The Differences of between

ZigBee and Bluetooth technologies

Can Kaya
201171221
CENG 502 Computer Networks - Cankaya University
Ankara, TURKEY





November 15, 2012































What is a ZigBee Wireless Network?





ZigBee networks can be cluster, star or mesh networks as shown in the diagram.
Each ZigBee network has one device that is setup as a coordinator that controls and
initializes the network. Other devices can either be setup as routers that can pass data or as
End Points, that can only have one connection. End points or Reduced Function Devices
can be set to sleep mode so they use very little power and so can be battery operated.

Because of this very low power requirement, ZigBee is ideal for sensor networks or other control applications, which
require:

Low to medium data rates
Lots of nodes (up to 65,565)
Easy addition or removal of nodes from network
robust mesh network that doesn't fall over if one node fails
very low power, battery operated equipment

ZigBee protocols are intended for use in embedded applications requiring low data rates and low power
consumption. ZigBees current focus is to define a general-purpose, inexpensive, self-organizing mesh
network that can be used for industrial control, embedded sensing, medical data collection, smoke and
intruder warning, building automation, home automation, etc. The resulting network will use very small
amounts of power individual devices must have a battery life of at least two years to pass ZigBee
certification.
ZigBee is a low-cost, low-power, wireless mesh networking proprietary standard. The low cost allows the
technology to be widely deployed in wireless control and monitoring applications, the low power-usage
allows longer life with smaller batteries, and the mesh networking provides high reliability and larger
range.
ZigBee can activate (go from sleep to active mode) in 15 msec or less, the latency can be very low and
devices can be very responsive particularly compared to Bluetooth wake-up delays, which are
typically around three seconds. Because ZigBees can sleep most of the time, average power
consumption can be very low, resulting in long battery life.
Where to use ZigBee?
Building Automation
Remote Control
Home energy savings
Health and fitness monitoring
Smart homes
Easy-to-use touchpads
mice, keyboards, wands
LED lighting control etc
What can ZigBee do for you?
ZigBee protocols are intended for embedded applications requiring low data rates and low power
consumption. The resulting network will use very small amounts of power individual devices must have
a battery life of at least two years to pass ZigBee certification
Home Entertainment and Control Home automation, smart lighting, advanced temperature
control, safety and security, movies and music
Wireless sensor networks Starting with individual sensors like Telosb/Tmote and Iris from
Memsic
Industrial control
Embedded sensing
Medical data collection
Smoke and intruder warning
Building automation
What is a Bluetooth Wireless Network?
Bluetooth technology was invented in 1994 by engineers at Ericsson.
Bluetooth is a standard and a communications protocol primarily designed for
low power consumption, with a short range (power-class-dependent: 100m,
10m and 1m, but ranges vary in practice) based on low-cost transceiver
microchips in each device. Bluetooth makes it possible for these devices to
communicate with each other when they are in range.
Where to use Bluetooth?
Specifically, Bluetooth connects devices such as;
Mobile phones, PDA, laptops, Pcs together
Modems, headsets, computer mouse, keyboards
Digital Camera
Personal digital assistants
Printers, Fax machines
Car Kits etc.
Bluetooth exists in many products, such as telephones, modems and headsets.. I you are specific users
to file transfer or synchronization something, multi-functional cell phone and so on.
What can Bluetooth do for you?
The technology is useful when transferring information between two or more devices that are
near each other in low-bandwidth situations. Bluetooth is commonly used to transfer sound data with
telephones (i.e., with a Bluetooth headset) or byte data with hand-held computers (transferring files).
For instance, you can use your phone or PDA to consult databases located in your laptop, or even to
print documents. You can use your MP3 player around the house to listen to music stored on your PC.
Recently, car manufacturers such as BMW, Lexus and Toyota have equipped some of their models with
Bluetooth car kits. This allows you to use the features of your cell phone through the car's audio system
while the phone itself is stored away in the trunk, for instance.

What are differences between ZigBee and Bluetooth wireless
networks?
There is a table about difference between ZigBee and Bluetooth wireless network technologies. We
listed major difference between the two technologies.

ZigBee Bluetooth
Range 10-100 meters 10 meters
Networking Topology Ad-hoc, peer to peer, star, or mesh Ad-hoc, very small networks
Operating Frequency 868 MHz (Europe)
900-928 MHz (NA), 2.4 GHz
(worldwide)
2.4 GHz
Complexity (Device
and application
impact)
Low High
Power Consumption
(Battery option and
life)
Very low (low power is a design
goal)
Medium
Security 128 AES plus application layer
security
64 and 128 bit encryption
Typical Applications Industrial control and monitoring,
sensor networks, building
automation, home control and
automation, toys, games
Wireless connectivity between devices
such as phones, PDA, laptops, headsets
Modulation technique
Spreading
Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
(DSSS)
Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum
(FHSS)
Protocol stack size 28 Kbyte 250 Kbyte
Battery Not rechargeable (one reason
batteries will last for up to 10
years)
Intended for frequent recharging

Data Rate 250 Kbit/s 1 Mbit/s
Typical network join
time
30 milliseconds 3 seconds
Application Monitoring and Control Cable replacement
Number of devices for
Network
64K 7
Typical Applications
Industrial control and monitoring,
sensor networks, building
automation, home control and
automation, toys, games
Wireless connectivity between devices
such as phones, PDA, laptops, headsets
Physical/ MAC layers IEEE 802.15.4 IEEE 802.15.1
Basic Cell star Piconet
Bluetooth is more oriented toward user mobility and eliminating short-distance cabling; ZigBee aims
more for grand-scale automation and remote control.
























REFERENCES
http://docs.zigbee.org/zigbee-docs/dcn/07-5482.pdf
http://www.askmen.com/money/how_to_200/221_how_to.html#ixzz2CIeHy0DS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZigBee
http://www.differencebetween.net/technology/difference-between-zigbee-and-bluetooth/
http://www.sena.com/blog/?p=359
http://news.techworld.com/mobile-wireless/2406/zigbee-is-the-future-dead-in-the-water-delete-as-
appropriate/
http://www.zigbee.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth
http://www.bluetooth.com/