Advantages and Disadvantages of LCD TV

The question which is in mind, Now people are replacing LCD TV into LED TV. Why people doing so? What are the main advantages and disadvantages of LCD TV? Following thread gives you answer about that. 

Advantages of LCD TV 

  • Slim profile
  • Can be wall mounted
  • Colors of images look more realistic
  • Better performance than plasma's for smaller screen size
  • Slightly lower power usage than equivalently sized plasma display
  • Lighter and less bulky rear-projection television 
  • Less heat is generated
  • Better under brighter conditions
  • No radiation emission from the screen
  • Space efficient and because they operate at much cooler temperatures cost less per hour than a plasma television
  • Longer life span
  • Higher resolution than plasma of the same size 
  • Lower cost than LED
  • Use less energy so energy efficient
  • More experienced video games recommend using LCD tv
  • Lighter in weight with respect to screen size
  • No burn in from stationary
  • No radiation emission from the screen
  • Reflect very little light, allowing them to maintain contrast levels and not be affected by glare
  • Not affected by the increases or decrease in air pressure
  • Saving our electricity bill because of lower power consumption

Disadvantages of LCD TV 

  • Response time is longer
  • Motion blur is noticeable
  • Prices are more expensive as compared to plasma TV of the same size
  • Poor black level because of that worse contrast ratio and details in the image
  • It relies heavily on thin-film transistors, which are easily damaged, resulting in a defective pixel
  • Response time is longer
  • Pixel burns on the screen 
  • Less picture clarity when viewed on the side or at a view from an angle 
  • Technology advancement is slowly easing this problem
  • Contrast adjustment is narrower in image
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Plasma Display advantages and disadvantages

Some points on the advantages and disadvantages of Plasma display are discussed below. So let us check about the advantages and disadvantages to know more about plasma displays. A plasma display is a computer video display in which each pixel on the screen is illuminated by a tiny bit of plasma or charged gas, somewhat like a tiny neon light. 

Advantages of Plasma Display 


Following are the Advantages of Plasma Display
  1. It can be wall-mounted.
  2. It is a Simple profile.
  3. Less bulky than rear projection television
  4. Virtually less motion blur, so better motion tracking like high refresh rates and faster response time.
  5. It can display 16.77 million colours.
  6. More pixels per inch.
  7. It offers a widescreen 16:9 ratio display.
  8. Superior contrast ratio so that capable of producing deeper blacks. 
  9. Superior uniformity.
  10. It offers Excellent brightness across the entire screen.
  11. Wide side-to-side viewing angle compared to LCD.
  12. It offers high resolution.
  13. It is compatible to work with computers.
  14. Better colour accuracy and saturation.
  15. Large screen sizes can be manufactured commercially.

Disadvantages of Plasma Display :


Following are the Disadvantages of Plasma Display
  1. A picture is not so clear under bright conditions.
  2. Produce glare due to reflection.
  3. Glass screen damage can be permanent and far more difficult to repair.
  4. Poor reproduction of black.
  5. Radiation is emitted from the screen.
  6. The image brightness range is narrower.
  7. Less recommended for playing video games and used on a computer monitor
  8. Use more electricity so energy consumption is higher. 
  9. The cost is much higher compared to other displays.
  10. Require more power so energy consumption is more thus more heat produced.
  11. Some plasma display suffers from noticeable flickers with various hues, intensities, and patterns. 
  12. they have a shorter life span and there is no option to repair the brunt-out tube.
  13. Suffer from screen burn-in and image retention which makes PDPs unsuitable for displaying static images.
  14. They suffer from luminosity degradation that gradually declines their absolute brightness level.
  15. Plasma display only works well at high altitudes, particularly at elevations above 6500 feet or 2000 meters in which they start to display buzzing noise.
Thank you for reading this article. Still, if you have any questions or queries in mind on the Plasma Display advantages and disadvantages then please ask us in the comment section below. 

