Your understanding isnât correct. This might help:
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In the article linked above it says that Z-wave LR supports multicasting.
Seems like there are differences but the long range is due to the high output. LR will be able to adjust the output power on every transmission but will also operate on a fourth channel to enable coexistence with existing Z-wave networks. If I understand this correctly, both Z-wave 700 and LR will be using the same transmitter and antenna, just that LR will also add a fourth channel to it's transmissions. I'd think that the more sensitive antenna and more powerful transmission capabilities would also have benefits for older Z-wave devices.
Donât get me wrong.. LR is awesome, and I canât wait for devices to start coming out.. I have tested C7 with LR firmware and the Z-Wave LR dev kit and the range is phenomenal.. But the standard is still in flux and no real devices to test with at this time.
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Correct
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Are you saying that you have not noticed any better communication with traditional devices even with the better LR hardware?
There is no âLR hardwareâ⌠This is the 700 series chip that works LR when updated to LR firmware.. And no, there is no change to classic Z-Wave mesh
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So there is no higher gain antenna? They are expecting battery powered devices to send high wattage transmissions back to the hub? Are 3v cell powered devices even capable of that? Do they mean for this to be one way communication?
The devices power level is dynamic and will require less power the closer they are to the hub.
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That much I understood. I'm still wondering if battery powered devices will be able to transmit with enough wattage for a hub a mile a way to pick it up.
I'm trying to understand what development has there been that is only now enabling these long range transmissions? It doesn't seem there is any breakthrough tech in Z-wave LR. I was under the impression that the limitation on high wattage transmissions was a government regulation. Has that changed? If it has then I would expect every other protocol to announce LR capabilities soon.
Ahhh the marketing materials⌠This âmile a wayâ figure was based on power levels that arenât attainable on current Z-Wave chips and is also based on direct line of sight (no obstructions) and high gain antennas outdoors.
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Ok so realistically what kind of improvement can we expect?
Yes. A pcb based antenna, like you see on most home automation devices, will never get a mile range even at max transmission power.
Yes, a manufacturer could certainly use a better external antenna though.
Zwave LR is a lot closer to LoRa than it is classic zwave. You really need to think of it as something completely different for everything except the protocol command interfaces.
With LoRa I can get maybe a block or two on a pcb antenna to an indoor hub, and a mile+ with a decent external antenna.
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The testing I did shows that most people should have no problem covering their entire house and property outdoors, from a hub inside the home.
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The frequency is the same. LoRa uses low frequency that physically can travel further and through obstructions. Uses 900mhz range for long range doesn't seem like the smartest idea.
Well, zwave lr and LoRa are the same frequency band (in the US anyway). And I have tested 4 miles+ line of site with LoRa, so I think 900mhz works just fine.
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I'm looking forward to the firmware update.
I still don't fully understand why the hub couldn't just increase the output power for outgoing transmissions direct to nodes and utilize the mesh for transmission back to the hub.
Because that is not how the protocol was designed or works. Simple as that.
WHY it wasn't made that way? Dunno, although I could speculate easily enough, you would have to ask the Zwave Alliance for an official answer though.
Making DSS or chirp style communications work with legacy non-DSS or chirp communications - at the device level, which is what you are talking about - would be next to impossible without completely re-doing the legacy devices and/or breaking interoperability with pre-700 series devices (as they can never support that as the silicon simply can't do it).
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I would guess a little something called FCC regulations.
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I don't know enough about radio communication to even understand what you wrote but I'll take your word for it.
The LR tech is doing just that. I was wondering about FCC regulations in a prior post.
