ZigBee Alliance Finalizes Wireless Communications Spec

December 14, 2004

SAN RAMON, Calif.—After two years of worldwide development and interoperability testing by the more than 100 member companies, the ZigBee Alliance announced the ratification of the first so-called ZigBee specification for power-efficient, low data-rate monitoring, control and sensing networks.

For those members that have already announced ZigBee-ready technology, the ratification of the specification enables them to quickly enhance their products and begin testing to obtain ZigBee-compliant certification. Alliance members have complete and exclusive access to the final specification and will continue to participate in ongoing interoperability testing to verify that their products are ZigBee compliant.

"ZigBee is poised to become the leading wireless technology for a myriad of uses ranging from building automation to industrial and residential applications," said Andrew Wale, vice president of business development for Advance Transformer Co., a division of Philips Electronics North America Corp.

"The adoption of the ZigBee specification gives member companies the opportunity to capitalize on this innovative technology for monitoring, sensing and control applications in residential and commercial environments," said Bob Heile, chairman of the ZigBee Alliance.

The focus of the ZigBee Alliance is to define the network, security and application software layers for the technology; provide interoperability and conformance testing specifications; promote the ZigBee brand globally to build market awareness; and manage the evolution of the technology.

According to information on the Alliance website (http://www.zigbee.org), ZigBee-compliant products will utilize the IEEE 802.15.4 physical radio standard and operate in unlicensed bands at 2.4 GHz (global), 915 Mhz (Americas) and 868 Mhz (Europe). Raw data throughput rates of 250 Kbs can be achieved at 2.4 GHz (16 channels), 40 Kbs at 915 Mhz (10 channels) and 20 Kbs at 868 Mhz (1 channel). Transmission distances range from 10 to 100 meters, depending on power output and environmental characteristics

"ZigBee" derives its name from the ZigBee Principle, the technique honey bees use to communicate new-found food sources to other members of the colony.