Explore more information:
  1. Advantages and disadvantages of LCD TV
  2. Advantages and Disadvantages of CRT
  3. Advantages and disadvantages of DVD
  4. Difference between LCD and LED
  5. Difference between CRT, Plasma and LCD TV
  6. Difference between CRT and Plasma Display
Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Is plasma display good or bad quality?

Fans of plasma televisions rave about their excellent image quality. The quality is excellent, particularly when watching movies, television shows, and sporting events. The high contrast allows you to see dark scenes more clearly. The color representation is vibrant and lifelike.

2. Which TV is better, Plasma or LED?

Plasma TVs are better suited in darker rooms, whereas LED TV perform well in both bright and dark settings. 

3. What is the lifespan of plasma television?

The lifetime of the most recent generation of plasma displays is estimated to be 100,000 hours of actual display time,, or 27 years at ten hours per day. This is the estimated time over which a maximum picture degrades to half of its original value. 

Difference between CRT TV, Plasma TV and LCD TV

After the digital broadcasting starts everyone will need a digital tuner to receive over-the-air signals. When we upgrade to a digital TV, we will not only get all the great benefits of digital broadcast, including theatre-quality picture and sound but also have access to additional digital services. So now let us talk about the difference between CRT TV, Plasma TV, and LCD TV.

CRT TV : 
  • Limited to about 40-inch screen size.
  • CRT TVs suffer from burn.
  • Longer lifespan than LCD and plasma, lasting over 80,000 hours.
  • Shipping is neither difficult nor expensive.
  • CRT TVs tend to have good contrast ratios than most flat-screen TVs.
  • Installation is straightforward and no professional is required. 
  • More durable than LCD and Plasma TVs.
  • They are Bulkier and are thicker than the flat screen.
  • They weigh more than LCD and Plasma TVs.
  • Better refresh rates compared with Plasma TVs than LCD TVs.
Plasma TV :

  • Average ranges from 32 inches to 63 inches, with Large plasma size 130-inch units and 150 inches.
  • Refresh and handle rapid movement in a video about as well as CRT television, which is about the standard most viewers expect.
  • Suffer from burn-in produced by static images. With technologies such as "pixel orbiter", new plasma TVs have addressed burn-in product life span.
  • Due to their fragile nature, Special shipping methods and their heavier weight add to higher shipping costs.
  • Plasma TVs report higher brightness and contrast levels than LCDs. 
  • Plasmas are heavier, use more power, run hotter than LCD TVs, and therefore require more planning when mounting them. Plasmas are generally best installed by professionals. 
  • Plasmas are best installed by professionals recent improvements to plasma screens have made them significantly more durable and lighter weight.
  • As thin as 3 inches deep.
  • Plasma displays are fairly heavy and may need additional supports to be mounted onto a wall.
LCD TV
  • Average screen sizes range from 13 inches to 65 inches.
  • Originally designed for static data display, and not moving video. LCD TVs are now available with refresh rates specified by manufacturers as low as 5ms.
  • They do not suffer from burn-in but can have a "retained pixel charge" which may also produce ghosting. Stuck pixels are also possible with an LCD display.
  • They have a backlight that is specified to last between 30,000 and 60,000 hours. LCD TVs also have replaceable backlights, but the expense of replacing one may be greater than simply replacing the entire TV.
  • Shipping LCD TVs is not difficult and is not as expensive as shipping plasma displays 
  • They can often look better in 'real-world' situations. LCD TVs reflect very little light, allowing them to maintain levels in well-lit rooms.
  • End users can easily install LCD TVs themselves, or can use them just as they use a traditional TV using a stand.
  • Somewhat more durable than older plasma. End users can easily mount an LCD TV themselves if desired, although LCD TVs should still be shipped with special care, and the screen itself should be cleaned with a streak-free cleaner.
  • As thin as 2 inches deep.
  • LCD TVs weigh less than comparably sized plasma TVs.
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What is plasma display

History :

The plasma display was co-invented in 1964 at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign by Donald Bitzer, H.Gene Slottow and Robert Willson for the PLATO computer system. The original monochrome video display panel was very popular in the early 1970s because they were needed freighter memory nor circuitry to refresh the image. In the late 1970s, as semiconductor memory made CRT display cheaper than plasma displays. However, the relatively large screen size and thin body of plasma displays made them suitable for high profile placement in lobbies and stock exchanges. 

