Problem: XBee in API mode

Forum 2005-2010 (read only) Hardware Interfacing
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Hi all,

This is my first post here. I started playing around XBee for a few week and I decided to move on in API mode in order to do some project.
I need your help about XBee in API mode. (I'm sorry if I ask some foolish question, I'm new in XBee :-[ )

1 )))
I try to get group of XBee connected, but I couldn't even get them talk now.

I started with 2 XBee (Series 2) config as ZNet 2.5 Router/End device API. I set parameters: AP = 2, ID = their own ID, pan ID = FFFF (in order to broadcast). I couldn't set operation channel by X-CTU but, they are automatically set to 15 the same.

Then, I put them into my arduinos. One as the sender, one as the receiver. I use Rx and Tx sample code (Series2_Tx, Series2_Rx) from GitHub - andrewrapp/xbee-arduino: Arduino library for communicating with XBee radios in API mode.
Sender starts to send something out, but it counldn't get anything back. Also, the receiver couldn't get anything.

I thought there are some problems with my XBee configuration. But for broadcasting, I think just put the same PanID to FFFF and same operation channel, that's enough. Do I misunderstand anything. Please help :cry:

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How can you config XBee using AT command in API mode? After XBee was built into API, there's no response for"+++" anymore. Also, I cannot set MY or CH. Any other way?

Thank you in advance

2

  1. One XBee should be running the Router/End device API firmware, and the other should be running the Coordinator API firmware.

  2. When running API firmware, you can't configure it using the AT command set. You configure it using XCTU.

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nootropic, really thank you for your reply :slight_smile:

Can I ask you for other few questions?

  1. One XBee should be running the Router/End device API firmware, and the other should be running the Coordinator API firmware.

I want to establish a group of robots those can talk and listen to each other freely, so I first set them all into Router/End device API firmware. If I have to set one as Router/End and another as Coordinator in order to make them talk, do you have any idea how to config the group of mass robots?

  1. When running API firmware, you can't configure it using the AT command set. You configure it using XCTU.

I tried to config it by using X-CTU. The problem is that I can't set 'operation channel' and 'MY' to my desire value. All I can do is just use default config and set pan ID and api = 2, moreover, every time I write it to my XBee, it showed the error message something like "Error setting AT parameters. Either parameter is not ........". Did I miss something?

Thank you again in advance. I really need your help. Thank you :cry:

4

For more than two XBees, use one coordinator and many end devices. That's the basic topology.

What is the full error message you are getting from XCTU? You really need to read the full XBee datasheet to understand how to configure. Not sure what role operation channel plays in this. The datasheet describes how to set up networks.

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Thanks so much. I will try :wink: