Z-Wave
Encyclopedia
Z-Wave is a proprietary wireless
communications protocol designed for home automation
, specifically to remote control applications in residential and light commercial environments. The technology uses a low-power RF radio embedded or retrofitted into home electronics devices and systems, such as lighting, home access control, entertainment systems and household appliances.
The Z-Wave Alliance is an international consortium of manufacturers that provide interoperable Z-Wave enabled devices.
and other IEEE 802.11
-based wireless LAN
systems that are designed primarily for high-bandwidth data flow. Z-Wave operates in the sub-gigahertz frequency range, around 900 MHz. This band competes with some cordless telephones
and other consumer electronics devices, but avoids interference with Wi-Fi
and other systems that operate on the crowded 2.4 GHz
band. Z-Wave is designed to be easily embedded in consumer electronics products, including battery operated devices such as remote controls, smoke alarms and security sensors.
Z-Wave is currently supported by over 200 manufacturers worldwide and appears in a broad range of consumer products in the U.S. and Europe. The standard itself is not open
and is available only to Zensys customers under non-disclosure agreement
. Some Z-Wave product vendors have embraced the open source
and hobbyist communities.
technology where each node or device on the network is capable of sending and receiving control commands through walls or floors and use intermediate nodes to route around household obstacles or radio dead spots that might occur in the home. Z-Wave devices can work individually or in groups, and can be programmed into scenes or events that trigger multiple devices, either automatically or via remote control. Some common applications for Z-Wave include:
Remote home control and management: By adding Z-Wave to home electronics such as lighting, climate and security systems, it is possible to control and monitor these household functions via remote control, based on manual or automated decisions. The control can be applied to a single device or group of devices, in a single room or zone or throughout the entire home. One of the benefits of Z-Wave over power line communication
technologies is the ability to function in older houses lacking a neutral wire. Z-Wave devices can also be monitored and controlled from outside of the home by way of a gateway that combines Z-Wave with broadband Internet access.
Home safety and security systems: Because Z-Wave can transceive commands based on real time conditions, and is able to control devices in intelligent groupings, it allows novel extensions of traditional home security concepts. As an example, the opening of a Z-Wave enabled door lock can de-activate a security system and turn on lights when children arrive home from school, and send a notification to a parent's PC or cell phone via the Internet. Opening a Z-Wave enabled garage door can trigger exterior and interior home lights, while a Z-Wave motion detector can trigger an outdoor security light and a webcam
, which would allow the end user to monitor the home while away.
Home entertainment: Z-Wave's ability to command multiple devices as a unified event makes it well suited for home audio and video applications. For example, a simple "Play DVD" command on the remote control could turn on the needed components, set them to the correct inputs and even lower motorized shades and dim the room lights. Z-Wave's RF technology is also well suited as an evolution of conventional infrared (IR) based remote controls for home electronics, as it is not constrained by IR's line of sight and distance limitations. In January of 2008, Zensys announced a single-chip solution that pairs Z-Wave with IR control, positioning the technology as an all encompassing solution for home remote controls.
A device must be "included" to the Z-Wave network before it can be controlled via Z-Wave. This process (also known as "pairing" and "adding") is usually achieved by pressing a sequence of buttons on the controller and the device being added to the network. This sequence only needs to be performed once, after which the device is always recognized by the controller. Devices can be removed from the Z-Wave network by a similar process of button strokes.
This inclusion process is repeated for each device in the system. Because the controller is learning the signal strength between the devices during the inclusion process, the devices themselves should be in their intended final location before they are added to the system.
However, once a device has been introduced into a network, it can become troublesome to remove the unit without actually having the functional unit present. A number of Z-Wave users have complained that a Z-Wave controller can be functionally destroyed by the bulb that it controls blowing and any controlling units then report errors every time a command that would affect that unit is sent, i.e., group commands / scene commands / all-on / all-off, etc. The only way to restore the service to a non-error reporting state is to factory reset all controllers and then relearn all Z-Wave devices.
and Zensys.