In 1983, IBM built in orange-on-black monochrome displayed. Today's display contains a grid of cells in which gas react with phosphors is varying degrees in red, green, or blue sub-pixels, making it possible to produce over 16 million different colors.

1992 - Fujitsu brought in the World's first 21-inch full-color display. 

1994 - Weber explains a color plasma display at an industry convention in San Jose. 
1995 - Fujitsu invented the first 42-inch plasma display. 
2006 - Analyst noted that LCDs overtook plasmas, particularly in 40-inch and above segment. 
2008 - The largest plasma video display in the world at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada was manufactured by Matsushita Electric Industries. It was a 150 inches. 
2010 - Panasonic introduced their first 3D plasma model 152" 2160p. 

What is Plasma Display?

A plasma display is a computer video display in which each pixel on the screen is illuminated by a tiny bit of plasma or charged gas, somewhat like a tiny neon light. They are thinner than cathode ray tube ( CRT ) displays and brighter than LCD called Liquid Crystal Displays. 

Structure of Plasma display :  

A plasma display is made up of many thousands of gas-filled cell that are sandwiched in between (a) two glass plates, (b) two sets electrodes, (C) dielectric material, and  (d) protective layers.

The address of the electrode is arranged vertically between the rear glass plate and the protective layer. This structure is behind the cells in the rear of the display, with the contact layer in direct contact with the cells.


On the front side of the display, there are horizontal display electrodes that are in between a magnesium oxide (MgO) protective layer and an insulating dielectric layer. 


Electrodes in the horizontal and vertical direction form a grid from which each individual cell can be accessed. Each individual cell separated from surrounding cells so that activity in one cell does not affect another.

The cell structure is similar to a honeycomb structure expect with rectangular cells. To illuminating a particular cell, the electrodes that intersect at the cell are charged by control circuitry and electric current flows through the cell, simulating the gas atoms inside the cell. These ionized gas atoms or plasma's then release ultraviolet photons that interact with a phosphor material on the inside wall of the cell.


Every pixel on the display is made up of three sub-pixel cells. One sub-pixel cell is coated with red phosphor, another is coated with green phosphor, and the third cell is coated with blue color for the pixel. The control circuitry can manipulate the intensity of light which is emitted from each cell, and therefore can produce a large spectrum of colors. This light from each cell can be controlled and changed rapidly so that produce a high quality moving picture.


Advantages of plasma display :
  • Can be wall mounted
  • Simple profile 
  • High resolution 
  • Short response time
  • Better motion tracking 
Disadvantages of plasma display :
  • Poor reproduction of black
  • Brightness range is narrower 
  • Consume more electricity
  • Very costly
  • Heavier in weight 

For detailed information 

Difference between CRT display and plasma display

After the digital broadcasting starts everyone will need a digital tuner to receive over-the-air signals. When we upgrade to a digital TV, we will not only get all the great benefits of digital broadcast, including theatre-quality pictures and sound but also have access to additional digital services. so now let us talk about the difference between CRT and Plasma Display.

CRT technology - CRT uses a beam of electrons to stimulate phosphors and thus electrons to stimulate and thus make the image The beam strikes the phosphor cell at an angle and this creates a large spot size. also, because it is difficult to focus at all points, the image will be less precise in some areas.

 CRT results :

  1. Geometric distortion - The picture on a CRT will always have a certain amount of distortion.
  2. Difficulty focusing across the entire screen - The picture on a CRT will have some regions that are not as focused as others.
  3. Picture distorted by magnetic fields - The CRT electron beam can be influenced by magnetic fields which results in a distorted image.
  4. Uneven light output - The picture on a CRT will have areas that are brighter and areas that are darker than others.
Plasma technology - Each pixel contains 3 cells green, red, and blue. Plasma display panels stimulate phosphor cells individually with electrons. There is no loss of focus.

