Connecting your world
Zigbee is an open, global standard for wireless communication between wireless devices. Zigbee devices can easily be integrated into systems across the IoT industry via Zigbee gateways. The Zigbee protocol is secure and reliable, which is one of the reasons why it has become one of the world’s most widely adopted protocols.
Why Zigbee 3.0?
The Zigbee 3.0 protocol has been created by members of the Connectivity Standards Alliance and builds on the existing Zigbee standard. It unifies the market-specific application profiles to ensure interoperability and enhance the simplicity of the end-user experience. With Zigbee 3.0, devices can be connected despite their market function. Zigbee 3.0 is also capable of establishing and maintaining communication in noisy RF environments.
Take a look at alternative Zigbee profiles; Zigbee Home Automation and Zigbee Smart Energy.
Connectivity and reliability
Zigbee is the ideal choice of protocol for the IoT because different Zigbee certified devices can be connected. As more Zigbee devices are linked, communication paths between devices multiply, eliminating the risk of single-point signal failure. Zigbee is interoperable and standardizes network and application layers, which means that devices from different vendors can work together seamlessly.
In addition, Zigbee is built on 2.4 GHz, which is available for unlicensed use anywhere in the world. This means that solution providers can sell the same product anywhere on the planet. Also, Zigbee supports a data transfer rate of 250kbit/s across 16 different channels. This guarantees that solutions with Zigbee certified products are reliable and interference-free.
Reliable mesh network
Zigbee is a mesh network, a communication network made up of radio nodes organized in a mesh topology. The mesh network is characterized by rich interconnectivity. Each device connected to the mesh network acts as a node that connects to the signal and passes it on to the next device. Zigbee can potentially handle more than 65,000 units in a network while maintaining signal strength and the ability to send and receive data.
The mesh network is suitable for IoT solutions as it is a low-cost, low-power, reliable network with no single point of failure. In addition, it is self-extending, which means that you can add another node to the mesh system to get more range.
Security
The Zigbee protocol is very secure, as it uses a variety of security mechanisms, such as AES-128 encryption, network and device keys as well as frame counters.
Additionally, Develco Products is a member of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, so all our Zigbee certified products meet the requirements of the alliance. The requirements include providing the best functionality with security measures in place. Since its inception, the Connectivity Standards Alliance has continuously monitored security trends in the industry and worked with white hats and researchers to stay ahead of emerging threats.
Mesh network
The stability of Zigbee comes from its mesh networking, allowing communication from one device to "hop" through other devices until it reaches the gateway.
Global standard
Zigbee is the protocol of choice for world-leading service providers, installers and retailers in smart home and energy management.
Interoperable
All Zigbee products can communicate and function together regardless of vendor and models.
Interference-free
By communicating on low frequencies, Zigbee avoids being affected by or causing interference.
Secure
Zigbee uses AES-128 encryption and three types of keys to keep devices secure.
Low-power
Zigbee requires very little power, making it an ideal protocol for battery powered alarms and sensors.