The A to Z of wireless

Z is for ZigBee

ZigBee is a low-power, low-cost open wireless standard. It operates in unlicensed spectrum and enables everyday devices to connect wirelessly to the internet and transmit and receive data.

While it may lose out to fellow personal area network tech Bluetooth in the speed stakes, being limited to a maximum of 250Kbps, it wins on the power front, consuming significantly less energy.

ZigBee is especially suited to remote monitoring and control, as well as sensory network applications. It can also support mesh networks (see M is for Mesh network) - the self-healing properties of which are considered well suited to ZigBee's world of remote, always-on, low-powered sensors.

Typical hardware uses include smart meters, thermostats, medical data monitors, smoke or burglar alarm systems, building or home automation gadgets and domotics (the use of robot and computer technology in domestic appliances).

Some industry watchers however believe ZigBee is becoming increasingly focused on a single use-case: smart metering. Even so, smart metering could still be a substantial market, with the UK government recently announcing a plan for a smart meter to be installed in every home by 2020.

A smart meter (Photo credit: cote via Flickr.com under the following Creative Commons licence)

silicon.com's Tim Ferguson contributed to this report