You may be familiar with Zigbee technology, which is always compared with WiFi, LoRa and NB-IoT. For indoor lighting, maybe it is not always the best choice, but for smart street lighting, it is very suitable. Read on to learn the reason and how the Zigbee smart street light system works!
Composition of the Zigbee module
There are three different kinds of nodes in Zigbee: terminal, routing, and coordination points. Since the Zigbee coordination point serves as the network’s master control point, it needs to be in perfect working order. By connecting nodes, routing points take part in message forwarding, route discovery, and network coverage expansion. The terminal point, which is typically a gadget with a limited function, is the last application point. It establishes a connection to the network via a coordination or routing point while preventing other nodes from doing the same.
Zigbee networks have three topologies: star, chain, and tree. Generally speaking, because street lights are dispersed in a chain, we will choose the Zigbee chain network topology.
The Zigbee wireless network data collection and transmission module and the GPRS remote data transmission module make up the majority of the system. There are two components to the Zigbee network: central stations and substations. A router terminal and a current data collection sensor are part of the substation. The collection terminal is situated next to or at the base of the light pole. A database, a status monitoring module, and a data processing module make up the central station software system. Its primary responsibilities include gathering and processing data, sending out directives, and disclosing information about street lights.
Software design
Z-Stack is a protocol that complies with the ZigBee specification and is widely used in software design. This operating system is the most fundamental rotation inquiry. In order to configure the hardware platform and software architecture for the operating system to function, the system startup code must finish the tasks assigned to each module. After preparing for the operating system’s execution, the startup code starts the operating system entry program. The operating system continuously checks to see if each task has an event trigger. If it does, it runs the relevant function; if not, it runs the next function.
Adjusting the relevant underlying hardware driver is a way to better suit the printed circuit board’s design and help transmit and receive CPRS data. The collection node with CPRS functions as the coordinator. The terminal device function is performed by the sensing node.
The working process of the Zigbee smart street light system
The GPRS network and the local ZigBee wireless sensor network make up the majority of this system’s structure. The wireless microcontroller gathers information about street light intensity and current, and then transmits the data to the coordinator. A GPRS module installed in the coordinator serves as a gateway and network manager. Through CPRS technology, it transmits the data to the remote control center. The data is processed and presented by the remote control center.
The base station returns node parameters. The base station is a ZigBee node with a GPRS module and is the coordinator of the ZigBee subnet. The coordinator gathers the ZigBee subnet nodes’ sensing data, packages it, sends it to the CPRS network, and then sends it over the Internet to the control center.
The control center sends out orders. Through a computer or other devices, the control center connects with the Internet, and the GPRS network receives control commands from the Internet. Following receipt of the command, the base station’s corresponding device parses it before sending it to the appropriate subnet device.
Benefits of the Zigbee smart street light system
- Switching from wired to wireless transmission can drastically cut down on cable costs and wiring complexity.
- It enables ultra-long-distance monitoring and complex networking.
- By controlling the street lights, a variety of modes are available to maximize energy efficiency.
- ZigBee networking protocol ensures high transmission efficiency, stable performance, and easy secondary development.
