International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)

Volume 130 – No.9, November 2015

A Survey of ZigBee Wireless Sensor Network

Technology: Topology, Applications and Challenges

Omojokun G. Aju
Adekunle Ajasin University, Department of Computer Science
Akungba-Akoko, Ondo-State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT Although, wired sensor networks are more reliable and

ZigBee technology as a wireless sensor and control network secured in addition to having stable communication systems.
is one of the most popularly deployed wireless technologies in However, the greatest advantage of wireless sensor devices is
recent years. This is because ZigBee is an open standard that they make installations possible where cabling is
lightweight, low-cost, low-speed, low-power protocol that impractical, such as in large concrete structures and cargoes
allows true operability between systems. It is built on existing [17].
IEEE 802.15.4 protocol and therefore combines the IEEE
802.15.4 features and newly added features to meet required When ideal wireless sensors are networked, they perform
functionalities thereby finding applications in wide variety smartly and are scalable. They consume very little power,
of wireless personal area networked systems such as software programmable, capable of fast data acquisition,
home/industrial automation and monitoring systems. reliable and accurate. Also, wireless sensors are relatively
Although the ZigBee design specification includes security cheap and WSNs largely reduce long term maintenance
features to protect data communication confidentiality and cost, eases installation, eliminate the use of bundle of wires
integrity, however, when simplicity and low-cost are the and fiber optic tails.
major goals, security suffers. This paper gives the general
survey of the ZigBee as a wireless sensor network based In WSN, the protocol stack helps to promote cooperative
technology which provides the readers with the general efforts of sensor nodes, enhance power efficiency and
overview of ZigBee network technology including its integrates data with networking protocols. The protocol
topology, applications and challenges. stack is made up of the task management plane, mobility
management plane, power management plane, application
General Terms layer, transport layer, network layer, data link layer and
Wireless Sensor Network, Mobile Network. physical layer. Although, some modifications may be
applicable to the protocol depending on the wireless standard
Keywords and technology used in designing the WSN. ZigBee,
ZigBee, IEEE 802.14.5, Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), Bluetooth, WiFi, WiMax, ANT, WirelessHART, Z-Wave
topology, application, wireless technology. and 6LowPAN are some of the most popular technologies
that are currently being deployed in WSNs.
1. INTRODUCTION Unlike LAN sensor network where sensors, controllers and
Wireless sensor networking is one of the most popular and processing stations are connected directly, in WSN, sensors
active research areas in networking and communication field interact wirelessly with central based (processing) stations
in recent years. Consequently, numerous workshops and [11]. The base station (can be a sink node) otherwise
conferences are being arranged annually on this emerging known as the gateway, communicates with the wireless
technology. This attraction resulted from the fact that the sensors via radio link. Data from wireless sensor nodes is
technology is exciting with unlimited potential for numerous transmitted to the gateway (the sink node) directly or
applications that are been implemented based on wireless through other wireless sensor nodes using multi-hop
sensor networks (WSNs). Application areas include communication system. Therefore, WSN enables
environmental, military, telecommunication, transportation, information (data) to be obtained from remote and
entertainment, crisis management, health, retail services and inaccessible locations for processing. A simple schematic
smart homes. The wireless technology deployed for a diagram of a WSN is shown in figure 1.1.
particular sensor network depends on the type of application.
Common wireless technologies include Infrared, Bluetooth,
WiFi, WiMax, ZigBee etc. However, this paper survey
ZigBee technology as a Wireless Sensor Network with
emphasis on its topology, application, and challenges.

