Best Home Automation Devices (Topic 2)- What is Z wave - A complete Review
Z WAVE PROTOCOL IN HOME AUTOMATION- A REVIEW
What Is Z-Wave?
Z-Wave is a wireless protocol harnessing low-energy radio waves to help smart devices or appliances communicate successfully with one another.
Zensys from Denmark developed Z-Wave in 2001. The stated goal was to create a cost-effective Zigbee alternative enabling devices from different brands to communicate in harmony.
Released in 2004,
Z-Wave penetrated the mass market in 2005 with the formation of the Z-Wave Alliance.
Sigma Designs purchased the Danish start-up in 2009.
Z-Wave Plus, making use of the 500 chip series, came to fruition in 2013.
Z-Wavee operates using very little power. By using frequencies of 908.42 MHz in the US and 868.42 MHz throughout Europe, Z-Wave suffers from very little interference as the 800 to 900 band is well clear of the 2.4GHz and 5GHz used by WiFi and other devices, appliances, and protocols.
A wireless mesh network, Z-Wave can support up to 232 devices. While this is the practical limit, after 40 or 50 devices, you’re likely to experience a little congestion.
To understand how Z-Wave works, you need to be clear about mesh networks and the advantages they provide.
Z-Wave: A Mesh Network:
Although the devices on mesh networks usually link up to a central hub, they also mesh together. These devices are not WiFi-enabled. Communication takes place with the hub using the Z-Wave protocol.
Signals can hop from device to device – up to 4 of these hops are permitted – so indirect communication is possible adding a further layer of flexibility to the network.
Mesh networks are comprised of nodes.
Smart home devices used in a connected home are termed nodes when considering mesh networks.
Messages can be sent between nodes even when they’re not within direct range. This is where the expression hop comes in with the signal passing along by whatever means necessary. This system gives you extended reach at the expense of a slight and barely noticeable delay in communication.
Z-Wave Alliance :
A proprietary technology owned by Sigma, the company, also license Z-Wave tech and operate the Z-Wave Alliance.
This alliance is responsible for certification and makes sure all devices comply with rigid standards.
It’s also a requirement that every Z-Wave device works with every Z-Wave controller.
Over 600 manufacturers produce more than 2400 devices as part of the formidable Z-Wave Alliance.
Z-Wave is a wireless communication protocol used primarily in smart home networks, allowing smart devices to connect and exchange control commands and data with each other.
With two-way communication through mesh networking and message acknowledgment, the Z-Wave protocol helps alleviate power issues and brings low-cost wireless connectivity to home automation, offering a lower-power alternative to Wi-Fi and a longer-range alternative to Bluetooth.
How Z-Wave works:
A Z-Wave network consists of internet of things (IoT) devices and a primary controller, also known as a smart home hub, which is the only device in a Z-Wave network that is usually connected to the internet. When a Z-Wave hub receives a command from a smart home application on a user's smartphone, tablet or computer,
it routes the command to its destination device across networks of up to 232 devices -- including the hub.
Using source-routed mesh network technology, Z-Wave signals can hop through other Z-Wave devices to reach the device a user intends to control. Each Z-Wave network accommodates a maximum of four hops.
Thee Z-Wave protocol operates on the low-frequency 908.42 band in the U.S. and the 868.42 MHz band in Europe. Though interference with other home electronics, such as cordless phones, is possible, the protocol avoids interference with the 2.4 GHz band where Wi-Fi and Bluetooth operate.
Z-Wavee offers transmission rates of small data packets using throughput rates of 9.6 kbps, 40 kbps or 100 kbps. The Z-Wave PHY and MAC layers are based on the ITU-T G.9959 global radio standard, and the protocol uses GFSK modulation and Manchester encoding. It also includes AES 128 encryption, IPv6 and multichannel operation.
In terms of identification and authorization, each Z-Wave network is identified by a network ID and each end device is identified with a node ID. The unique network ID prevents, for example, one Z-Wave-equipped house from controlling devices in another similarly equipped house.
Communication between devices ranges from 98 to 328 feet; the 500 Series has a range of 130 feet and the 700 Series 328 feet.
Because walls and other dense building materials limit the range, the general deployment best practice is to place Z-Wave devices 50 feet or fewer apart for maximum signal strength.
Usingg a Z-Wave repeater -- an additional Z-Wave device between other devices -- or using line-powered -- not battery-powered -- devices in the network can also strengthen the signal and help it reach its destination.
The maximum range with four hops is estimated to be 600 feet.
In regards to battery life, some 700 Series Z-Wave devices can last up to 10 years on a coin cell battery, while many other battery-powered devices last a year or longer.
All Z-Wave technology is backward-compatible.
To bear the Z-Wave branding, smart home products must become Z-Wave certified. This involves meeting a number of requirements and, most importantly, being interoperable with all other Z-Wave-certified devices.
