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Bluetooth vs Zigbee - Which Communication Protocol Has Lower Latency?

October 20, 2021

Bluetooth vs Zigbee - Which Communication Protocol Has Lower Latency?

Are you building a smart home or IoT project and confused between Bluetooth and Zigbee? Both are wireless communication protocols that provide short-range connections between devices, but which one has a lower latency?

First, let's define latency before we jump into the comparison. Latency is the time it takes for a command to travel from one device to another and is measured in milliseconds (ms). Lower latency means faster transfer of data.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless communication protocol widely used in smartphones, wireless headphones, smartwatches, and other IoT devices. Bluetooth uses a point-to-point connection, which means two devices are directly connected to each other.

Bluetooth has improved tremendously over the years, and the latest version, Bluetooth 5.2, provides excellent latency speed with a range of up to 800 feet (240 meters). The average latency for Bluetooth 5.2 is 2.5 ms, and it can go as low as 1 ms in ideal conditions.

What does that mean in practical terms? Well, think about wireless headphones. With Bluetooth 5.2, you can expect an almost instantaneous sound when pressing the play button. That's because the latency is so low that you won't notice any delay.

Zigbee

Zigbee is also a wireless communication protocol designed explicitly for low-power IoT devices. Zigbee uses a mesh network, which means each device can communicate with other devices in the network, and the commands can be routed between devices to reach the destination.

Zigbee has a lower data rate than Bluetooth, but it has a longer range and can support more devices in the network. When it comes to latency, Zigbee's average latency is around 15 ms, which means you might notice a slight delay when switching on a light or opening a door.

Conclusion

Both Bluetooth and Zigbee are excellent wireless communication protocols, but the choice depends on your project's requirements. If you're looking for a protocol with lower latency, Bluetooth is the better choice. However, if you need long-range connectivity and support for a network of devices, Zigbee is the way to go.

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