Digi’s XBee Wi-fi modules are a great, all-in-one way to get the job connected to an invisible network and up into the \ Cloud\

Introduction

Digi’s XBee WiFi segments is an awesome, all-in-one treatment for get the job connected to a radio system or over in to the \ affect\ . These modules looks the same as “normal” XBee’s — they can be even the same size and pinout — however they’re created to seamlessly connect to 802.11b/g/n sites.

Apart from mentioning over an alternate wireless traditional, these segments operate just like any XBee. Possible set them up using XCTU (that also support obtain it connected with a system). Possible toggle I/O pins, study analogue and digital inputs, along with the component to sleep. They could work completely independently, with no an external controlling microcontroller. Having said that, when you need to get together an Arduino, or other processor, it can be quickly done through the serial slot.

You can use these segments equally you’d almost every other XBee — to create a regional cordless serial gateway. One XBee Wi-fi module can simply speak to another, so long as it has the local IP address associated with the some other.

Nevertheless these segments have actually another, a lot more special program: to make Internet-of-Things works super-easy. Utilizing the Etherios(TM) tool Cloud service, you’ll rapidly buy them linked to the Cloud, where capable submit facts and receive instructions at the same time.

Covered inside Tutorial

Within this guide we are going to give a quick summary of the XBee Wi-fi segments. We’ll after that discuss a few examples. We are going to demonstrate how to use XCTU to connect them to a nearby wireless community — like setting the SSID and security protocols.

In the past sample, we are going to explain to you tips hook up the XBee WiFi up to the Device Cloud. This enables one manage the XBee through a web site app crammed right up within internet browser. You could potentially take control of your XBee from over the water (or from the dining table across the room).

An Overview

The XBee WiFi modules all display alike footprint and pinout because so many “normal” XBees. They’ve got 20 through-hole pins, each spread by 2mm. The pin operates are priced between energy input to GPIO to analog input to SPI. Right here, through the datasheet, may be the table of pins as well as their work:

XBee Wi-fi modules could be connected to another microcontroller via her serial slot, but what makes them special is they’ve had gotten a whole variety of I/O pins of one’s own. An XBee alone can toggle LEDs, or motors, or relays, and it will look over digital or analog inputs too. We’ll take advantage of the XBee I/O abilities inside into the affect! webpage, hooking up LEDs and keys directly to the small WiFi module.

Choosing an Antenna

There are various of XBee Wi-fi modules, each the help of its own antenna cancellation. Two of the module posses incorporated antennas: the PCB antenna and wire (whip) antenna. They are most suitable choice if you’re searching for less, nonetheless’ll also have reduced array.

If you want extra range, think about using the modules with a U.FL connector or an RPSMA connector. Either of these will need an compatible additional 2.4GHz antenna.

The U.FL adaptation, the Adhesive 2.4GHz antennas making a pleasant, low-profile preference. Your SMA adaptation, duck antennas (big and normal) render a pleasant, stylish choice.

Picking a Breakout Board

The easiest way to utilize these modules would be to put all of them into a mating breakout panel. For the following content of this guide, we advice obtain an XBee Explorer, that may allow you to connect into XBee from the computers. The Explorers enter mini-B USB, USB Dongle and RS-232 Serial (if you have an ancient desktop with a serial slot) models. The three is going to work!

As choices to your USB and Serial explorers, there are other simple XBee breakout panels. There is the XBee Breakout Board, which just breaks out of the 2mm-spaced XBee to a breadboard-friendly 0.1″ pitch. Then absolutely the XBee Explorer Regulated, which breaks out of the pins and contains onboard voltage regulating to aid mesh using the 3.3V XBee. Either of these are great for embedding into a project, but is likely to be a little more hard to program along with your pc.

Regarding further couple of pages we will show you the way you use the XBee WiFi with XCTU and Digi’s Cloud provider. This is simply not the only method to make use of these modules, but it’s easy and simple to obtain them up-and-running rapidly. Any time you stick to alongside, you are able to easily posses an XBee communicating with the “cloud”.

Making Use Of XCTU

XCTU is Digi’s XBee setting program. It generates communicating with XBees easy, and provides a fantastic program to change all the module’s setup. When working with they with the XBee Wi-fi’s, it even supplies a WiFi circle checking and connection interface to manufacture connecting to sites very simple.

Current launch of XCTU is obtainable on Digi’s internet site, sadly it is only available for house windows. For Mac computer OS X customers, there was a beta form of XCTU 6.0.0 offered, which we have now tested and discovered working perfectly using the XBee Wi-fi’s. (windowpanes people can go here also, it’s pretty advanced.) Go ahead and install XCTU to follow alongside.

With this part we’re going to in addition presume you have an XBee connected to your pc via a USB Explorer or something like that similar. The Explorer needs to have enumerated as a COM slot on your computer. This is basically the port we’ll use to keep in touch with the XBee.