14.3.1.2.3 Frame Compatibility between IEEE 802.15.4 2003 and IEEE 802.15.4 2006
All unsecured frames according to IEEE 802.15.4-2006 are compatible with unsecured frames compliant with IEEE 802.15.4-2003 with two exceptions: a coordinator realignment command frame with the “Channel Page” field present (see IEEE 802.15.4-2006 [2], Section 7.3.8) and any frame with a MAC Payload field larger than aMaxMACSafePayloadSize octets.
Compatibility for secured frames is shown in the table below, which identifies the security operating modes for IEEE 802.15.4-2003 and IEEE 802.15.4-2006.
| Frame Control Field Bit Assignments | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Security Enabled b3 |
Frame Version b13 b12 |
|
| 0 | 00 | No security. Frames are compatible between IEEE 802.15.4-2003 and IEEE 802.15.4-2006. |
| 0 | 01 | No security. Frames are not compatible between IEEE 802.15.4-2003 and IEEE 802.15.4-2006. |
| 1 | 00 | Secured frame formatted according to IEEE 802.15.4-2003. This frame type is not supported in IEEE 802.15.4-2006. |
| 1 | 01 | Secured frame formatted according to IEEE 802.15.4-2006. |