Bluetooth vs. Zigbee: Wireless PAN Technology Comparison

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This article compares Bluetooth and Zigbee, two popular wireless Personal Area Network (PAN) technologies, highlighting their key differences.

Specifications: Bluetooth vs. Zigbee

The following table outlines the key specifications of Bluetooth and Zigbee:

FeatureBluetoothZigbee
IEEE Standard802.15.1802.15.4
RF Frequency BandISM bands (country-specific):868 MHz (Europe)
USA & Europe: 2400-2483.5 MHz915 MHz (Australia/USA)
Japan: 2471-2479 MHz2450 MHz (Worldwide)
France: 2445-2475 MHz
Spain: 2446.5-2483.5 MHz
Channel Spacing1 MHz5 MHz, Occupied bandwidth ~2 MHz
No. of ChannelsUSA & Europe: 7916 (2450 MHz band)
Japan, France, Spain: 2310 (915 MHz band)
1 (868 MHz band)
Distance10 cm to 100 meters (power class)10 to 100 meters (transmit power, antenna)
Data Rate1 Mbps (Bluetooth 1.0)20/40 Kbps (868/915 MHz)
Up to 3 Mbps (Bluetooth 2.0)250 Kbps (2450 MHz)
ModulationGFSK (Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying)BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Keying) for 868/915 MHz
OQPSK (Orthogonal QPSK) for 2450 MHz
DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum)
Protocol StackCore protocols (Baseband, LMP, L2CAP, SDP), RFCOMM, TCS Binary, PPP, TCP, UDP, IP, OBEX, WAE/WAPPhysical layer, MAC layer, network, security, and application
Frequency HoppingYesNo
Security128 bit AES128 bit AES
TopologyPiconet (up to 7 devices)Star, tree, mesh (max. 65536 nodes)
Medium AccessFH-TDD-TDMACSMA/CA
ApplicationsCable replacement, Home automation, Consumer electronics, Smart energy, AutomotiveMonitoring and control, Home automation, Consumer electronics, Smart energy, Automotive

Key Differences Explained

  • Frequency Bands: Both Bluetooth and Zigbee primarily operate in the 2.4 GHz ISM band, but Zigbee also uses lower frequency bands (868 MHz, 915 MHz) in specific regions.
  • Data Rate: Bluetooth generally offers higher data rates than Zigbee, making it suitable for applications requiring faster data transfer.
  • Topology: Bluetooth typically uses a star topology (piconets), while Zigbee supports more complex topologies like star, tree, and mesh, allowing for larger and more robust networks.
  • Power Consumption: Zigbee is designed for low power consumption, making it ideal for battery-powered devices. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) has emerged to address this for Bluetooth as well.
  • Applications: Both technologies are used in various applications, but Bluetooth is often used for audio streaming and data transfer, while Zigbee is commonly found in home automation and industrial control systems.

Bluetooth 5.0 vs. 4.2: Key Differences and Improvements

Bluetooth 5.0 vs. 4.2: Key Differences and Improvements

Explore the key differences between Bluetooth 5.0 and 4.2, including speed, range, power consumption, and suitability for IoT devices. A detailed comparison of the latest Bluetooth iterations.

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BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) Basics

BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) Basics

Learn the fundamentals of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), a low-power wireless technology used in IoT for short-range communication. Discover its features, topologies, and applications.

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