Cheapest way for simple wireless serial

peterz

I am looking for a cheap way to have to PCs connected through serial wireless.
Here are my specifications:

Mandatory features:

-Baudrate = 115.200
-Range= 100 meters (open space without walls)
-Would support only TX,RX and GND
-Inmune to noise in a high noise environment
-Must not produce interferences
-No software·should be necessary to operate. It must work trasparently.

Optional features, although highly desirable:

-USB powered.
-Selectable communication channels. With at least 2 channels.
-Would support all serial basic control signals (CTS, DSR, etc)

Other Optional features:

- Optionally, battery operated. That is to say, should·support power supply and optionally battery.

I have found several solutions that match these specifications but are pretty expensive, between $80 and $200 each board. So I have been thinking on making my own wireless serial solution. Of course I am writing here because I would like to hear opinions·about possible solutions you may have in mind. The cheapest, the better !!












Post Edited (peterz) : 6/4/2008 6:32:10 PM GMT

stamptrol

For your required specification, if you can get them for $80, you'd better buy a carload.

Building it yourself will be a great learning experience, but you will definitely be unable to meet all of your spec for less than your budget.

Will the knowledge gained and time value expended in designing and building your own be worth more than buying a working product and gettting on with the overall project? Or, can you modify the spec so you can work with the cheaper radios?

Cheers,

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Tom Sisk

http://www.siskconsult.com
·

Steel

It looks like you are asking for the XBEE Pro.
115,200kBaud
Indoor range: 100m
Outdoor range 1 mile
2.4GHz Frequency range
$32 each
http://www.digi.com/products/wireless/point-multipoint/xbee-pro-series1-module.jsp
The regular XBee is $19 each
Indoor range: 30m
Outdoor range: 100m
http://www.digi.com/products/wireless/point-multipoint/xbee-series1-module.jsp


If you are looking for a final PC-based solution that is USB, I have some boards designed for interfacing to a PC with USB to a wireless signal.· This does (obviously) require software to run.

I may be willing to sell the full product to you, I would just need to figure out pricing...

Post Edited (Steel) : 6/5/2008 6:32:09 PM GMT

peterz

It is intended to work with a debugger called windbg. On the client side I could use any usb-to-serial board, provided it is compatible with the other end, where I need a physical serial interface. No software is allowed on the target side. It must work standalone. Probably a Bluetooth solution would be the best option. I could use a standard BT COM port on one side and a serial-to-BT device on the target side.

SSzretter

Some wireless links I have found as I need wireless too:

http://geocities.com/SiliconValley/Orchard/6633/rfremote.html
http://www.rentron.com/Stamp_RF.htm

Any other links?

Whelzorn

I second the Xbee Pro modules. If you want them USB powered and completely transparent, all you need is the Xbee Explorer USB's from sparkfun www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8687 for $20 ea. You can buy the Xbee modules at sparkfun too. The only software you'll need is obviously the FTDI driver. Just plug it in, pick the new COM port that shows up, and start sending your data just as if it were over a serial cable. I have two Xbee Pros and two of the USB Explorers, and they work great.
The other cool thing about the Xbee's is that they have built-in data checking plus automatic resend, so it guarantees data delivery.