Introduction to ZigBee

Name: Introduction to ZigBee
Rating: 4.1 (85 reviews)

Learn the fundamentals of the ZigBee Protocol and Build ZigBee Solutions from Scratch

Created byVenkatesh Varadachari, Naveen PS

Last updated 12/2020

English

What you'll learn

Learn in depth the basics of ZigBee Protocol & its features
Tinker with XBee S2C Radios & XCTU Configuration Tool
Implement 3 Projects using Standalone XBee Radios
Work in both Transparent Mode and API Mode
Implement 2 XBee Projects using Raspberry Pi 4 & ESP32
Integrate Mesh Networking with ZigBee Cloud Gateway

Course content

5 sections • 30 lectures • 3h 48m total length

Introduction to the course5:14
Master the ZigBee protocol with hands-on XBee projects, learning basics, network topologies, and real-world IoT applications while meeting prerequisites like Raspberry Pi 4, ESP32, Linux, and Python.
Radio Basics4:50
Explore radio basics for ZigBee networks, including wireless communication, the electromagnetic spectrum, and inverse square law, and how transmitters, receivers, and antennas enable RF links in WPAN, WLAN, and WWAN.
What is ZigBee?5:41
Understand ZigBee’s purpose and features, including low data rate, long battery life, and mesh networking, and compare ZigBee with XBee within the ZigBee Alliance ecosystem.
ZigBee Vs. Bluetooth Vs. WiFi4:36
Explore how ZigBee coexists with Bluetooth and WiFi in the 2.4 GHz band, comparing data rates, ranges, and power usage while highlighting ZigBee’s drawbacks for certain wireless tasks.
Real World Applications of ZigBee11:14
Explore real-world ZigBee applications across home automation, energy management, irrigation, lighting, HVAC, security, asset tracking, healthcare monitoring, and hotel and fire safety systems, powered by reliable mesh networking.
Assignment 1

The ZigBee Protocol Stack7:36
Explore the ZigBee protocol stack, from the physical and MAC layers to the network and application layers, with a focus on security services, SAP interfaces, and IEEE 802.15.4 foundations.
Device Roles and Network Topologies in ZigBee7:54
Learn about the three ZigBee device roles—coordinator, router, and end device—and the FFD vs RFD distinction. Explore star, tree, and mesh topologies, and the roles of gateways and trust centers.
Device Addressing in ZigBee Networks4:51
Explore how ZigBee assigns a 64-bit IEEE address and a 16-bit network address via a coordinator, plus node identifiers and PAN IDs, enabling addressable devices across channels.
ZigBee Application Profiles5:22
Explore ZigBee application profiles, endpoints, and clusters, and learn how public and manufacturer specific profiles enable device interoperability across home automation and other applications.
ZigBee Operating Modes7:04
Explore ZigBee operating modes, including application transparent mode and API mode. Learn how XBee modules use UART and command frames to manage wireless data in ZigBee networks.
Assignment 2
ZigBee Basics

Hardware Overview of XBee S2C Module10:54
Explore the hardware overview of the XBee S2C ZigBee RF module, its pin configurations, USB adapter, and XCTU configuration, plus mesh networking and range features.
Introduction to the XCTU Software9:04
Explore the XCTU software for ZigBee, a multiplatform free tool to manage radio modules with graphical interface and built-in tools for discovery, network visualization, and testing.
XBee S2C Module Configuration using XCTU Part 14:35
Learn how to update XBee S2C firmware using XCTU, including preparing a local module, selecting latest firmware for different network needs, and comparing three firmware families for ZigBee networks.
XBee S2C Module Configuration using XCTU Part 23:19
Configure an XBee S2C module with XCTU to act as coordinator, router, or end device, adjust operating and sleep modes, and apply API frame configurations.
Chat Application using 2 XBee Modules Part 1: Basic Implementation5:51
Configure two XBee modules in transparent mode to implement a wireless chat application that transmits real-time text and analyzes transmitted and received frames, with coordinator and router roles.
Chat Application using 2 XBee Modules Part 2: Encryption Implementation4:55
Enable encryption in a ZigBee chat app by configuring two XBee modules in transparent mode and sharing a 128-bit private key.
Chat Application using 2 XBee Modules Part 3: AT Command Implementation5:45
Learn to implement a full encrypted chat app using only AT commands, enter command mode, and configure XBee modules (channel and network ID) with XCTU.
Assignment 3
ZigBee Hands-on