Plasma results :
  1. No geometric distortion - The plasma panels' accurate cell structure produces a picture that is geometrically perfect.
  2. Perfect focus -The plasma panel has a perfect focus across the entire screen.
  3. No susceptibility to magnetic fields - The plasma panel is not affected by magnetic fields.
  4. Even light output - The plasma panel is perfectly evenly illuminated so no dark or hot spots.
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Features of FDMA

FDMA is a frequency band is one types of channel access method and can be divided small frequency channel are allocated to different users. The frequency band is divided into channels of equal bandwidth so that each conversation is carried on a different frequency. Now you can check it out some features of FDMA one by one listed below. 

Features of  FDMA

  • The complexity of FDMA systems is less.
  • Every user shares the satellite transponder or frequency channel simultaneously.
  • Demands a highly efficient filter. Require tight filtering to minimize interface. 
  • Continuous transmission method so few bits are required for the overhead purpose.
  • The FDMA channel uses one phone circuit at any instant of time.
  • If the voice channel is assigned in FDMA, then the mobile unit and the base station transmitting simultaneously.
  • The symbol time is large in comparison to the delay spread. 
  • The FDMA system has narrow bandwidth about to 30 kHz as each channel supports only one circuit per carrier.
  • The FDMA mobile unit user duplex as both the transmitter and receiver operate simultaneously.
  • FDMA needs tight RF filtering to minimize the adjacent channel interference.
  • Every user receives an individual frequency because all users transmit and receive at different frequencies.
  • Best suited for analog links. 
  • Usually combined with FDD for duplexing. 

Multiple Access techniques used in wireless communication system

The multiple access techniques with  any of these methods are used for wireless communication, so now let us discuss different multiple access techniques used in the wireless communication system :

  • Global system for mobile (GSM) - TDMA/FDD
  • W-CDMA (3 GPP) - CDMA/FDD, CDMA/TDD
  • Digital European cordless telephones (DECT) - FDMA/TDD
  • CDMA 2000 (3 GPP2) - CDMA/FDD, CDMA/TDD
  • CT2 (cordless telephones) - FDMA/TDD
  • US narrow band spread spectrum (IS 95) - CDMA/FDD




Multiple access techniques in wireless communication

What is Multiple Access?


The transmission bandwidth in different frequency band varies in range. It is more than the bandwidth needed for a message to be transmitted. Hence, in order to utilized the frequency spectrum efficiency "Multiple Access" method is introduced.

In telecommunication and computer networks, a channel access method or multiple access methods allow more than two terminals connected to the same transmission medium to transmit over it and to share its capacity. 

Multiple access technique permits multiple access to a channel. A channel represents a system resource assigned to a given mobile user that enables the user to establish communication with over users in the network. 

The ability of the system to carry many signals at the same time is called Multiple Access. Through Multiple Access, it is possible to share the communication capacity of the cellular system among a large number of base stations.

Depending on the channel type, specific multiple access techniques can be used for communication. The channel access types and the associated multiple access techniques are as follows.  

FDMA : 


FDMA is a wireless system that allows multiple users to send data through a single communication channel, such as a coaxial cable or microwave beam, by dividing the bandwidth of the channel into separate non-overlapping frequency subchannels. Each subchannel allocating to a separate user. 

The channel or frequency band is unique for each subscriber. The channel allocation can be done on a basis to the users to request service.

In FDMA systems the users are assigned a pair of frequency, one for the forward channel and other for the reverse channel.

Example - FM radio where multiple users can transmit simultaneously; however, on different frequency channels. 


TDMA : 


TDMA is a wireless system for shared-medium networks that allows several users to share the same frequency channel by dividing the signal into different time slots. The users transmit in rapid succession, one after the other, each using its own time slot allows multiple stations to share the same transmission medium while using only a part of its channel capacity. 

TDMA system divides the radio spectrum into a time slot only one user is allowed to transmit or receive. 

Various users can transmit the same frequency band at different times. 

CDMA : 


CDMA is a wireless system used by various radio communication technologies. CDMA is an example of multiple access, where several transmitters can send information simultaneously over a single communication channel that allows several users to share a band of frequencies.

