Digi’s XBee WiFi segments is a great, all-in-one means to fix get task attached to a wireless community and up in to the \ affect\

Introduction

Digi’s XBee Wi-fi modules include a nifty, all-in-one answer to get the task connected with a radio network or over into the \ affect\ . These modules may look exactly like “normal” XBee’s — they’re also the exact same pinout — nonetheless’re developed to effortlessly connect to 802.11b/g/n networking sites.

Regardless of chatting over yet another cordless criterion, these segments work just like any XBee. You are able to set them up using XCTU (which also helps get it connected to a network). You’ll toggle I/O pins, browse analogue and electronic inputs, and place the component to fall asleep. They could work entirely by themselves, with no an external controlling microcontroller. That said, if you want to hook up an Arduino, or any other processor, it could be easily finished through serial interface.

You should use these modules just like you might other XBee — to setup a regional cordless serial gateway. One XBee Wi-fi component can certainly consult with another, providing it has got a nearby ip associated with some other.

Nevertheless these segments bring another, a lot more unique software: to help make Internet-of-Things projects super-easy. With the Etherios(TM) product Cloud solution, you are able to quickly buy them attached to the Cloud, in which they may be able distribute data and enjoy commands too.

Covered inside Tutorial

Inside information we’ll render an instant a review of the XBee WiFi segments. We’re going to then go over some examples. We will show you how to use XCTU to get in touch them to a nearby cordless network — like setting the SSID and security standards.

Within the last few example, we will demonstrate how to connect the XBee WiFi to the Device Cloud. This allows one manage the XBee through a web app crammed up within browser. You might control your XBee from across the ocean (or through the desk across your room).

A Synopsis

The XBee WiFi modules all share the same footprint and pinout since many “normal” XBees. They’ve got 20 through-hole pins, each separated by 2mm. The pin works are normally taken for power input to GPIO to analog insight to SPI. Here, through the datasheet, could be the desk of pins and their purpose:

XBee Wi-fi segments tends to be connected with another microcontroller via their unique serial slot, exactly what means they are special is that they’ve had gotten a complete host of I/O pins of their own. An XBee alone can toggle LEDs, or motors, or relays, and it can read digital or analogue inputs and. We’ll make use of the XBee I/O possibilities in the towards the affect! web page, hooking up LEDs and keys directly to the little WiFi module.

Choosing an Antenna

There are a number of XBee WiFi modules, each making use of their own antenna firing. Two of the component bring incorporated antennas: the PCB antenna and wire (whip) antenna. These are the best option if you’re searching for cheap, nevertheless they’ll supply less array.

If you’d like most range, consider using the segments with a U.FL connector or an RPSMA connector. Either of these will require an compatible external 2.4GHz antenna.

For all the U.FL adaptation, the glue 2.4GHz antennas generate a nice, low-profile possibility. When it comes down to SMA version, duck antennas (huge and routine) create a good, fashionable choice.

Picking a Breakout Board

The best way to utilize these modules is okcupid or pof to connect them into a mating breakout board. For the following content with this guide, we recommend you receive an XBee Explorer, that may let you connect with the XBee from your pc. The Explorers also come in mini-B USB, USB Dongle and RS-232 Serial (if you an old desktop with a serial interface) forms. Any of the three is going to work!

As options on USB and Serial explorers, there are many simple XBee breakout panels. There’s the XBee Breakout panel, which just breaks the actual 2mm-spaced XBee to a very breadboard-friendly 0.1″ pitch. Then absolutely the XBee Explorer Regulated, which breaks out of the pins features onboard current managing to simply help mesh utilizing the 3.3V XBee. Either of those are good for embedding into a project, but might be more difficult to program together with your computers.

From the subsequent couple of content we’ll show you the way you use the XBee Wi-fi with XCTU and Digi’s Cloud Service. This is not the only way to make use of these segments, but it’s the simplest in order to get them up-and-running rapidly. Should you follow alongside, you are able to effortlessly posses an XBee chatting with the “cloud”.

Using XCTU

XCTU is Digi’s XBee setup computer software. It will make chatting with XBees quite simple, and provides a nice program to modify most of the component’s configurations. When utilizing it utilizing the XBee Wi-fi’s, it even supplies a WiFi circle checking and relationship program to create connecting to networking sites a breeze.

The existing launch of XCTU is available on Digi’s websites, sadly it’s only available for house windows. For Mac computer OS X users, discover a beta form of XCTU 6.0.0 readily available, which we have analyzed and discovered to operate perfectly because of the XBee Wi-fi’s. (Windows people can test it also, it is pretty advanced.) Go right ahead and download XCTU to check out alongside.

For this area we are going to additionally believe you’ve got an XBee linked to your pc via a USB Explorer or something comparable. The Explorer needs to have specified as a COM slot on your desktop. This is the interface we are going to used to keep in touch with the XBee.