Help with xbee repeater wiring..

Using Arduino Networking, Protocols, and Devices
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I have a communication with a drone of mine via xbee.. One of the pair is in the drone and another is on the ground station .. But the one which is on ground station is actually sitting on a antenna tracker which always keeps rotating, so It becomes a problem connecting a usb cable to it as it all gets tangled up..
So I would like to connect another xbee to the ground station xbee so that the communication between the ground station and the computer is also wireless..

Please tell me ho do I connect the two xbees together..

Its a block diagram of how I want it..

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What kind of XBees are you using? If you are using Series 2, the pair in the middle should be a single XBee configured as a router.

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I am using this xbees from here.. https://store.diydrones.com/XBee_PRO_900_extended_range_module_w_RPSMA_p/br-0015-01-xbeerpsma.htm

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How many XBees do you currently have? Series 1 radios, like you have, are meant to be point to point.

You could have:

  • the drone XBee talk to one of the antenna XBees (A), wirelessly, on one PAN.
  • the two antenna XBees talk to each other over wires (simply connect TX on A to RX on B, and RX on A to TX on B, along with power and ground).
  • the other antenna XBee (B) talk to the ground station XBee, on a different PAN.

On the other hand, if you need to buy the two new XBees to put at the antenna, I'd recommend that you get Series 2 models, and make the drone an end device, the antenna one a router, and the base station one the coordinator.

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the two antenna XBees talk to each other over wires (simply connect TX on A to RX on B, and RX on A to TX on B, along with power and ground)

This is the exact way I want to connect it.. But the problem is that the xbee explorers which I have are 2 x usb explorer and 2x serial explorer..

But for what I am trying to do, I will need 3 x serial explorer and 1x usb explorer..

now how do I save from buying another serial explorer.

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This is the exact way I want to connect it.. But the problem is that the xbee explorers which I have are 2 x usb explorer and 2x serial explorer..

Links? The explorer devices I have have rows of holes that connect to each of the XBees pins.

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I have one of this usb http://www.sparkfun.com/products/8687
and
another usb https://store.diydrones.com/product_p/br-0015-02.htm

one of this serial https://store.diydrones.com/product_p/br-0015-01.htm
and
one of this serial http://www.adafruit.com/products/126

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All 4 of those adapters break out all 20 XBee pins.

Use whichever two you want in the middle, and wire from RX on one to TX on the other and from TX on one to RX on the other. Connect grounds, and the two XBees will communicate via wires, not wirelessly.

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ok now the first pair of xbees will connect automatically..??
I mean the one in the drone and the pair of it which is on the antenna tracker.. no need to give any command externally..??
Then i just have to connect to the second pair.. I mean the 2nd xbee on the tracker and the pair of it connected to the computer...

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I mean the one in the drone and the pair of it which is on the antenna tracker.. no need to give any command externally..??

Yes. The XBee on the drone and one of the XBees on the antenna should be on one PAN, while the other XBee at the antenna and the one at the PC should be on a different PAN.

Then i just have to connect to the second pair.. I mean the 2nd xbee on the tracker and the pair of it connected to the computer...

Yes. One period or question mark is enough.

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What do you mean by the PAN..?? The address of the xbees..?

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What do you mean by the PAN..?

All XBees need to have a PAN ID assigned. Your two pairs need to have different PAN ID values.

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Is it possible that the second pair of xbees ( the pair on antenna tracker and the one connected to the computer) are 2mW series 2 2.4 ghz xbees and the first pair is (the one in the drone and on the antenna tracker) is the 900 Mhz xbees..??

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