RS232 output with an Xbee Shield

Using Arduino Networking, Protocols, and Devices
1

Good morning,

I have recently started a new robotics project. My current task is building a remote control for my robot (a National Instrument’s DaNI robot).
I am hoping to be able to send button presses and potentiometer values from the controller to the robot.

The kit I will be hoping to use to achieve this:
1 x Arduino Uno
1 x TTL-RS232 converter
2 x XBee
1 x XBee explorer board
1 x XBee Arduino shield.

My concern here is the robot only has RS232 ports, hence the TTL-RS232 converter. I have been looking at this converter and when trying to set it up I was having to declare 2 digital out pins as my TX and RX and wiring them to the converter. HOWEVER when I use the XBee Shield on the Arduino, does this talk over the Tx and Rx pins as well? Can I use both at once? Can you have multiple Tx’s and Rx’s or can I fake the output to the RS232 in software?

Thanks

2

HOWEVER when I use the XBee Shield on the Arduino, does this talk over the Tx and Rx pins as well?

Depends on which XBee shield you have and which position any switches or jumpers are in.

Can you have multiple Tx’s and Rx’s

Which Arduino you have defines how many hardware serial ports it has. There is a SoftwareSerial class, too.

3

Hi thanks for the reply :slight_smile:

Depends on which XBee shield you have and which position any switches or jumpers are in.

I have an 'ArduinoXBee v1.1 sheild, seen here http://antipastohw.pbworks.com/f/1275028769/Arduino%20XBee%20Shield.JPG
The jumpers will be in the 'XBee' position, as the xbee in the arduino shield will be the base, with the other on the remote control.

As i have an Arduino UNO i believe only have one hardware serial port, so i guess i will have to use SoftwareSerial.

Which communication would you recommend doing via the SoftwareSerial, the xbee or the RS232?