hi ,
can i connect xbee series1 to arduino uno directly , whithout xbee 2mm breakout board ???
and does the arduino board supply 3.3 V so it won’t fry my xbee module , or i have to buy 3.3v xbee shield ???
please help
I would not solder wires directly to an XBee. But you could solder wires to a (or a pair of) 2mm connectors that fit the Xbee (SparkFun sells them) and connect to your uno.
I assume you just want serial data transfers through the XBee, right?
If so then then minimum XBee connections are:
ground
3.3V
Din (from Uno)
Dout (to Uno
The Dout will be 3.3V logic and the Uno signal to Din needs to be 3.3V logic.
I have no idea if the Uno has a 3.3V regulator. If the Uno only has 5V then you’ll need a 3.3 LDO regulator and a 5V to 3.3V logic level converter (resistive voltage divider works).
I think you will find it will be easier to just get a shield or breakout board, if you have the funds/resources. If you go the other route, don’t forget the level shifting. A lot of people have gotten away without level shifting, but I know for a fact you can fry the IO pins on xbees with over voltage.
why should i go with level shiftting while the aruino uno spplies 3.3v to the xbee !!
eaglesameh:
why should i go with level shiftting while the aruino uno spplies 3.3v to the xbee !!
Because the digital pins of the Arduino Uno opperate at 5v logic levels, but the Xbee can’t handle that. Level shifting isn’t about providing a source of power into Vin or Vcc pin at the right voltage(by a voltage regulator), but making sure the input/output pins don’t get blown up, and that the (higher voltage) device can actually register what (lower voltage) signal is sent to it.
ok , thank you for your help , i think i did understand what u said that the level shifter is just to confirm that the voltage going to the xbee module is 3.3v
but sorry once again , the arduino uno can supply the 3.3v to the xbee without supplying the 5v .And the 5v is the voltage that the arduino operates everything built on the board , is that right ??
can i use the PIC microcontroller with the arduino ???
eaglesameh:
ok , thank you for your help , i think i did understand what u said that the level shifter is just to confirm that the voltage going to the xbee module is 3.3vbut sorry once again , the arduino uno can supply the 3.3v to the xbee without supplying the 5v .And the 5v is the voltage that the arduino operates everything built on the board , is that right ??
This is the reference design schematic of the Arduino Uno:
http://arduino.cc/en/uploads/Main/ardui … ematic.pdf
It does provide a source of 3.3v power but is not (or hardly) used on the board itself, only generated. Also, the following link says it only provides 50ma, which is not much.
http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardUno
Yes, you can supply the 3.3v to the XBee on it’s Vcc pin. But if the TXD pin (PD1) of the Atmega8/Arduino Uno is outputting 5v to the RXD pin of the Xbee (<=3.6v iirc) then it could eventually get damaged. Similarly if you want to connect other general purpose digital pins of the Arduino to some of the extra (input) pins of the Xbee, you need a way to level shift 5v down to 3.3v FOR EACH individual pin that you want to connect. If you need output-pins of the XBee to be read on input pins of the Arduino Atmega8, then you need to make sure the 3.3v is detected by the Atmega8 as a digital high level. (which in my experience it can, but it is dependant on the actual voltage of the Atmega8 Vcc pin) There is a Sparkfun tutorial about level shifting. Make sure you read it.
( 
http://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/65 )
I am not familiar with PIC microcontrolers, but I am pretty sure Arduino (Uno) designs are only using AVR microcontrollers. Sticking a PIC chip in it is not going to work. Or how else did you have that in mind?