Xbee Point-to-Multipoint and GPRS/GSM Shield

Projects General Guidance
1

Greetings,

I'm looking for a verification of possibility of some sort. If you're interested, please look over what I'm thinking and let me know if it is possible.

I'm working on a project to automate data collection from a research site in a remote area. In this research site, there are 3 stations that I am collecting data from, two of which are already integrated with Arduinos to control pumps, valves, and sensors. I would like to use Xbee modules to send data from 2 stations to the third station, where a GPRS/GSM module will transmit the data over a cellular network to our servers.

Basically, this is what I'll have:
Station 1: Data from equipment sent to Arduino through RS485 shield, then on through Xbee shield

Station 2: Same as station 1

Station 3: Data from first two stations transmitted wirelessly from Xbees to Xbee coordinator at this station. Data from this station sent to Arduino through RS232 shield. All three data sets sent through GRPS/GSM shield also on this Arduino to remote server.

It doesn't seem like Xbee point-to-multipoint will be an issue here from what I've read, but I'm not sure about using these in conjunction with the RS485, RS232, and GPRS/GSM shields. Anyone have any insight?

Thanks

2

Using the XBee in conjunction with other shields on the Arduino shouldn't present a problem, as you only need two pins to communicate between the Arduino and the XBee. They can be any two pins.

Having the two devices push data to the collector might be a problem. Having the collector request data from the two devices would eliminate that problem. (Hey, Joe, what do you have for me? (Tom ignores this request) Hey, Tom, what do you have for me? (Joe ignores this request)).

Collecting the data from the remote stations, and adding its own data, won't be a problem for the base station.

Sending the data via GPRS/GSM will be the hardest part.

3

Great, thanks a bunch for your input.

Despite the cellular data transmission being difficult, it is still possible, correct?

4

Despite the cellular data transmission being difficult, it is still possible, correct?

I presume so, although I've never tried. Couldn't get the shield I had to even recognize that there was service in the area.