Reference · built on requestConnectorIndustrial & building protocols

Zigbee

Lights, sensors, locks, thermostats, and meters on a Zigbee mesh, read as Zigbee Cluster Library attributes through a coordinator.

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About

Zigbee is a mesh networking standard from the Connectivity Standards Alliance built on the IEEE 802.15.4 radio. It runs on 16 channels at 2.4 GHz and, since Zigbee PRO 2023, on sub-GHz bands in Europe and North America. Devices speak the Zigbee Cluster Library: clusters such as On/Off, Level, Thermostat, Door Lock, Occupancy Sensing, and Temperature Measurement, each with attributes and commands. Messages carry AES-128 encryption, and Zigbee PRO 2023 added Dynamic Link Key, Device Interview, and Trust Center Swap-Out.

A Zigbee network has no IP interface of its own. Through Fibric, a connector reaches devices by way of a coordinator or gateway that has joined the mesh and exposes it. An operator reads attribute reports and proposes cluster commands for your approval.

This is a reference listing. It documents what Fibric would read from Zigbee and what it could propose, based on the vendor's published interfaces. Fibric builds it under a managed deployment when you request it; selecting it here installs nothing.

Inputs

  • Attribute values read with the Read Attributes command on any server cluster, such as OnOff, CurrentLevel, or MeasuredValue on Temperature Measurement
  • Attribute reports pushed by devices with the Report Attributes command
  • Occupancy, contact, and alarm state from the Occupancy Sensing cluster and the IAS Zone cluster
  • Thermostat and Fan Control cluster attributes for HVAC devices, and Door Lock cluster state for locks
  • Electrical Measurement attributes and Smart Energy metering where meters implement those clusters
  • Cluster discovery through the Discover Attributes and Discover Commands Received commands

Proposed actions

  • Target capability: propose an On/Off or Level cluster command to a light or plug, sent once through the coordinator
  • Target capability: propose a Write Attributes command, such as a Thermostat setpoint, on a server cluster that permits writes
  • Target capability: propose a Door Lock cluster command for a lock joined to the network

Proposed actions are target capabilities. Every action runs propose-first and needs a validated deployment and the appropriate permissions.

What you can build

  • Lights that follow occupancy

    Occupancy Sensing reports and On/Off state from the same zone let the operator spot lights burning in empty rooms and propose an Off command per light, grouped by floor.

    With Occupancy Lighting

  • Thermostat setpoints back in range

    Thermostat cluster attributes give each room's setpoint and local temperature. When a setpoint leaves its schedule, the operator proposes a Write Attributes command to restore it.

    With Setpoint Drift

  • A door that was never locked

    Door Lock cluster state and IAS Zone contact reports show a door open, or a lock not engaged, past the window you set. The operator proposes a lock command and pages the person on duty.

    With Door Held Open

  • Meters that stop agreeing

    Metering attributes from Smart Energy devices are compared against the site's main meter. A submeter that drifts is flagged with its last report time.

    With Submeter Drift

Requirements

  • A Zigbee coordinator or gateway that has formed the network and holds the Trust Center keys
  • A host interface on that coordinator through which the connector can read attributes and send commands
  • Devices joined to the network with their clusters known, since a command targets a cluster on an endpoint
  • Network reach from where the connector runs to the coordinator host
Authentication
Network and link keys held by the coordinator, which acts as the Trust Center; the connector authenticates to the coordinator or gateway that exposes the mesh, not to individual devices.

Limits

  • Zigbee defines no HTTP or IP API; every read and write passes through a coordinator or gateway, and that interface is vendor specific
  • Sleepy end devices answer only when they wake, so a read may wait for the device's poll interval
  • Raw throughput is 250 kbit/s at 2.4 GHz, and the addressing scheme supports hundreds of nodes per network
  • The Cluster Library specification is free to download but is not public domain; reprints need Alliance consent

Access and pricing

Reference listing. Fibric builds the connector under a managed deployment when you request it. Your quote covers the build, capabilities, usage, and support.

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Questions and answers

Does Zigbee have an API?
No. Zigbee is a radio protocol. The Zigbee Cluster Library defines the attributes and commands devices expose, and a coordinator or gateway that has joined the network provides the interface software uses. That interface differs by vendor.
What changed in Zigbee PRO 2023?
The Alliance released it on April 12, 2023. It adds Dynamic Link Key based on public and private key pairing, Device Interview to filter devices before they join, Trust Center Swap-Out, sub-GHz bands for Europe and North America, and Zigbee Direct onboarding over Bluetooth Low Energy.
Can Zigbee devices appear in Matter?
The Alliance states that Zigbee and Matter are different technologies and that Matter includes specifications for bridging devices. A bridge is a member of both the Matter fabric and the Zigbee network, so Zigbee devices can be operated as if they were Matter devices.
Ask about Zigbee

Ask about the capabilities and requirements in this listing.

For project-specific requirements, contact Fibric.

This connector listing is developed, published, and supported by Fibric. It describes integration with Zigbee through published interfaces. Third-party names and logos identify the systems an integration connects to; they are the property of their respective owners, who are not affiliated with Fibric and do not sponsor or endorse this listing. Trademark policy