WiFi
WiFi is a technology based on the IEEE 802.11 standard wireless protocol that allows electronic devices to connect to a wireless local area network (WLAN), usually using 2.4G UHF or 5G SHF ISM radio frequency frequency band. Connections to a WLAN are usually password protected; but can also be open, allowing any device within range of the WLAN to connect. Wi-Fi is a brand of wireless network communication technology owned by the Wi-Fi Alliance. WiFi is suitable for large data volumes, short distances, and relatively poor stability. It is mainly used in home and commercial applications!
ZigBee
ZigBee is a low-power LAN protocol technology based on the IEEE802.15.4 standard, which usually uses the 2.4G frequency band. According to international standards, ZigBee technology is a short-distance, low-power wireless communication technology. This name (also known as the purple bee protocol) comes from the eight-figure dance of bees, because bees rely on the "dance" of flying and zig-zagging wings to communicate the location of pollen to their companions. That is to say, bees rely on this method to form a communication network in the colony. It is characterized by short range, low complexity, self-organization, low power consumption, and low data rate. It is mainly suitable for use in the fields of automatic control and remote control and can be embedded in various devices.
The difference between ZigBee and WiFi modules:
1. Different transmission speeds
ZigBee’s transmission speed is not high (<250Kbps), but its power consumption is very low. Battery power can generally last more than 3 months;
WiFi, often referred to as wireless LAN, has a high speed (11Mbps) and high power consumption, and is generally connected to an external power supply;
2 , Different application scenarios
ZigBee is used in low-speed, low-power scenarios, such as wireless sensor networks, and is suitable for industrial control, environmental monitoring, smart home control and other fields.
WiFi is generally a wireless network technology used to cover a certain range (such as a building) (coverage range is about 100 meters). The form of expression is our commonly used wireless router. Install a wireless router in a building, and basically all laptops (with wireless network cards) in the building can access the Internet wirelessly.
3. Market status
As an emerging technology, ZigBee has been undergoing rapid development and promotion since the first version of the standard was released in 2004; currently due to cost, Due to reliability reasons, it has not yet been promoted on a large scale; WiFi technology is much more mature and has many applications.
The continuous maturation of wireless technology plays a vital role in the development of the Internet of Things, making it easier and safer to realize the "Internet of Everything and the Internet of Things". With the continuous development of society, the advantages of wireless communication have become more and more obvious. In general, they have the following points:
1. Wireless communication has a large coverage area and is almost not restricted by geographical environment: it can be set up at any time , add links at any time, easy to install and expand.
2. Fast wireless communication speed: Communication links can be established quickly (within tens of minutes) to achieve temporary, emergency, and disaster-resistant communication purposes.
3. The scope of application is gradually broadening: from the simple applications of smart digital products in the early days, it has gradually transformed into applications in multiple industries, such as industrial control, medical, automotive electronics and other fields.
Relatively speaking, WiFi modules can better meet the application needs of IoT wireless communication. SKYLAB’s existing WiFi modules have the three major advantages of IoT wireless communication.