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Sensor Network Analyzer (SNA)

Daintree's Sensor Network Analyzer (SNA) provides the industry's most comprehensive solution for developing, decoding, debugging and deploying wireless embedded networks. Well known as an expert tool for IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee, the SNA has recently extended its support to include additional standards-based and proprietary network protocols such as ZigBee RF4CE, 6LoWPAN, JenNet (from Jennic), SimpliciTI (from Texas Instruments) and Synkro (from Freescale Semiconductor), with the ability to easily add more protocols.

The SNA's features include a powerful protocol decoder that allows you to drill down to packet, field, and byte level; unique visualization capabilities that allow you to view all network devices and interactions simultaneously; customization options including filtering, labeling and color-coding to make it easy to locate packets of interest; performance measurements for 802.15.4 and ZigBee; and intuitive tools that make it each to perform complex functions such as multi-node and multi-channel capture and ZigBee commissioning.

The SNA is compatible with a wide range of semiconductor and development boards.

Available in three different editions—Professional, Standard, and Basic—you can pay for the functionality you need today, and upgrade in future as your needs increase.

An overview of the SNA's key functionality is provided below. Download the datasheet if you require more detailed information.

 


Sensor Network Analyzer

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Key Benefits

  • Increase productivity: the intuitive Sensor Network Analyzer with its unique visualization tools helps even those who are new to the technology achieve results quickly.
  • The right tool for the job: designed specifically for wireless embedded networks with strong analysis and management capabilities.
  • Deliver solutions faster: powerful development, testing and troubleshooting tools help to speed up development and ensure compliance with the latest standards.
  • Reduce deployment costs: intuitive ZigBee commissioning tool helps to hide complexity, while rich visualization capabilities make it easy to see what is happening.
  • Customize and extend: XML-based protocol stack and ZigBee application profile definitions all you to customize the SNA to meet your exact requirements.
  • A solution you can trust: the industry-standard tool used by key semiconductor and software companies, and at all product certification and interoperability test events hosted by the ZigBee Alliance.


Analyze

Use unparalleled navigation tools to analyze your implementation and detect problems. Troubleshoot protocol issues with complete detail, or focus by narrowing your search.

SNA Analysis 

The following table shows which analysis features are supported for the Standard (Std) and Professional (Pro) editions of the SNA.

  Std
Pro
Flexible decode engine: Decode multiple standards-based and proprietary protocol stacks and ZigBee application profiles with the SNA's flexible decode engine and XML-based decode definitions.


Complete information about your wireless sensor network: Access every field of every packet from every device in your network.

Narrow your search quickly with powerful and easy to use filters: Find packets of interest from among thousands or millions by defining filters. Quickly narrow your search by requesting similar packets from a selected packet.

Full protocol decoding: View detailed packet-by-packet decodes of every 802.15.4 and ZigBee (APL and NWK layer) header field. Auto-detect* security key exchanges at the APL and NWK layer. Use detected keys (or manually entered keys) to decrypt packets for analysis. Decodes reflect the latest specs (PRO, 2007, 2006, 2004).

Analyze new or custom applications: With SoftProfiles™ you can define new or custom applications using XML and decode new protocols with ease. Includes definitions of the ZigBee Cluster Library and all ZigBee Application Profiles.

Navigate through large amounts of data and share them: Save and replay your network at original (or faster) speeds, pause, step or fast forward. Insert breakpoints at events of interest. Share data between teams to quickly resolve issues. 


Multi-node capture: Use multi-node capture to collect packets from multiple channels or large dispersed networks. 
 

** Autodection of security keys for Professional edition only


Visualize 

Understand device and network behavior quickly with visual troubleshooting. Observe your network's operation by visually analyzing how devices join the network, routing behavior, and application binding. Visualization is supported for all protocols that use IEEE 802.15.4 MAC Associations.

SNA Visualization 

The following table shows which visualization features are supported for the Standard (Std) and Professional (Pro) editions of the SNA. Note that the Standard edition can display a maximum of 10 devices, while the Professional edition can display up to the capture system limit.


