General Xbee questions

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jimthree
 
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General Xbee questions

Post by jimthree »

Hey Guys,

I'm about to start playing with some Xbee stuff and wanted to ask a few basic questions. I've read Ladyada's "which Module" page but I'm still a little confused. My main focus is on the Maxstream (Digi) modules.

1) Can different modules work together? I.e. can a Xbee pro 'base station' send and receive data from xbee (non-pro) nodes? What kind of range can be expected from a set up like this? would it be the lowest common denominator (the non-pro xbee) somewhere in between, or the full range of the Xbee Pro?

2) what is the difference in range between the on-chip printed aerial and the little rubber aerial modules?

3) Is there any difference at all between Zigbee and Xbee?

cheers!
Jim

EDIT: just noticed that 33warlord's post (http://forums.ladyada.net/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=7945) talks a lot about the different modules and classes, but doesn't discuss the ranges. Also, does anyone know of a good supplier of these modules in the UK?

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33warlord
 
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Re: General Xbee questions

Post by 33warlord »

My understanding of things are below. This is based on my experiences and research and could be incorrect in areas. I'm open to any feedback anyone has.
Jimthree wrote:1) Can different modules work together? I.e. can a Xbee pro 'base station' send and receive data from xbee (non-pro) nodes? What kind of range can be expected from a set up like this? would it be the lowest common denominator (the non-pro xbee) somewhere in between, or the full range of the Xbee Pro?
Devices within the same "version" can speak to each other. i.e. a V1 Pro device can speak to a V1 Standard device, and the same for V2. The range is going to be dependent on your data flow; if all of your data is in one direction, then giving the transmitter more power (a Pro Module) may make sense. I could not find any information about Pro modules having stronger receivers, so is likely no advantage to placing these at nodes that only receive data. Signal distance is also impacted by obstacles and terrain, so the exact distance you get is going to be specific to your implementation environment.

Additionally, detailed info on transmission lengths and deployment scenarios is hard to find. It appears that most people are using these devices for close-range communication. I found a post somewhere about someone communicating at 1 KM in distance using two Pro units with external (RP-SMA) antennas.
Jimthree wrote:2) what is the difference in range between the on-chip printed aerial and the little rubber aerial modules?
I'm not sure what module you are referring to by 'little rubber aerial modules'. Can you describe it a little more? XBee modules come with one of the following antenna options: Chip Antenna, Wire Antenna (a 2 inch wire antenna that is pre-connected to the board), a U.FL connection (allows you to connect a cable to an external antenna), and some have an RP-SMA (reverse polarity SMA) connector which allows you to use any 2.4Ghz antenna.

The list above is roughly in order from weakest signal strength to greatest i.e. chip antenna provides the weakest signal, and the U.FL and RP-SMA connectors (with connected external antennas) provide the strongest; with the wire antenna somewhere in the middle. Detailed stats about transmission length of the different antennas are not specified as its highly implementation environment dependent.

If you can post some details about what you're trying to communicate, and how they will be hooked up, I can try to steer you in the best direction.
Jimthree wrote:3) Is there any difference at all between Zigbee and Xbee?
Zigbee is a communications protocol, and "Xbee"s are devices which use that protocol (or derivations of it). XBees are produced by Digi (formerly maxstream), and can be purchased through most major electronic distributors. I buy them through Mouser in the US.

I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions.

Cheers,
33W

meg
 
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Re: General Xbee questions

Post by meg »

just wanted to say thanks for this info, 33Warlord, and the stuff you posted here as well! really thorough and helpful!

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