silabs.com | Building a more Silicon Labs Connected world. Rev. 0.2

UG235.02: Using Silicon Labs Connect with

IEEE 802.15.4

This chapter of the Connect User’s Guide describes how to use the

Silicon Labs Connect stack with IEEE 802.15.4. The Connect User’s

Guide assumes that you have already installed the Simplicity Studio

development environment and the Flex SDK, and that you are

familiar with the basics of configuring, compiling, and flashing

Connect-based applications. Refer to UG235.01: Developing Code

with Silicon Labs Connect for an overview of the chapters in the

Connect User’s Guide.

The Connect User’s Guide is a series of documents that provides in-depth information for

developers who are using the Silicon Labs Connect Stack for their application develop-

ment. If you are new to Connect and the Flex SDK, see QSG138: Getting Started with the

Silicon Labs Flex Software Development Kit for the Wireless Gecko (EFR32™) Portfolio.

Connect is supported for EFR32FG, EFR32MG1x, and EFR32BG1x.

KEY POINTS

�� Introduction to common terms used in

IEEE 802.15.4

• IEEE 802.15.4 frame formats

• IEEE 802.15.4 security

• Common processes in IEEE 802.15.4

UG235.02: Using Silicon Labs Connect with IEEE 802.15.4

Introduction

silabs.com | Building a more Silicon Labs Connected world. Rev. 0.2 | 2

1 Introduction

Silicon Labs Connect is based on the IEEE 802.15.4-2011 standard (abbreviated to IEEE 802.15.4). Therefore, to understand the Silicon

Labs Connect stack, you also need a basic knowledge of 802.15.4 which defines various Physical and Media Access Control layers that

are designed for low-data rate, low-power, and low-complexity, short-range communications in Personal Area Networks. IEEE 802.15.4

is also the basis of mesh network protocols such as Zigbee

or Thread.

This document provides a short introduction to the IEEE 802.15.4 features that are used in Connect so you can understand its MAC layer

without having to read the IEEE 802.15.4 specification.

For more information about IEEE 802.15.4, see http://standards.ieee.org/getieee802/download/802.15.4-2011.pdf