In CDMA the narrowband message signal is multiplied by a large bandwidth called spreading signal. This spreading signal is actually a pseudo-noise code sequence and it has a higher chip rate than the data rate of the message signal.

What is analog signal

Signal :


The signal is a physical quantity, which contains some information and which is a function of one or more independent variables.

The signal can be two types :


1. Analog signal

 2.Digital signal


What is an Analoge signal?


An analogue single defined as any continuous signal for which the time-varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time-varying quantity. 

They can have an infinite number of different values. The Analog signal is classified simple and composite signal. 

An analogue signal is described using amplitude, a period of frequency, and phase. Amplitude mark height of the signal, frequency marks the rate at which the signal is changing and phase marks the position of the wave with respect to time zero.

Let us now discuss some example of the analogue signal.
  1. Temperature
  2. Power
  3. Voltage
  4. Brightness
  5. Sound
  6. Distance
  7. Current
Most of the thing observed in nature are analogue.

What is Satellite

A satellite is any object that moves in a curved path around a planet which has been intentionally placed into orbit. 

Sometimes a satellite orbit looks like an ellipse, a squashed circle that moves around two points known as foci.

The first artificial satellite, launched by Russia in late 1950 was about the size of a basketball. In this satellite, nothing but transmit a simple Morse code signal over and over.

What is Infrared signal

Infrared is a wireless mobile technology used for device communication over short ranges. Infrared is a means of using light to transmit a signal over distance, so LED is used to transmit the IR signal, which passes through a lens and focuses on a beam of IR data.

There are many inexpensive IR systems designed for use TVs, and many theaters use IR to broadcast to the IR equipped headsets that they will loan to patrons who want to hear the movie better.

What is Radio Frequency

Radiofrequency :


Radiofrequency (RF) refers to the rate of oscillation of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum or electromagnetic radio waves. From the frequencies ranging from 3 kHz to 300 GHz, as well as the alternating currents carrying the radio signals. With the use of that communication transmission and broadcasting. 

Radiofrequency is measured in Hertz which represent the number of radio cycle per second when a radio wave is transmitted. Radiofrequency is not visible to the human eye.

Difference between DSP Processor and Microprocessor

A general-purpose microprocessor is not tied to or integrated with a particular language or piece of software. These types of microprocessors are present in personal computers. They are used for computation, text editing, multimedia display, and communication over a network. The DSP processor is a particular type of processor is a specialized microprocessor that has an architecture optimized for the operational needs of digital signal processing. 

The main difference is that a DSP processor has features designed to support high-performance, repetitive, numerically intensive tasks. DSP processors are designed specifically to perform a large number of complex arithmetic calculations as quickly as possible. As compared to general processors, the DSP processor is more efficient at performing basic arithmetic operations, especially multiplications. 


Difference between the DSP processor and Microprocessor

DSP processor :

  • Instruction cycle - Instruction is executed in a single cycle of the clock.
  • Instruction execution - parallel execution is possible.
  • Suitable for - Array processing operation.
  • Addressing mode - Direct and indirect addressing mode.
  • Computational units - Three separate computational units: ALU, MAC, Sifter.
  • Address generation - Address is generated combine by DAGs and program sequencer. 
  • Program flow control - Program sequencer and instruction register take care of the flow of a program. 
  • Memories - Separate data and program memories.
  • Operand fetch and memory - Multiple operands are fetched simultaneously.
  • On-chip address and data buses - Separate address and data buses for program and data memory i.e DMA, DMD, PMD, PMA, and R bus.
  • Pipelining - Pipelining is implicating through the instruction register and instruction cache. 
  • Address and data bus multiplexing - They are not multiplexed both are separated on-chip as well as off-chip. 
  • Application - Speech processing, audio processing, signal processing, and array processing, etc.

