i'm pretty new to arduino (this is my first project) and this is the task i have to accomplish:
collect data from an accelerometer send it wirelles to a PC and process that data on a PC (C# application).
this is the equipment i've got:
arduino duemilanove x2
xbee series2 arduino shield x2
max232 board for serial communication
arduino ethernet shield
this is a schematic of the desired system (please don't mind croatian language )
see bellow for image (forum rules....)
the question is how to set up this system so thah it will work and that it's the simplest to implement.
i don't know what's the easiest way to set up the zigbee modules (should i use AT or API),
how can i send data to the PC (2nd zigbee->arduino-(what protocol)>pc or maybe 2nd zigbee->serial2usb->PC)
if using 2nd zigbee->arduino->PC i can't use a serial port shield because the zigbee shield uses the rx tx lines, i can use an ethernet shield and an zigbee shield but i would rather not because some of my collegaues had problems setting up 2 shields on one arduino and using them simultaneously and i don't thin it's the most simple solution
please help me out and give all your ideas and advice, i would really appreciate it
The Xbee series 2 radios are not the best choice for point to point communication. The series 1 radios are better for that. Unless you already have them, in which case I wish you luck.
The simplest setup would be to have one Arduino with a XBee shield and XBee connected to the PC, using the serial/USB cable. The other Arduino with XBee shield with XBee gets the accelerometer. It reads data from the accelerometer, and sends it to the serial port, which the XBee reads and broadcasts.
The receiving XBee gets the over-the-air transmission, and puts the data on the TX/RX pins, which both the Arduino and the PC see as serial data. On the receiving end, the Arduino really isn't doing anything. One of these SparkFun XBee Explorer USB - WRL-11812 - SparkFun Electronics could be used, instead.
You don't really need the Ethernet shield, at all.
You can use the series 2 XBees, and the Ethernet shield, and 2 Arduinos, but the setup will be more complicated and expensive than is really required.
(and yes the equipement i wrote is the only one i can use, i can't change it)
edit
i found this information on the arduino website:
With the jumpers in the USB position (i.e. on the two pins nearest the edge of the board), the DOUT pin the Xbee module is connected to the RX pin of the FTDI chip, and DIN on the Xbee module is connected to the TX pin of the FTDI chip. This means that the Xbee module can communicate directly with the computer - however, this only works if the microcontroller has been removed from the Arduino board. If the microcontroller is left in the Arduino board, it will be able to talk to the computer normally via USB, but neither the computer nor the microcontroller will be able to talk to the Xbee module.
does this mean that i can use the arduino motherboard (with the microcontroler disconnected) to connect the zigbee directly to PC via usb?
does this mean that i can use the arduino motherboard (with the microcontroler disconnected) to connect the zigbee directly to PC via usb?
Yes, it does.
in which mode should i set up the zigbee-s then?
Can't help you there. I never was successful in getting two series 2 XBees to talk to each other. I could get one to send and the other to receive, but di-directional communication eluded me. I believe, though, that other here have reported getting them to communicate bi-directionally.
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