User Manual
Table Of Contents
- 1. Overview
- 2. RF Module Operation
- 3. XBee ZigBee Networks
- Introduction to ZigBee
- ZigBee Stack Layers
- Networking Concepts
- ZigBee Application Layers: In Depth
- Coordinator Operation
- Router Operation
- End Device Operation
- Channel Scanning
- 4. Transmission, Addressing, and Routing
- 5. Security
- 6. Network Commissioning and Diagnostics
- 7. Managing End Devices
- 8. XBee Analog and Digital IO Lines
- 9. API Operation
- API Frame Specifications
- API UART Exchanges
- Supporting the API
- API Frames
- AT Command
- AT Command - Queue Parameter Value
- ZigBee Transmit Request
- Explicit Addressing ZigBee Command Frame
- Remote AT Command Request
- Create Source Route
- AT Command Response
- Modem Status
- ZigBee Transmit Status
- ZigBee Receive Packet
- ZigBee Explicit Rx Indicator
- ZigBee IO Data Sample Rx Indicator
- XBee Sensor Read Indicator
- Node Identification Indicator
- Remote Command Response
- Over-the-Air Firmware Update Status
- Route Record Indicator
- Many-to-One Route Request Indicator
- Sending ZigBee Device Objects (ZDO) Commands with the API
- Sending ZigBee Cluster Library (ZCL) Commands with the API
- Sending Public Profile Commands with the API
- 10. XBee Command Reference Tables
- 11. Module Support
- Appendix A: Definitions
- Appendix B: Agency Certifications
- Appendix C: Migrating from ZNet 2.5 to XBee ZB
- Appendix D: Additional Information
XBee®/XBee‐PRO®ZBRFModules
©2011DigiInternational,Inc. 57
Note – End devices do not make use of these routing protocols. Rather, an end device sends a unicast transmission to its
parent and allows the parent to route the data packet in its behalf.
Note - A network cannot revert from Many-to-One routing to AODV routing without first doing a network reset (NR).
Link Status Transmission
Before discussing the various routing protocols, it is worth understanding the primary mechanism in ZigBee for
establishing reliable bi-directional links. This mechanism is especially useful in networks that may have a
mixture of devices with varying output power and/or receiver sensitivity levels.
Each coordinator or router device periodically sends a link status message. This message is sent as a 1-hop
broadcast transmission, received only by one-hop neighbors. The link status message contains a list of
neighboring devices and incoming and outgoing link qualities for each neighbor. Using these messages,
neighboring devices can determine the quality of a bi-directional link with each neighbor and use that
information to select a route that works well in both directions.
For example, consider a network of two neighboring devices that send periodic link status messages. Suppose
that the output power of device A is +18dBm, and the output power of device B is +3dBm (considerably less
than the output power of device A). The link status messages might indicate the following:
Routing Approach Description When to Use
Ad hoc On-demand
Distance Vector (AODV)
Mesh Routing
Routing paths are created between source and
destination, possibly traversing multiple nodes
(“hops”). Each device knows who to send data
to next to eventually reach the destination
Use in networks that will not scale beyond about
40 destination devices.
Many-to-One Routing A single broadcast transmission configures
reverse routes on all devices into the device that
sends the broadcast
Useful when many remote devices send data to
a single gateway or collector device.
Source Routing Data packets include the entire route the packet
should traverse to get from source to
destination
Improves routing efficiency in large networks
(over 40 remote devices)