AVR-Chat

re below...
ZigBee 1.0 is a mesh by my definition: Nodes are configured with a
network name. At power-up, every node seeks out its neighbors. A
message from node A to node X may be relayed by zero or more nodes,
mesh-like.  ZigBee defines a "coordinator" node. This node manages
network address assignments (kind of like ARP and DHCP in ethernet).
Maxstream even has a DNS-like node-name capability (beyond ZigBee).

I've used  the XBee's and other vendors' with ZigBee mesh-like - with
4 hops. I've shut down intermediate nodes and seen the mesh reform on
the fly to reroute.  One hop = 80K bytes/sec by my measures with an
ideal signal to noise and no interference.

Most vendors today are limiting the max discovered neighbors to about
5, due to memory limitations. 

A star topology, per me, means there is no routing at all and the hop
count is 1 for every message. The route from a node to the coordinator
 or gateway can be several hops. Often, the coordinator is a bridge to
a PC and thus a kind of gateway, if the PC forwards traffic to a WAN.

The semantics are not well defined.


--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, dlc@... wrote:
>
> Now I'm confused.  The manual specifically addresses sleep mode and
> indirect messaging in a non-beacon network.  Is that then a custom XBee
> protocol that isn't Zigbee?
> 
> In my conversations with Maxstream they don't even have mesh networking,
> only star networking since their Zigbee does not yet have mesh.
> 
> ???
> Now I'll have to go back to them and talk about it all over again. 
Also,
> if you are going to use "Zigbee" in your product literature and you
have a
> Zigbee compliant (and tested) module like the XBee units then you only
> need to have the $1500 membership and ONLY on the year that you release
> the product to the public.  You only need to be listed in the Zigbee
> alliance (apparently) not a full voting member.  That is how I
understand
> it from when I took classes on Zigbee, but that was last year, this year
> may be different...
> 
> DLC
> 
> > I had a chat with MaxStream about the XBee modules (they were very
> > helpful). To clarify the question of sleep mode:
> >
> > Me: I was looking at the XBee/Pro manual and it seems the Zigbee
modules
> > don't support sleep mode?
> > MS: That is correct. The XBee's do not yet support a sleep mode when
> > using the ZigBee firmware. If you are using the 802.15.4 firmware with
> > the XBee's, sleep mode is supported in that case.
> > Me: Would I be right in saying that if I want mesh networking (i.e.
> > Zigbee rather than 15.4) and battery powered sensor nodes, then
XBee is
> > not suitable?
> > MS: Not yet, that's correct. We expect to have a solution that will
> > provide mesh networking with sleep mode for end nodes (for your
battery
> > powered sensor nodes in that case) very soon (in the next 30 - 60
days).
> >
> > I also asked MaxStream and Zigbee Alliance about licensing and
> > membership fees. The ZA response:
> >
> > "If you are going to use ZigBee specification building
> > commercial sensor modules around MaxStream's XBee modules then we
answer
> > is "yes" you have to be a member of the ZigBee.
> >
> > You can then develop a ZigBee product with no additional license fees
> > imposed by the ZigBee Alliance unless you want to market your product
> > under the ZigBee name. With other words, if you don't call you
product a
> > ZigBee device, you do not have to undergo any other certification and
> > licensing. However, we recommend that you go through a no-harm test
> > program to ensure that other networks will not harm you and
vice-versa."
> >
> > MaxStream's final word on the subject:
> >
> > "You asked if there was any licensing fee for use of the ZigBee XBee
> > modules. There is only a licensing fee to the ZigBee Alliance if
you use
> > the word "ZigBee" in your marketing of your product. For more
> > information about that, you will have to contact the ZigBee Alliance."
> >
> >
> > I'm not sure whether or not it's necessary to use the Zigbee
> > specification to build a Zigbee sensor network around XBee modules
- if
> > it is then I in principle have to pay $3500 for use of the spec.
> >
> > Mark
> >
> >
> >
> > stevech11 wrote:
> >> Remember, use of the ZigBee network layer is optional in all these
> >> 802.15.4 modules. Without ZigBee it's like using Ethernet without
IP -
> >> you can address packets by the MAC address.
> >>
> >> The current (about to change) ZigBee standard says that end-nodes
> >> (network leaf) can sleep. Routers cannot sleep. This is a big issue
> >> for the new standard.
> >>
> >> --- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, dlc@ wrote:
> >>
> >>>   I don't think that you read the manual correctly.  Unless you want
> >>>
> >> some
> >>
> >>> other kind of sleep mode.  To quote from the "Sleep" section of the
> >>> XBee
> >>> manual:
> >>>
> >>> "Sleep Modes enable the RF module to enter states of low-power
> >>>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
>