What makes Z-Wave 700 series better?

Helping the standard dominance the connected home and office, Z-Wave 700 series is the newest technology available for the Z-Wave Plus upgrade cycle. But why is it better? You’ll see from the comparison below that there are a LOT of things that make the 700 series edition of Z-Wave better. From the firmware to the chips themselves, there are massive improvements.

Breakthrough Energy Efficiency For Battery Operated Devices.

Z-Wave 700 series power performance is hugely improved. Wireless communication uses 64% less power and improvements to resting and active performance means battery life can be as much as 10 years when fully optimized. In next-generation smart environments, new types of sensors will be embedded within walls, furniture, around plumbing and other stationary settings, as well as in standalone devices. For sensor applications, battery life is key. Z-Wave 700 brings sub microAmp sleep power, low power communication and automatic power management, ensuring long battery life in any device. Coin cell operation is now possible, providing small-footprint sensors to be embedded virtually anywhere in smart environments, with no battery maintenance needed for a decade. Security should not compromise battery life, which is why secure S2 key exchange is done in less than 1s.

Instant Wake-Up for Long Battery Life.

Door lock, battery powered window shades etc. enjoy long battery lifetime due to the FLiRS (frequently listening routing slave) technology, minimizing power draw while providing instantaneous wake and response times. With FLiRS, Z-Wave devices continually listen for a low-power wake up beam before consuming full operational power. This extends the battery life of motorized devices like smart locks and shades by maximizing sleep time and minimizing energy draw other than for events and status.

Long Range For Seamless Coverage, Even In Larger Deployments.

Opportunities for today's smart environments extend beyond single homes into multi-dwelling units, commercial buildings and institutional facilities. Physical distances in these applications create challenges for RF transmission range and stability. The 700 platform provides enough TX-RX power for multiple story buildings and complete coverage into outdoor yard space. A sensitivity gain extends Z-Wave's direct range to 100 meters, and mesh network range has been extended to 400 meters. The 700's increased transmission power means fewer hops between devices and fewer repeaters needed, improving the energy efficiency of the entire mesh network. The 700 platform increases direct range by 250% over the 500 series for European and Asian markets, with no SAW filter needed.

High Performance System For Powerful Edge Computing.

The context aware smart home places new demands on local devices and their ability to perform edge computing. Machine learning and AI will drive many of these new applications, and the 700 Platform has the power and flexibility to provide true intelligence at the local level, in advance of the cloud. A powerful ARM® Cortex-M CPU is accompanied by 64 kB of application flash memory, allowing for robust applications without the need for a co-processor. Multiple sensor interfaces and peripherals enable complete flexibility at the edge, with fast, energy efficient computation and secure inclusion in less than one second. Industry-leading S2 security protects both devices and cloud for virtually hacker-proof deployments.

Pre-Configured Devices & Systems For Consistent, Trouble-Free Installations.

The 700's ease of experience follows through from development into deployment with SmartStart. This feature allows QR-code pre-configuration of Z-Wave devices and networks for instant installation success. With SmartStart, device inclusion can be initiated automatically by simply powering on the device. The Z-Wave gateway then performs the inclusion process in the background, without the need for user interaction. By moving this process into the manufacturing, distribution or reseller domain, the end user only needs to power up the devices for secure inclusion. This enables a simplified user experience for both professional and DIY installers, with devices that are genuinely ready to use, right out of the box.

Z-Wave 700 series comparison.

Generation after generation, Z-Wave continues to develop at an exciting (but measured) pace. First there was Z-Wave, then came a major upgrade with Z-Wave Plus and 500 series. 700 series builds on all that.

The 700 series edition of Z-Wave Plus chips and modules offer major advantages over older versions of Z-Wave in a lot of different categories. End users will notice them the most in wireless speed and improved battery life. Developers will notice them the most in the improved wireless range and the improved memory.

The following table is a detailed comparison of Z-Wave Plus 700 versus 300 and 500 editions. We’ve highlighted the winning element in green - you’ll see that 700 series Z-Wave is the easy winner and the best wireless technology for the connected home and office.