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Updated April 06, 2008 01:00 EST
Which is better--Z-Wave or Zigbee? Which of these came into existence first? What is the difference between the two?
The first ZigBee specification was published in 2005. The first Z-Wave specification was released in 2002. To answer which one is better would require knowing what it is you are trying to accomplish. In the home control market the main difference between the two is interoperability. ZigBee refers to many things. It might be one of three different protocol versions, running on any number of radio chips, operating in the 2.4GHz band or maybe in the 900MHz band. In short, when you say a product is ZigBee I have to ask which one? Is it ZigBee 2006 or Pro? Is it 2.4GHz or is it 900MHz? This just covers the physical and MAC layer. We still have to contend with the upper layers of the communications model to get product-to-product interoperability. Although the ZigBee Alliance has released standardized Applications Profiles or instruction sets for specific device types, to the best of my knowledge no companies are actively supporting them. As a result there is little to no interoperability inferred from the label ZigBee.
Z-Wave is just the opposite. There is only one version in each market and all Z-Wave Certified products use the same Applications Profiles. This lets the consumer pick and choose products from many different manufacturers and be ensured that the products will work together in the same system without the need for bridge or translator products. You can purchase, mix and match Z-Wave Lighting products from Intermatic, Cooper, Leviton, GE, Mertin, and others with remote controls from Universal Devices, Logitech, Monster, GE, Intermatic, among others. You can add window shade controllers from FAKRO, RS Scene Automation, ESI, Techniku, and Hunter Douglas or thermostats from Wayne Dalton, Intermatic, RCS, and HAI and be confident that all of these devices will interoperate with each other. In short, ZigBee is a broadly used label that means little to the consumer and Z-Wave is the brand for certified, interoperable end products.
What are the different stack sizes of ZigBee and Z-Wave?
It is impossible to do an exact side-by-side comparison as stack sizes differ depending on the type of device that is being created. Controller stacks are larger than routing slaves and routing slaves are larger than non-routing slaves. ZigBee uses the Terms Coordinator, Full Function Device and Reduced Function Device. With ZigBee it is also a bit difficult to figure out, as there are three standards, 0.9, ZigBee 2006, and PRO that we have to consider. In general, a reasonably featured ZigBee Coordinator stack will run 32Kb or more where a comparable Z-Wave Controller stack will run close to 28Kb.
My company is from Spain, we want to offer solutions based on mControl and Z-wave devices. Is it possible in Europe or any problem with ISM band?
Z-Wave has been granted the frequency allocation of 868.42MHz in Europe. There are many Z-Wave products in Europe operating at this frequency in this ISM band and I do not know of any problems being reported.
How do I clear an event on the Intermatic HA07?
To “Clear” an event on the HA07, you would need to change the event to a NULL event. Follow these instructions:
1. Press MODE button until you reach PGM mode.
2. Press the "+" button or the "-" button until you see the Days of the Week selection flashing on and off.
3. Press the "+" button or the "-" button repeatedly until the Days of the Week disappear and the event time shows "--:-- --" which represents the NULL setting.
(Any event that displays the NULL setting will no longer be automatically activated at the original event time setting. If you were to press +/- again while in PGM mode, then you will see that your original event time setting is still stored in memory.)
4. Press the MODE button to exit PGM mode and return to AUTO, AUTORAND, or MAN mode.
I’ve been asked to install the Z-wave system in a new house for a customer. I'm an electrical contractor and have no idea how your devices wire to line voltage or if they do.Is there some place that I can go to see the install pictures or diagrams?
Z-Wave products install no differently from their non-Z-Wave counter parts. You can go to each Z-Wave manufacturers website and find the installation instructions for their products.
