Ardunio to Ardunio communication

Projects General Guidance
1

I'm wanting to be able to build an RC model that incoperates ardunio, however instead of using an off the shelf RC transmitter and receiver, I want to build a controller based around an ardunio that communicates with an ardunio in the model.
Here are my questions

  1. I'm sure which method of communication to use: wifi, bluetooth, RF, something else?
  2. For the suggested method of communication is there an tutorial/forum post that focuses on this (all of the communications posts I've found are ardunio to computer/smart phone communication)?

Additional information, I'm not intending the model to be more than 10m from the controller, but would prefer a 20m range for safety. Ultimately the model will have a ardunio mini, and small battery pack, so I don't want the communication method to be too power hungry.

2

xbee is an option although it may be an overkill

3

I'm using these Deltino devices http://www.deltino.com/ (see also the parent Deltang page linked at the bottom) to control N Gauge model trains. One of the devices acts as a "sun" while others act as "planets". I wrote about it here Very Small Arduino with 2.4Ghz wireless transceiver and motor bridge - DelTino - Microcontrollers - Arduino Forum. If you are thinking of using them let me know as that post needs to be updated for the current versions of Deltino which have different h-bridges.

...R

4

Robin 2, thanks for the info on the Deltino devices they look good.
unfortunately they don't have quite enough input and outputs for what I want to do.
I want to run 3 motors, 2 servos and IR emitter and and IR receiver plus in the future I might want to added gyros.

5

For your range a Xbee is, as nmap said, rather an overkill. Bluetooth is a very good option in my opinion, and there are various blue tooth libraries available (like this one: http://rockingdlabs.dunmire.org/exercises-experiments/hc05-bluetooth with the HC-O5 blue tooth module which is available on ebay for less than $4.). If that too is not an option, using a IR Led with a remote control is the only feasible option I can think of. To read the remote, the IRRemote library is good: IRremote Library, Send & Receive Infrared Remote Control . Hope this helps!

6

As said, XBee is probably overkill, but it is very simple if used simply to transfer serial data wirelessly, I'm using it for this purpose for a project which requires a 30m separation between Arduinos and a wireless link between them.

XBee Series 1 was a plug and play replacement for a serial cable.