Products and applications from the Z-Wave Alliance fall into all major market sectors for residential and light commercial control applications. These include lighting, HVAC
and security control, as well as home theaters, automated window treatments, pool and spa controls, garage and access controls and more.
mesh network topology and has one or more master controllers that control routing and security. Devices can communicate to another by using intermediate nodes to actively route around and circumvent household obstacles or radio dead spots that might occur. 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. Therefore a Z-Wave network can span much farther than the radio range of a single unit; however with several of these hops a delay may be introduced between the control command and the desired result. In order for Z-Wave units to be able to route unsolicited messages, they cannot be in sleep mode. Therefore, most battery-operated devices are not designed as repeater units. A Z-Wave network can consist of up to 232 devices with the option of bridging networks if more devices are required.
Wireless
Wireless telecommunications is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not physically connected. Distances can be short, such as a few meters for television remote control, or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications...
communications protocol designed for home automation
Home automation
Home automation is the residential extension of "building automation". It is automation of the home, housework or household activity. Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC , appliances, and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and...
, specifically to remote control applications in residential and light commercial environments. The technology uses a low-power RF radio embedded or retrofitted into home electronics devices and systems, such as lighting, home access control, entertainment systems and household appliances.
The Z-Wave Alliance is an international consortium of manufacturers that provide interoperable Z-Wave enabled devices.
Overview
Z-Wave communicates using a low-power wireless technology designed specifically for remote control applications. The Z-Wave wireless protocol is optimized for reliable, low-latency communication of small data packets, unlike Wi-FiWi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
and other IEEE 802.11
IEEE 802.11
IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee . The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent...
-based wireless LAN
Wireless LAN
A wireless local area network links two or more devices using some wireless distribution method , and usually providing a connection through an access point to the wider internet. This gives users the mobility to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to the network...
systems that are designed primarily for high-bandwidth data flow. Z-Wave operates in the sub-gigahertz frequency range, around 900 MHz. This band competes with some cordless telephones
Cordless telephone
A cordless telephone or portable telephone is a telephone with a wireless handset that communicates via radio waves with a base station connected to a fixed telephone line, usually within a limited range of its base station...
and other consumer electronics devices, but avoids interference with Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
and other systems that operate on the crowded 2.4 GHz
ISM band
The industrial, scientific and medical radio bands are radio bands reserved internationally for the use of radio frequency energy for industrial, scientific and medical purposes other than communications....
band. Z-Wave is designed to be easily embedded in consumer electronics products, including battery operated devices such as remote controls, smoke alarms and security sensors.
Z-Wave is currently supported by over 200 manufacturers worldwide and appears in a broad range of consumer products in the U.S. and Europe. The standard itself is not open
Open standard
An open standard is a standard that is publicly available and has various rights to use associated with it, and may also have various properties of how it was designed . There is no single definition and interpretations vary with usage....
and is available only to Zensys customers under non-disclosure agreement
Non-disclosure agreement
A non-disclosure agreement , also known as a confidentiality agreement , confidential disclosure agreement , proprietary information agreement , or secrecy agreement, is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties...
. Some Z-Wave product vendors have embraced the open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
and hobbyist communities.
Applications
Z-Wave is a mesh networkingMesh networking
Mesh networking is a type of networking where each node must not only capture and disseminate its own data, but also serve as a relay for other nodes, that is, it must collaborate to propagate the data in the network....
technology where each node or device on the network is capable of sending and receiving control commands through walls or floors and use intermediate nodes to route around household obstacles or radio dead spots that might occur in the home. Z-Wave devices can work individually or in groups, and can be programmed into scenes or events that trigger multiple devices, either automatically or via remote control. Some common applications for Z-Wave include:
Remote home control and management: By adding Z-Wave to home electronics such as lighting, climate and security systems, it is possible to control and monitor these household functions via remote control, based on manual or automated decisions. The control can be applied to a single device or group of devices, in a single room or zone or throughout the entire home. One of the benefits of Z-Wave over power line communication
Power line communication
Power line communication or power line carrier , also known as power line digital subscriber line , mains communication, power line telecom , power line networking , or broadband over power lines are systems for carrying data on a conductor also used for electric power transmission.A wide range...
technologies is the ability to function in older houses lacking a neutral wire. Z-Wave devices can also be monitored and controlled from outside of the home by way of a gateway that combines Z-Wave with broadband Internet access.
- Energy conservation: Z-Wave is envisioned as a key enabling technology for energy management in the green home. As an example, Z-Wave-enabled thermostats are able to raise or lower automatically, based on commands from Z-Wave enabled daylight sensors. Grouped scene controls can ensure that unnecessary energy consumption is minimized by various all-off states for systems throughout the home, such as lighting, appliances and home entertainment systems.
Home safety and security systems: Because Z-Wave can transceive commands based on real time conditions, and is able to control devices in intelligent groupings, it allows novel extensions of traditional home security concepts. As an example, the opening of a Z-Wave enabled door lock can de-activate a security system and turn on lights when children arrive home from school, and send a notification to a parent's PC or cell phone via the Internet. Opening a Z-Wave enabled garage door can trigger exterior and interior home lights, while a Z-Wave motion detector can trigger an outdoor security light and a webcam
Webcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
, which would allow the end user to monitor the home while away.
Home entertainment: Z-Wave's ability to command multiple devices as a unified event makes it well suited for home audio and video applications. For example, a simple "Play DVD" command on the remote control could turn on the needed components, set them to the correct inputs and even lower motorized shades and dim the room lights. Z-Wave's RF technology is also well suited as an evolution of conventional infrared (IR) based remote controls for home electronics, as it is not constrained by IR's line of sight and distance limitations. In January of 2008, Zensys announced a single-chip solution that pairs Z-Wave with IR control, positioning the technology as an all encompassing solution for home remote controls.
Setting up a Z-Wave network
Z-Wave mesh networks can begin with a single controllable device and a controller. Additional devices can be added at any time, as can multiple controllers, including traditional hand-held controllers, key-fob controllers, wall-switch controllers and PC applications designed for management and control of a Z-Wave network.A device must be "included" to the Z-Wave network before it can be controlled via Z-Wave. This process (also known as "pairing" and "adding") is usually achieved by pressing a sequence of buttons on the controller and the device being added to the network. This sequence only needs to be performed once, after which the device is always recognized by the controller. Devices can be removed from the Z-Wave network by a similar process of button strokes.
This inclusion process is repeated for each device in the system. Because the controller is learning the signal strength between the devices during the inclusion process, the devices themselves should be in their intended final location before they are added to the system.
However, once a device has been introduced into a network, it can become troublesome to remove the unit without actually having the functional unit present. A number of Z-Wave users have complained that a Z-Wave controller can be functionally destroyed by the bulb that it controls blowing and any controlling units then report errors every time a command that would affect that unit is sent, i.e., group commands / scene commands / all-on / all-off, etc. The only way to restore the service to a non-error reporting state is to factory reset all controllers and then relearn all Z-Wave devices.
Z-Wave Alliance
The Z-Wave Alliance is a consortium of over 160 independent manufacturers who have agreed to build wireless home control products based on the Z-Wave standard. Principal members include Cooper Wiring Devices, Danfoss, Fakro, Ingersoll-Rand, Intermatic, Leviton, Universal Electronics, Wayne-Dalton, Z-Waveand Zensys.
Products and applications from the Z-Wave Alliance fall into all major market sectors for residential and light commercial control applications. These include lighting, HVAC
HVAC
HVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...
and security control, as well as home theaters, automated window treatments, pool and spa controls, garage and access controls and more.
Radio specifications
- Bandwidth: 9,600 bit/s or 40 kbit/s, fully interoperable
- ModulationModulationIn electronics and telecommunications, modulation is the process of varying one or more properties of a high-frequency periodic waveform, called the carrier signal, with a modulating signal which typically contains information to be transmitted...
