Z-Wave

  Z-Wave Technology

Z-Wave is a wireless communications protocol used primarily for home automation and in applications that require reliable, low-latency transmission of small data packets at rates up to 100kbit/s. The throughput is 40Kbit/s and suitable for control and sensor applications.

Like other protocols and systems, a Z-wave based system can also be controlled via the internet, by using a Z-wave gateway. Z-wave was originally developed by Danish startup Zen-Sys and later acquired by Sigma Designs in 2008. There are 1,500 Z-wave certified devices available in the market.

Principle members in the Z-Wave alliance include prominent names like ADT Corporation, LG Uplus, Sigma Designs, Samsung SmartThings etc..

In 2013 Z-wave plus was announced featuring higher interoperability standards required for the 500 series SoC. Some Z-Wave product vendors have open source options for the hobbyist communities. OpenZwave was the first such software offering development support without the need for companies to purchase expensive SDK from Sigma (Owner).

Z-Wave uses the Part 15 unlicensed industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band.[16] It operates at 868.42 MHz in Europe, at 908.42 MHz in the U.S. and Canada but uses other frequencies in other countries depending on their regulations. Though this band is same as that of cordless telephones, it avoids interference with other systems that operate on the crowded 2.4GHz band like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth etc.

Z-Wave frequencies in different countries:

According to Wikipedia, “Z-Wave uses a source-routed mesh network architecture. Devices can communicate to one another by using intermediate nodes to actively route around and circumvent household obstacles or radio dead spots that might occur in the multipath environment of a house.A message from node A to node C can be successfully delivered even if the two nodes are not within range, providing that a third node B can communicate with nodes A and C. If the preferred route is unavailable, the message originator will attempt other routes until a path is found to the C node.”

The chip used for Z-Wave nodes is based on Intel MCS-51 micro-controller with an internal clock of 16MHz. It requires a lot less power during transmission operation.

Some devices available in the market with Z-wave tech include:-







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