Serial communication using XSTream-PKG for BS2sx

Daniel Chia

I am using a Parallax Basic Stamp BS2sx and an analogue-digital converter AD0832 to digitise to 8 bits the elevation angle from a CrossBow inclinometer. I used a notebook with XP Windows operating system and the program worked fine.
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However, when I connected a set of XStream-PKG radio modems of 2.4G Hz at 9600 bps with no flow control at a short distance of not more than 1m between the BS2sx and the notebook, a dialogue told me that "Basic Stamp cannot be found".
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I thought the wireless modem is transparent for serial communication. Please help. Thanks.
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Daniel Chia

Mike Green

You cannot use a wireless link for programming a Stamp (or a Propeller for that matter). The timing is too tight for the delays in the wireless link. You can still use a wireless link for data transfers, just not for programming.

Daniel Chia

I am transferring simply the data of the elevation angle digitised by BS2sx through AD0832 to my notebook. The program works between the XBow inclinometer and BS2sx. Please help to explain where I have done wrong and how to obtain the data. Thanks.

Mike Green

I can't tell what you've done between the BS2sx and the notebook without a more detailed description. The "Basic Stamp cannot be found" message is produced by the Stamp Editor when it attempts to either identify the type of attached Stamp or download a program to the Stamp and those won't work over a wireless link as I said. What are you using on the PC end to connect to the Stamp via the XStream modems? The XStream modem on the PC side should just look like an ordinary serial port and you should have some kind of serial communications program to use the serial port.

steve_b

I have the 900Mhz version of those radios....although I'm not using them for talking/listening between pc's and stamps...I am using it to receive datalogger information every 60seconds.

There is a lot to set up on those radios....Id's and such.
Set the dipswitches appropriately....I assume RS232 and point-to-point. My dips are: up dwn dwn dwn up dwn.
You do set a modem ID (not sure it matters).
Set the serial interface speed to your radio (this is the speed your pc/stamp talk to the radio's at)...same for parity/stop bits.
My RF data rate is 115200 (it should be the same or faster than your serial speed).
With your radio's so close....you should change your tx power levels so you don't saturate the other radios receiver.
You can also set the radio to transmit only or transmit/receive....go with transmit/receive for ease later.

Not sure why you have problems just "listening" with your radios....
Are the serial/transmit lights coming on when your stamp is sending data to the radio? If they are, then your radio is probably transmitting.
Is the receivers' RSSI lights coming on when the transmitter is on?

Are they both powered?

Not sure what else you could check....but perhaps they are too close and you have the power cranked up!

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<FONT>Steve



What's the best thing to do in a lightning storm? "take a one iron out the bag and hold it straight up above your head, even God cant hit a one iron!"
Lee Travino after the second time being hit by lightning!