editor's blog
Subscribe Now

Single-Radio Zigbee and Thread

Earlier this year we saw that Zigbee and Thread were collaborating to implement Zigbee profiles or “clusters,” which normally appear at the top of a Zigbee stack, over the Thread stack as well.

Strategically, this allows top-level Zigbee to handle IP-based data, since Thread includes 6LoWPAN, an IPv6 adaptation for running over 802.15.4, the radio protocol used by Zigbee. Much of the world operates with IP on layer 3; this allows Zigbee infrastructure to participate.

That’s at the top of the stack. Meanwhile, at the bottom, Greenpeak recently announced a single-radio implementation of Zigbee and Thread in their GP712. It can handle both flows with a single radio – or, alternatively, it can serve as a single-stack chip, usable for either stack with a single stocking unit. It needs a thin layer to mux/demux the traffic into the appropriate stack once it leaves the radio.

This got me thinking about how these two reconvergent stacks might play together in different devices. This is based on realizing that an Internet of Things (IoT) edge node is likely to implement only one of the two protocols. So a mixed device isn’t likely to serve there (except as a single-SKU chip that goes either way).

Greenpeak says they’re targeting infrastructure nodes – hubs, gateways, set-top boxes and the like – and those devices are indeed likely to be managing multiple traffic streams across multiple platforms. On the other hand, it’s unlikely that they’ll be working at the application layer (except perhaps for deep packet inspection).

It may be a failure of imagination on my part, but the only node I can picture that might realistically process multiple protocols and implement the application layer would be a server. I’d include a phone as a possible server, although phones typically don’t do 802.15.4.

The following figures illustrate the different configurations that I’ve derived from this mental wandering. Presumably, the GP712 could serve in any of them with appropriate configuration.

Greenpeak_Zigbee-Thread.png 

You can read more about Greenpeak’s new device in their announcement.

Leave a Reply

featured blogs
Dec 5, 2023
Generative AI has become a buzzword in 2023 with the explosive proliferation of ChatGPT and large language models (LLMs). This brought about a debate about which is trained on the largest number of parameters. It also expanded awareness of the broader training of models for s...
Nov 27, 2023
See how we're harnessing generative AI throughout our suite of EDA tools with Synopsys.AI Copilot, the world's first GenAI capability for chip design.The post Meet Synopsys.ai Copilot, Industry's First GenAI Capability for Chip Design appeared first on Chip Design....
Nov 6, 2023
Suffice it to say that everyone and everything in these images was shot in-camera underwater, and that the results truly are haunting....

featured video

Dramatically Improve PPA and Productivity with Generative AI

Sponsored by Cadence Design Systems

Discover how you can quickly optimize flows for many blocks concurrently and use that knowledge for your next design. The Cadence Cerebrus Intelligent Chip Explorer is a revolutionary, AI-driven, automated approach to chip design flow optimization. Block engineers specify the design goals, and generative AI features within Cadence Cerebrus Explorer will intelligently optimize the design to meet the power, performance, and area (PPA) goals in a completely automated way.

Click here for more information

featured webinar

Rapid Learning: Purpose-Built MCU Software Tools for Data-Driven Embedded IoT Systems

Sponsored by ITTIA

Are you developing an MCU application that captures data of all kinds (metrics, events, logs, traces, etc.)? Are you ready to reduce the difficulties and complications involved in developing an event- and data-centric embedded system? This webinar will quickly introduce you to excellent MCU-specific software options for developing your next-generation data-driven IoT systems. You will also learn how to recognize and overcome data management obstacles. Register today as seats are limited!

Register Now!

featured chalk talk

EV Charging: Understanding the Basics
Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and Bel
Have you ever considered what the widespread adoption of electric vehicles will look like? What infrastructure requirements will need to be met? In this episode of Chalk Talk, I chat about all of this and more with Bruce Rose from Bel. We review the basics of EV charging, investigate the charging requirements for both AC and DC chargers, and examine the role that on-board inverters play in electric vehicle charging.
Mar 27, 2023
30,670 views