Template:ARPI600 User Manual/Building a wireless network with two XBee modules

Building a wireless network with two XBee modules

Preparations

1. Two XBee modules
2. Two ARPI600 modules
3. Twp Raspberry Pi boards
   • In this document, we will divided the device above into two groups: Group A and Group B, of which Group A contains XBee-A, Raspberry Pi board-A and ARPI600-A, and Group B contains XBee-B Raspberry Pi board-B and ARPI600-B.

Installing X-CTU tool

1. Double click the file software/X-CTU V5.2.8.6.exe on your PC to start installing X-CTU tool. After a successful installation, you can open the X-CTU tool as the figure shows.

   X-CTU setting

   

2. Configure the XBee module. The default setting of XBee is as followed:
   • Baud: 9600
   • Data Bite: 8
   • Parity: NONE
   • Stop: 1

Testing the connection between PC and XBee

1. Connect XBee-A to ARPI600-A, and XBee-B to ARPI600-B, respectively.
2. Set the jumpers on ARPI600 to start up the serial debugging function for the XBee, as the figure shows.
   • Connect XB_RX to CP_RX
   • Connect CP_TX to XB_TX

   Jumpers setting for serial debugging function between the Pi and the XBee

   

3. Power up Raspberry Pi board (For more detailed information.
4. Click the button Test/Query to check whether the connection between the ARPI600 and the XBee is established successfully.

   

5. For a successful connection, you can see the dialog box as the figure shows.

   Successful connection

   

Configuring XBee-A module

1. Select the option Modem Configuration, and click the button Read to read out the current parameters of XBee.

   Reading out current parameters

   

2. Select the option ZIBGEE ROUTER/END DEVICE AT under the pull-down menu Function Set:

   Selecting the option ZIBGEE ROUTER/END DEVICE AT under Function Set

   

3. Set the read Networking parameters:
   • ID: 234
   • DH: 0
   • DL: 0
4. Click the button Write to download the configured parameters into the XBee-A module.

Configuring XBee-B module

1. Configure XBee-B module according to the processes described in the Section 3.1 and the Section 0. However, there is something different. In configuring XBee-B, you should select the option ZIBGEE COORDINATOR AT under the pull-down menu Function Set:

   Selecting the option ZIBGEE COORDINATOR AT under Function Set

   

2. Set the read Networking parameters:
   • ID: 234
   • DH: 0
   • DL: ffff
3. Click the button Write to download the configured parameters into the XBee-B module.
4. In order to implement a simple P2P network, please configure XBee-A and XBee-B according to the processes described above. Start two X-CTU tools, and select different COM interfaces in the option PC Settings to control Group A and Group B respectively.
5. Input the data to be transmitted in the X-CTU Terminal of XBee-A, then, you can find that the inputted data will be sent to XBee-B automatically, and displayed in the X-CTU Terminal of XBee-B. In the X-CTU, data in blue is the data to be sent, and data in red is the received data.

   Data transmission and receive

   

6. This Figure shows the normal operating state of XBee module.