New Config - Zigbee vs Z-Wave

[FloatingBoater (James Derrick)]

Here’s a non-exhaustive comparison:

• Z-Wave - proprietary mesh radio hardware, central certification, expensive
• Zigbee - mesh radio, IEEE 802.15.4, loose certification, cheap
• Zigbee 3.0 - mesh radio, IEEE 802.15.4, more central certification?, less cheap?
• Thread - mesh radio, IEEE 802.15.4, central certification, needs a recent micro for hardware crypto.
• Bluetooth Low Energy - low range, uncertified, very cheap.

And a longer read version with more market economics and the implications:

Z-Wave Alliance Announcement

The direct reference to Matter, and by implication Thread made me quietly chuckle! To see SilLabs / ZWA offering a combined “multi-protocol software development kit, the Unify SDK” is an interesting turn - support Matter (or Thread?) and Z-Wave on a single software stack? Z-Wave needs SilLabs hardware, and guess what Naba Casa Yellow / SkyConnect uses for the radio / Coordinator? Yup - a SilLabs device! The SkyConnect chip will eventually provide Zigbee + Thread, but could a multi-chi…

If you’re rewiring, bring cables back to a sub-main DB allowing you to install ANY system as DIN-rail modules (star / radial / home-run). At the very minimum, connect phase, load and neutral to light switch points with the deepest back boxes you can get.

Oh, and always think about failure modes - my system will still allow local control of lights (and heating) even if all control software and server hardware has fried.