Std Pro
Visual network: Use ground-breaking visual analysis. Watch devices join a network and understand behavior by observing packet routes. Unique views help to simplify monitoring and troubleshooting.
Rapid troubleshooting with visual context filters: Select any visual object such as a device, route, or binding and show all packets associated with that object.
Visual profiles: Visualize endpoints and bindings to rapidly determine application behavior. Observe all transactions and identify correct bindings.
Obtain new measurements and overlay information: Critical information, such as battery level and LQI between devices, can be overlaid on other information such as network structure and routes.  
Obtain new perspectives: Quickly switch between a tree view and a physical layout to better understand the impact of physical structures and network design on the behavior and performance of your network and devices.  
Validate ZigBee commissioning: Watch network formation to ensure devices join correctly. Right-click any device to configure and specify commissioning settings.  


Measure

Use the industry’s only ZigBee performance analysis solution to ensure that your network meets necessary performance requirements.

SNA Measurements

Note that measurements are supported only in the Professional edition of the SNA, and only for ZigBee and 802.15.4

  • Complete measurements: Obtain performance measurements on every single device, route and application binding in the network.
  • Critical metrics: Determine performance with critical metrics such as packet counts and losses, and min/avg/max end-to-end latencies. 


Commission

Simplify the configuration and commissioning of 802.15.4/ZigBee systems during development, field trials, deployment and maintenance with easy-to-use GUI and standards-based over-the-air commands to ensure interoperability.

SNA Bindings

Note that commissioning is supported only in the Professional edition of the SNA, and only for the ZigBee protocol stack. 

  • Flexible: Use the SNA as a commissioning tool, coordinator, trust center (distributing keys and managing certificates), router, or end device.
  • Commission: Commission key startup parameters such as Extended PAN ID, channel, and security keys with easy-to-use graphical layouts or devices list.
  • Binding: Use binding and group commissioning to establish control paths between devices. Store binding and group information in devices or tables.
  • Security: Start or join networks using ZigBee security (NWK, APS and Smart Energy KE).
  • Discover: Scan the network to discover its overall structure. Discover active services on endpoints of any device.
  • Portable commissioningOver-the-air: Configure devices using standards-based over-the-air commands to ensure interoperability.
  • Locationing: Scan to find the locations of individual devices.**
  • Upgrade: Upgrade device firmware over-the-air to save time and reduce errors.**
  • Customize: Use Daintree's API to customize and extend the commissioning tool's behavior and issue instructions directly to the network.
  • Portable: Run the SNA on a laptop for a truly portable commissioning, monitoring and analysis solution, that you can take where you need it, when you need it.
  • Monitor and troubleshoot: Verify and monitor with the industry's most comprehensive analyzer in one integrated solution.

** Supported on selected stacks 


Software editions

There are three SNA editions available: Professional, Standard, and Basic. The Professional edition provides more functionality than the Standard edition, which in turn provides more functionality than the Basic edition. Professional and Standard are available to purchase from Daintree Networks, and Basic is provided with many popular semiconductor development kits.

A summary of the differences between these editions is provided below. See the software edition comparison matrix for more detailed information. 

Professional edition
A complete toolkit for ZigBee and 802.15.4 development, testing, commissioning, and maintenance. Key differentiators include multi-node capture, advanced network visualization, detailed performance measurements, active analysis of live networks, advanced troubleshooting, and commissioning tool. Note that while some features such as multi-node capture provide additional support for flexible (non-ZigBee) protocols, most of the enhanced functionality is specifically for ZigBee.

Standard edition
An essential set of tools for wireless embedded development and testing. Key features include comprehensive protocol analysis with detailed packet lists and packet decodes, filters and extensive capture playback controls, editable XML-based protocol stack and ZigBee application profile definitions, and basic network visualization for protocols that use IEEE 802.15.4 MAC Associations.

Basic edition
A toolkit for 802.15.4 development and testing, with basic ZigBee features to assist with evaluating ZigBee development options. Available only through Daintree's semiconductor partners, this edition is not covered by any of Daintree's technical support or software update programs.