Microprocessor :

  • Instruction cycle - Multiple clock cycle is required for the execution of one instruction.
  • Instruction execution - Execution instruction is always sequential.
  • Suitable for - general-purpose processing.
  • Addressing mode - Direct, indirect register, register indirect, immediate, etc.
  • Computational units - Only main unit: ALU.
  • Address generation - The program counter is incremented sequentially to generate an address.
  • Program flow control - The program counter takes care of the flow of execution.
  • Memories - Normally no such separate memories are present.
  • Operand fetch and memory - Operand is fetched sequentially.
  • On-chip address and data buses - Address and data bus are the two bus on the chip.
  • Pipelining - Queuing performs explicate by one queue register to support pipelining. 
  • Address and data bus multiplexing - Address and data bus are multiplexed. 
  • Application - General purpose applications. 

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Difference between analog and digital signal processing

Analog signal processing is basically any signal processing that is done on the analog signals by analog means. Digital signal processing is basically any signal processing that is done on digital signals or information signals that aim to modify or improve the signal. 

Analog is mathematically represented as a set of continuous values such as voltage, electric current or electric charge around components in electronic devices. Some example of this type of signal is crossover filters in loudspeakers, bass, treble and volume on stereos, tint on televisions, capacitors, resistors, inductors, and transistors. 

Digital signal is characterized by a representation of discrete units, such as discrete-time, discrete frequency, or discrete domain signals. It also includes subfields like communication signal processing, radar signal processing, sensor array processing, digital image processing, etc. 

Difference between analog signal processing and digital signal 


Some key differences between analog signal processing and digital signal processing are listed below. 

Analog Signal Processing :

  • Less versatile
  • Less accuracy
  • Less repeatability
  • Upgradation difficult
  • Difficult to store the analog signal
  • Less system complexity
  • Universal compatibility is not possible
  • Difficult to implement mathematical processing algorithms
  • Require Less power consumption

Digital Signal Processing :

  • More versatile
  • More accuracy
  • More repeatability
  • Upgradation compatibility is possible
  • Such a signal can be easily stored 
  • More system complexity
  • Universal compatibility is possible
  • Mathematical processing algorithm can be easily implemented
  • Require more power consumption

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Difference between GSM and CDMA

GSM is a combination of FDMA and TDMA means that the 100 people who want to communicate can be divided into five groups of 20 each in different rooms where they can communicate in a queue one after another. CDMA is just as name CDMA access technology means that all the 100 people will communicate simultaneously in the same room, but each person will have a unique code to differentiate that person from others. GSM technology is used 2G mobile carrier standards while CDMA is 3G mobile carrier standards. GSM is introduced by industry Consortium and CDMA is introduced by chipmaker Qualcomm. We can check out some features of both GSM and CDMA and then check out the difference between them. 

2G - GSM :

  • Access mode - TDMA/FDD
  • Came about in 1987
  • Carrier - 200 KHz
  • Downlink frequency - 925-960 MHz
  • Uplink frequency - 890-915 MHz
  • Radio interface - TDMA
  • Handoff - Hard handover
  • Frame duration - 4.615 ms
  • Modulation technique - GMSK
  • In 2G GSM time slots in a frame fault rate - 8
  • Technology - 2G
  • Channel bit rate - 270.33 kbps

3G - CDMA :

  • Access mode - CDMA with FDD/TDD
  • Came about in 1957
  • Carrier - 5 MHz
  • Downlink frequency - 2.110-2.170 GHz
  • Uplink frequency - 1.920-1.980 GHz
  • Radio interface - CDMA
  • Handoff - Soft handoff
  • Frame duration- 10 ms
  • Modulation technique - QPSK
  • While in 3G-WCDMA time slots in a frame fault rate - 15
  • Technology - 3G
  • Channel bit rate - 5.76 Mbps

