ZigBee throughtput test

[Nicolas Kauffmann]

Hi,

I would like to test the ZigBee throughput like the examples ("ATT_MTU Throughput Example" for BLE and "Thread Throughput Measurement Application").

I'm not familiar with ZigBee (I read about it but I'm still learning). I started from the example (Zigbee Light Control with touchlink commissioning). I don't know if it's a good idea.

I implemented a function to send data with the API described in the documentation (zb_zcl_start_command_header, zb_zcl_finish_and_send_packet).

And as a first test, I call periodically ZB_GET_OUT_BUF_DELAYED and it works but, if I send at a too short period (ex: 500ms), the target blocks for a while then receives then it blocks and again and again...

When I say it blocks, it means that I don't get any trace from zcl_device_cb (callback for handling ZCL commands).

Is my method good or am I mistaken ?  Do I need to implement my own cluster ?

Best Regards,

Nicolas

[Jørgen Holmefjord]

Hi,

Your method seems fine, we are looking into implementing something similar ourself. One thing you should do (if not done already) is to disable "ZCL Default Response". Are you checking if you are recieving "RET_OK" status while calling "ZB_GET_OUT_BUF_DELAYED"? The amount of buffers is limited, but checking the status should give you an idea when to stop feeding stack with frames.

There is also a question on the definition of throughput, would like to measure on MAC, NWK, APS, ZCL layer? This will affect results due to increasing amount of ACKs and retransmissions. 

In order to measure throughput without APS ACKs, you have to modify "include/zcl/zb_zcl_commands.h" header:
@lines 264-266 you find:
 

/*ZB_SCHEDULE_CALLBACK(zb_apsde_data_request, ZB_REF_FROM_BUF(buffer));*/                   \
/* NK: Randomize delay for better performance (for example, parallel work of 2 devices). */ \
ZB_SCHEDULE_ALARM(zb_apsde_data_request, ZB_REF_FROM_BUF(buffer), ZB_RANDOM_VALUE(3));      \ 

If you swap commented line with the used one, you should be able to flood network with APS frames:

ZB_SCHEDULE_CALLBACK(zb_apsde_data_request, ZB_REF_FROM_BUF(buffer));                        \
/* NK: Randomize delay for better performance (for example, parallel work of 2 devices).  */ \
/* ZB_SCHEDULE_ALARM(zb_apsde_data_request, ZB_REF_FROM_BUF(buffer), ZB_RANDOM_VALUE(3)); */ \

This will not test on ZCL, but directly on APS.

Best regards,
Jørgen

 

[Nicolas Kauffmann]

Hi,

Here is my function to send a frame:

static zb_void_t send_frame(zb_uint8_t param)
{
    static zb_uint8_t cmd_id = 0;
    zb_uint16_t group_id = DEFAULT_GROUP_ID;
    zb_buf_t * p_buf = ZB_BUF_FROM_REF(param);

    zb_uint32_t data = 0xAAAABBBB;

    cmd_id = !cmd_id;

    /* initialize a ZCL packet */
    zb_uint8_t * _ptr = zb_zcl_start_command_header(p_buf, ZB_ZCL_CONSTRUCT_FRAME_CONTROL(ZB_ZCL_FRAME_TYPE_CLUSTER_SPECIFIC,  
                               ZB_ZCL_NOT_MANUFACTURER_SPECIFIC,                                                               
                               ZB_ZCL_FRAME_DIRECTION_TO_SRV, ZB_ZCL_DISABLE_DEFAULT_RESPONSE), 0, cmd_id, NULL);   

    /* fill in the packet data */
    ZB_ZCL_PACKET_PUT_DATA32(_ptr, &data);

    /* finalize and send the packet */
    zb_ret_t zb_ret = zb_zcl_finish_and_send_packet(p_buf, _ptr,(zb_addr_u*) &group_id, ZB_APS_ADDR_MODE_16_GROUP_ENDP_NOT_PRESENT, 0, LIGHT_SWITCH_ENDPOINT, ZB_AF_HA_PROFILE_ID, ZB_ZCL_CLUSTER_ID_ON_OFF, NULL); 
    if (zb_ret != RET_OK)
    {
        NRF_LOG_ERROR("zb_ret = %d", zb_ret);
    }
}

I call "ZB_GET_OUT_BUF_DELAYED" with app_timer and yes I've seen that there is a memory pool of buffers so I checked the return but I don't get any error even though I send every ms. 

I changed what you said which is in the macro function ZB_ZCL_SEND_COMMAND_SHORT_WITHOUT_ACK but I don't see any call to this function (maybe used in the library ?). And unfortunately, the result doesn't change.

I'd like to measure the throughput on ZCL layer but if I could measure it on APS first, it would be nice.

I enabled all the logs and I don't know if it can help but here is what I get when it blocks:

<info> app: frame_received = 14 param = 11
<info> zboss:  93 C2 D6 C4 00 80 DE AD|........
<info> zboss:  12 02 F3 0C 35 00 1A 08|....5...
<info> zboss:  60 01 06 00 00 00 01 00|`.......
<info> zboss:  00 00 DE AD 12 02 F3 0C|........
<info> zboss:  36 00 1A 08 76 01 06 00|6...v...
<info> zboss:  00 00 01 00 00 00 DE AD|........
<info> zboss:  47 01 13 0D 37 00 00 00|G...7...
<info> zboss:  10 3D 61 88 F5 0D 91 38|.=a....8
<info> zboss:  AA 11 BA 08 12 FD FF 11|........
<info> zboss:  BA 1E 19 16 B6 A7 E8 69|.......i
<info> zboss:  1B 05 69 28 19 00 00 00|..i(....
<info> zboss:  16 B6 A7 E8 69 1B 05 69|....i..i
<info> zboss:  00 45 98 6E 6E 1C 84 CF|.E.nn...
<info> zboss:  68 C8 9A 31 80 7F 60 58|h..1..`X
<info> zboss:  BC DD CF 56 1D E0 FA DE|...V....
<info> zboss:  AD 0F 81 13 0D 37 00 00|.....7..
<info> zboss:  00 10 05 02 00 F5 00 80|........

and when it's OK:

OK
<info> app: frame_received = 18 param = 5
<info> zboss:  00 80 DE AD 12 02 DC 21|.......!
<info> zboss:  3D 00 1A 08 60 01 06 00|=...`...
<info> zboss:  00 00 01 00 00 00 DE AD|........
<info> zboss:  12 02 DC 21 3E 00 1A 08|...!>...
<info> zboss:  76 01 06 00 00 00 01 00|v.......

Thank you,

Best regards,

Nicolas