ZigBee is a specialization for a suite of high level communication protocols using small, low-power digital radio based on an IEEE 802 standard for Personal Area Network(WPAN).

The ZigBee Alliance (group of companies) maintains and publishes the ZigBee standards. The term ZigBee is a registered trademark of this alliance and not a single technical standard.

The Alliance publishes application profiles that allow multiple Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM)vendors to create interoperable products.

The relationship between IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee is similar to that between IEEE 802.11 and the Wi-Fi Alliance.

ZigBee is the set of specifications that are built around the physical layer and MAC defined in IEEE standard 802.15.4 (2003 version) for lowrate WPANs. ZigBee devices are actively limited to a through-rate of 250Kbps, operating on the 2.4 GHz ISM(Industrial, Scientific, Medical) band, which is available worldwide. ZigBee is being used for next generation automated manufacturing, with small transmitters in every device on the floor, allowing for communication between devices to a central computer. The specified maximum range of operation for ZigBee devices is 76m, substantially further than that used by Bluetooth capable devices.

WHY ZigBee? ZigBee? Simpler and less expensive than other WPANs, such as Bluetooth. ZigBee is targeted at Radio Frequency applications that require a low data rate, long battery life and secure networking.

Self-healing mesh networks. Low cost, long battery life, good range, secure. Reliable, Personal Area Networks for sensor, control and low bandwidth data communications. It can work seamlessly with other networks such as WiFi, Broadband Ethernet and GPRS via a low cost gateway It s a low power wireless technology that's ideal for new and old infrastructures. It can have range between 10m and 2km.

ZigBee Architecture7Layer ISO-OSI-Model Application Presentation Session Transport Network Data Link Physical Simplified 5Layer ISO-OSI-Model User Application Application Profile Network Data Link Physical

IEEE 802 Model < ZigBee < Upper Layers

7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Logic Link Control (LLC) Media Access Control (MAC) Physical

< 802.14.5