Wireless sensor network (WSN) is a large number of nodes

with sensing capabilities which gather information from
physical processes/events (e.g. temperature, sound, vibration,
pressure, motion, or pollutants) and communicate the
processed data (information) cooperatively and wirelessly
to the base station. The network is formed when the same
or different types or group of sensors jointly monitor (and/or
control) one or more physical environments [15]. Fig. 1.1 A Wireless Sensor Network

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Volume 130 – No.9, November 2015

Unlike other popular WSNs, ZigBee is an open standard stack of ZigBee. The characteristics of WiFi, Bluetooth and
protocol developed by ZigBee alliance using IEEE 802.15.4 ZigBee are summarized and compare in table 1 [5]
wireless standard. It allows true operability between systems
[1]. ZigBee is simpler, requires smaller power, more robust, Table 1. Characteristics of WiFi, Bluetooth and ZigBee
less expensive, more reliable and secure, and has lower
latency, energy efficiency with efficient wireless Features WiFi Bluetooth ZigBee IEEE
connectivity infrastructure. This accounts for its wide range IEEE IEEE 802.15.4
of applications in wireless personal area networks and hence 802.11 802.15.1
ZigBee WSN is one of the most popularly deployed Application Wireless Cable Control and
technologies for home automation and monitoring systems. LAN Replacement Monitor
Frequency 2.4GHz 2.4GHz 2.4GHz,
ZigBee WSNs support three different network topologies, Bands 868MHz,
namely star, mesh and cluster tree, the cluster tree being a 915MHz
special case of mesh. Each of these topologies has its Battery 0.1-5 1-7 100-7,000
strengths and limitations which can be used to advantage in Life (Days)
different situations. Although star is considered to be Nodes Per 30 7 65,000
simpler, it has the limitation of ineffectiveness when multi- Network
hop communication is required between nodes. In mesh, Bandwidth 2-100Mbps 1Mbps 20-250Kbps
configuration of alternative paths is allowed in the network Range 1-100 1-10 1-75 and more
using the most cost effective path, thus allowing multi-hop (Metres)
communication. Hence, mesh connection is more secured, Topology Tree Tree Star, Tree,
flexible, scalable and reliable. Cluster Tree,
and Mesh
Moreover, it should also be noted that the topology of a Standby 20 * 10-3 200 * 10-6 3 * 10-6 amps
ZigBee network may change as a node moves from one point Current amps amps
to another. Topology may also affect the correctness and
Memory 100KB 100KB 32-60KB
accuracy of sensor readings, ease of network implementation
and network security [19]. Therefore, this paper aims to
The history of ZigBee started back in 1998 when it
evaluate these topologies and their corresponding trade-offs,
was first conceived and supported from development
while also looking at the various applications of the
perspective. Though, it was n o t u n t i l December 2004
technology and the challenges facing the technology causing
that ZigBee Alliance published its first ratified specification.
some constraints and limitations in its applications.
It only supported home control lighting [6]. However,
ZigBee Alliance no longer supports 2004 specification. In
2. ZIGBEE TECHNOLOGY 2006, the 2004 specification was modified to support
ZigBee is a new open-standard wireless protocol developed group addressing, encryption and frame authenticity. In
by ZigBee Alliance (consisting of over 270 companies). 2007, ZigBee 2007 and ZigBee Pro was published. ZigBee
ZigBee is particularly targeted at low-power, low-cost 2007 added new security model to ZigBee 2006 with “trust
and low data rate wireless sensor and control centre” while ZigBee-Pro has additional software features,
networks, aimed at interoperability, it is easy to implement more scalability, data fragmentation, stochastic addressing
and can support up to 65,000 nodes depending on the type of (automated address allocation mechanism) and enhanced
topologies used [8]. security. ZigBee 2007 and ZigBee-Pro are interoperable [9].

