XBee
Encyclopedia
XBee is the brand name from Digi International
for a family of form factor compatible radio modules. The first XBee radios were introduced under the MaxStream brand in 2005 and were based on the 802.15.4-2003 standard designed for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint communications at over-the-air baud rates of 250 kbit/s.
Two models were initially introduced--a lower cost 1 mW XBee and the higher power 100 mW XBee-PRO. Since the initial introduction, a number of new XBee radios have been introduced and all XBees are now marketed and sold under the Digi brand.
The XBee radios can all be used with the minimum four number of connections - power (3.3 V), ground, data in and data out (UART), with other recommended lines being Reset and Sleep. Additionally, most XBee families have some other flow control
, I/O
, A/D and indicator lines built in. A version of the XBees called the Programmable XBee has an additional onboard processor for user’s code. The Programmable XBee and a new surface mount (SMT
) version of the XBee radios were both introduced in 2010.
As of May 2011, the XBee radio family consists of
The XBees can operate either in a transparent data mode or in a packet based API (Application Programming Interface
) mode. In the transparent mode data coming into the DIN (Data IN) pin gets directly transmitted to the intended receiving radios without any modification. Incoming packets can either be directly addressed to one target or broadcast to multiple targets. This mode is primarily used in instances where an existing protocol cannot tolerate changes to the data format. AT commands are used to control the radio’s settings. In API mode the data is wrapped in a packet structure that allows for addressing, parameter setting and packet delivery feedback.
Digi International
Digi International was founded in 1985 as DigiBoard and is headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA. The company went public as Digi International in 1989 and is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol DGII. The company initially offered intelligent ISA/PCI boards with multiple...
for a family of form factor compatible radio modules. The first XBee radios were introduced under the MaxStream brand in 2005 and were based on the 802.15.4-2003 standard designed for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint communications at over-the-air baud rates of 250 kbit/s.
Two models were initially introduced--a lower cost 1 mW XBee and the higher power 100 mW XBee-PRO. Since the initial introduction, a number of new XBee radios have been introduced and all XBees are now marketed and sold under the Digi brand.
The XBee radios can all be used with the minimum four number of connections - power (3.3 V), ground, data in and data out (UART), with other recommended lines being Reset and Sleep. Additionally, most XBee families have some other flow control
Flow control
In data communications, flow control is the process of managing the pacing of data transmission between two nodes to prevent a fast sender from outrunning a slow receiver. It provides a mechanism for the receiver to control the transmission speed, so that the receiving node is not overwhelmed with...
, I/O
I/O
I/O may refer to:* Input/output, a system of communication for information processing systems* Input-output model, an economic model of flow prediction between sectors...
, A/D and indicator lines built in. A version of the XBees called the Programmable XBee has an additional onboard processor for user’s code. The Programmable XBee and a new surface mount (SMT
SMT
SMT may refer to:* Satisfiability Modulo Theories* Statistical machine translation* Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust PLC * Scottish Motor Traction, a former bus company in Scotland...
) version of the XBee radios were both introduced in 2010.
As of May 2011, the XBee radio family consists of
- XBee 802.15.4 (also known as Series 1 hardware) – The initial point-to-point (PTP), point-to-multipoint (PTM) radio running the IEEE 802.15.4IEEE 802.15.4IEEE 802.15.4 is a standard which specifies the physical layer and media access control for low-rate wireless personal area networks . It is maintained by the IEEE 802.15 working group....
protocol - XBee-PRO 802.15.4 (a.k.a. Series 1) – A higher power version
- XBee ZB (a.k.a. Series 2) – An XBee module that incorporates the ZigBeeZigBeeZigBee is a specification for a suite of high level communication protocols using small, low-power digital radios based on an IEEE 802 standard for personal area networks. Applications include wireless light switches, electrical meters with in-home-displays, and other consumer and industrial...
PRO Feature Set mesh networking protocol - XBee-PRO ZB (a.k.a. Series 2) - A higher power version
- XBee ZB SMT- A surface mount XBee running the ZigBeeZigBeeZigBee is a specification for a suite of high level communication protocols using small, low-power digital radios based on an IEEE 802 standard for personal area networks. Applications include wireless light switches, electrical meters with in-home-displays, and other consumer and industrial...
protocol - XBee-PRO ZB SMT - A higher power version
- XBee SE- An XBee ZB module that incorporates the security cluster for the ZigBee Smart Energy public profile
- XBee PRO SE - A higher power version
- XBee PRO 900 – A 900 MHz proprietary PTP and PTM radio
- XBee PRO 868 – An 868 MHz proprietary PTP and PTM radio for Europe
- XBee PRO XSC - A 900 MHz radio compatible over the air with the MaxStream (now Digi) XStream radios
- XBee-PRO DigiMesh 900- a 900 MHz radio with the addition of a sleeping mesh networking protocol (DigiMesh)
- XBee DigiMesh 2.4 – Same as above, but at 2.4 GHz
- XBee-PRO DigiMesh 2.4 - A higher power version
Antennas and Data modes
Most of the XBees come with several antenna options although not all variants have exactly the same connectors. The U.FL connector is common to all families, and all variants come with either a Chip antenna or an embedded PCB trace antenna. Other antennas include an integrated ¼ wave whip and an RP-SMA connector for bulkhead antennas.The XBees can operate either in a transparent data mode or in a packet based API (Application Programming Interface
Application programming interface
An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other...
) mode. In the transparent mode data coming into the DIN (Data IN) pin gets directly transmitted to the intended receiving radios without any modification. Incoming packets can either be directly addressed to one target or broadcast to multiple targets. This mode is primarily used in instances where an existing protocol cannot tolerate changes to the data format. AT commands are used to control the radio’s settings. In API mode the data is wrapped in a packet structure that allows for addressing, parameter setting and packet delivery feedback.