This document provides an overview of ZigBee basics including its standards, stack layers, device types, networking, addressing, applications, profiles, and clusters. ZigBee is an open global standard for IoT networking built on top of IEEE 802.15.4. It uses low data rates and small packets for low power wireless personal area networks (WPANs) in applications like smart energy, home automation, and healthcare.

1. ZigBee Basic’s

2. ZigBee – IEEE 802.15.4 + ZigBee Alliance
 Low Power , Low Cost ,Low Data rates (256 kbps),868 MHz, 915 MHz,2.4
GHz(mostly used).
 ZigBee uses small packets compared with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
 Healthcare, Smart Energy, Home and building Automation, Home appliances
etc.

3. ZigBee Stack
 Application Layer /Application Framework
 APS (Application Support Sub layer)
 Network Layer
 MAC Layer
 Physical Layer

4. Type Of ZigBee Devices
ZigBee Coordinator (Mandatory, FFD)
 Selects Channel to be used by network
 Creates PAN_ID, then R and E device joins this network
 Assigns address to E and R devices.
 Permits devices to Join network (using Permit Join)
 Holds list of neighbors and routers.
 AC Power/Will not go to sleep
ZigBee Router (Optional, FFD)
 Joins ZigBee network created by coordinator.
 Other E or R devices can join this.
 AC power
 Will not go to sleep
ZigBee End Device (RFD or FFD)
 It can not allow other devices to join it.
 Mostly Battery operated/Can go to sleep.
 Joins or leaves a network.

5. PAN Network (Personal Area Network)
 It is used to communicate between various Zigbee devices and it’s a16 bit
number.
 Coordinator will start network by creating a PAN (scans suitable RF channel
because WLAN also operating in 2.4 GHz, 16 channels, PAN could be static or
dynamic) and other R and E device will join it.
 Coordinator will have PAN ID set to 0 and others will be valid 16 bit number
allocated by coordinator when they join PAN ID.
 If Permit Join is enabled then Zigbee devices can join the network.(Pan Scan -
> Beacon Request Frame -> Beacon Response  association Request 
association response)
 Topology :- Star, Tree, Mesh etc.

6. Node Addressing
 Each device has a 64-bit IEEE address and no two devices can have same IEEE
in entire world.
 Short/Network/Node Address:- Assigned by coordinator, no two devices in a
PAN can have same short address. Different PAN can have same short address.
Smaller frame size longer battery.
 Extended PAN

7. ZigBee Application
 PAN ID (MAC)
 Network Address (NWK)
 Endpoint (APS)
 Profile ID (APS)
 Cluster (APS)
 Command and/or attribute (ZCL)

8. Zigbee Application:- End Point & Profile
Endpoint:- Each application running in a Zigbee node. Node can have multiple EP.
A node can have maximum of 240 application objects.(1-240). 0 reserved for
ZDO(Zigbee device Object),255 broadcast ,241-254 reserved for future use. Each
endpoint can have one application profile
Three main purposes:-
 Endpoints allows for different application profiles to exists within each node.
E.g. :-Switch (Home Automation, commercial building automation)
 Endpoints allows for separate control points to exist within each node.E.g.:-
Bank of three switches.
 Endpoints allows for separate devices to exist within each node.E.g.:-
Thermostat (Human interface, temperature and heating/cooling controller)

9. Continue…..
 Application device identifier (16-bit), which defines the device description.
 Typically, the entity that stores the attributes of a cluster is referred to as the
server of that cluster and an entity that affects or manipulates those
attributes is referred to as the client of that cluster.

10. Zigbee Application :- Cluster & Commands & Attributes
 Clusters are application objects. 16-bit number.
 Cluster encapsulate both commands and data(attributes). Command cause
action and attributes keep track of the current state of the cluster.
 ZigBee application can determine whether light is on or off by querying
onOffAttribute with in OnOffCluster(0x0006).
 Cluster have meaning in a particular profile. Private vs. Public profiles.

11. ZigBee Cluster Library(ZCL)
ZCL makes it easy to get or to set attributes through a common set of commands,
and provides a simple mechanism for issuing cluster-specific commands.
ZCL is used in (nearly) all of the ZigBee public profiles, but is not required for
private profiles.

12. References:-
http://www.zigbee.org/~zigbeeor/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/07-5123-06-
zigbee-cluster-library-specification.pdf
http://www.zigbee.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/docs-05-3474-20-0csg-
zigbee-specification.pdf
https://www3.nd.edu/~mhaenggi/ee67011/zigbee.pdf