Demand for innovations
ZigBee was created to address the market need for a cost-effective, standards-based wireless networking solution that supports low data-rates, low-power consumption, security, and reliability. ZigBee is the only standards-based technology that addresses the unique needs of most remote monitoring and control and sensory network applications. ZigBee is the only standards-based technology that addresses the unique needs of most remote monitoring and control and sensory network applications.
If you are looking for wireless monitoring and remote control solutions, ZigBee may be the answer. These are the functions for which ZigBee was designed. ZigBee nodes can be used to tie an entire home, office or factory together for safety, security, convenience and control.
Nodes are incorporated in thousands of sensors and controls that are built into large infrastructures for home automation, industrial automation, remote metering, automotives, medical equipment, patient monitoring, asset tracking systems, security systems, lighting and temperature control systems.
Zigbee Devices
There are three categories of ZigBee devices:
- ZigBee Network Coordinator: Smart node that automatically initiates the formation of the network.
- ZigBee Router: Another smart node that links groups together and provides multi-hoping for messages. It associates with other routers and end-devices.
- ZigBee End Devices: Where the rubber hits the road-sensors
Zigbee is Futuristic
The progress, improvement and implemetation of the Zigbee technology into every aspect of our lives is indeed a path-breaking transformation in the wireless circuits. It gradually crept into homes and offices, but is now set to assume huge numbers in the coming years, where more and more people opt for it. The trend towards automating our home seems to be increasing. A study by ABI Research in 2003 predicted that the home automation market in the United States of America (USA) would rise from $1.5 billion to more than $3.8 billion US dollars by 2008. This market growth can be seen in Figure 2.1 (Hansen, 2004, in ABI Research).
Although the Zigbee devices are not widely used at present, the expectations are that most electronic devices will have a Zigbee chip for simple connectivity to each other. It will be nothing unusual if an ordinary home contains about 50 Zigbee chips and in the morning, an alarm clock sends messages wirelessly to the coffee-maker, “Two cappuccinos, please.”
Paul Saffo from Istitute for the future says, “Just as the personal computer was a symbol of ‘80s, the symbol of the ‘90s is the World Wide Web, the next non-linear shift is going to be the advent of cheap sensors.” For more on Zigbee products visit, http://zigbee.eu
