XBee Adapter Kit w/XBee Pro - problems

XBee projects like the adapter, xBee tutorials, tweetawatt/wattcher, etc. from Adafruit

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mschultz
 
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XBee Adapter Kit w/XBee Pro - problems

Post by mschultz »

I discovered a bit of a problem after assembling a Adafruit XBee Adapter kit when I tried to use it with my XBee Pro (Series 1) module.

The Pro module is not only longer than the standard XBee, it's also thicker on the underside (side where pins extend out). This metal shield (can) is thick enough so it makes contact with the 'HC125 buffer IC on the adapter before the XBee pins fully mate with the 2mm sockets on the adapter board. The XBee pins do not go far enough into the 2mm sockets to make any electrical contact with the socket receptacle pins.

However, one can get around this problem if you solder in the 2mm connectors such that they are elevated about 2mm off the board surface. This can be done by soldering in the pins of the 2mm connectors such that the tips of the pins just barely enter the holes on the PCB. As a rough guide, the tip of the socket pin should be level with - or just a bit below - the hole on the underside of the board. Another way to judge it would be to plug the un-soldered 2mm sockets fully into an XBee Pro, and then set the assembly on the adapter PCB after soldering in the 'HC125 IC.

The assembly instructions do mention the possibility of the TO-92 regulator and 10uF capacitor getting in the way of the longer XBee Pro module, and provide suggestions on how to mount these components so they can be pushed out of the way. Unfortunately, the instructions say nothing about the 2mm connector height problem. I would (gently!) suggest that the assembly instructions be updated with a warning concerning XBee Pro module thickness and the need to elevate the 2mm connectors if you want to use the adapter with a Pro module.

I had to spend an extra hour-plus carefully de-soldering the 2mm connectors from my board and then putting them back in "elevated". Fortunately, the PCB material the adapter is made from is high quality glass laminate and the tracework is also of good quality - my boards did not suffer from lifted traces or heat burns due to the desoldering abuse they were subjected to.

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mschultz
 
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Re: XBee Adapter Kit w/XBee Pro - problems

Post by mschultz »

Ok, just found out from the friend I got my original XBee Pro modules from that the ones he gave me were used, having been "clipped off" of a board and thus have shorter-than-normal pins. I did not think anything was unusual because the module pins looked good to me, of identical length, and just a bit longer than the depth of the 2mm sockets they mate with.

I can only assume that a new module has somewhat longer pins than my used ones (pins on mine are ~4.5mm long) and thus would not present any problems with the adapter.

My apologies for pointing the finger of blame at the wrong target. :x

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