Digi’s XBee WiFi segments is a great, all-in-one cure for get your project connected with a radio circle and up to the \ Cloud\

Introduction

Digi’s XBee WiFi modules become a nifty, all-in-one means to fix get the venture attached to an invisible system or more inside \ affect\ . These segments may look like “normal” XBee’s — they’re perhaps the same pinout — even so they’re created to effortlessly connect with 802.11b/g/n communities.

Other than mentioning over a special wireless requirement, these modules run just like any XBee. It is possible to hook them up utilizing XCTU (which facilitate obtain it connected to a network). It is possible to toggle I/O pins, browse analog and digital inputs , and place the module to sleep. They can work totally themselves, with no an external controlling microcontroller. Nevertheless, if you’d like to get together an Arduino, or another processor, it can be quickly finished through the serial port.

You should use these modules in the same way you’ll almost every other XBee — to set up a local cordless serial portal. One XBee WiFi component can speak to another, providing it has got your local ip in the additional.

However these segments have actually another, a lot more special application: in order to make Internet-of-Things projects super-easy. Utilising the Etherios(TM) equipment affect solution, you can easily get them connected to the Cloud, in which capable create data and accept instructions besides.

Covered inside Guide

Contained in this guide we are going to offer an easy a review of the XBee WiFi segments. We will after that go over some situations. We’ll explain to you how to use XCTU to connect them to a nearby cordless system — like placing the SSID and encoding standards.

Within the last few sample, we are going to explain to you how-to connect the XBee WiFi around the Device Cloud. This permits one get a grip on the XBee through a web software crammed up within internet browser. You could potentially take control of your XBee from across the sea (or through the dining table across your room).

A Summary

The XBee WiFi modules all display alike footprint and pinout as most “normal” XBees. They have 20 through-hole pins, each spaced by 2mm. The pin operates range between electricity feedback to GPIO to analog insight to SPI. Here, from the datasheet, could be the desk of pins in addition to their function:

XBee WiFi segments may be connected to another microcontroller via their particular serial port, but what means they are special is that they’ve have a complete variety of I/O pins of one’s own. An XBee by yourself can toggle LEDs, or engines, or relays, and it can browse digital or analogue inputs at the same time. We’ll take advantage of the XBee I/O capability for the into the Cloud! page, hooking up LEDs and buttons straight to the small WiFi component.

Picking an Antenna

There are a selection of XBee Wi-fi modules, each with regards to very own antenna firing. Two of the module has integrated antennas: the PCB antenna and wire (whip) antenna. These represent the most suitable option if you’re looking for cheap, but they’ll also provide decreased variety.

If you would like additional variety, consider choosing the segments with a U.FL connector or an RPSMA connector. Either of those will need an compatible exterior 2.4GHz antenna.

When it comes down to U.FL version, the glue 2.4GHz antennas making a good, low-profile alternatives. For the SMA version, duck antennas (huge and regular) create a nice, trendy choice.

Selecting a Breakout Board

The easiest way to make use of these segments is plug them into a mating breakout panel. For the next pages within this guide, I encourage you can get an XBee Explorer, that may allow you to communicate for the XBee from your own pc. The Explorers are available mini-B USB, USB Dongle and RS-232 Serial (if you’ve got an old computers with a serial slot) versions. Any of the three will continue to work!

As alternatives for the USB and Serial explorers, there are many more quick XBee breakout boards. There’s the XBee Breakout panel, which simply breaks out of the 2mm-spaced XBee to a more breadboard-friendly 0.1″ pitch. After that there is the XBee Explorer Regulated, which breaks from the pins and has onboard current controlling to assist mesh aided by the 3.3V XBee. Either of these are good for embedding into a project, but could be a bit more difficult to program with your computers.

Throughout the further couple of content we’re going to explain to you ways to use the XBee WiFi with XCTU and Digi’s affect Service. This is not the only way to use these segments, but it is the simplest in order to get them up-and-running rapidly. Any time you heed alongside, it is possible to effortlessly need an XBee chatting with the “cloud”.

Making Use Of XCTU

XCTU try Digi’s XBee arrangement applications. It makes chatting with XBees simple, and offers an enjoyable screen to modify all the module’s configurations. When working with they because of the XBee Wi-fi’s, it even provides a WiFi community scanning and connections program to make connecting to sites very simple.

The current release of XCTU can be acquired on Digi’s web site, sadly it is limited for Microsoft windows. For Mac OS X customers, there is a beta form of XCTU 6.0.0 available, which we’ve tried and discovered to be effective flawlessly using the XBee Wi-fi’s. (windowpanes users can take a look as well, it really is pretty slick.) Go right ahead and download XCTU to check out along.

Because of this point we are going to also presume you have an XBee attached to your computer via a USB Explorer or something like that close. The Explorer need to have enumerated as a COM interface on your pc. Here is the interface we’re going to used to communicate with the XBee.