ZigBee enables efficient wireless communication in IoT networks. Explore ZigBee Use Cases in automation, healthcare, and security systems.
What is Zigbee?
Wireless protocol Zigbee links smart devices including lightbulbs, plugs, sockets, smart locks, motion sensors, and door sensors via a “PAN” (Personal Area Network).
Keyboards, wall switches that run on batteries, and remote controls are all compatible with this PAN for basic control. It won’t be very intelligent, but it will be ideal for basic things like turning on the light without getting up to push a switch.
Home automation will reach its full potential if you link the Zigbee network to a Smart Home Controller (such those made by SmartThings, Hubitat, or Homey).
Why is Zigbee useful?
Most consumers should choose a Smart Home Controller that supports WiFi, Z-Wave, and Zigbee and integrates with proprietary and cloud-based services. This is because no Smart Home protocol can be said to be flawless or the best fit for any given application.
However, Zigbee has some strong arguments for being the hub of your smart home system, such as:
- Choices for Lighting: There are many more alternatives for Zigbee-based devices than any other Smart Home protocol, including LED bulbs, color-changing LED strips, light switches, dimmer modules, and many more. Zigbee has a long history with lighting.
- Reduced Requirements for Power: Ten years of battery life.
- Ideal for Battery-Powered Devices: Zigbee is perfect for smart devices like motion, door, and water sensors because of the way battery-operated devices “sleep” and its incredibly low power consumption.
- Stability: When one device goes offline, Zigbee will immediately redirect; it is a fully self-healing network.
- Protection: Online banking services also use 128-bit AES encryption, which is what Zigbee does.
- Updates to Firmware: For years, Zigbee’s OTA firmware updates have made upgrading Smart Devices straightforward and fast.
- Capacity: Zigbee can connect 65,000 devices to one network, unlike other technologies! You won’t need to manage several networks because that is more than sufficient for even the biggest residences.
- Affordability: Compared to equivalent devices from other technologies like Z-Wave and WiFi, Zigbee devices are generally quite inexpensive.
What Is the Zigbee Process?
Zigbee, a low-cost, low-power wireless mesh network standard, promotes wireless control and monitoring devices. By extending IEEE 802.15.4’s media access control and physical layer definitions, it offers mesh networking and secure communications by default.
Zigbee-based devices provide a self-managing, robust, and resilient system. Since Zigbee devices tend to concentrate on particular functions, like motion detection or light dimming, rather than attempting to incorporate a wide range of features into a single device, they are frequently far simpler than devices utilising other protocols, such Z-Wave.
Zigbee Interoperability and Compatibility
In its early years, Zigbee Smart Devices sometimes employed “closed” protocols at the application layer, which prevented products from many vendors from working together. With goodness the standard has been updated many times.
The two main Zigbee profiles are ZLL and ZHA. Each profile’s gadgets should work together out of the box, and if your Smart Home Controller supports a profile, it should support it.
Zigbee uses the 2.4GHz band worldwide, like WiFi. Using devices from around the world in your Zigbee network no longer requires picking the right frequency! Refer to the Silicon Labs reference for additional details.
The ZLL and ZHA profiles are combined into a single new standard called Zigbee 3.0, which combines their respective advantages. Zigbee 3.0 devices are typically backwards compatible with ZLL or ZHA-only Zigbee controllers.
Zigbee is presently promoted by the Zigbee Alliance as the protocol for the so-called “Internet of Things” (IoT) since it is open, non-proprietary, and a mature, dependable, and well-defined standard.
Key Features of Zigbee
Minimal Power Input
Due to its remarkable energy efficiency, Zigbee devices may operate for lengthy periods of time on tiny batteries. For Internet of Things applications, this is essential because devices are supposed to function for years without requiring regular maintenance.
Networking with Mesh
Zigbee devices may relay data across many pathways because of its resilient mesh topology. In the event of a device failure or a lost connection, this establishes a self-healing network that may reroute data.
Minimal Data Rate
Zigbee can transfer small data packets, including sensor readings, at 250 kbps. It excels at tasks that need little data interchange, but not large file transfers or streaming.
Expandability
Zigbee can expand up to 65,000 nodes for extensive Internet of Things applications, such as industrial automation and smart cities.
Defence
Zigbee device connections are secure because to security features including device authentication and 128-bit AES encryption.
ZigBee Use Cases
Because of its versatility, ZigBee technology has been embraced by a wide range of sectors and uses, including:
- Home Automation: In smart homes, ZigBee controls gadgets, appliances, temperature, lighting, and safety.
- Automation of Industry: Industrial applications of ZigBee include monitoring, controlling, and even optimising the energy, machinery, and process operations.
- Automating Buildings: ZigBee is utilised in building management to facilitate the easy operation of access control, lighting, and HVAC.
- Medical care: The medical and healthcare sectors are among those that utilise ZigBee devices, such as remote patient monitors, asset tracking, and patient monitors.
- Agriculture: ZigBee networks are used in precision agriculture to detect livestock paths, irrigation, and soil conditions.
- Purchasing and Transportation: ZigBee technology is utilised in the retail and logistics sectors for inventory replenishment, asset tracking, and inventory control.