AVR-Chat

ZigBee - I am guilty of assuming that Maxstream moved out of beta with
Zigbee since it's "certified" now. I see they haven't. They have a
huge number of beta testers. So a request may well be accepted. 


--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, dlc@... wrote:
>
> According to Maxtream their XBee modules are not true mesh, they
have some
> beta mesh software that implements routers that aren't the
coordinator as
> the mesh spec says, but it is beta.  The shipping code does not support
> true mesh networking...Yet.
> 
> DLC
> 
> > 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
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
>