Introduction to ZigBee

By
Muhammad Ahmad Raza (12416)
 Outlines
• What is ZigBee
• ZigBee wireless networking protocol layers
• ZigBee VS Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11b
• Device Types
• Device Roles
• Zigbee Network Topologies
• Applications
• An example Network (Doorbell System)
 What is ZigBee
• ZigBee is a standard that defines a set of communication protocols for
low-data-rate, short-range wireless networking.
• The ZigBee standard is developed by the ZigBee Alliance, which has
hundreds of member companies, from the semiconductor industry and
software developers to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and
installers.
• The ZigBee Alliance was formed in 2002 as a nonprofit organization
open to everyone who wants to join.
• The ZigBee standard has adopted IEEE 802.15.4 as its Physical Layer
(PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols.
• ZigBee-based wireless devices operate in 868 MHz, 915 MHz, and 2.4
GHz frequency bands.
• The maximum data rate is 250 K bits per second.
• ZigBee is classified as an LR-WPAN and mainly used for wireless
control and monitoring systems.
• ZigBee is targeted mainly for battery-powered applications where low
data rate, low cost, and long battery life are main requirements.
ZigBee wireless networking protocol
layers
 ZigBee wireless networking protocol
layers
• Physical Layer:

• This layer is the closest layer to hardware and directly controls and
communicates with the radio transceiver.

• The PHY layer is responsible for activating the radio that transmits or
receives packets.

• The PHY also selects the channel frequency and makes sure the channel
is not currently used by any other devices on another network.
 ZigBee wireless networking protocol
layers
• MAC Layer:

• The Medium Access Control (MAC) layer provides the interface

between the PHY layer and the NWK layer.

• The MAC is responsible for generating beacons and synchronizing the

device to the beacons (in a beacon-enabled network).

• The MAC layer also provides association and disassociation services.

 ZigBee wireless networking protocol
layers
• Network Layer:

• The NWK layer interfaces between the MAC and the APL and is
responsible for managing the network formation and routing.

• Routing is the process of selecting the path through which the message
will be relayed to its destination device.

• The ZigBee coordinator and the routers are responsible for discovering
and maintaining the routes in the network.

• A ZigBee end device cannot perform route discovery.

 ZigBee wireless networking protocol
layers
• Application Layer:

• The application (APL) layer is the highest protocol layer in the ZigBee
wireless network and hosts the application objects.

• Manufacturers develop the application objects to customize a device for

various applications.

• Application objects control and manage the protocol layers in a ZigBee

device.

• There can be up to 240 application objects in a single device.

 Security
• In a wireless network, the transmitted messages can be received by any
nearby device, including an intruder. There are two main security
concerns in a wireless network.
• The first one is data confidentiality . The intruder device can gain
sensitive information by simply listening to the transmitted messages.
• Encrypting the messages before transmission will solve the
confidentiality problem.
• The second concern is that the intruder device may modify and resend
one of the previous messages even if the messages are encrypted.
• Including a message integrity code (MIC) with each outgoing frame
will allow the recipient to know whether the message has been changed
in transit. This process is known as data authentication .
 ZigBee VS Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11b

• ZigBee is an example of LR-WPAN.

• Bluetooth is an example of MR-WPAN.
• IEEE 802.11b is an example of WLAN.
 Device Types
• There are two types of devices in an IEEE 802.15.4 wireless network:
full-function devices (FFDs) and reduced-function devices (RFDs).
• An FFD is capable of performing all the duties described in the IEEE
802.15.4 standard and can accept any role in the network.
• An RFD, on the other hand, has limited capabilities.
• For example, an FFD can communicate with any other device in a
network, but an RFD can talk only with an FFD device.
• RFD devices are intended for very simple applications such as turning
on or off a switch.
• The processing power and memory size of RFD devices are normally
less than those of FFD devices.
 Device Roles
• A coordinator is an FFD device that is capable of relaying messages.
• If the coordinator is also the principal controller of a personal area network
(PAN), it is called a PAN coordinator .
• The PAN coordinator controls the network and performs the following
• minimum duties:
• Allocate a unique address (16-bit or 64-bit) to each device in the network.
• Initiate, terminate, and route the messages throughout the network.
• Select a unique PAN identifier for the network.
• If a device is not acting as a coordinator, it is simply called a device.
 Zigbee Network Topologies
• The network formation is managed by the ZigBee
networking layer.
• There are two types of network topologies:
• Star topology.
• Peer to Peer Topology (Mesh and Tree).
Zigbee Network Topologies
 Star Topology
• In the star topology , every device in the network can communicate
only with the PAN coordinator.
• A typical scenario in a star network formation is that an FFD,
programmed to be a PAN coordinator, is activated and starts
establishing its network.
• The first thing this PAN coordinator does is select a unique PAN
identifier that is not used by any other network in its radio sphere of
influence —the region around the device in which its radio can
successfully communicate with other radios.
• In other words, it ensures that the PAN identifier is not used by any
other nearby network.
 Peer to Peer ( Mesh Topology)
• In a peer-to-peer topology , each device can communicate directly with any
other device if the devices are placed close enough together to establish a
successful communication link.
• Any FFD in a peer-to-peer network can play the role of the PAN coordinator.
• One way to decide which device will be the PAN coordinator is to pick the first
FFD device that starts communicating as the PAN coordinator.
• In a peer-to-peer network, all the devices that participate in relaying the
messages are FFDs because RFDs are not capable of relaying the messages.
• However, an RFD can be part of the network and communicate only with one
particular device (a coordinator or a router) in the network.
• Mesh topology has a characteristics of self-forming , ad hoc wireless
networking, and self-healing.
 Peer to Peer ( Tree Topology)
• In a tree topology, a ZigBee coordinator (PAN coordinator) establishes the initial
network.
• ZigBee routers form the branches and relay the messages.
• ZigBee end devices act as leaves of the tree and do not participate in message routing.
• ZigBee routers can grow the network beyond the initial network established by the ZigBee
coordinator.
• The tree topology in the figure helps by relaying the message of device A around the
barrier and reach device B.
• This is sometimes referred to as multihopping because a message hops from one node to
another until it reaches its destination at the expense of potential high message latency.
 Applications
• Home Automation
• Industrial Automation
• Patient Monitoring System
• Smart Meters
• Remote Control
An Example Network (Doorbell
System)
THANK YOU