Can Zigbee/XBee Routers automatically associate with a Zigbee Coordinator, without having to manually configure PAN, DH and DL of the coordinator?
In my setup, I have a XBee Coordinator API and several XBee Router AT, and it appears that I need to setup the Router AT units manually.
In a commercial Zigbee product, how do you avoid this manual programming of the Zigbee units? For example, how does the single Philip Hue bulbs that you purchase knows which Bridge to associate with?
As far as the Philips Hue bulb, perhaps you can find information on commissioning at the Philips Hue support site.
XBee networks are simpler. You can configure the PAN ID of the routers to 0, and they will attempt to join any network they see. If you set DH/DL to 0 as well, they'll use the coordinator as their default destination. If you configure the XBee with security (look at EE (encryption enable), EO (encryption options) and KY (shared link key)), the coordinators and routers will only join each other. The routers won't join another XBee network, and the coordinators won't let any devices without the correct key join.
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I want to know if it's possible to use a BLE module for both mesh networking and point-to-point connections at the same time.
Rationale:
The embedded linux (EL) product that I am designing needs to be able to connect to BLE peripherals like a heart rate monitor (sports grade, not medical) and the product needs to communicate with others of its kind.
I also need a very low power way of sending data from all EL devices to the internet. Ideally with only one of the products supplying a connection to the internet.
I am open to other solutions or reasons why this might not be a good approach even if it's possible.
Here is a rough block diagram of what I'm trying to achieve:
The block diagram does not show a HR connected to every EL device, however this would be a possibility as well.
Green = Embedded Linux Devices
Red = Heart Rate Monitors
Blue = An internet connection to the cloud
Yellow = connections between Embedded Devices
Option 1 - WiFi
The first option I considered was a wifi connection between the EL devices, however this will consume much more power than BLE.
Option 2 - BLE mesh
Using a BLE mesh seems like the best solution, if and only if, it's possible to do point-to-point connection at the same time.
Yes, this behaviour is specified in the BLE Mesh Profile specification in chapter 2.3.11. What you are looking for is a Proxy Node:
Proxy feature – the ability to receive and retransmit mesh messages between GATT and
advertising bearers.
Also take a look at the Ultimate Mesh Tutorial where they also describe the proxy node:
To allow communication with a mesh network from a non-mesh-supported BLE device, a special type of node called a proxy node can be utilized. A proxy node acts as an intermediary and utilizes GATT operations to allow other nodes outside of the mesh network to interface and interact with the network.
The protocol used in this case is called the proxy protocol, which is intended to be used with a connection-enabled device (using GATT).
This is of course hardware and software dependent. Not every hardware or software stack supports BLE mesh functionality.
The wikipedia article for Bluetooth mesh networking has a list of currently availible software stack supporting BLE mesh.
The diagram below shows a typical enterprise LAN using ethernet and wireless LAN access points.
Each LAN switch on each floor connects to a centralized distribution switch.
The question is why are there 2 links between each switch and the SWD.
I would imagine it is either being used to increase throughput and/or redundancy. Have a look at Link Aggregation
It's Ether Channel Technology. Because of that technology switches can send data on two ways and of course the biggest advantage is load balancing. If there are so traffic on ways, EC isusefull. When one of channel is down, other one keep sending (security)
I want to connect the Telegesis USB stick to this silabs kit over zigbee home automation profile. And i had convert it into home automation profile in Telegesis Terminal and both behave as coordinator into their configuration and can’t connect the network into ember Desktop. Anyone had done before,please help me.
A coordinator is a device that creates a personal area network (PAN) and may permit other devices to join that network. When you make both devices behave as coordinator, they are forming separate networks and therefore can not communicate with each other. Even if you gave them the same PAN ID, ZigBee has some anti-collision mechanisms built into the protocol so that they will "know" the networks are distinct and not allow any crossover.
What you should do is configure one of the two as a router or end device. These device types join the network created by the coordinator. The coordinator may need to be in a pairing or "permit joining" mode to allow this. This would be standard commissioning for the Home Automation profile that you want to use.
I'm attempting to get some ZigBee equipment to communicate with each other. I've had some success with the XBee USB, but I have had to switch to Telegesis recently. This piece appears to have a specific AT command set. Will it be compatible with ZigBee sensors made by other companies?
Also - I've run across a few APIs for ZigBee. Are they all just AT commands at the core?
AT commands are just used to configure the Telegesis ZigBee module. It's a SoC and can work in any mode (coordinator/router/zed). On the other side, it talks the ZigBee language and can communicate with any ZigBee certified device. So it can be used to create a ZigBee network or can be included in any ZigBee network.
All ZigBee radios should interoperate -- you just need to make sure they are configured to join to each other. With XBee modules, be sure to set ATZS to 2 so the radios form and try to join a true ZigBee network. The default setting of 0 is for non-ZigBee networks.
To have modules join to each other, you'll need to know the PAN ID and possibly link key used to secure the network.
Once you start communicating via ZigBee, expect to use these modules in an API frame mode, where you need to set address information (destination node, source/destination endpoint, cluster) in the headers.
I would like establish a mesh network using Zigbee modules and ATmega8.
I need some basic c routines for establishing the network. My Controller is running with ATmega32. and end nodes will be on ATmega8.
I want plug and play wireless connection between Controller unit and nodes.
Please help me.
The Digi XBee series of RF modules is popular for plug and play wireless. In it's simplest configuration, a pair of modules operates as a serial cable replacement, with bytes going in on one module coming out on the other.
If you want to have a multi-node network, you'll have to use the radios in API mode, where frames include a header with addressing information and checksum in the footer. Digi has released an ANSI C XBee Host Library as Open Source on GitHub that could be a good starting point for that since you mention using C. It looks like there's even a fork of the library targeting the AVR platform.
#user2031622, zigbee nowdays has builtin microcontroller such as CC2530 provided by TI stack (Texas instruments).CC2530 has a inbuilt 8051 microcontroller which supports mesh networking.