X-CTU to XBee via Arduino shield

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Why doesn’t Arduino work as USB to UART converter?

XBee and ZigBee

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Base page for all things Xbee and ZigBee related.

USB-Serial interfaces

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There are a number of different devices, or boards, that convert from USB to RS232 serial signals. They all carry out, more or less, the same function, the main difference being the choice of IC used to implement the interface.

ConnectPort X5

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Following on from Zigbee ConnectPort Options, I had purchased a second hand Digi ConnectPort X5.

RC Transmitters – DIY – XBee

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This blog will reiterate some of the points raised in my other XBee specific blogs, but this is written specially from the point of RC, and to a lesser extent, First Person Video [FPV] transmission.

Nano IO Shield

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This is a useful board that provides servo, XBee and nRFnRF24L01+ connectors for an Arduino Nano. It has onboard regulators for 5 V and 3.3 V. A external power supply of up to 12 V can be used, although, I would exercise caution if using a 12V PSU in conjunction with a Chinese cloned Nano, as 12 V at Vin could possibly cause the Nano to blow (12V + NANO VIN = SMOKE! help!). A 9 V 2 A PSU would be recommended.

Uses for XBee

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As a XBee is not much cop for R/C (see RC Transmitters – DIY – XBee), what are they good for?

Well, low transfer data rate applications.

Using XBee 868 as R/C

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After having second thoughts about whether a XBee 868 is suitable for a RC, seeing as it is dubious if it is suitable for video transmission, see XBee and video streaming, I thought that it would be wise to check to see if they are appropriate for R/C control. This search surprisingly throw up some issues with the XBees devices, namely:

• groundplane issues and;
• packet freeze and the need to reset (due to a 10% duty cycle).

See also RC Transmitters – DIY – XBee

Changing XBee antennas

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Following on from the XBee 868 blog, the XBee Pro 868 Development kit, rather annoyingly, comes with one XBee with a RP-SMA connector and the other with a wire antenna.Hence the question: Is it possible to remove the whip/wire antenna from a XBee Pro 868 Long Range, and replace it with a RP-SMA connector?

XBee and video streaming

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Can the XBee, and more specially the XBee 868, be used for video streaming?