: GFSKGFSKGaussian Frequency-Shift Keying is a type of Frequency Shift Keying modulation that uses a Gaussian filter to smooth positive/negative frequency deviations, which represent a binary 1 or 0. It is used by DECT, Bluetooth, Cypress WirelessUSB, Nordic Semiconductor, Texas Instruments LPRF, z-wave and... - Range: Approximately 100 feet (or 30 meters) assuming "open air" conditions, with reduced range indoors depending on building materials, etc.
- Frequency band: The Z-Wave Radio uses the 900 MHz ISM band: 908.42 MHz (United States); 868.42 MHz (Europe); 919.82 MHz (Hong Kong); 921.42 MHz (Australia/New Zealand).
Radio specifics
In Europe, the 868 MHz band has a 1% duty cycle limitation, thus a Z-Wave unit can only transmit 1% of the time. This limitation is absent in the U.S. 908 MHz band, but U.S. legislation imposes a 1 mW transmission power limit, contrary to 25 mW in Europe. Z-Wave units can be in power-save mode and only be active 0.1% of the time, thus reducing power consumption substantially.Topology and routing
Z-Wave uses a source-routedSource routing
In computer networking, source routing allows a sender of a packet to partially or completely specify the route the packet takes through the network...
mesh network topology and has one or more master controllers that control routing and security. Devices can communicate to another by using intermediate nodes to actively route around and circumvent household obstacles or radio dead spots that might occur. 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. Therefore a Z-Wave network can span much farther than the radio range of a single unit; however with several of these hops a delay may be introduced between the control command and the desired result. In order for Z-Wave units to be able to route unsolicited messages, they cannot be in sleep mode. Therefore, most battery-operated devices are not designed as repeater units. A Z-Wave network can consist of up to 232 devices with the option of bridging networks if more devices are required.
See also
- OSIANOSIANOSIAN, or Open Source IPv6 Automation Network, is a free and open-source implementation of IPv6 networking for wireless sensor networks...
- Open Source IPv6 Automation Network - 6LoWPAN6loWPAN6LoWPAN is an acronym of IPv6 over Low power Wireless Personal Area Networks. 6lowpan is the name of a working group in the internet area of the IETF....
- IPv6 based automation network - DASH7DASH7DASH7 is an open source wireless sensor networking standard for wireless sensor networking, which operates in the 433 MHz unlicensed ISM band. DASH7 provides multi-year battery life, range of up to 2 km, low latency for connecting with moving things, a very small open source protocol...
- Active RFID standard - INSTEONINSTEONInsteon is a system for connecting lighting switches and loads without extra wiring. INSTEON is a dual-band mesh home area networking topology employing AC-power lines and a radio-frequency protocol to communicate with devices...
— dual-mesh technology from SmartLabsSmartLabsSmartLabs, Inc. is a privately held corporation that owns several companies in the home automation, home control and home monitoring spaces. Its worldwide operations has its headquarters in Irvine, CA.SmartLabs subsidiaries include:... - ZigBeeZigBeeZigBee is a specification for a suite of high level communication protocols using small, low-power digital radios based on an IEEE 802 standard for personal area networks. Applications include wireless light switches, electrical meters with in-home-displays, and other consumer and industrial...
— standards-based protocol based on IEEE 802.15.4. - EnOceanEnOceanEnOcean is a German wireless, energy harvesting technology used primarily in building automation systems, based in Oberhaching. It is not set out for international, European or national standardization; however, EnOcean GmbH is offering its technology and licenses for the patented features under...
— low power, typically battery-less, proprietory wireless technology - ONE-NETONE-NETONE-NET is an open-source standard for wireless networking. ONE-NET was designed for low-cost, low-power control networks for applications such as home automation, security & monitoring, device control, and sensor networks...
— open source standard for wireless networking
External links
- Z-Wave Alliance, open consortium of over 160 manufacturers of Z-Wave products
- First Look: Catch the Home Automation Z-Wave
- Information and Z-Wave products for 230 V
- Open Z-Wave project
- MiCasaVerde - Z-Wave Controllers
- Linux MCE project has open source Z-Wave support