Difference between GSM and CDMA


  • GSM is a digital mobile telephony system whereas CDMA is a channel access method used by various communication technology but both fall under multiple accessing. 
  • GSM is based on a wedge spectrum called a carrier whereas CDMA is based on spread spectrum technology. 
  • In GSM networks, it is much easier to swap phones and CDMA can switch phones with carrier's permission. 
  • GSM provides less security as compared to CDMA. 
  • GSM widely used technology while CDMA restricted to less number of countries. 
  • GSM offers maximum download speed around 384 kbps while CDMA offers maximum download speed around 2 Mbps.
  • GSM phones emit about 28 times more radiations on an average as compared with CDMA. 
  • GSM provides voice and data to be used at the same time, but in CDMA only once can be used at the same time. 
  • GSM is too much older technology while CDMA is advanced technology.
  • GSM and CDMA are both uses a different frequency band.
  • GSM is slowly being phased out in favor of the CDMA.
  • CDMA uses more power while GSM uses low power.
  • CDMA offers much faster data rates, GSM has low data rates.
  • GSM allocates comparatively fewer subscribers than CDMA. 
  • GSM is more reliable and CDMA is less reliable. 
  • GSM used frequency planning to maximize the use of the limited bandwidth whereas CDMA used code planning. 

Zigbee Network | History | Features | Application

Define Zigbee Networks : 


Zigbee is a wireless protocol. It can be used for wireless networking and connectivity is the wireless language that everyday devices use to connect to one another. It is the recently newly emerged technology of network communication based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard where IEEE stands for Institute of electrical and electronic engineers. It is a new standard developed by the Zigbee alliance for a personal area network consisting of more than 270 companies. 

Zigbee is a low cost, low power, wireless network standard targeted at battery-powered devices in wireless control, and monitoring application. It is built on the physical layer and media access control defined in IEEE standard 802.15.4 for low rate WPANs. The specification includes four additional components such as network layer, Zigbee Device Objects, and manufactured defined applications objects. 

The Zigbee network layer supports both star and tree networks, and generic mesh networking. Every network must have one coordinator device. Instar network coordinator must be the central node. Both trees and meshes allow the use of Zigbee routers to extend communication at a network level. 

Zigbee's specification has two implementation options such as Zigbee and Zigbee PRO. 
First implementation Zigbee is designed to support smaller networks with hundreds of devices in a single network. The Zigbee PRO feature set is the most popular device used for most alliance developed standards. It is the first choice of developer.

This article gives Some basic features of Zigbee networks, advantages and disadvantages and application of Zigbee networks.


History of Zigbee :

  • Zigbee was firstly found in 1998, standardized in 2003 and revised in 2006. 
  • Zigbee style self-organizing ad-hoc digital radio networks were defined in the 1990s. 
  • The IEEE 802.15.4-2003 specification was ratified on 14 December 2004.
  • The Zigbee Alliance announced the availability of specification 1.0 on 13 June 2005. 
  • Zigbee PRO also is known as Zigbee 2007 was finalized in 2007.

A feature of Zigbee networks :

  • It incorporates power saving mechanisms for all device classes
  • Discovery mechanism with full application confirmation
  • pairing mechanism with full application confirmation
  • various transmission option included broadcast
  • Uses small packet compared with WiFi and Bluetooth
  • Low data rate
  • Low battery consumption
  • The maximum operating range for Zigbee device is 250 feet
  • Easy to implement
  • Low cost
  • Support up to 65000 nodes connected in a Zigbee network
  • Zigbee can automatically establish its network

Application of Zigbee networks :

  • Home automation :
    1. Heating, lighting
    2. Cooling, door locking mechanisms
    3. Home security system
    4. Smoke detector
  • Telecom application :
    1. Used to transmit and receive the message
    2. Share ring tone, images and contacts also
    3. Emergency services
  • Industrial automation
    1. Personal tracking
    2. Livestock tracking
    3. Record and transmit critical data like vibration, pressure, and temperature
  • Security : 
    1. Home security
    2. Fire detection
  • Health care
  • Smart energy
  • Remote control for consumer electronics 
  • Hotel room access
  • Smart metering

Simulation of Zigbee Network :


Simulation of a network like ns2, OMNeT++, OPNET, and NetSim can be used to simulate IEEE 802.15.4 Zigbee networks. 

All simulators we can see above come with open source C or C++ libraries for users to modify. This is the way that users can determine the validity of new algorithms before hardware implementation.