2.1 ZigBee Device Types

The operation of a ZigBee node depends on whether it is a
full-function device (FFD) or reduce-function device (RFD).
The FFD performs all the tasks defined by ZigBee standard
while the function performed by the RFD is limited. An FFD
can form any type of network (such as star, tree or mesh)
while a RFD can only connect to an FFD. With respect to
these functionalities, ZigBee devices are classified as
Coordinator, Router and End Devices [12].

i. ZigBee Coordinator (ZC)

Fig. 1.2: ZigBee Technology Applications It is an FFD and a network must contain only one. It starts the
ZigBee has a transmission range of 10 - 100metres. network and is responsible for the overall management of the
Comparing ZigBee with WiFi and Bluetooth, ZigBee stack network. In star topology, it is the central node while in tree
is lighter weighted (about 120 KB). It has a maximum or mesh topology, it is the root node. Its other functions
throughput of 250Kbps while Bluetooth (except 802.11n) include address allocation, granting permission to nodes to
and Wi-Fi transmit at 3Mbps and 54Mbps respectively. join or leave network, transfer application packets and
While WiFi devices (e.g. WiFi VoIP phones) are reported keeping list of neighbours table. Because of it functions in the
to have 8 – 12hours of battery lives and Bluetooth network, it must always be powered on.
devices with a battery life of a few days, many ZigBee
devices can boast of a battery life of up to 5years. The huge ii. ZigBee Router (ZR)
power saving resulted from relatively short-range of It is also an FFD and can be absent in a network, a network
transmission, low data transfer rates and simple protocol can also contain just one or more depending on the size and
topology of the network. It is not required in star topology

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Volume 130 – No.9, November 2015

(figure 2.1). It is often used to expand ZigBee network (in In the tree topology, the coordinator (at the top) is
tree and mesh). Basically, it performs all the functions of the connected to several routers and end devices. In this case,
coordinator except network establishment (start-up). the routers and the end devices are coordinator’s children.
Constant power source must also be provided for a ZR. The router is used to extend the network; a router can
therefore connect to several other routers and/or end
iii. ZigBee End Devices (ZEDs) devices to form the router’s children as shown in figure
They are RFDs and are usually located at the extremities of a 2.2. Only the coordinator and the routers can have children
network. Their main task is in sending and receiving packets. and hence can become parents in a tree topology. The end
Other devices cannot connect to the network through a ZED devices cannot have children and therefore cannot become
and it cannot relay messages. ZEDs often sleep when they parents.
are not transmitting or receiving in order to conserve power.
At this point in time, they are said to be in sleep mode.
Therefore they can be battery powered for ease of mobility.

iv. ZigBee Trust Centre (ZTC)

It is a dedicated device (node) in the network whose function
is to provide security management, device authentication and
key distribution. Where this is not available in the
network, the coordinator performs these roles.

v. ZigBee Gateway
The main function of the gateway is to connect the
ZigBee network to external network e.g. LAN using protocol Fig. 2.2 ZigBee Tree Topology
conversion.
A child is only permitted to communicate directly with
its parent and not with any other nodes. Parents can
2.2 ZigBee Network Topologies communicate directly with their parents and children.
Three network topologies are specified for ZigBee network;
star, tree and mesh. The depth of a network depends on the Like in star, there are no alternative paths to destinations.
network topology and is determined by the number of routers If a parent is down, its children cannot communicate with
(hops) in the network from the coordinator to the farthest other nodes in the network. And even if two nodes in the
node [8]. network are geographically close, their direct communication
is not guarantee.
i. Star Topology
This topology consists of a coordinator and several end iii. Mesh Topology
devices as shown in figure 2.1. It has no router and therefore In mesh, the coordinator is also at the top like that of tree. It
a star network has a depth of one (1). End devices consists of a coordinator, several routers and end devices
communicate with each other in the network only through connected as shown in figure 2.3. Routers are used to
the coordinator. Instead of end devices (in figure 2.1), routers extend network range like in tree. As shown, packets pass
can be used. However, router message relay functions will through multiple hops to reach destinations and
not be used, only its application functions will be used. The communication between any source and destination in the
end devices or routers now become children to the network is realistic. Hence it is also called a peer-to-peer
coordinator multi-hop network.

