Arduino+Xbee

I researched for some help on this couldn't find exactly what i was looking for.

I want to ping a ping)) sensor wirelessly through an xbee.
So basically,
arduino-xbee.......xbee-ping sensor.

How can I ping the sensor through an xbee without a microcontroller?

Or if someone has a better/cheaper more efficient suggestion that works, that would help.

How can I ping the sensor through an xbee without a microcontroller?

You can't. The sensor needs to be turned on for a period of time, then turned off, and then the pins switched from output to input so that the time to receive the echo can be measured. The radio won't do that.

PaulS:

How can I ping the sensor through an xbee without a microcontroller?

You can't. The sensor needs to be turned on for a period of time, then turned off, and then the pins switched from output to input so that the time to receive the echo can be measured. The radio won't do that.

Sorry I did not clarify, I just want it to transmit. Not receive or anything.
All I want the ping)) sensor with the wireless xbee is to transmit when the xbee on the arduino tells it to.

Sorry I did not clarify, I just want it to transmit. Not receive or anything.

What good is a ping sensor that only sends out the pulse? It isn't useful unless the pulse reflects off of something and comes back, and you measure how long that took.

PaulS:

Sorry I did not clarify, I just want it to transmit. Not receive or anything.

What good is a ping sensor that only sends out the pulse? It isn't useful unless the pulse reflects off of something and comes back, and you measure how long that took.

I have used a ping)) sensor 50 times for numerous projects, I know the in and outs of a ping)) sensor. I want it to transmit, thats my project.

I've never used an xbee.

Im asking for help like I stated earlier on:
To ping(just transmit) a ping)) sensor wirelessly through an xbee.
So basically,
arduino-xbee.......xbee-ping sensor.

I know the in and outs of a ping)) sensor.

So, show us the code you are using.

You seem to think that the Arduino is not intimately involved in the process of making the ping sensor perform useful action. My ping sensors most definitely need to be controlled by a microprocessor.

PaulS:

I know the in and outs of a ping)) sensor.

So, show us the code you are using.

You seem to think that the Arduino is not intimately involved in the process of making the ping sensor perform useful action. My ping sensors most definitely need to be controlled by a microprocessor.

I'm looking for the logic behind it, how it can be done.. no code has been written. I cant write the code if I dont know how its going to work with using xbee's

I cant write the code if I dont know how its going to work with using xbee's

If you "know the ins and outs" of the ping sensor, it should be obvious that the XBee, by itself, will not get data from a sensor that needs to be an output device then an input device.

You can't upload code to the XBees, so writing code for them is not going to happen.

PaulS:

I cant write the code if I dont know how its going to work with using xbee's

If you "know the ins and outs" of the ping sensor, it should be obvious that the XBee, by itself, will not get data from a sensor that needs to be an output device then an input device.

You can't upload code to the XBees, so writing code for them is not going to happen.

I dont think you're understanding what I'm doing. It's possible.

Step 1:
arduino
step 2:
arduino-xbee
step 3:
xbee-ping
step 4:
ping

This guy does it I just can't interpret how:
http://www.techhive.com/article/252138/meet_the_robotic_luggage_that_follows_you_like_a_dog.html

Watch the video on the bottom forward to time 15:40

I'm assuming you have a series 2 or better XBee.

So, you just want to send the pulse using an XBee. I haven't used a ping sensor, so I don't have any built in prejudices, but I have a bunch of XBees. First, the XBee is 3V, so if that is enough to trigger the ping, you can hook it to a digital out pin on the XBee and set it high, then low in two different transmissions (or the other way around). The problem is that you have to be in API mode at both ends and the time the pin is high is indeterminate because you don't have full control of the time the transmissions take.

But, that doesn't appear to be what they're doing. It looks to me like they're using an XBee like a timer and taking the fact that it just turned on to send a pulse to the ultrasonic transmitter. Expensive little timer, but it may be something they had on hand. To have the XBee do this you want to look at the sleep sections of the Digi document. Just have it shut down (sleep) and turn on however often you want it to. Then find a pin to take the pulse off of and go for it. I'm supported in this by the fact there aren't two XBees in the presentation.

Oh, and you can program a series 2 XBee, but it's a total pain in the bottom. You basically replace the bootloader on the XBee with a different one of your own design and the entire XBee becomes yours; haven't done it, and it isn't documented very well. There's also a programmable XBee that is roughly an MCU connected directly to the XBee, but I know nothing about those devices.