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Zigbee wireless technology is a powerhouse behind the scenes, capable of keeping your smart home functioning smoothly.
This week’s New Tech Tuesday takes a quick look at the benefits Zigbee delivers to the smart home ecosystem. Amongst a variety of wireless connectivity options, see why Zigbee is more relevant than ever in 2024.
Unpacking Zigbee’s Magic
Zigbee can be thought of as the quiet achiever of the wireless world. It operates on a different frequency than Wi-Fi, which means less interference with your home network. It’s also a mesh network protocol, meaning your Zigbee devices work together to create a stronger, more reliable connection.
Think of it like a group of ants working together to build a colony. Each device acts as a node, passing the signal along to the next, ensuring a solid connection throughout your home.
The Zigbee Alliance was formed in the early 2000s, with the first Zigbee specification published in 2004. Today, Zigbee remains relevant, especially after the release of Zigbee PRO 2023, which enhanced the protocol with new security features, support for sub-gigahertz frequencies, and simplified device onboarding through Zigbee Direct. These advancements ensure Zigbee’s continued relevance and value for consumer Internet of Things (IoT) and industrial IoT (IIoT) applications.
Zigbee Still Shines in a Crowded Market
Sure, there are plenty of wireless options out there. But Zigbee brings some unique advantages to the table:
- Mesh Network Advantage: As mentioned, Zigbee devices create their own network, extending the range and boosting reliability. Even if one device goes down, the others can pick up the slack.
- Low Power, High Impact: Zigbee devices are incredibly energy efficient. This means batteries last longer, saving you money and hassle.
- Stability and Reliability: Zigbee networks are known for their rock-solid stability. You do not have to worry about your devices randomly dropping offline.
- Expanding Ecosystem: More and more smart home devices are joining the Zigbee party. From light bulbs and thermostats to sensors and locks, you’ll find plenty of options to create a truly connected home.
The Newest Products for Your Newest Designs®
This week’s New Tech Tuesday introduces advanced multi-wireless protocol solutions by Texas Instruments and SparkFun, designed to elevate smart home connectivity through seamless integration and optimal performance.
The Texas Instruments SimpleLink™ CC2674R10 is a versatile wireless microcontroller (MCU) designed to support multiple communication protocols, making it an ideal solution for a wide range of IoT applications. Along with a 48MHz Arm® Cortex®-M33 processor with TrustZone®, the MCU incorporates multi-protocol and multi-band support at 2.4GHz, enabling seamless integration and interoperability across different wireless standards. Specifically, the CC2674R10 supports Zigbee, Thread, Bluetooth® 5.3 Low Energy, and other proprietary protocols. This extensive protocol support allows developers to design flexible and future-proof solutions that can adapt to evolving connectivity needs.
The SparkFun MicroMod STM32WB5MMG processor is a versatile module based on the STMicroelectronics STM32WB5MMG microcontroller. The module is certified for Zigbee 3.0 and OpenThread® and supports Bluetooth Low Energy and 802.15.4. It offers a programmable transmission power of up to +6dBm and a reception sensitivity of −96dBm for Bluetooth Low Energy and −100dBm for 802.15.4. Of these, 802.15.4 is essential for Zigbee.
The SparkFun MicroMod ecosystem is a modular prototyping platform that utilizes the M.2 standard connector and is designed to simplify and accelerate the development of embedded systems. At its core, MicroMod enables the easy interchange of microcontroller processor boards with various carrier boards that provide peripheral connectivity. This modularity allows developers to select the best processor for their specific application without redesigning the entire system.
Tuesday’s Takeaway
Zigbee is far from fading into obscurity. With its strong foundation and growing ecosystem, it’s poised to play a major role in the smart home of the future. So, next time you’re setting up a smart home device, do not overlook the power of Zigbee.
Sources:
“Zigbee: The Full-Stack Solution for all Smart Devices,” Connectivity Standards Alliance, https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/zigbee/.
“Zigbee PRO 2023 Improves Overall Security While Simplifying Experience,” Connectivity Standards Alliance, https://csa-iot.org/newsroom/zigbee-pro-2023-improves-overall-security-while-simplifying-experience/.