Fig. 2.1 ZigBee Star Topology

Fig. 2.3 ZigBee Mesh Topology
The major advantage of a ZigBee star network is its
simplicity. The main disadvantage is that it does not provide Moreover, a mesh network provides alternative paths
alternative route for packet transmission and reception. All for packet to reach its destination if a path fails. With
transmission and reception go through the coordinator. This reference to this, mesh network is usually also being
may increase the burden on the coordinator and hence cause described as a “self-healing” network. Thus adding or
congestion in the network. removing a node is made easier.
ii. Tree Topology

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 International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)
Volume 130 – No.9, November 2015

Compared to star and tree ZigBee network configurations, Table 2. Physical Layer Frequency Band
mesh network is more complex and therefore requires more
overhead and uses more complex routing protocols. Country Channel Channel Frequency Data
Width Band Rate
2.3 ZigBee Protocol Stack Europe 0 600KHz 868- 100Kbps
868.6MHz
Two types of addresses are in use in ZigBee network;
IEEE address and network address. The IEEE address is a USA 1-10 2MHz 902- 250Kbps
unique 64-bit long address used to identify a ZigBee device. 928MHz
It is assigned to the device by the manufacturer and is Worldwide 11-26 5MHz 2.4- 250Kbps
also called MAC address or extended address. No two 2.4835GHz
devices can have the same IEEE address in the entire world
[12]. Like IEEE 802.11, ZigBee uses mandatory DSSS
(Distributed Sequence Spread Spectrum) and optional PSSS
The network address (otherwise known as short address) is a (Parallel Sequence Spread Spectrum). And similar to WiFi,
16-bit address that identifies a node locally in the network. It a ZigBee network remains on a single frequency picked
is assigned by a parent to a node when the node joins the up automatically by the coordinator when creating the
network. The advantage of using the 16-bit address is that it network. However, it can be reconfigured into another
extends battery life. A 16-bit address reduces frame size frequency by an administrator.
compared to a 64-bit address size and hence reduces
transmission time and consequently, increases battery life. i. ZigBee MAC layer
The disadvantage is that it is possible for two nodes on This layer access the network using CSMA/CA (carrier-
different networks to have the same short address. sense multiple access with collision avoidance) to enable
beacon transmission for synchronization and hence provide
The ZigBee stack is formed on top of the IEEE 802.15.4 reliable transmission. Other functions of this layer include
standard. The IEEE 802.15.4 consists of the Physical (PHY) assigning device roles (into ZC, ZR, or ZED), topology
and Media Access Control (MAC) layers while the ZigBee design and network association and disassociation.
layer is made up of the Network (NWK) layer, the
Application Support Sublayer (APS), the ZigBee Device At MAC layer, ZigBee traffics are carried by frames,
Object (ZDO) and the Security Service as shown in figure unlike WiFi and Bluetooth. The frames are beacon frames,
2.4 [20]. data frames, acknowledge frames and command frames. A
frame format of the IEEE 802.15.4 MAC layer is shown
in figure 2.5. The frame format is not constant (stable).
It can change depending on the options that are set in the
frame control header bits [22].

Fig. 2.5 ZigBee MAC Layer Frame Format

i. ZigBee Network Layer

As shown in Figure 2.4, this layer is located between MAC
and Application layer. The main functions of the network
layer includes network establishment, address assigning,
routing and neighbour discovery, adding and removing
devices from the network and applying security features to
outgoing messages.

Fig. 2.4 ZigBee Protocol Architecture ii. ZigBee Application Layer

The application layer is the highest layer in the ZigBee
ZigBee device manufacturers can use the ZigBee application protocol stack. It interfaces a ZigBee system (application
profile to suite their design or they can develop their own object) with its end user. As shown in Figure 2.4, the
application profile application layer is made up of ZigBee Device Object
(ZDO), Application Support Sublayer (APS) and Application
i. ZigBee Physical Layer Framework [14].
The main function of the physical layer is to modulate
outgoing signals and demodulates incoming signals. It also The ZDO Layer assigns functions to all ZigBee devices in
deals with transmission and reception of information from the network. It determines whether a device is a coordinator,
sources. The physical layer frequency band consists of 27 a router or an end device. It also performs security related
channels which are used worldwide [19]. How the bands functions (such as setting and removal of encryption key)
are shared is shown in table 2. and network management functions (such as network
discovery).

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3. ZIGBEE APPLICATIONS
The APS Layer enables the interfacing of ZigBee endpoints ZigBee technology has find its applications in wide variety
(application objects) and ZDO with the network layer for of wireless personal area networked systems such as
network services such as data and management services. This home/industrial automation and monitoring systems due to
is achieved by receiving the required data (in the form of attracting features to various industries and sectors. Some of
PDU) from either an application object or ZDO, add a header the areas in which its applications are found are:
to create a data frame and then pass it down to the network
layer. These services include request, confirm and response, i. Home Automation: This defines ZigBee
which are provided to the objects for reliable and efficient applications for automated residential
data transfer [13]. management. ZigBee can be used to remotely
control doors, lightings, security alarm, heating,
The Application Framework enables different ZigBee cooling and other residential applications.
devices from different manufacturers to interoperate. For
interoperability to be achieved, ZigBee manufacturers must ii. Commercial Building Automations: ZigBee
strictly adhere to the application profiles specified by ZigBee provides means for easy management and
Alliance (2006). The two sets of data services specified in maintenance of buildings. An example is found in
the application framework are Generic Message (GM) and the monitoring of fire-door positions and smoke
Key Value Pair (KVP) services. Using KVP, object detectors operation. With ZigBee all the smoke
attributes can be configured through a simple XML detectors in a building can be remotely monitored
interface. Unlike KVP, GM is more general and as such it and managed from a central location [17].
uses arbitrary payloads and skips overheads. Exchange of
actual data is achieved through ZDO interface using services iii. Smart Energy: ZigBee enables wireless
such as request, confirm and indicate. communication between home area networks
(HAN) and advanced metering infrastructure
ii. Security Service thereby enhancing quick reading of water, gas and
The security service plane spans and interacts with the electrical meters. It also helps utility companies to
NKW and APS layers. It is the security service provider effectively manage services provided to their
layer of the stack. ZigBee security provides authentication, customers especially during peak demands.
integrity, freshness and privacy in a ZigBee network.
Security is provided using counter mode encryption and iv. Health Care: This profile enables remote
cipher block chaining message authentication code (CCM) at monitoring of patients in the hospitals and health
different levels with 128 bit Advanced Encryption Standard care centres. Hence, mobility of patients does not
(AES) algorithm [21]. affect monitoring. For example, patients’ blood
pressure can be monitored remotely using ZigBee
For all level of security, ZigBee uses symmetric key and wireless sensor technology.
applies cryptography and frame integrity to network and
application layers. It is the responsibility of an application v. Industrial Process Monitoring and Control: With
developer to decide the level of security to apply. A layer is ZigBee, industrial processes are now being
also responsible to protect (secure) a frame that it generated. controlled and monitored wirelessly. An example
is found in industrial inventory tracking where
ZigBee uses 3 types of keys for security. They are: link, equipment are tagged with wireless sensors and
network and master keys. can be located by a ZigBee node.

