Arduino Yun with Xbee

Official Hardware Classic Yún
1

I want to combine my Yun with Xbee. I have been reading on the forum, but still have some questions.

  • I understand that typically the serial port is needed to connect to the Xbee module. As this is unavailable on the Yun, you need to use a software serial on the pins of your choice. Correct?
  • The above means the standard shields wont fit directly on the Yun, and some (simple) modifications must be made like rerouting pins. But I am puzzled by the overwhelming choice of boards. As this is for a prototype only I prefer simplicity over cost, so I was looking into: SparkFun XBee Shield - WRL-12847 - SparkFun Electronics
    Alternatively I saw SparkFun XBee Explorer Regulated - WRL-11373 - SparkFun Electronics at less than half the price, but it is not clear what I would miss wrt to the more expensive shield.
  • There are also USB based boards like SparkFun XBee Explorer USB - WRL-11812 - SparkFun Electronics. Should I be able to connect this to the Yun's USB port?
  • Anything changed since the new Yun image related to this?

Thanks!