6: ZigBee Initialisation and Operation > Forming a ZigBee Network

Forming a ZigBee Network

The Co-ordinator is responsible for starting a ZigBee network. Network initialisation involves the following steps:

1. Search for a Radio Channel

The Co-ordinator first searches for a suitable radio channel (usually the one which has least activity). This search can be limited to those channels that are known to be usable - for example, by avoiding frequencies in which it is known that a wireless LAN is operating.

2. Assign PAN ID

The Co-ordinator starts the network, assigning a PAN ID (Personal Area Network identifier) to the network. The PAN ID can be pre-determined, or can be obtained dynamically by detecting other networks operating in the same frequency channel and choosing a PAN ID that does not conflict with theirs.

At this stage, the Co-ordinator also assigns a network (short) address to itself. Usually, this is the address 0x0000.

3. Start the Network

The Co-ordinator then finishes configuring itself and starts itself in Co-ordinator mode. It is then ready to respond to queries from other devices that wish to join the network.

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