View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
bertronicom
Joined: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 26 Location: University of Cantabria -SPAIN
|
ZigBee protocol stack |
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:17 am |
|
|
I'm trying to implement a Zigbee network.
I need to implement ZigBee protocol stack in PIC18.
Microchip offer this source code, but I don't be sure If it's compatible with CCS.
Any suggestion will be gratefully apreciated. |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Mark
Joined: 07 Sep 2003 Posts: 2838 Location: Atlanta, GA
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:23 am |
|
|
Better look closely at the code. It is pretty basic and doesn't really give you everything that is Zigbee. Maybe in the future though.
Quote: |
LIMITATIONS
Version 1.0 of the Microchip Stack contains the
following limitations. Please note that MIcrochip is
planning to add new features as time progresses. Refer
to the source code version log file (version.log) for
current limitations.
• Not ZigBee protocol-compliant
• No cluster and peer-to-peer network support
• No security and access control capabilities
• No router functionality
• Does not provide standard profiles; however, it
contains all necessary primitive functions to
create profiles
• Does not support one-to-many bindings
|
But to answer your question, you will have to port it but it should work. |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Darren Rook
Joined: 06 Sep 2003 Posts: 287 Location: Milwaukee, WI
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:08 pm |
|
|
Quote: | But to answer your question, you will have to port it but it should work. |
And if you're going to go through all that work to port it you might as well start with a stack that actually supports Zigbee functions. _________________ I came, I saw, I compiled. |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
libor
Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 288 Location: Hungary
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:25 pm |
|
|
Sorry, might be a little bit off-topic here:
I would not want to read thru and misinterpret all the legal stuff, so I would appreciate someone clarify for me:
- ZigBee.org would charge a fee to become their member, only these members can access the protocol documentation
- we can get the (partial) protocol stack free from Microchip, hopefully we get the full version later
My questions are:
- Is it legal to use this Zigbee protocol in my own commercial products not being a member of Zigbee?
- Can I reverse engineer the Zigbee protocol stack written by Microchip to write my own (enhanced) protocol that is compatible with or based upon Zigbee?
- Can I make a product compatible with Zigbee, and advertise it as 'Zigbee ready' without being a member of Zigbee? |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Mark
Joined: 07 Sep 2003 Posts: 2838 Location: Atlanta, GA
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 2:35 pm |
|
|
If you are going to make and advertise a Zigbee product, it is going to have to be certified. That is where joining the alliance comes in. You are supposed to be able to have it certified without joining but the cost is pretty high. I haven't found anyone to really give straight answers yet! I went to the Freescale ECS this past year and took several seminars on Zigbee and no one could give me a straight answer. Atmel came in to propose their "solution" to a Zigbee product but still left things very uncertain. I scheduled a followup meeting with them on Feb 9. Maybe I'll be able to give you more details then. |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
libor
Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 288 Location: Hungary
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 3:28 pm |
|
|
Thank you, Mark
for kindly reassuring me that it is not me so dumb not seeing the legal issues clearly.
If I get it right, the main ZigBee participant companies too have not yet decided what licencing policy they will follow to promote this standard.
In the meantime I am going to learn the technical, programing aspects of this or a similar ad-hoc sensor network anyway, so I hope these legal things will clear up by the time I would use it in a real device sold to my customers.
Anyway I am going to test my own protocol candidates also for a self-healing ad-hoc mesh RF network. (however one can be never sure what patents are breached unintentionaly) ...I have already made some encouraging tests using a discreet event simulator program running on a PC, though I would like to go to be at least partially compatible with Zigbee if it will not cost me a lot of (annoying) licence or membership fee.
Thanks. |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
valemike Guest
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 4:39 pm |
|
|
I too was at the Freescale seminar a few months ago.
i understand that you do not have to be a member to design Zigbee products. You simply buy Freescale's or Microchip's (Chipcon's) chips.
