When You Thought You'd Seen All Wireless Protocols...

[marlof]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=1225' target='_blank'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.a...?contentid=1225</a><br /><br /></div>... there's ZigBee. On Geekzone Mauricio Freitas goes into detail about this new protocol, and how it compares to Bluetooth and wi-fi. <br /><br />"ZigBee is one implementation of the logical layer needed to implement the standard IEEE 802.15.4 ractified in May 2003. The standard intends to be a simple packet data protocol, with a low power requirement and narrow bandwidth requirements. Its maximum speed is 250kbps, compared to Bluetooth at 720kbps and wi-fi from 11mbps (although we all know real life applications will have different performance). [...] Because of its limited bandwidth it's not intended to be a wire replacement like Bluetooth, or a wireless network adapter like wi-fi. Examples [of its use] include: <br />• Wireless home security <br />• Remote thermostats for air conditioner <br />• Remote lighting, drape controller <br />• Call button for elderly and disabled<br />• Universal remote controller to TV and radio <br />• Wireless keyboard, mouse and game pads <br />• Wireless smoke, CO detectors <br />• Industrial and building automation and control (lighting, etc.)"<br /><br />So, should my future Pocket PC have Bluetooth, Wi-Fi AND ZigBee?

[SHoTTa35]

i say let's work on bluetooth and just make that better in a broadrange of stuff... all this extra stuff just gonna cause confusion. Most people would jump on me for saying innovation is what gave us bluetooth now and if we had just stuck with RF or Wi-Fi since those work pretty good then we wouldn't have this and yeah, i hear yah but at what point do you say enough is enough?

I'd really like to see simple stuff just work. No messing around, just hit power and it works. When they design that then gimmie a call :D

[Janak Parekh]

SHoTTa35, the reason ZigBee is gaining popularity is because it's super-low power. We're talking solutions that could run on months on AA batteries here. Bluetooth can't do even that (and Wi-Fi certainly can't). ZigBee is really a replacement for all the proprietary RF solutions we have in remote controls, door openers, etc.

Once we see such adoption it would be cool to have ZigBee-based Pocket PCs -- they could serve as the next-generation Nevos. :)

--janak

[SHoTTa35]

hehe, well in that case bring it on! :D Just hungry i guess.. i need foood!!! LOL.. brain no work without food!! LOL

[garrans]

I expect your more likely to see a Zigbee / Telephone interface first (for Appliance Phone Home capabilities), then you may see USB-Zigbee adapters (use the computers internet connection for phone home), lastly Zigbee-Bluetooth adapter (in same manner as USB connection)

[dangerwit]

SHoTTa35, the reason ZigBee is gaining popularity is because it's super-low power. We're talking solutions that could run on months on AA batteries here. Bluetooth can't do even that (and Wi-Fi certainly can't). ZigBee is really a replacement for all the proprietary RF solutions we have in remote controls, door openers, etc.

Once we see such adoption it would be cool to have ZigBee-based Pocket PCs -- they could serve as the next-generation Nevos. :)

--janak

But, my garage door opener works fine now. And it runs at least 3 years on the current battery. Even my Pronto runs a few months on its AA batteries. Now if I could only get my bluetooth mouse to last more than a month on 2AA's. :)

How many people use home automation? X10 [semi-unreliably] uses power lines, which is nice when it works. I use it in some parts of my house (I think I need an amplifier though).

Do we really need a replacement for things that already work pretty well as they are? I'd love to see security-based protocols for my garage door opener and my thermostat, that'd be cool. So would checking on grandma over the internet (if her batteries were new) -- but this almost sounds like a new product rather than something to replace current technologies, and certainly not a mission-critical innovation. Perhaps I'm not inventive enough, though, to think of suitable uses. :)

*Phil

[Anthony Caruana]

Hmmm... I'm sittling at my desk at home and thinking that I'm gonna end up with yet another wireless device. Already i have Wi-Fi, bluethooth, an RF mouse and keyboard and two cordless phones. I am sure that there are times when these devices interfere with each other and diminish each other's performance. Throw in the IR on the TV and VCR and the wireless web is even further tangled. :?

What I would like to see is all the wirelsss standards definers (I know it's not a real word but I think you know what i mean) to get together and find a way to simply coexist and interact. Imagine if you could use the same mic/earpiece headset to make phone calls via your pc. All that would take is for one of the RF receivers on my PC to be able to communicate with the phone. That same receiver could also connect your PDA to the PC.

Maybe even TV/VCR/DVD manufacturers could abandon IR and go to an RF solution so that you could program your VCR through an intuitive GUI on a PC or PDA.

All the bits of this puzzle are there. We just need to put them together. But then I always wanted to visit Utopia :wink:

[garrans]

Guys, I think primarily your missing the point - Zigbee is not about wireless interaction between "smart" devices (PocketPC's, User Interaction devices etc) Its about Automation & Control of previously dumb or wired devices.

Take the security scenario - currently if I want to run a security system in my house, I wire it (ok there are some alternatives but mostly here). I run wires all over the house. Instead w/ Zigbee I have wireless devices on each window communicating with a smart central point that maybe has bluetooth to communicate w/ my PocketPC.

How much easier would it be if a zigbee device was used for home automation rather than X10. No problems with neighbor interference. I'd also like to see someone like GE implement device phone home capabilities - eg. Garage Door open > 4 hours, call the house ? Validate its correct.

I think there is room for a very low power low bandwidth device. But more to the point, low cost. If Microchip, ATMEL can put this on a PIC chip, usage in a wide variety of scenarios will take off.

[Gremmie]

No, they are getting the point (thanks to Janek), the conflict is, will this be a better solution for previously dumb devices. Sure, it can be an alternative garage door opener, or at alternative remote for the TV; even though it's based on a standard, is it really better?

To me, I don't think it'd be a great replacement to current devices (i.e. garage door opener, remotes). However, I think there is a good market in it for non-existing household devices. For instance, I know wireless thermostat has always been the item of the futuristic housing, but who really has it? If ZigBee becomes a standard for fururistic wireless equipment before futuristic wireless equipment becomes an everyday household, I think it'll be successful.

[beq]

I can see its usefulness I guess (especially w/ the large distributed network sizes it supports!). I guess wireless counterpart for the likes of CEBus, LonWorks/Echelon, etc...?

[ctmagnus]

What I would like to see is all the wirelsss standards definers (I know it's not a real word but I think you know what i mean) to get together and find a way to simply coexist and interact.

But that wouldn't be good for the Enrons, Microsofts, AOLs and all the other major companies in the world. Screw the consumer! It's time for the CEOs to worship the almighty dollar again!

I wonder if they all face Wall Street when they pray. :?: (or is that prey? :twisted: )

[ConceptVBS]

The Zigbee consortium focuses mostly on home automation devices.

[easylife]

There was another front-page post about ZigBee over a year ago here:
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=59

[Janak Parekh]

There was another front-page post about ZigBee over a year ago here:
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=59
Good catch! :D And notice my totally clueless first reply... I feel so much... older... now. ;)

--janak