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Coming Soon: ZigBee Control by PDA
palmtops writes "The new ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4) wireless protocol designed for home
automation is getting a lot of exposure lately and got some more exciting news
today. Wired
Home Weblog has a brief mention and press release about the first ZigBee
SDIO card that allows your home to be controlled by your PDA. The
card was introduced by C-Guys at Cebit today and will
definitely add a whole new dimension to home automation."
..oh nevermind..
air and light and time and space
All this home automation protcol needs are two things: 1. To branch out into wireless video cameras 2. Launch a massive popup ad campaign featuring hot models
Parents out of the house...
*Beep, beep, beep!*
ALERT: Security cameras have determined that your daughter has invited friends in for alcohol and sex. Would you like to:
(a) Shut off the electricity
(b) Lock the doors to keep out further visitors
(c) Place the burglar alarm into continuous operation
(d) Start the custom "Scream" apparatus to spur an evacuation?
The coolest voice ever.
Could it be that the GNAA have teamed up with the IEEE to produce some kind of wireless trolling standard?
It's a protocol for sensor networks. It's being used for some home automation products but it's a not a very good match since the ZigBee design point assumes a relatively static configuration
My door got hacked. :)
(notice: did not RTFA)
I do security
Zigbee are proprietary layers added to IEEE 802.15.4. They aren't the same thing. Zigbee is NOT an open protocol.
-russ
Don't piss off The Angry Economist
ZigBee's main purpose is to create self-assembling, autonomous networks.
This means that well written firmware will enable a tech with no education to just replace nodes if something goes wrong, versus having to understand anything about networking.
My job is in the development of ZigBee networks and I have worked with these devices for about a year now.
The main purpose of the ZigBee standard is to develop low-cost deivces that operate, assemble, and route messages with no human intervention. The latest chips cost less than two dollars, meaning a whole node can be designed for much less than $10.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur.
It is Windows base- so mod me down away. If you are a Linux fan and a PERL expert- Mister House has a big following.
Homeseer has a web interface- so control of these devices via a pocket pc is possible now. There are plans for Zigbee control in the future as well.
I think HS has the correct paradigm- a central PC controlling the house. Certainly you need to keep it on- but adding a $100 card to every machine you want to control devices seems silly when anything with wifi can do the job- and will allow you to read slashdot as well.
And yes- my garage door can be opened up via my webpage. No- you can't have the link.
could someone explain why Zigbee and the other newer alternatives are better than X10?
'cause X-10 doesn't scale. It only transmits on 1 phase of the power, and you need a phase coupler to ensure it covers a moderately sized house. In practical use, you'd be hard pressed to get it to work consitiently in a > 3000 sq ft house.
Oh yeah, and there's no security layer, so it's possible to turn on your neighbor's lights when you turn yours on if they choose the same "channel" as you.
I am an X-10 pro certified installer and I think X-10 is neat (and cheap) but it's old. Really old. Really, really friggin old. Time to shoot it in the head and come up with something better.