XBee I/O Line Passing5:36
Discover how XBee i/o line passing enables digital and analog sensing and actuation without a microcontroller, with pin pairing and direct DIO control across radios.
Digital Sensing and Actuation: Home Security System11:12
Configure two XBee modules to create a standalone home security system. Implement digital sensors and actuators, including a motion sensor, flame sensor, buzzer, and relay, with end device and coordinator.
Analog Sensing and Actuation: Intelligent Street Light System11:31
Configure analog sensing and actuation for an intelligent street light. Use an LDR-based ambient light measurement, analog-to-digital conversion, and modulation to vary LED brightness via XP modules.
Transmit Data on a Logic Level Change: Smart Door Sensor9:11
Configure two XBee modules for logic level change transmission to interface door sensors, enabling buffering and real-time digital input changes from transmitter to receiver.
Sleeping Modes & Encryption in XBee9:13
Explore XBee sleeping modes to extend battery life and implement 128-bit encryption for secure ZigBee communication, including pin sleep, cyclic sleep, time before sleep, and security key configuration.
Assignment 4

In-depth Overview of API Mode6:28
Explore the API mode in ZigBee networks, examining XBee frame types, start and checksum, and how API mode enables reliable computer-to-computer communication with ESP32 and Raspberry Pi libraries.
Working with XBee API Mode Libraries Part 15:57
Install the Arduino XBee library for ESP32 and the Digi XBee Python library on Raspberry Pi 4, then use the XBee object and API methods to send and receive packets.
Working with XBee API Mode Libraries Part 210:07
Learn key api methods of the Digi XBee Python Library for api mode, including local and remote devices, opening connections, and unicast or broadcast transmissions with polling and callbacks.
XBee Enabled Flight Information Display System Part 110:32
Configure XBee modules as coordinator, router, and end devices in a ZigBee TH network with encryption and sleep, and connect 16x2 I2C LCD to ESP32 with Raspberry Pi 4.
XBee Enabled Flight Information Display System Part 213:13
Interface XBee radios, locate I2C addresses for 16x2 LCDs, and code ESP32 XBee nodes and a Raspberry Pi 4 node to drive a flight information display system.
XBee MESH Enabled Forest Fire Cloud Monitoring System Part 113:38
update digimesh firmware on xbee modules, set coordinator, router, and end devices, enable encryption and api mode, and connect dht11 sensors, gps, esp32, and raspberry pi for forest fire monitoring.
XBee MESH Enabled Forest Fire Cloud Monitoring System Part 27:06
Explore XBee MESH forest fire monitoring by interfacing ZigBee radios across ESP32 nodes and a Raspberry Pi, installing libraries, and coding for sensor data, GPS, and delivery to Azure IoT.
XBee MESH Enabled Forest Fire Cloud Monitoring System Part 35:40
Register Azure IoT Hub devices, modify Raspberry Pi code, and deploy a XBee mesh forest fire cloud monitoring system with ESP32 and DHT11 sensors, using multihop data to Azure.
Assignment 5

Requirements

Basic experience with electronics
Worked on Raspberry Pi and ESP32 Boards
Basic knowledge of Linux, Python, and Arduino IDE.

Description

Hello learners, Welcome to MAKERDEMY's “Introduction to ZigBee” course.

This is an introductory course on the ZigBee Protocol. Do you know what Apple, Amazon, and Google have in common? It is ZigBee. Apple, Amazon, and Google have come together to come up with a unified connectivity standard based on ZigBee. Want to learn what makes the ZigBee Protocol so cool?

This course is a ONE STOP DESTINATION for an easy introduction to ZigBee. By the end of the course, you would have internalized all the concepts behind the ZigBee protocol and its features. You would have implemented 3 mini projects and 2 major projects using the XBee Boards, Raspberry Pi, and the ESP32, across various operating modes, firmware types, network topologies, and even implement a Cloud Solution. At the end of the course, you will be in a position to come up with your own ZigBee Solutions.

Throughout the course, we have provided a curated collection of original resources. These resources include links to documents for in-depth learning, links, videos, and more. At MAKERDEMY, we have a dedicated instructor team who will promptly answer any of your course-related queries. So, what are you waiting for?! Come, join me in this course. I'm looking forward to being your instructor, and to teach you the fundamentals about ZigBee.

Who this course is for:

Anyone who wants to get hands-on experience with the ZigBee Protocol and implement IoT Solutions
Any developer or engineer, who wants to upgrade their existing project with ZigBee Integration

Introduction to ZigBee

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Getting Started with ZigBee5 lectures • 32min

In-depth Understanding of ZigBee5 lectures • 33min

Getting Hands-on with XBee7 lectures • 44min

Physical Computation using XBee Modules Only5 lectures • 47min

Physical Computation using XBee Modules and MCUs8 lectures • 1hr 13min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: