topic ZigBee, What development tools are needed? in 8-bit Microcontrollers

ZigBee, What development tools are needed?

mami_hacky — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 04:19:06 GMT

I'm going to buy a 1321XNSK-BDM package ( some thing around 500USD )

Now, the simple question is: what software packages do I need to be able to do complete zigbee projects?

- CodeWarrior? ( Any special edition of codewarrior? any special license? or a general license for hc08? )
- BeeKit? ( Is this completely free? )
- BeeStack? ( Is this one available at all ? What more it gives to me than beekit? when an eval version will be available in beekit? )

what more?

Thanks

Re: ZigBee, What development tools are needed?

strikecity — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 04:51:35 GMT

Beekit is a free download. It's a very nice software utility that preconfigures the files in your software project for you. Look around in the downloads section of: http://www.freescale.com/zigbee

Beestack is Freescale's replacement for the Figure8 Z-Stack. These stacks allow you to develop ZigBee applications. Any time you are dealing with ZigBee, there are strings attached. Freescale can't legally give you the entire Beestack source because it's based on Intellectual Property owned by the ZigBee Alliance. So, if you're considering developing with Beestack, be sure you're prepared to join the alliance. As an alternative, the SMAC and 802.15.4 software stacks are completely free of royalties and other nasty encumbrances as long as you use them on Freescale hardware.

As long as you're not running a trial version of CW, you should be fine compiling these projects. The maximum code size you'll ever need to compile is 64k

Re: ZigBee, What development tools are needed?

bigmac — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 05:38:01 GMT

Hello,

Is it actually necessary to be a member of the Zigbee alliance in order to develop Beestack applications, or simply pay a royalty for its use?

So Beestack is not compatible with SE licence for CW. Is this also true of SMAC and 802.15.4 source?

I presume if a 30-day trial licence were being used, Beestack should compile, since there would not be the code size limit.

Regards,

Mac

Re: ZigBee, What development tools are needed?

strikecity — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 07:12:30 GMT

Regarding CW, you're correct; the only thing that would limit you is code size. I think the SMAC can be as small as 3k, so you might squeak under some eval limits... but 802.15.4 or BeeStack will produce larger code sizes.

Regarding use of BeeStack, you cannot ethically release a product containing ZigBee Alliance IP without joining the Alliance. Furthermore, one of the parameters of a ZigBee device is the Profile ID. Profile ID's are issued by The Alliance, so you'd be stealing someone else's ID if you don't join to obtain a legitimate one.

Re: ZigBee, What development tools are needed?

stevasway — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 17:18:31 GMT

Hi all,
unfortunately Beestack is not the Freescale's replacement for the Figure8 Z-Stack,
because it covers only SMAC and 801.15.4 stack, but not the ZigBee stack.

So you can't develop ZigBee compliant application, because Figure8 Z-Stack is not available
anymore and Freescale is not ready with his ZigBee Stack!!!!

Stevasway

Message Edited by stevasway on 2007-02-0609:19 AM

Re: ZigBee, What development tools are needed?

kelvinNgai — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:00:28 GMT

There is also a maximum file number limitation, about 32 files for Special Edition. When I use the BeeKit demo application, I got this problem, the CW 5.1 dont allow me to complie the application.

Re: ZigBee, What development tools are needed?

strikecity — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 05:50:07 GMT

stevasway is confusing BeeStack with BeeKit.
BeeKit is the software tool which you can download for free from Freescale right now. Currently, BeeKit only supports 802.15.4 and SMAC.
BeeStack will replace Figure8's Z-Stack (get it? BeeStack rhymes with Z-Stack...). BeeStack will provide Freescale users with a royalty-free (still some up-front fees involved) software stack to develop ZigBee applications. BeeStack is not currently available, but when it is, I expect BeeKit will be the tool used to configure BeeStack.

Re: ZigBee, What development tools are needed?

stevasway — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:23:41 GMT

Yes I wrote BeeStack but I intended BeeKit, but it was clear from successive lines
infact at the moment none has the BeeStack, and you can download only the BeeKit.

Stevasway