Thread, ZigBee Knit IoT Stacks

The ZigBee Cluster Library will run over Thread. Here's what it means for the Internet of Things.

Rick Merritt, SiliconValley Bureau Chief, EE Times

April 2, 2015

1 Min Read

SAN JOSE, Calif. — In a deal that may foreshadow a move toward unity in the Internet of Things, the Thread Group and the ZigBee Alliance will define a spec for running ZigBee's application layer over Thread. The move will provide hundreds of ZigBee devices a path to a network that natively supports Internet Protocol addresses.

"We want to get away from silos and fragmentation and recognize the importance of the smart home," said Tobin Richardson, president of the ZigBee Alliance.

"A lot of our members have been asking us what runs over Thread and asking for a version of ZigBee," said Chris Boross, president of the Thread Group. "Since Thread runs purely at the network layer, we always wanted to partner with others" to reduce fragmentation in protocols, he added.

The specification for running the ZigBee Cluster Library over Thread will be available sometime after June. That's when the Thread Group releases to its members its Thread version 1.0 spec, announced in July.

Read the rest of the story on EE Times.

About the Author

Rick Merritt

SiliconValley Bureau Chief, EE Times

Based in San Jose, Rick writes news and analysis about the electronics industry and the engineering profession for EE Times. He is the editor of the Android, Internet of Things, Wireless/Networking, and Medical Designlines. He joined EE Times in 1992 as a Hong Kong based reporter and has served as editor in chief of EE Times and OEM Magazine.

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