Z-Wave Physical Layer (PHY) Basics

zwave
physical layer
phy
modulation
coding

This page covers the fundamental aspects of the Z-Wave physical layer (PHY) and includes a Z-Wave PHY transmitter block diagram. The Z-Wave physical layer is responsible for the following key functions:

  • Assigning RF profiles to the Z-Wave physical channel.
  • Activating and deactivating the RF transceiver.
  • Transmitting and receiving data frames (payload).
  • Performing clear channel assessment (CCA).
  • Selecting the radio frequency.
  • Checking link quality based on received frames.

The Z-Wave physical layer supports three distinct data rates: 9.6 kbps (designated as ‘R1’), 40 Kbps (designated as ‘R2’), and 100 Kbps (designated as ‘R3’). The physical layer configuration adapts based on the chosen data rate.

z-wave physical layer,zwave PHY

As illustrated in Figure 1, the Z-Wave physical layer incorporates modulation and coding blocks. The configuration of the Z-Wave PHY is tailored to the specific data rate (R1, R2, or R3), as detailed in the table below.

Z-Wave Data Rate and Accuracy

Data Rate DesignationBit RateSymbol RateAccuracy
R19.6 Kbps19.2 Kbaud+/- 27 ppm
R240 Kbps40 Kbaud+/- 27 ppm
R3100 Kbps100 Kbaud+/- 27 ppm

Table 1: Z-Wave Data Rate and Accuracy

Following modulation and coding of the input MAC layer data, a frame is constructed according to the format described in the Z-Wave tutorial. To facilitate this process at the physical layer, a preamble is inserted before the ‘SOF’ (Start of Frame) field.

Modulation and Coding Format

Data Rate DesignationModulationCodingseparation Symbols
R1FSKManchester40 KHz+/-10% Binary
R2FSKNRZ40 KHz+/-10% Binary
R3GFSK (BT=0.6)NRZ58 KHz+/-10% Binary

Table 2: Modulation and Coding Format in Z-Wave Physical Layer

As indicated in Table 2, FSK modulation is used for the R1 and R2 data rates, while GFSK is employed for the R3 data rate. Manchester coding is applied to R1, whereas NRZ coding is used for R2 and R3.

All data is transmitted in little-endian format. Data is sent in 8-bit blocks, with the MSB (Most Significant Bit) transmitted first after Manchester coding. Manchester coding helps to achieve a DC-free signal.

At the Z-Wave physical layer receiver, the preamble is utilized for synchronization before decoding and demodulation, allowing the retrieval of the MAC layer data. After decoding, the data is passed to the upper layers for subsequent processing.

GSM Physical Layer (Layer-1) Explained

GSM Physical Layer (Layer-1) Explained

Explore the GSM physical layer (layer-1) functions, including baseband processing, FEC, ciphering, burst formation, and modulation for mobile station transmission.

gsm
physical layer
modulation
LTE PCH Physical Layer Processing Explained

LTE PCH Physical Layer Processing Explained

Learn about the LTE PCH (Paging Channel), including the physical layer processing steps for the transmitter, such as CRC, channel coding, and modulation.

lte
physical layer
channel coding
Zigbee Physical Layer (PHY) Explained

Zigbee Physical Layer (PHY) Explained

Understand the Zigbee physical layer (PHY), including 868/915MHz and 2450MHz formats, modulation techniques, and the PPDU frame structure.

zigbee
physical layer
modulation