a) Link Key: This is used by the APS layer to protect vi. Remote Control for Consumer Electronics: Most
confidentiality and integrity of unicast traffic between remote controllers for consumer electronics now
two devices. Link key may be preconfigured by device uses radio frequency (RF) instead of infrared (IR)
manufacturer, distributed by trust centre, generated with the help of ZigBee RF4CE technology. The
from master key or installed on devices using SKKE limitation of IR remote controller line of sight
(Symmetric-Key Key Establishment). In standard operation is therefore eliminated.
security environments, the key can be distributed in
plain text [22]. vii. Telecommunication Applications: Here, ZigBee
devices are embedded in smart phones and PDAs
b) Network Key: This is used to protect and secure group thus enabling their communication with other
or broadcast traffic in the network. The network key is ZigBee enabled devices
shared by all network devices. The key can be
preconfigured or transported by the trust centre. Over- 4. CHALLENGES OF ZIGBEE SENSOR
the-air key transport is not recommended for security
reasons. Like the link key, the network key can also be NETWORK
distributed in plain text, however, in a standard security Despite their countless practical applications in our modern
environment. society, however, because of their peculiarity in terms of
their non-conventional protocol design, complexity, long
c) Master Key: This key is optional. It can be network lifetime, bandwidth constraint of communication
preinstalled or installed by the trust centre. Where channel between nodes and fusion canter, balance between
applicable, it can be used to generate other keys communication and data processing, signal processing
(network and link keys). techniques, etc., WSNs offer numerous and formidable
challenges. In order to overcome these challenges, huge
efforts are now being placed in research activities,

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Volume 130 – No.9, November 2015

standardization process and industrial investments of that sensor nodes collaborate with
wireless sensor networking. The following are some of the neighbours to make localized decisions. Thus
challenges and constraints pose by WSNs when management overhead is consequently reduced
compared to other distributed (existing) systems especially although may lead to non-optimal routes.
in terms of design with respect to protocol and algorithms.
v. Privacy and Security: The fact that information
i. Energy Limitation: Wireless sensor nodes are collected by a WSN is sensitive, of large scale and
usually powered with batteries and replacing sensor nodes are often located in remote,
batteries in the field is often not practicable. unattended and hostile environments poses privacy
Since a WSN must operate for a given network and security challenges [21]. Therefore, they are
operation time or as long as possible, meeting prone to malicious intrusions and attacks such as
the energy requirement with batteries becomes a Denial of Services (DoS), Interrogation, Sybil,
challenge [3]. Energy limitation can be improved Wormhole, Acknowledgement Spoofing, Hello
by the use of solar cells, which can be charged as Flood, Routing Information Manipulation and
the battery is being in use. However, this is only Impersonation [15]. Although, several techniques
applicable to applications in light exposed such as channel hopping and blacklisting, key
environments. Also, sensor nodes are now manipulation, cyclic redundancy check (CRC) and
been designed with improved energy efficiency time diversity etc. are in place to tackle these
and balanced energy harvesting techniques to threats, the computational, communication and
enable them operate for several years without storage requirements of these techniques still
battery replacement [10]. remain a challenge [13]. Hence the need to
develop new and better solutions to guarantee the
ii. Self-Management: WSNs are usually security of WSNs.
deployed in remote and harsh environments
(which may not be predetermined or engineered)
and often without infrastructural support, repair 5. SOME OTHER WSN STANDARDS
and maintenance. Consequently, sensor nodes are AND TECHNOLOGIES
exposed to system and environmental dynamics As the applications of WSNs are increasing, different
thus posing a significant challenge for building protocols and standards are being researched and created to
reliable sensor networks [11]. Therefore the need enhance the efficiency of the network. The decision to select
to build a self-managed WSN network in terms of a particular standard/protocol over the other is determined by
self-organization, self-optimization, self-protection the target application requirements and some other factors
and self- healing becomes a necessity. such as network size, network environment and network
duration. Once the application requirements are set, then
iii. Connectivity C h a l l e n g e : The f a c t that WSNs the engineer will select the technology which satisfies these
use wireless communication system also poses a requirements. The following are overview of the features of
number of challenges to their design especially other popular WSN technologies.
when maintaining a balance between signal
strength, power (transmitted and received) and i. Bluetooth Technology
distance. Increasing the distance between a sensor Bluetooth is a robust, low power, low cost, short-range
node and a base station increases the required wireless communication technology intended to replace
transmission power and decreases signal cables in wireless personal area networks (WPANs). Initially
strength. For energy and connectivity efficiency, created by Ericsson Microelectronics in 1994, its
the need to split large distance into several specifications are driven by a consortium that was founded
shorter distances using multi hop communication by Ericsson, Nokia, Toshiba, IBM and Intel. The IEEE
and routing becomes essential. Moreover, in an standard for Bluetooth (WPAN) is called The IEEE Project
attempt to conserve energy, some sensor nodes 802.15.1 and is based on the Bluetooth v 1.1 Foundation
do switch off their radios when they are not in use
(duty cycling) thereby preventing them from (BluetoothTM, 2004). It allows product differentiations
receiving message from neighbours during down because some of its core specifications are optional. It can
time and creating synchronization and connectivity communicate (pass and synchronize data) between up to
problems. Arbitrary long sleep periods can also seven devices using 868MHz, 915MHz and 2.4GHz
reduce the responsiveness and effectiveness of a radio bands at 1GHz per second using frequency-hopping
sensor. However, sensor nodes now use wake spread-spectrum (FHSS) and up to a range of 10 meters [5].
up on demand strategies and adaptive duty Bluetooth only supports star topology, uses master-slave
cycling to conserve power and still maintain based MAC protocol and full duplex transmission through
connectivity in WSNs [2, 4]. In adaptive duty the use of time-division duplexing.
cycling, some nodes sleep while others are active
to form network backbone. The simplified version of Bluetooth was released to the
public in 2006 and is called Bluetooth Low Energy
iv. Decentralized Management: Another challenge Technology. Designed to be more efficient (about 15 times
to WSN is its infeasibility of centralized than existing Bluetooth), however, it interoperate with
management functions such as topology existing Bluetooth. This efficiency is achieved by
management and routing. This resulted from the improvement on number of packets transmitted during
fact that WSNs are often large scaled and usually connection, node discovery and the size of each
affected by energy constraints. Hence WSN individual packet [8].
management is usually decentralized to ensure

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In WSNs, applications of Bluetooth technology are hundreds of nodes in personal area networks and practical
increasing drastically. Bluetooth technology finds application WSNs. ANT also provides cross-talk immunity [3].
in smart home, automation, health and fitness, mobile
telephony, PC and peripherals etc. “Bluetooth Low Energy One feature of ANT that must be emphasized is
will be a significant contributor to the overall Wireless its extremely low power consumption compared to other
Sensor Network market, representing nearly half of all wireless technologies and standards. This is achieved by
shipments in 2015” [23]. allowing a system to spend most of its time in an ultra-low
sleep mode, wake up quickly, transmit for the shortest
ii. WiFi possible time and then quickly return back to an ultra-low
Based on IEEE 802.11 standards, WiFi is a WLAN power sleep mode. Bluetooth power consumption is 10 times
technology that allows electronic devices to exchange data higher with 90% higher hardware cost. When compared to
over a network such as internet and uses a radio band of ZigBee, ANT is relatively less complex and presents a larger
2.4GHz. WiFi is robust, easily expandable and cost effective. data rate of 1 Mbps [8]. However, ANT lacks
WiFi data transfer rate is up to 300Mbps depending on interoperability because it is a proprietary technology.
the standard and has about 100 to 150Mbps through-put.
It also has a broad coverage area, some non-line-of-sight Applications of ANT technology are found in various
(NLOS) transmission capacity, small disturbance of links, aspects of WSNs including sport, fitness and wellness
and supports mesh networking. applications, home health monitoring and industrial
automation.
A WiFi-based WSN is a combination of traditional WiFi
mesh network and WSN and hence possesses both the v. WirelessHART
features of WiFi mesh network and WSN. Therefore, it is It is an open wireless industrial sensor network
both network-centred and data-centred. standard that is based on the Highway Addressable
Remote Transducer (HART) Protocol using the 802.15.4 –
WiFi-based WSNs are used in smart grid, smart agriculture 2006 standard. Officially released in 2007 and majorly used
and intelligent environment protection. Also because of for industrial control process and monitoring,
WiFi’s high bandwidth, fast transmission rate, long WirelessHART is a secure and TDMA-based (usng10ms
transmission distance and NLOS, WiFi-based WSN is being time slot) mesh networking technology that operates in the
deployed in video monitoring which requires data transition 2.4 GHz ISM band [11]. Other key features of
and good-real time. WirelessHART includes network wide time synchronization,
channel hopping, channel blacklisting, and industry standard
iii. Z-Wave AES-128 ciphers and keys.
Z-Wave is a proprietary low-power and low data wireless
communication technology specifically designed for home WirelessHART provides a centralized WSN. The eight types
automation and control. Initially developed by a Danish of network devices defined by WirelessHART are network
company, Zen-Sys, it was later acquired by Sigma Designs manager, network security, gateway, access point, field
in 2008 and is now been standardized by Z-Wave device, adapter, router and handheld device. These devices
Alliance. It uses the 868MHz ISM band and hence are connected to support network formation,
unsusceptible to interference due to 802.11 and 802.15.1 maintenance, reliability, routing and security. The
devices. Z-Wave uses 9.6kbps and 40kbps with 1% duty network manager is centralized and maintains up-to-date
cycle limitation and allows up to 100 meters outdoor range. routes and communication schedules for the network,
It also supports source-routed mesh networking and allows thereby guaranteeing the network performance. Features
232 maximum nodes. common to WirelessHART, Bluetooth, WiFi and ZigBee
include the sharing of the unrestricted 2.4 GHz ISM band.
Comparing ZigBee and Z-Wave, they are similar in many But then, they are different from each other in some other
respects including areas of application. They are both aspects. Both WirelessHART and ZigBee are based on IEEE
designed for low power and low through-put. They also both 802.15.4 standard. WirelessHART additionally uses channel
support mesh topology. However, ZigBee is more robust and hopping and channel blacklisting (useful to minimise
provides a higher data rate [16]. persistence noise which is common in industrial set up) while
ZigBee only utilizes Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
Z-Wave chips are embedded in consumer electronic (DSSS) provided by IEEE 802.15.4. Like ZigBee, WiFi too
products such as TV, remote controls and lighting and thus does not support channel hopping. Like WirelessHART,
they can easily form a WSN to enhance home automation, Bluetooth supports time slots and channel hopping. But
for monitoring and controlling residential, and to light while Bluetooth is targeted at Personal Area Network (PAN)
commercial environments. with a limited range of 10 metres and only supports star
topology, WirelessHART network supports all types of
iv. ANT Technology network topology to enhance network scalability. These
ANT is another proprietary wireless technology that is features make WirelessHART more suitable for industrial
designed using microcontrollers and transceivers operating applications.
in the 2.4GHz ISM for reliable, flexible and adaptive data
communication with ultra-low power consumption in WSN vi. 6LoWPAN
applications. This technology is simply and efficiently IPv6 over Low power Wireless Personal Area Networks
designed to maximize battery life, simplify network design (6LoWPAN) is another open wireless communication
and minimize implementation cost. It has low latency, protocol that is targeted on low-power applications that
supports broadcast and burst with a data rate of up to 20 requires wireless internet connectivity at lower data rate
kbps. It also supports star, tree and mesh topologies and its and limited form factor. It was released by the IETF in
nodes can act as slaves or masters in a network of tens to 2007. It allows IPv6packets to be sent to and received from

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low rate WPAN (IEEE 802.15.4) based networks, thus [5] Bluetooth T M.: Specification of the Bluetooth System;
bringing IP to small devices such as sensor and controllers Bluetooth SIG Inc., Kirkland. (2005)
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better option when considering applications that requires
interfacing with IP devices or small packet sizes. [7] Bowers, B.: ZigBee Wireless Security: A New Age
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ZigBee technology as a wireless sensor and control network Wireless Security Secrets and Solutions. (2nd ed).
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