Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1442793
5 Several protocols are now being used in home automation, including Zigbee, Z-Wave, Insteon, and Bluetooth. Zigbee is a widespread home automation protocol. Originally developed for commercial use, it's now seen as a prevalent language for home automation communication partially due to its low power usage. Z-Wave is another popular automation protocol that works on lower frequencies to avoid interference. A benefit of Z-Wave is that all devices are compatible regardless of manufacturer, age or version. Insteon is unique in that it's a combination of wired and wireless technologies. It's extremely easy to set up and basically adds itself to the network when turned on. Also, a single Insteon hub can connect across hundreds of devices. Bluetooth is already at the heart of many digital products including audio, video, input accessories, and file sharing. Bluetooth home automation is often chosen because of how little power it uses. For those who are concerned about energy consumption and carbon footprint, low-power protocols like Bluetooth are a great fit. Bluetooth is already included in so many devices that it's one of the fastest-growing sectors of home automation. Our protocol comparison will concentrate on Zigbee and Bluetooth. Zigbee/Zigbee 3.0 Zigbee is a low-cost, low-power wireless protocol that is at the forefront of home automation and has become fairly ubiquitous in recent years. Zigbee's main cited drawback is its failure to communicate easily with other protocols. The Zigbee Alliance, the controlling body for the Zigbee protocol, cites the following features as the main benefits of the Zigbee standard. • Global: Operates in the 2.4GHz radio band, which is unrestricted worldwide, allowing applications to be portable globally. • Low power: The Zigbee standard allows devices with independent power supplies, which includes solar cells and batteries. • Reliable and robust: Mesh network capability creates redundant data flow paths that eliminate single path failure and supports large networks. • Scalable: Supports network expansion to thousands of nodes encompassing a large area. • Secure: Employs security tools such as security keys, frame counters, and AES128 encryption. The latest iteration of Zigbee, Zigbee 3.0, improves on Zigbee Pro and previous versions by adding mesh networking, greater range, more security layers, and lower power consumption. Zigbee 3.0 claims to be so efficient that devices can operate on one set of batteries for up to several years. It even offers a "Green Power" option that in some cases eliminates the need for replacing batteries altogether. The Zigbee 3.0 protocol is a very secure home automation protocol; it uses the same level of encryption whether an application is for a major financial institution or for a home. Zigbee 3.0 home automation is highly customizable while still being easy enough for a homeowner to set up themselves. Figure 2: Illustration of the Zigbee protocol ecosystem. Zigbee Figure 1: Connectivity and the Internet of Things.