the ZigBee Principle, bees around the world industriously sustain productive hives and foster future generations of colony members.
ZigBee wireless technology and its underlying IEEE 802.15.4 standard is an attractive low-cost, low-power wireless solution designed to fulfill these needs. ZigBee wireless technology has been developed to address sensor and control applications with its promise of robust and reliable, self-configuring and self-healing networks that provide a simple, cost-effective and battery-efficient approach to adding wireless to any application, mobile, fixed or portable.
What is Zigbee?
-- ZigBee is a home-area network designed specifically to replace the proliferation of individual remote controls. ZigBee was created to satisfy the market's need for a cost-effective, standards-based wireless network that supports low data rates, low power consumption, security, and reliability.
-- ZigBee uses the physical (PHY) and media access control (MAC) layers defined by IEEE® 802.15.4, which is the short-distance wireless communication standard for 868 MHz, 915 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands. It is capable of connecting 255 devices per network and having a typical range of 30 to 70 meters.
-- ZigBee was formerly known as PURLnet, RF-Lite, Firefly, and HomeRF Lite.
-- The IEEE 802.15.4 standard was completed in May 2003.
-- The ZigBee specifications were ratified on 14 December 2004.
-- The ZigBee Alliance announces public availability of Specification 1.0 on 13 June 2005
What is the origin of the ZigBee name?
The domestic honeybee, a colonial insect, lives in a hive that contains a queen, a few male drones, and thousands of worker bees. The survival, success, and future of the colony is dependent upon continuous communication of vital information between every member of the colony. The technique that honey bees use to communicate new-found food sources to other members of the colony is referred to as the ZigBee Principle. Using this silent, but powerful communication system, whereby the bee dances in a zig-zag pattern, she is able to share information such as the location, distance, and direction of a newly discovered food source to her fellow colony members. Instinctively implementing the ZigBee Principle, bees around the world industriously sustain productive hives and foster future generations of colony members.
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.
Why is ZigBee needed?
There are a multitude of standards that address mid to high data rates for voice, PC LANs, video, etc. However, up till now there hasn’t been a wireless network standard that meets the unique needs of sensors and control devices. Sensors and controls don’t need high bandwidth but they do need low latency and very low energy consumption for long battery lives and for large device arrays.
There are a multitude of proprietary wireless systems manufactured today to solve a multitude of problems that also don’t require high data rates but do require low cost and very low current drain.
These proprietary systems were designed because there were no standards that met their requirements. These legacy systems are creating significant interoperability problems with each other and with newer technologies.
About ZigBee Alliance
The ZigBee Alliance is an association of companies working together to promote and develop standard.
Alliance provides stack, application profiles, Gateway and Bridge and Commissioning tools specifications.
Compliance, Certification testing and hosting Inter-op events,branding and Logo.
Thirteen promoter companies TI, Ember, Freescale, Siemens, Mitsubishi, Motorola, Philips, Samsung, ST Micro Electronics, Huawei, Schneider Electric, BM, etc.