History:
First envisioned by Danish company Zensys, the Z-Wave protocol began as a light-control system for consumers and evolved into a home automation network mesh protocol implemented on a proprietary system-on-a-chip (SoC).
The company aimed to make a simpler, less expensive alternative to existing smart home protocols. Zensys was acquired by Sigma Designs Inc. in 2008.
In 2001, the 100 Series chipset was released, followed by the 200 Series in 2005.
In 2013, the 500 Series, also known as Z-Wave Plus, was released, offering a 50% improvement in battery life, 67% improvement in range and 250% more bandwidth, as well as plug-and-play capabilities and standardized, over-the-air updates.
Thee Z-Wave Alliance, a consortium of industry leaders, manufacturers and integrators aimed at developing and expanding Z-Wave applications and capabilities, was founded in 2005
when members from Intermatic Inc., Leviton Manufacturing Co. Inc., Wayne Dalton, Danfoss and Universal Electronics met with Zensys to discuss the state of home automation protocols.
The more than 700 current members include D-Link Systems Inc., Honeywell International Inc., LG Electronics and Verizon, among others.
In 2016, some Z-Wave technology was made open source. Sigma Designs added an interoperability layer to the Z-Wave
open source library with the aim to give software developers, manufacturers, hobbyists and academics, among others, the ability to read, use and comment on how Z-Wave works without joining the Z-Wave Alliance or purchasing a Z-Wave development kit.
Prior to this, nondisclosure agreements were required, and the specifications were only available to Z-Wave Alliance members and Z-Wave development kit holders.
Sigma Designs also released the Z-Wave S2 security specification, the Z-Wave over IP Specification for transporting Z-Wave signals over IP networks and Z-Ware middleware
in 2016.
In 2017, Sigma Designs announced Z-Wave SmartStart, a combination of the Z-Wave protocol and Z-Wave gateway software layers, allowing for preconfiguration and eliminating the need to manually add devices to a Z-Wave home network, as they can automatically connect when powered on.
The 700 Series was announced at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show and will be available later in the year.
This iteration offers a device-to-device range of more than 328 feet and a mesh range of more than 1,312 feet. It also uses a 32-bit Arm Cortex SoC, unlike previous versions that used the 8-bit Intel MCS-51/8051-compatible foundation.
In 2018, Sigma Designs sold Z-Wave to Silicon Labs.
Z-Wave adoption and popularity :
Inn 2002, a reported six Z-Wave-certified devices were available on the market. In 2012, that number rose to 1,000. Currently, in 2018, more than 2,400 Z-Wave-certified devices are available from the more than 700 members of the Z-Wave Alliance.
Z-Wave'ss website claims it has the largest selection of smart products available across widely recognized brands, and that more than 100 million Z-Wave protocols have been sold for smart homes worldwide.
Todayy, Z-Wave-certified devices are used for remote control and management in a variety of smart home and IoT devices and applications, including smart thermostats, smart locks, smart lighting, smart sensors, smart plugs and outlets, and smart home hubs.
Z-Wave-certified products are available from brands including ADT, GE, Honeywell, Kwikset, Schlage and SmartThings.
Z-Wave security
Early on, Z-Wave had a bad security reputation.
While it offered AES encryption, there were a number of security incidents involving Z-Wave largely due to implementation errors by manufacturers or manufacturers not using the recommended security in the first place.
In a 2013 Black Hat presentation, hackers demonstrated how to use the Z-Force packet interception and injection tool to identify a critical implementation vulnerability in the Z-Wave security layer.
They showed how to compromise an AES-encrypted Z-Wave door lock, which turned out not to be a flaw introduced by Z-Wave, but by the door lock manufacturer.
In response, Sigma Designs added additional security test cases to its certification processes.
In a 2016 ShmooCon presentation, two hackers demonstrated how the open source EZ-Wave penetration testing tool could be used to destroy lights and physically damage Z-Wave-certified devices.
In their research, the hackers found that only nine of the 33 devices they tested supported AES. In turn, the Z-Wave Alliance made AES 128 encryption mandatory for a device to become certified.
Thee Z-Wave Alliance mandated Z-Wave-certified devices follow the Security 2 (S2) framework beginning in April 2017.
This modified the process from a three-step process in the previous S0 framework to a one-step process in S2.
In an attempt to mitigate man-in-the-middle, distributed denial-of-service and brute-force attacks against Z-Wave devices, S2 uses elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman cryptography and requires a QR or PIN code at the device level for authentication.
S2 also implements strengthened cloud communication by tunneling all Z-Wave over IP traffic through a secure TLS 1.1 tunnel.
In May 2018, researchers from Pen Test Partners found a five-year-old software vulnerability in the Z-Wave protocol dubbed Z-Shave, which affected an estimated 100 million SoCs in smart home devices manufactured by more than 2,400 vendors.
