IEEE Std 802.15.4
™
-2006
(Revision of
IEEE Std 802.15.4-2003)
IEEE Standard for
Information technology—
Telecommunications and information
exchange between systems—
Local and metropolitan area networks—
Specific requirements
Part 15.4: Wireless Medium Access Control
(MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY)
Specifications for Low-Rate Wireless
Personal Area Networks (WPANs)
I E E E
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8 September 2006
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LAN/MAN Standards Committee
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Copyright © 2006 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
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IEEE Std 802.15.4™-2006
(Revision of
IEEE Std 802.15.4-2003)
IEEE Standard for
Information technology—
Telecommunications and information exchange
between systems—
Local and metropolitan area networks—
Specific requirements—
Part 15.4: Wireless Medium Access Control
(MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY)
Specifications for Low-Rate Wireless
Personal Area Networks (WPANs)
Sponsor
LAN/MAN Standards Committee
of the
IEEE Computer Society
Approved 7 June 2006
IEEE-SA Standards Board
Abstract: IEEE Std 802.15.4-2003 defined the protocol and compatible interconnection for data
communication devices using low-data-rate, low-power, and low-complexity short-range radio
frequency (RF) transmissions in a wireless personal area network (WPAN). This revision extends
the market applicability of IEEE Std 802.15.4, removes ambiguities in the standard, and makes
improvements revealed by implementations of IEEE Std 802.15.4-2003.
Keywords: ad hoc network, low data rate, low power, LR-WPAN, mobility, PAN, personal area
network, radio frequency, RF, short range, wireless, wireless personal area network, WPAN
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Introduction
This standard defines the protocol and interconnection of devices via radio communication in a personal
area network (PAN). The standard uses carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA-CA)
medium access mechanism and supports star as well as peer-to-peer topologies. The media access is
contention based; however, using the optional superframe structure, time slots can be allocated by the PAN
coordinator to devices with time critical data. Connectivity to higher performance networks is provided
through a PAN coordinator.
This revision was initiated to incorporate additional features and enhancements as well as some
simplifications to the 2003 edition of this standard. The standard now includes two optional physical layers
(PHYs) yielding higher data rates in the lower frequency bands and, therefore, specifies the following four
PHYs:
— An 868/915 MHz direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) PHY employing binary phase-shift
keying (BPSK) modulation
— An 868/915 MHz DSSS PHY employing offset quadrature phase-shift keying (O-QPSK)
modulation
— An 868/915 MHz parallel sequence spread spectrum (PSSS) PHY employing BPSK and amplitude
shift keying (ASK) modulation
— A 2450 MHz DSSS PHY employing O-QPSK modulation
The 868/915 MHz PHYs support over-the-air data rates of 20 kb/s, 40 kb/s, and optionally 100kb/s and
250kb/s. The 2450 MHz PHY supports an over-the-air data rate of 250 kb/s. The PHY chosen depends on
local regulations and user preference.
This revision also incorporates the following additions and enhancements to the 2003 edition:
— Adds support for a shared time base through the addition of a data time stamping mechanism
— Adds extensions of the 2.4GHz derivative modulation yielding higher data rates at the lower
frequency bands
— Incorporates a mechanism for communicating the revision level on a frame-by-frame basis
— Adds support for beacon scheduling
— Allows synchronization of broadcast messages in beacon-enabled PANs
— Improves usage of security suite
Also, this revision incorporates the following changes and simplifications:
— Makes GTS support optional
— Removes restrictions for manually enabling the receiver
— Simplifies passive and active scan procedures
— Allows for more flexibility in the CSMA-CA algorithm
— Reduces association time in nonbeacon networks
This revision is backward-compatible to the 2003 edition; in other words, devices conforming to this
standard are capable of joining and functioning in a PAN composed of devices conforming to
IEEE Std 802.15.4-2003.
This introduction is not part of IEEE Std 802.15.4-2006, IEEE Standard for Information technology—Telecom-
munications and information exchange between systems—Local and metropolitan area networks—Specific
requirements—Part 15.4: Wireless Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications for
Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs).