ZigBEE

Fundamentals of ZigBee
Low Cost
Low Power
Security-enabled
Reliable
Initial Target Markets were AMR,
Building Automation, and Industrial
Automation (M2M Comms)

ZigBee Protocol
Where Does ZigBee Fit?
Data Rate vs. Range vs. Battery Life (not
shown)
Faster

Wireless
Video
Applications

UWB
Peak Data Rate

802.11g
IrDA

Wireless Data
Applications

802.11a

Wi-Fi
802.11b

Cellular
2.5G/3G

Slower

Bluetooth
Data
Transfer

ZigBee
Wireless
Networking

Closer

Range

Farther

Wireless Standards Comparison

The Value of Mesh:

Extending Range

out of range, no RF connectivity

Point-to-Multipoint
Reduced Function Device
Communications Flow

The Value of Mesh:

Extending Range

leverage network nodes to increase range

and establish RF connectivity

RF Node
Communications Flow

Mesh Node Hopping

The Value of Mesh:

Self Healing/Discovery

unexpected interruptions in the network can

be automatically compensated for by redirecting communication
RF Node
Communications Flow

Mesh Node Hopping

Section 1

ZIGBEE PRO FEATURE SET

ZigBee Feature Sets

ZigBee releases are defined as Feature
Sets
A Feature Set refers to a group, or set, of features.
There are two Feature Sets in the latest update to
the ZigBee specification: ZigBee Feature Set and
the ZigBee PRO Feature Set.

ZigBee 2004, ZigBee 2006, and ZigBee

2007 are colloquial references and not
endorsed by the ZigBee Alliance

IEEE
Need for 802.15.4
WPANs released

Point-tomultipoint / peerto-peer networks

ZigBee
2004
ratified

ZigBee
2004
available

ZigBee
Feature
Set
available

Enhanced
Feeble,
mesh; pseudomesh
stochastic
networking; treeaddressing;
based addressing
support for
architecture; very
more dense
small node
networks;
density
compatibility
issues

ZigBee
PRO
Feature
Set
available

Smart
Energy
profile
ratified

Significantly
improved
mesh; support
for thousands
of nodes; broad
interoperability

ZigBee Feature Set (2004)

Coordinator
Router
Reduced Function Device
Communications Flow

Tree Mesh

ZigBee Pro Feature Set

Coordinator
Router
Reduced Function Device
Communications Flow

Stochastic Mesh

ZigBee & IEEE 802.15.4

ZigBee uses the PHY and MAC
defined by 802.15.4
Accordingly, ZigBee is a WPAN
network, but with added networking
intelligence
ZigBee inherits the RF characteristics
of its 802.15.4 platform:
RF Link Budget
Current Draw

Simplified ZigBee Stack

802.15.4 Protocol

802.15.4 Specifications

Supported Networks

Types of Nodes

Coordinator
End Node

ZigBee APS
ZigBee Network
802.15.4 MAC
802.15.4 PHY

Reliable Delivery

Point-Point
Point-Multipoint/Star

ZigBee AF

CSMA/CA
MAC-level (pt-pt) Retries/Acknowledgments

64-bit IEEE and 16-bit short Addressing

16 DSSS RF Channels

ZigBee
ZDO

802.15.4 Protocol

802.15.4 Nodes in a PAN (Personal

Area Network)

ZigBee Protocol
Supported Networks
Point-Point
Point-Multipoint/Star
MESH

Types of Nodes

ZigBee AF
ZigBee APS
ZigBee Network

ZigBee
ZDO

802.15.4 MAC
802.15.4 PHY

Coordinator
End Node
ROUTER

Reliable Delivery
CSMA/CA
MAC-level (pt-pt) Retries/Acknowledgments
MESH NETWORK-level (multi-hop) Retries/ACKs

16 DSSS RF Channels

ZigBee Protocol

ZigBee Nodes in a PAN (Personal Area

Network)
Coordinator
One per PAN
Establishes/Organizes a PAN
Mains-powered

Router
Optional
Several can be in a PAN
Mains-powered

End Device
Several can be in a PAN
Low power

ZigBee Protocol
ZigBee Specifications
Addressing
64-bit IEEE Address

ZigBee AF
ZigBee APS
ZigBee Network

ZigBee
ZDO

802.15.4 MAC
802.15.4 PHY

Unique to every 802.15.4 device in the world

Permanent, assigned during mfg

16-bit Network Addressing

Unique to each module within a PAN

Used in Routing Tables
Used for data transmissions, etc.
Volatile Address - Can Change