In the attack, one device is tricked into believing the other does not support Z-Wave's S2 framework, so it downgrades the device's security to the S0 framework for compatibility.
As S0 uses a hardcoded encryption key, hackers in range can potentially intercept communication and smart lock keys to unlock home doors.
Silicon Labs refuted the ability of the attack, claiming that this attack requires close physical proximity to the device during the pairing process, which is done during initial installation or reinstallation.
This means the user would have to be present at the time of the attack and would be made aware of a device running S0. The company also stated that it is updating the specification to ensure users get a warning any time a device is downgraded to S0.
The user would have to acknowledge and accept the warning to run the system
Z-Wavee devices fall into three broad categories:
Actuators:
Controlled devices used to switch signals
Controllers:
Method of control for other Z-Wave devices
Sensors:
Reporting devices using both analog and digital signals to communicate
As outlined, Z-Wave functions as a secure and ultra-dependable mesh network.
For more on mesh networks and why they make sense, go here
You have a variety of choices for controlling Z-Wave devices:
Smartt Phone
Tablet
Computer
Control
Key Fob
Physical Controls
Whatever your preferred form of control, a command is sent from the controller to a hub.
The command takes a route to the destination device.
A hub is crucial if you want remote access.
The only user input required is manipulating the controller.
When you get a new Z-Wave device, you’ll need to add it into your network.
This is known as inclusion.
The overall network is given a Network Id, and all devices come with a Node ID. This ensures you’ll get no conflict with your neighbor’s system and that all discrete devices are also secure.
Z-Wavee: Core Features
Mesh Architecture: You have multiple devices (nodes) all connected to a central hub. You control Z-Wave devices in-app on your smartphone, with controllers, wall controls or voice commands
Mesh Network: By dint of its mesh networking topology, Z-Wave is robust and reliable.
All signals all routed by the most efficient path possible. If the protocol cannot find the optimum route, an alternative will be deployed
Security: AES 128 is mandatory for any device requesting Z-Wave certification meaning security is ironclad and a breach highly improbable
Routing:
All Z-Wave devices are categorized as controllers, routing slaves or slaves. The controllers along with the routing slaves act as repeaters. It’s only mains-powered devices that perform the role of repeating messages to preserve battery life
Low-Power Radio: Low-power radio with an impressive range send small data packets between devices.
The diminutive Z-Wave chip fits into small smart devices with ease
Z-Wave: Drawbacks:
There’s very little meaningful to knock about Z-Wave.
Youu should consider the workable limit of 40 to devices, though rather than the notional 232 allowed.
While 50 devices might sound like a vast spread, once you start building out a connected home, it's impressive how the bits and pieces add up.
Other than that, all you need to do is check that devices you plan to buy are interoperable before committing to purchase and you’re good to go.
Accordingg to RF Wireless World, you'll need some basic knowledge of radio frequency, but in practice, this is not wholly necessary. We back Z-Wave as a very beginner-friendly introduction to home automation so don't panic if you're not a scientist.
The Future of Z-Wave:
Click Here For Home Automation books
"Adding Z-Wave to Silicon Labs' extensive IoT connectivity portfolio allows us to deliver a unified vision for the wireless technologies underpinning the smart home market. Secure, interoperable customer experience is at the heart of how smart home products are designed, deployed and managed.
Get ready, To endeavour an adventure,
— Amazon India (@amazonIN) March 24, 2021
Get ready, To #BecomeThePro #AmazonSpecials
Know More - https://t.co/4O5xu68BFe pic.twitter.com/5UP4izNew4
Our smart home vision is one where multiple technologies work securely together, where any device using any of our connectivity options quickly joins the home network, and where security updates and feature upgrades occur automatically." – Tyson Tuttle, Silicon Labs CEO
Concerning the Z-Wave Alliance, they have partnered up with Silicon Labs but what does this collaboration mean for you, the consumer?
All Insteon devices are immediately and automatically detected without the inclusion step re quired with Z-Wave.
You’ll get no delay with Insteon either.
"Silicon Labs and the Z-Wave Alliance and its ecosystems will continue to advance the Z-Wave technology roadmap, delivering innovations that engage millions of smart home product users. Z-Wave is a proven, broadly deployed technology that just reached the milestone of 100 million devices in the market.
The acquisition will drive collaboration and expand access to a diverse ecosystem network of partners including Amazon, Alarm.com, ADT, Samsung SmartThings, Yale, Vivint, Google Home, and Comcast." - Raoul Wijgergangs, Vice President and General Manager of Z-Wave
Some of the most widely-used categories of Z-Wave devices include:
Garagee Door Controls,
Lighting Controls,
On/Off Outlets
Remote Controls,etc
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