On the Use of IEEE Std. 802.15.4 to Enable Wireless Sensor Networks in Building Automation

IEEE 802.15.4 is a new standard that addresses the need of low-rate wireless personal area networks or LR-WPAN with a focus on enabling pervasive wireless sensor networks for residential, commercial and industrial applications. The standard is characterized by maintaining a high level of simplicity, allowing for low cost and low power implementations. This paper presents a brief technical introduction of the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and analyzes its applicability for building automation applications.