ZigBee
ZigBee is a published specification set of wireless communication protocols
designed to use small, low power radios based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard
for long range wireless personal area networks (LR-WPANs). The relationship
between the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and the ZigBee Alliance -- a group of
companies promoting the use of 802.15.4 technology -- is similar to that
between the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless LAN technologies and the WiFi
Alliance. The specifications for ZigBee 1.0 were ratified in December 2004
and are available to members of the ZigBee Alliance.
ZigBee is designed to be simpler and cheaper than other WPAN technologies,
like Bluetooth. The most sophisticated ZigBee node type requires only about
10 percent of the software of a typical Bluetooth node, while the simplest
nodes require only 2 percent. Although, because of the technology's low data and
power rates, ZigBee is not designed to compete head-on against Bluetooth.
ZigBee is designed for use in applications that require low data rates and
low power consumption. ZigBee installations consist of an inexpensive,
self-organizing mesh network. The technology can be used for industrial
controls, medical devices, smoke and intruder alarms, building automation,
remote monitoring, and home automation. The network is designed to use very
small amounts of power so that individual nodes can run for up to a year or
two with a single battery.
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