Protocol Definitions
This page will provide a quick terminology of common protocols we encountered in our research.
Last updated
This page will provide a quick terminology of common protocols we encountered in our research.
Last updated
This family of protocols is the one that is most common with wireless devices. Wi-Fi is based in this protocol.
This standard is primarily used for lower-bandwidth wireless networks. These networks are typically used in situations where range is more important than bandwidth, and is what the Zigbee and Digimesh protocols are based on.
This protocol provides a low-power, long-range option for connecting devices together. Currently, this is what the XBee runs as its communications protocol and it is good for sending small messages such as Twist messages. However, it does struggle when sending larger images such as images [1]. For example, in a network of unmanned air vehicles, it took over 60 seconds to consistently send a single 400 x 300 jpeg image. This is mainly due to the low bandwidth of the Zigbee network, as it is limited to a raw data rate of 250 kbps [2].
In terms of structure, Zigbee mainly works in the form of a mesh network. However, this mesh network comes with three types of nodes: coordinators, routers, and end devices. The roles of these devices are described in the table below:
Digimesh is a mesh network that is similar to Zigbee. However, the key difference is that it reduce the number of roles to just one. All members of the network share the same type, which makes setup and expansion much easier [4]. This network also shares the same data rate of 250 kbps, and provides a large range for wireless connections. Therefore, it is much easier to run this network on similar hardware as the Zigbee protocol.
Currently, we have not yet been able to test the Digimesh network and see what changes there are in terms of setting up Digimesh networks of devices.
[1] D. S. Pereira et al., "Zigbee Protocol-Based Communication Network for Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Networks," in IEEE Access, vol. 8, pp. 57762-57771, 2020, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2982402.
[2] Tomar, Ankur. "Introduction to Zigbee Technology " Global Technology Center, vol. 1, 2011, pp. 1-24.
[3] Song, S & Yao, W. (2019). Research on the Application Value of Wireless Mesh Network in Power Equipment of the UPIOT. Journal of Physics: Conference Series. 1346. 012046. 10.1088/1742-6596/1346/1/012046.
[4] “Digi XBee Chart Features” https://www.digi.com/pdf/chart_xbee_rf_features.pdf
Role
Description
Coordinator
The coordinator is responsible for establishing the network. Each network will have only one coordinator, and it will establish the PAN ID, Channel, as well as the rules for how many devices can join it.
Router
The network can have a large amount of routers connected. They may connect to each other, and are responsible for also routing packets to other nodes. There will also be at least one router connected to the coordinator in the network.
End Device
End devices are responsible for simply receiving data packets. They cannot route packets to other nodes, and only exist to send and receive packets that have been destined for them.
