Arduino FIO + XBee + USB power = broken?

Development Boards Arduino
1

I am having problems powering the FIO with XBee installed.

The FIO has the ‘blink’ example sketch loaded on it, so I expect to see the LED to blink when power is applied.

4 different situations:

  1. No XBee, USB power: blinks

  2. No XBee, 3.3v FTDI Basic board hooked up: blinks

  3. XBee installed, 3.3v FTDI Basic hooked up: blinks

  4. XBee installed, USB power: nothing

I have 3 FIO boards, and 4 XBees, and they all have this behaviour. The intent is to power the finished product with mini-USB wall-warts, so this is really worrying me…

The XBees seem fine. I can chat AT with them with an XBee explorer. Is it possible there’s something wrong with the regulator/battery charger on the FIO?

2

Well support got back to me, and they suggested running a jumper across the BAT + and CHG 5V through-holes in order to bypass the battery charger.

After that everything worked as expected.

So if you intend to run without a battery with the FIO, that’s what needs to be done.

3

Hi!

Can you show me a photo or something? I have the same problem. I want to know if using this solution I will be able to use usb as power supply and a lipo.

Sometimes I will use usb and other times a lipo…