With the boom in connected homes and connected buildings in recent years, several protocols have emerged and established themselves. Here, we will focus on two of them that have proven their worth and still stand out from the rest thanks to their specific features: EnOcean and Zigbee.
What are their characteristics? What are they used for?
EnOcean, the ingenious protocol!
Dealing with battery changes can quickly become an ordeal in an installation with several dozen sensors. That is where EnOcean comes in! EnOcean is a remarkable home automation protocol offering self-powered devices. Indeed, EnOcean devices have the distinctive ability to generate their own energy, which then allows them to send status information back to the home automation controller. This is achieved through fairly simple and ingenious principles, such as kinetic or solar energy.
In terms of operation, the EnOcean protocol uses the 868 MHz frequency and provides status feedback, just like Zigbee. It is therefore a protocol that can also prove very worthwhile in a home automation installation.
Zigbee, the protocol on the rise!
Operating as a mesh network, it offers a significant range and a degree of redundancy. It is also an open standard. This may explain why several brands have chosen this protocol over others. Philips Hue and Xiaomi, to name but a few, have chosen it for their connected devices. What is more, this protocol can be fully controlled from a home automation hub!
And more specifically…
Energy
| EnOcean | Zigbee |
|---|---|
| Works without batteries! The energy needed to send the information when a button is pressed is generated by a piezoelectric effect or by solar energy. | The various devices need batteries to operate. But with Green Power, no batteries! Its consumption is very low, as the data packets sent are small. |
Communication
| EnOcean | Zigbee |
|---|---|
| Most EnOcean devices are bidirectional! They communicate with each other to pass on information, such as status feedback. If a device is switched off manually, the information is reported back to your home automation controller. | Uses a mesh network. Each device is connected to another without any hierarchy! This allows you to extend the range of your devices without needing to add repeaters. |
Range
| EnOcean | Zigbee |
|---|---|
| The EnOcean protocol uses the 868 MHz radio frequency. This means little interference, but also a long range: up to 300 metres in open field (by pairing several devices in repeater mode)! However, as the network is not meshed, repeaters are needed to extend the range. | Several dozen metres of range in open field. But thanks to the mesh network, the range can be extended beyond 100 metres! No need for repeaters. |
Each with its own particularities!
EnOcean profiles make it possible to know which types of devices they are communicating with. With the right information, data is interpreted better, which makes it easier to integrate devices into home automation controllers. Unlike Wi-Fi devices, EnOcean equipment does not communicate constantly over our heads, but only when necessary (when a button on a remote control is pressed, for example, to trigger the sending of a telegram). Many reputable and reliable brands (NodOn among them) manufacture EnOcean devices, so you will have plenty of choice for all your projects. NodOn designs interoperable products, so you are not locked into a single brand’s ecosystem and can expand your installation as you see fit.
Zigbee is a simple protocol: fewer parameters means simpler installation and configuration. Thanks to its mesh network, a very large number of devices can be integrated, which is a real advantage in large professional premises. It continues to evolve and grow thanks to the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA, formerly the Zigbee Alliance), of which NodOn is a member, which notably helps to improve interoperability.
To conclude…
Both protocols are very attractive and each has its own advantages. They are, and will remain, the favourites of the general public and professionals alike. Every use case is different, and each situation lends itself better to one than the other. That is why it is so important to make the right choice before embarking on a new home automation installation! 😊
At NodOn, we offer a complete EnOcean range (actuators, sensors, controllers) and now also a Zigbee range (micromodules, battery-free wall switch, temperature and humidity sensors, energy meters, thermostatic radiator valves, heating actuators, infrared controller for air conditioners…), which you can discover here!
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