07-31-2009, 02:01 PM
I have been playing around with these Xbee modules
http://www.digi.com/products/wireless/zigbee-mesh/
and finally got around to combining the Xbee's, some packet processing software written in VB6 and Fonceur's field generator CQC driver
![[Image: XbeetoCQCdataflow.jpg]](http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb314/Brightan/XbeetoCQCdataflow.jpg)
What this means is that at $20 a piece, I can have wireless I/O nodes with roughly 11 I/O pins that can be configured for digital inputs, outputs and analog inputs. There is also a build in RS232 port that you can send data to/from but I have not done anything with this as far as CQC is concerned.
The modules can also be set to power up, transmit their data and power down for those sensors that are input only and you don't need a fast response (like a temperature sensor). This should make running them off a 9v battery possible but I haven't tested this yet.
The middleware software is required due to the complexity of processing the packet structure (as opposed to doing this within a CQC driver) You can give each I/O point a field name and using Fonceur's field generator driver, the CQC fields show up as digital inputs, outputs and analog inputs with the name you've assigned. This software is working but it is far from finished.
The reason I am mentioning this is to gauge the interest in this and to see if there are others interested in helping with development and/or testing and/or documentation. This would ultimately be no cost software and all the hardware is available from places like Digikey. Other companies make various plug in boards for the XBee to allow for power supply connection and various I/O drivers etc.
And, before somebody asks, yes, the Xbee modules run standard Zigbee protocol but no, it will not work with other Zigbee equipment because the data running on top of the Zigbee protocol is based on their internal I/O commands. Ultimately these same modules may provide access from CQC to other Zigbee devices but that is a project for another day!
comments?
http://www.digi.com/products/wireless/zigbee-mesh/
and finally got around to combining the Xbee's, some packet processing software written in VB6 and Fonceur's field generator CQC driver
![[Image: XbeetoCQCdataflow.jpg]](http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb314/Brightan/XbeetoCQCdataflow.jpg)
What this means is that at $20 a piece, I can have wireless I/O nodes with roughly 11 I/O pins that can be configured for digital inputs, outputs and analog inputs. There is also a build in RS232 port that you can send data to/from but I have not done anything with this as far as CQC is concerned.
The modules can also be set to power up, transmit their data and power down for those sensors that are input only and you don't need a fast response (like a temperature sensor). This should make running them off a 9v battery possible but I haven't tested this yet.
The middleware software is required due to the complexity of processing the packet structure (as opposed to doing this within a CQC driver) You can give each I/O point a field name and using Fonceur's field generator driver, the CQC fields show up as digital inputs, outputs and analog inputs with the name you've assigned. This software is working but it is far from finished.
The reason I am mentioning this is to gauge the interest in this and to see if there are others interested in helping with development and/or testing and/or documentation. This would ultimately be no cost software and all the hardware is available from places like Digikey. Other companies make various plug in boards for the XBee to allow for power supply connection and various I/O drivers etc.
And, before somebody asks, yes, the Xbee modules run standard Zigbee protocol but no, it will not work with other Zigbee equipment because the data running on top of the Zigbee protocol is based on their internal I/O commands. Ultimately these same modules may provide access from CQC to other Zigbee devices but that is a project for another day!
comments?
Embedded micro-controller design and Controller Area Network interfaces at http://www.zanthic.com