Hi
I am doing a project on Swarming of UAVs, 1 master and multiple slaves. we are planning to use XBee as the communication device.
I face problems choosing the XBee module. I referred this Sparkfun Xbee buying guide, but still confused with what to buy.
Btw, we are using APM 2.6 as our controller.
Any enlightenment from here.
Thank you in advance
Choose a frequency that is legal in your country.
Surprisingly, the availability of frequencies within the various ISM bands varies from country to country. For example, the 900MHz band is essentially unusable in Australia unless you are very careful to choose a sub-set of channels that don't overlap with licensed operators.
The 2.4 GHz band may be usable, or may be unreliable if you are working in a typical office environment with multiple WIFI access points within a 70m radius.
The "Pro" versions of xbees have a higher power output but are more expensive. Again you need to check the regulations in your country about the maximum allowed output power. Using a large number of high power (63mw) transmitters may cause interference with other WIFI users in adjacent buildings.
If you are working indoors in a single room then (non xbee) infra red communication may be the cheapest and most reliable option.
Mike
I should add that the wire antennas on xbees are fragile so you will need a plastic cover of some kind for mechanical protection. The patch antennas are less prone to damage, but slightly less efficient as transmitters and receivers.
What are the XBees going to be transmitting? Over what range? How often? How much data?
Your question is a bit like going to the paint store and asking how much paint to buy, without saying what you want to paint.