Hello all! I am planning to use the Xbee for a project, but am just wondering, if i plan to wireless program the arduino using the Xbee, do i need one for my computer as well? or can i just use a normal Bluetooth dongle? When i searched the internet, most of them has a second Xbee. Thanks!
You will need a second Xbee device. I believe the Xbee uses its own protocols, and is not a bluetooth device. The range is also significantly more than you would achieve with bluetooth. I can recommend this book from O'Reilly for further reading: Building Wireless Sensor Networks [Book]
Good luck with your project!
Thanks! was about to get only 1......will take into consideration now!!
Yeah, you need 2 XBee transceivers because it's not wifi or BT or anything else you're likely
to have on hand. Also, you're better off spending the extra money and getting the XBee
"Pro" units, as you'll get about 10X the range, ie about 10m with XBees, and 100m with
XBee Pros.
Also, the XBee modules are 3.3V only [at least Series 1 and Series 2], and the schematics
in Faludi's book, referenced by Paul, are all wrong. You need level-shifters to connect a
5V Arduino to the 3.3V XBee modules, and Faludi doesn't show any.
Also, the pcb antennas will give poorer range than the 1/4 wave whip or dipole antennas.
Thanks for the replies. so Xbees are not BT? i remember reading somewhere that it works by radio ? is this true?
oric_dan:
...
Also, the XBee modules are 3.3V only [at least Series 1 and Series 2], and the schematics
in Faludi's book, referenced by Paul, are all wrong. You need level-shifters to connect a
5V Arduino to the 3.3V XBee modules, and Faludi doesn't show any.
Oops! Sorry - I missed that :).
desmondttm123:
Thanks for the replies. so Xbees are not BT? i remember reading somewhere that it works by radio ? is this true?
Roughly speaking, there are probably several dozen different radio modulation schemes, and
several 100 different coding formats using by radios.