ZigBee Protocol needs/uses

802.15.4 Data Transmission modes
Broadcast Mode
To send a broadcast packet to all radios
regardless of 16-bit or 64-bit addressing

Unicast Mode Guaranteed Delivery

64-bit IEEE Addressing
Destination 64-bit Address to match 64-bit source
address of intended receiver.
16-bit Network Addressing
Destination 16-bit Address to match 16-bit source
address of intended receiver

ZigBee Protocol
PAN Network Formation
Coordinator must select an unused operating
channel and PAN ID
Energy scan on all channels
Sends Beacon request (Broadcast PAN ID)
Listens to all responses and logs the results

After the Coordinator has started, it will allow

nodes to join to it for a time based on the
specified Node Join Time

ZigBee Protocol
Router Startup
A new Router must locate a Router that
has already joined a PAN or a Coordinator
Sends a Broadcast PAN ID on each channel
Returns sent via Unicast

Router will then try to join to a Router or

Coordinator that is allowing joining

ZigBee Protocol
End node: Low-power Sleep Modes
End Node Startup
A new End node must locate a Router that has
already joined a PAN or a Coordinator
Sends a Broadcast PAN ID on each channel
Returns sent via Unicast

End node will then try to join to a parent

(Router or Coordinator) that is allowing joining

Single Point of Failure

Common Belief:
If a Coordinator fails, the network fails

FALSE:
If a Coordinator fails, the network
continues to function, but without certain
non-essential features of the Coordinator

ZigBee Protocol
Broadcast Transmissions - Relayed to All
Nodes
No Acks are transmitted Routers listen to neighboring
Routers to know if message was retransmitted
Retransmit if neighbors are not heard (up to 2 times)
Broadcast Transaction Table used to ensure Routers do not
repeat a message they have already repeated
R
Expensive time wise

R
R

C
R

R
R
R

ZigBee Protocol
Route Discovery consists of the following
commands:
Route Request (broadcast)
broadcast
64-bit address used to find the local 16-bit address
(Network address discovery)
Routing tables based on 16-bit address

Route Reply (unicast)

unicast
Positive acknowledgement returned
If node is gone- Network address discovery fails

R
1

R
2
R
3

R
7

R
6
R

R1
0

ZigBee Protocol
Normal Data Transmissions

(Unicast - established

Network)

R1 must transmit data to R10.

MAC ACKs are transmitted for each hop.
One Network ACK is transmitted from the
Destination node back to the Source
R
R
R
1
7
8
R
R
C
2
9
R
R
6
R
4
R1
R
3
0
5

ZigBee Protocol
Disabled Node

R
1

R
X
7
R
2

R
4

R
3

C
R
5

R
8
R
6

R
9
R1
0

ZigBee Protocol
Disabled Node

New Route Discovery Request (broadcast)

broadcast
64-bit address used to find the local 16-bit address
(Network address discovery)

R
1

R
X
7
R
2

R
4

R
3

C
R
5

R
8
R
6

R
9
R1
0

ZigBee Protocol
Disabled Node

New Route sent back along best path (unicast)

unicast
Coordinator not necessary after network setup

R
1

R
X
7
R
2

R
4

R
3

C
R
5

R
8
R
6

R
9
R1
0

ZigBee Protocol
Sleeping end node (child)
Associates with a parent
Parent takes over Zigbee network
communications while child is sleeping
Parent must always be awake (router or
coordinator)

R
Number of childs per parent is limited
R
R
1
7
8
R
R
C
2
9
R
R
6
R
4
E10
R
3
5

Section 2

DIGIMESH

The Value of Mesh

many common mesh technologies require

different node types with a parent/child
relationship to achieve mesh node hopping

Coordinator
Router
Reduced Function Device
Communications Flow

Mesh Node Hopping

DigiMesh Topology

DigiMesh Router
Communications Flow

Peer-to-Peer Mesh

DigiMesh Network
Overview
Simple relative to Parent/Child-based mesh
technologies
Support for Sleeping Routers
Unpredictable timing (like all mesh
networks)
Poor latency performance relative to
multipoint technologies (like all mesh
networks)
Lower sustained throughput relative to
multipoint products (like all mesh networks)

How DigiMesh is Different

Parent/Child Mesh

DigiMesh

Parent/Child Hierarchy

Peer-to-Peer Hierarchy

Multiple Node Types

One Node Type

No Sleeping Routers

Support for Sleeping

Complex Setup

Routers

Most Commonly 2.4 GHz

Simple Setup

Open Protocols Available

900 MHz and 2.4 GHz

Proprietary Protocol