They really couldn't give a straight answer, like Mark said, on licensing and certification. I heard from someone that since the transceivers can potentially operate through several channels, that there will be a more exhaustive process of FCC certification.
As far as licensing, i don't think you have to license each unit, since such fees are inherent in you merely buying the chips. Not sure though. |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Mark
Joined: 07 Sep 2003 Posts: 2838 Location: Atlanta, GA
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 5:51 pm |
|
|
valemike wrote: |
As far as licensing, i don't think you have to license each unit, since such fees are inherent in you merely buying the chips. Not sure though. |
Yeah, that adds to the confusion. It is true about the licensing but from what I gathered it has to be certified Zigbee which is what will cost you. I heard from once source that the cost would be in the $3K-$4K range. So if you do more than 2 products, you would have been better off joining the alliance which I was told gets you free testing. I don't hold much of this hold heartily yet. I would look for some companies to make modules that would ease the smaller guys. |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
bertronicom
Joined: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 26 Location: University of Cantabria -SPAIN
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 5:42 am |
|
|
I'm learning a lot about state of the art in zigbee.
I would like to ask 2 questions,
1) Zigbee stack source code from Microchip is supported by CCS ?
2) Can I download this code from Microchip for free? (Without buying PICDEM Z development kit)
Best regards |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
libor
Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 288 Location: Hungary
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:15 am |
|
|
1. as far as know: no, not yet. If not by CCS itself, some of us developers will certainly convert it to CCS C, i think it will be available soon.
2. yes, you can download it free from Microchip's site, there is an application note AN965 and also a .zip file (MpZBeeV1.0.0.zip) containing the source code |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Guest
|
Dev. kits and modules |
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:47 am |
|
|
Reading some of the info at chipcon.com I noticed the price of a Zigbee dev. kit is $5000.00
I can’t find any company ready to ship modules, or anyone that has a working stack for the PC. !
And from the Microchip web site it sounds like the stack is not ready yet… !
Zigbee sounds fine, but I think it's being setup to exclude the little guy, at lest in the beginning, just like the SD card crap.
At least Bluetooth is somewhat more accessible, and the little guy (hobbyist) can get started for a few $$.
I predict Zigbee for $75 (1-25) a module by 2006/7 |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Mark
Joined: 07 Sep 2003 Posts: 2838 Location: Atlanta, GA
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:59 am |
|
|
Its too new. Give it time. |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
valemike Guest
|
Re: Dev. kits and modules |
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:49 pm |
|
|
Anonymous wrote: | Reading some of the info at chipcon.com I noticed the price of a Zigbee dev. kit is $5000.00
I can’t find any company ready to ship modules, or anyone that has a working stack for the PC. !
And from the Microchip web site it sounds like the stack is not ready yet… !
|
Do you want the full zigbee stack? or do you just want to be able for two devices to talk to each other? Microchip and Freescale have kits at $200, but this is just the basic non-full-zigbee kit. |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
Guest
|
Re: Dev. kits and modules |
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 1:27 pm |
|
|
valemike wrote: | Anonymous wrote: | Reading some of the info at chipcon.com I noticed the price of a Zigbee dev. kit is $5000.00
I can’t find any company ready to ship modules, or anyone that has a working stack for the PC. !
And from the Microchip web site it sounds like the stack is not ready yet… !
|
Do you want the full zigbee stack? or do you just want to be able for two devices to talk to each other? Microchip and Freescale have kits at $200, but this is just the basic non-full-zigbee kit. |
To be of any real use a stack for the PC with PAN and more. Just connecting two devices is not a big deal.
To make a system SCADA system a link to the PC world is needed.
I'm sure looking forward to Zigbee, but it's not in any of my new designs just yet. |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
valemike Guest
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2005 6:37 am |
|
|
Has anyone ordered and gotten their hands yet on a PICDEM Z? The availability date seems to be creeping, first into mid-January, then February, now March. I ordered it the same week it was first advertised last month, and still unsure when i'll get it.
-Mike |
|
![](templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif) |
|