Standards organization Z-Wave Alliance has released the Z-Wave long range (ZWLR) specification for the European market with the certification program and product development coming soon.
ZWLR allows for Z-Wave connectivity to be expanded in smart homes, multi-dwelling units, hospitality locations and more. The specification is designed as a communication protocol for devices that are high-performance, increased scale and low power with increased device security, range and device interoperability.
Z-Wave supports both a mesh network and a star network operating in the same frequency range. Both existing mesh and new ZWLR nodes can co-exist on the same network. This allows a wide range of Z-Wave-capable devices with numerous wireless protocol combinations.
Co-existing
The Z-Wave mesh and ZWLR specification have been designed to co-exist as well as complement each other.
Because the specifications operate on a star network, ZWLR enables direct gateway-hub-to-device connection across increased distances. On the other hand, mesh traditionally permits signals to hop from node to node until the destination is met.
ZWLR has simplified routing that enables commands to go through faster and prevent potential failures in the network. Additionally, manufacturers have access to the self-healing properties of mesh networks and the direct communication benefits of a star network.
For Europe
The Z-Wave Alliance said for Europe the ZWLR specification will help scale how much can be supported on a single network — somewhere in the 4,000-node range.
This is compared to 232 nodes for Z-Wave. So, representing about a 20x increase in network node availability. Larger network support allows the enrollment of thousands of Z-Wave devices on a single network, the organization said.
