Information technology - Telecommunications and information exchange between systems - Local and metropolitan area networks - Specific requirements - Part 15-4: Wireless medium access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) specifications for low-rate wire
The scope of this revision is to produce specific enhancements and corrections to IEEE Std 802.15.4, all of
which will be backwards compatible with IEEE Std 802.15.4-2003. These enhancements and corrections
include resolving ambiguities, reducing unnecessary complexity, increasing flexibility in security key usage,
considerations for newly available frequency allocations, and others.
IEEE Std 802.15.4 defines the physical layer (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) sublayer
specifications for low-data-rate wireless connectivity with fixed, portable, and moving devices with no
battery or very limited battery consumption requirements typically operating in the personal operating space
(POS) of 10 m. It is foreseen that, depending on the application, a longer range at a lower data rate may be
an acceptable tradeoff.
It is the intent of this revision to work toward a level of coexistence with other wireless devices in
conjunction with Coexistence Task Groups, such as IEEE 802.15.2 and IEEE 802.11/ETSI-BRAN/MMAC
5GSG.