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Digi XBee WiFi module — Parallax Forums

Digi XBee WiFi module

Don MDon M Posts: 1,652
edited 2011-10-13 20:25 in Accessories
I received the dev kit from Digi and have played with it just a bit. It includes 2 WiFi Xbee's and 2 USB interface boards. The tutorial for getting them to communicate to one another through your wireless network was pretty simple and straight forward. You bring up a terminal window for each module through the XCTU program and whatever you type in one shows up on the other.

Here's where I run into a road block. I don't see how I can use them as a server similar to the Spinerret. Granted I don't quite understand all there is to know about TCP / IP. The devices work well as a wireless serial cable replacement but I don't see how to access them from a webpage.

Here's the manual for the module: https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fftp1.digi.com%2Fsupport%2Fdocumentation%2F90002124_C.pdf

Comments

  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2011-10-07 09:32
    I've also just gotten a Digi development kit. These devices seem to be very well designed for serial data transfers back and forth and can handle some analog and digital sensing at the far end of a connection very easily. They're simply not designed for general wireless Internet use. You can send and receive raw packets via UDP or a TCP socket, but everything else is your problem. You have to decode the incoming raw packets and put together responses. I plan to look elsewhere for any tasks other than a simple wireless serial connection.
  • Don MDon M Posts: 1,652
    edited 2011-10-07 11:01
    I'm going to look at the Roving Networks WiFi modules next. It looks like the have a TCP / IP stack built in which if I'm not mistaken would allow me to access from a webpage. Their price is roughly the same.
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2011-10-07 14:39
    Is there much of an advantage to these XBee WiFi modules over the normal XBee modules?

    A normal XBee can handle wireless serial communication fine. What do these do that a normal XBee can't?

    Thank you Don and Mike to sharing what you've learned about these. I almost purchased a development kit when I saw these being discussed last week (or so). So far, (based on what I just learned here) I'm glad I didn't order the kit.

    Duane
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2011-10-07 14:44
    The WiFi modules have the advantage of working via a standard WiFi network. This can include wired Ethernet. You could have two xBee WiFi modules anywhere in the world and connect them as long as you have their 32-bit addresses.
  • treborz17treborz17 Posts: 76
    edited 2011-10-09 08:59
    Would these Digi XBee WiFi modules handle video? I want to have an NTSI (opposite from Pal) camera feeding a regular US monitor. I'm not sure if my NTSI is the right letter designation for the US standard camera.

    Robert
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2011-10-09 11:18
    @treborz17
    '
    NTSC?
    '
    wikipedia.org/wiki/NTSC
    '
    wikipedia.org/wiki/PAL
    '
    PAL vs NTSC
    www.michaeldvd.com.au/articles/palvsntsc/palvsntsc.asp
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2011-10-13 20:25
    Don M...
    '
    Just got the RN-174 development kit today and the Digi WiFi kit too.(The Digi kit took forever to get)
    '
    The Rov.Net.WiFi RN-174 will do the TCP/IP stack from what I have read so far.(force an IP address to the RN-174 WiFi module)
    '
    The Digi WiFi not so much.(I may return this as I have not opened it yet) But I'll read-up a little more on it first.
    '
    The Rov.Net. WiFi development kit (RN-174) comes with no paper work.You must down load all the DOC's from their site.About 120 pages worth.
    '
    Short on time, But I'll report back when I get something going.
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