Smart home is an increasingly common term. Many manufacturers are trying to offer the best possible solutions for communication between different devices. To let them communicate wirelessly with each other, they need a protocol such as Zigbee.
What is Zigbee and what is it for?
In short, Zigbee is a protocol for wireless communication between devices. It’s described in the standard IEEE 802.15.4 and works in unlicensed bands at 868 MHz, 902–928 MHz, and 2.4 GHz. It belongs to PAN networks (Personal Area Network), similar to the well-known Bluetooth technology.
It’s an open standard focused on low-energy and low-cost communication. Currently, several hundred of the world’s well-known companies are involved in its development, such as Philips, Siemens, Motorola, Samsung, Amazon, Bosch, or even Xiaomi.
In 2002, the alliance called Zigbee Alliance was founded, bringing these companies together.
The main advantages of Zigbee include reliability, ease of use and low power consumption. Since the protocol is designed for low power, the transmission range is limited to about 10 – 100 meters, depending on the environment.
A Zigbee network is secured with a 128-bit symmetric encryption key, so you don’t have to worry about security.
Every Zigbee device can send and receive data from other Zigbee devices because they use the same communication standard. The current Zigbee version is 3.0, which is also backward compatible with older versions.
What is a mesh network?
Some Zigbee devices can copy and forward data to another device. These devices create a so-called mesh network and work similarly to, for example, a WiFi signal extender.
As we mentioned in the introduction, a Zigbee network is low-energy, so it can’t connect devices over longer distances. That’s exactly what routers are for. The signal reaches farther distances step by step through multiple devices.
The more such nodes there are in a Zigbee network, the more stable it is. If a device stops working and therefore can’t keep spreading the signal, another one can take its place. This eliminates possible network outages.
The foundation of such a network is a central unit (gateway or hub) to which the other devices connect. It manages the entire network. The technology itself makes it possible to add up to 65 000 devices to a single network.
Types of devices in a Zigbee network
In a Zigbee network, we recognize 3 types of devices. The main one is the aforementioned central unit, which controls the entire network. The best-known central units include Amazon Echo, Samsung SmartThings Hub, Apple HomePod, Google Home Hub, or Athom Homey.
The central unit connects to your home router to get internet access. Some central units also support other protocols in addition to Zigbee. Zigbee’s main competitor is the Z-Wave technology.
The second type of device is a Zigbee router (or repeater). These are devices that can forward data to other devices. They can also serve as end devices.
The last type is end devices. These are standard smart home devices such as various sensors or switches. End devices can’t forward data like routers can. This allows them to go into a so-called sleep mode when they’re inactive, saving energy or battery.
The goal of Zigbee 3.0 was to make devices from different manufacturers able to communicate with each other. Despite this effort, it isn’t quite that simple, and not all devices that use Zigbee can be used together.
Before building a smart home, we recommend that you carefully consider choosing the central hub and check whether the devices are compatible with that specific hub.
Smart home with Zigbee and Xiaomi devices
Xiaomi is no stranger in the smart home world and the Zigbee protocol. The latest version of the central hub, Xiaomi Mijia Smart Gateway, supports 3 main wireless protocols needed to build a smart home: WiFi 4, Zigbee 3.0, and Bluetooth 5.0.
Xiaomi Mijia Smart Gateway Zigbee 3.0
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Unlike the older Mijia hub, the newer version doesn’t plug directly into a power outlet, and it has no lighting or speaker.
But you’ll find support for Bluetooth Mesh Networking and the Apple HomeKit app. Up to 32 different devices can be connected to this gateway, and its price is very low. It’s around 20 €.
The Xiaomi Mijia Smart Gateway hub has a very minimalist design. It’s 25 mm tall and 90 mm in diameter. On the top side, you’ll find the Mijia logo. Beyond that, there’s only a micro-USB power port, a small LED indicator, and a button for manual pairing and resetting.
Xiaomi Mijia Smart Gateway hub and its use
Even though this hub also supports HomeKit, we recommend using it with Xiaomi’s standard Mi Home app.
Since it’s meant for the Chinese market, in the Mi Home app you need to set the region to Mainland China. Without that, you can’t add the hub to the app.
Pairing with the app is straightforward, and once you finish this process, the hub is ready to use and you can add more devices.
If you’re serious about a smart home, you’ll definitely need several sensors. These devices simply collect signals from the environment they’re intended for and then send the information to the central hub.
In the hub, you can then set what action should be taken after it receives a signal from a sensor. For example, it can be turning lights on or off, controlling a thermostat, recording video with a camera, or drawing the curtains—or turning on an air purifier.
The system logic is so simple – the sensor records a stimulus it’s meant for, and then an action that’s set via the Mi Home app is carried out. If you decide to use Apple HomeKit, all devices you’ve paired with that app are available.
Supported Zigbee devices from Xiaomi
All Xiaomi Mijia devices that support the Zigbee protocol can be connected to the Xiaomi Mijia Smart Gateway hub, as well as devices from the Aqara brand, which is also part of the Xiaomi ecosystem.
Specifically, these are:
Buttons and switches
- Mi Wireless Switch
- Aqara Wall switch
- Aqara/Opple Scene Switch
- Aqara Wireless remote switch
- Aqara Wireless remote switch D1
- Aqara Wall switch D1
- Aqara Mini Switch
- Aqara Wireless Relay Controller
Sensors
- Mi Motion Sensor
- Mi Door and Window Sensor
- Mi Temperature and Humidity Sensor
- Mi Light Detection Sensor
- Aqara Motion Sensor
- Aqara Door and Window Sensor
- Aqara Temperature and Humidity Sensor
- Mi Smart Smoke Detector
- Aqara Water Leak Sensor
- Mi smart Natural Gas Detector
- Aqara Vibration Sensor
Smart plugs
- Mi Smart Plug
- Aqara Wall Outlet
Lighting
- Ikea E14 White Spectrum
- Ikea GU10 White Spectrum
- Ikea E27 White Spectrum Opal
- Ikea E27 White Spectrum Clear
- Ikea E27 Warm White
- Ikea E14 Warm White
- Ikea GU10 Warm White
- Aqara/Opple MX960 Ceiling light
- Aqara/Opple MX650 Ceiling light
- Aqara/Opple MX480 Ceiling light
- Aqara Tunable White Bulb
Various
- Mi Cube
- Aqara Cube
- Aqara Curtain Controller
- Aqara Roller Shade Controller
- Aqara Door Lock S2 / Pro
Remember, these are only Zigbee devices. The Xiaomi Mijia Smart Gateway also serves to connect devices that support Bluetooth or WiFi. In the Mi Home app, you’ll be able to see not only Zigbee devices, but also everything else.
All Aqara devices that support Zigbee will gradually be added to the list. There are really a lot of options, so home automation doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated.
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