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By DoranC
#198506
I purchased an XBee Starter Kit (XBee Series 1) and have performed all the assembly steps. I also have a current version of XCTU to connect the XBees. I have one XBee set on the Explorer and the other on the shield and on a Sparkfun RedBoard (I have also tried and Arduino UNO). The XBee on the Explorer is discovered every time but the one on the RedBoard (or Uno) is not detected. I have swapped the XBee modules and get the same result and also in the recovery mode, I have also confirmed the COM ports to be correct. Is it possible the Shield is bad? (unlikely) I am totally new to XBee and a novice at Arduino. I am at a loss as to what to do next. Any advice that can be provided will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
By Valen
#198565
You need to provide the configuration register settings of both devices. Part of the 1̶0̶0̶+̶ ̶p̶a̶g̶e̶ 70+ page manual/datasheet explains which settings are required.
By DoranC
#198621
Valen,

I have reviewed the 70+- page manual and configured both devices as I felt appropriate and still found one xbee unable to be discovered/recovered while on the Arduino and shield. I have included the configuration settings for your review. I want to say I truly appreciate your assistance. I would be totally lost without it.
Thank you again,
Doran

Host Remote
CH C C
ID 7616 7616
DH 0 0
DL 1 2
MY 2 1
SH 13A200 13A200
SL 416AE008 416ADE63
MM 0 0
RR 0 0
RN 0 0
NT 19 19
NO 0 0
CE (0) End Device (0) End Device
SC 1FFE 1FFE
SD 4 4
A1 0 0
A2 0 0
AI 0 0
EE 0 0
KY blank blank
NI blank blank
PL 4 4
CA 2C 2C
SM (0) No Sleep (0) No Sleep
ST 1388 1388
SP 0 0
DP 3E8 3E8
SO 0 0
BD 3 3
NB 0 0
RO 3 3
AP 0 0
D8 0 0
D7 1 1
D6 0 0
D5 1 1
D4 0 0
D3 0 0
D2 0 0
D1 0 0
D0 0 0
PR FF FF
IU 1 1
IT 1 1
IC 0 0
IR 0 0
P0 2 2
P1 2 2
PT FF FF
RP 28 28
IA FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
T0 FF FF
T1 FF FF
T2 FF FF
T3 FF FF
T4 FF FF
T5 FF FF
T6 FF FF
T7 FF FF
VR 10EF 10EF
HV 1748 1748
DB 0 0
EC 0 0
EA 1 1
DD 10000 10000
CT 64 64
GT 3E8 3E8
CC 2B 2B
By Valen
#198622
Those configs look correct at first sight. Please clarify. This kit, right? https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13197
Does the Xbee on the shield work when it is placed on the explorer board instead? Does XCTU recognise it? (unplug USB before pulling off or replacing the Xbee) The Xbee on the shield will not be detected by XCTU when the Redboard or Uno is plugged into the USB port. The Xbee is isolated from the PC on the shield. Anyway, how is the switch on the shield set? DLINE or UART?

The only way you can check if there is a wireless link and they are both connected is to bridge Din and Dout of the Xbee with a wire. Then send data from a serial monitor program and it should return immediately. This the simplest form of null-modem connection. But don't make it permanent ofcourse (no soldering!) Also look at the leds on the shield and explorer The shield DIO5 led should blink when it is associated with the other Xbee.
The Explorer board does not have an associate led, but if you have the led and resistor available you should be able to hook it up yourself. Or just measure the voltage change on the pin. It should toggle a few times a second.
[EDIT: Now I am not sure if 2 End-devices (like your current configs) will make the associate led blink. The manual states between End device and Coordinator. My experience might have been with the later case]

You can also ask the Explorer board Xbee to scan what it is connected to: Use the ND (node discover) command in +++-command-mode. It should receive MY,SH,SL,DB and NI from each Xbee that responds. This can take a couple of seconds.

Where the pinheaders on the shield soldered by Sparkfun or did you have to do it yourself? If the latter, did you check for correct solderjoints with continuity with a meter?

Also keeping the shield en explorer regulator board too close together disturb each other. Keep them atleast a feet apart.
By DoranC
#198635
Okay, I think I am making progress. I am able to get the XBee to be recognized on the Arduino. I believe I missed some necessary libraries to make it be seen. I now have them displayed as a Home module (for lack of a better term), and one remote module. I now get an error message on the remote module that it cannot be initialized. If I try to open the Arduino setup in another XCTU window, there is no recognition, so I assume they must have to be set up as a network in order to be functional. I saw a message that the "Home module was in AT mode and the remote module could not be configured. I'm not sure if this is still necessary since it was configured while on the explorer. Any thoughts you have would be a great help.

Thank you,
Doran
By Valen
#198640
DoranC wrote: Mon Mar 12, 2018 8:40 am ... If I try to open the Arduino setup in another XCTU window, there is no recognition, so I assume they must have to be set up as a network in order to be functional. ...
I have no clue what you meant by that. The Arduino setup function has no relationship to the XCTU program. I suggest you show screenshots of what you are doing. You can attach images when you write a new message in the "full message editor window"
By DoranC
#198647
As you will see in the attached screenshot, I have been able to add one Xbee on the explorer that is connected to the computer. I have the other one on a shield mounted on an Arduino Uno. The only way I am able to have the remote module (Arduino mounted one) recognised is if I set it up as a network and the Arduino mounted one as a remote module. Although it is recognized, I am not able to pass any information from one to the other. When I try to open the remote module, I get the message shown on the screenshot. I have tried to open up a second session of XCTU in an attempt to recognize the Arduino mounted unit but to no avail.
I hope I am clear enough and thank you again for your help.
Doran
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By Valen
#198658
You can't set up a serial connection with the remote XBee that way. The only way for the Xbee on the Arduino shield to communicate with the compute is with the USB connection and the Arduino acting as a serial forwarder (forwarding between hardware and software serial ports) The arduino needs a special program to do that. It is part of the example programs and the first program shown in the Hookup guide. But pulling the Xbee out of the shield and placing it in the Explorer to configure is much simpler.

Have you checked if data comes out of the remote Xbee Dout pins (with a led) when you send data from the PC-connected Xbee on the Explorer? Make a bridge between Din and Dout, or D1 and D0 when the switch is set to UART. Use the serial console set to unlimited repeat. And start sending data. You should receive the exact same back, proving you have a connnection.
By Valen
#198659
EDIT: If you want to configure the remote XBee then you must send special configuration API packets from the pc connected Xbee. Pretty advanced topic to do for a beginner. But not neccessary to confirm a working data connection.
By DoranC
#198669
I neglected to state that I performed the configuration using the explorer for each XBee unit. I believe I am able to get a correct configuration if I am inputting the right values. I will try as you suggested. I will place a jumper between D1 and D0, switch to UART, set for unlimited repeat and see what happens.

My goal is to have an Arduino mounted Xbee to monitor soil moisture in the field and send back to Serial Console on my computer by the Explorer mounted Xbee.

Doran.
By DoranC
#198701
Valen,

I have finally made a connection between the local and remote xbees. I want to than k you for your assistance. I am sure I would have gotten frustrated and given up without your help.

Thank you again.
Doran
By DoranC
#198724
After much review of the Datasheet, and reconfiguring the Xbees to factory default, I then configured the Xbees for transparent operation. Even though I don't see it connected=in the X-CTU screen, it does communicate remotely. I think I now will be able to proceed further with my project and extended learning curve.

Thanks again for your help.
Doran