Hi everyone! I am trying to make a xBee Arduino tank. There is plenty of code online that will work for me, but the problem is that I don't know how to connect the xBee to Arduino. I found some code here:projectallusion.com that I can adapt, but of corse they don't tell you how they connect the xBee. Also the project I just linked to uses a xBee, but I was planning on using a xBee pro for added range http://www.sparkfun.com/products/8742.
Thanks in advance,
sviv
Ps. I was planning on having two xBees, one for my computer and one for the tank. I would then be
able to send serial commands from the computer to Arduino.
Clarification: The tank is remote controlled. I plan on using the xBee radieos to send serial commands to the robot that will in turn tell the Ardumoto shield (motor controller) to move in the right direction.
Thanks for your quick answer,
I do not have the xBee yet because I did not want to buy it till I knew it would work. The Rx and Tx make sense, but I am not sure if it will work with the code on the page I linked to. Do you see any clues in the code as to how the xBee is hooked up? I have no experience with xBee and I just want to make sure it will work with that code.
I'm an RC guy, admit though not very experienced with Arduino.
IMHO, I would just buy a tank, but if you are looking for a project, then this may work. xBees, hardware wise are very easy to connect. I have not personally used them, but they are very easy to physically connect. Code wise, IDK anything about it. I too wanted to build an RC car, although the Arduino would control taillights/headlighs/speedometer. It just costs too much. It is easier to just buy a name brand one and mod it from there. Or, but a cheap one and arduino it.
Just my $0.2...
Hi, I've been surprised at the cost of XBee also. Just seems out of whack with $25 Arduinos...
I have put up a How-To for the Nordic Semiconductor nRF24L01 series. These were designed for very low-cost 2.4 GHz applications and now there are added versions with 100 mW power amplifiers and low-noise receiver preamplifiers for range up to 1000 Meters. Starting at $4.75 for chip and antenna on a breakout board, I think they can't be beat.
There is a very good RF24 Library for these from ManiacBug, who says, "The Nordic nRF24L01, built into a small module and sold by mdfly.com for $6.50 (and YourDuino.com for $4.75) is an excellent solution. It’s cheap, fast (2 Mbps), easy, reliable, and low-power. It entirely implements the Data Link Layer in hardware, handling addressing, collisions, and retry, saving us lots of work on the software side. Zigbee has the brand recognition, but this little guy puts it to shame."
Thanks for the answers!
I will look into zoomkat's idea. My only question is what are you doing for motor control? Are your servos wired up directly to the Arduino?
terryking228:
Hi, I've been surprised at the cost of XBee also. Just seems out of whack with $25 Arduinos...
I have put up a How-To for the Nordic Semiconductor nRF24L01 series. These were designed for very low-cost 2.4 GHz applications and now there are added versions with 100 mW power amplifiers and low-noise receiver preamplifiers for range up to 1000 Meters. Starting at $4.75 for chip and antenna on a breakout board, I think they can't be beat.
There is a very good RF24 Library for these from ManiacBug, who says, "The Nordic nRF24L01, built into a small module and sold by mdfly.com for $6.50 (and YourDuino.com for $4.75) is an excellent solution. It’s cheap, fast (2 Mbps), easy, reliable, and low-power. It entirely implements the Data Link Layer in hardware, handling addressing, collisions, and retry, saving us lots of work on the software side. Zigbee has the brand recognition, but this little guy puts it to shame."
Thanks for the answers!
I will look into zoomkat's idea. My only question is what are you doing for motor control? Are your servos wired up directly to the Arduino?
I think, is not good to connect your servos directly to Arduino, because of current. You can demage your Arduino board. You need to make H-bridge.