help with a new project

i wanto use the xbee module with a vibration sensor to model an earthquake enviroment to search for survivals,what kind of sensors do i need?and is the xbee module with sparkfun breakboard okay,or do i have to go with the arduino FIO,if am to gokfun with the sparkfun breakboard what else do i need?

Exactly what data do you need to transfer over wireless? How much data and at what rate.

For up to 57.6kBaud the Series 1 Xbees (1mW) can be setup as a transparent asynchronous data link.

This XBee also has a few Analog inputs and can also be setup to read the ADCs and send the data periodically.

Read through the threads on the Wireless/RF forum for much more info on using XBees.

  1. am not transmitting a lot of data,because is just a scenerio of lets say some 1 is trapped the person has to hit something(ground),may be his/her fist or have to shout as a reult of excruciating pain,so the sensor will pick the signal.

2.So are you saying if am using the xbee module,i don’t need an external ADC or an additonal arduino board to connect the vibration sensor to?Aand what about the module am going to connect to the computer will the xbee module and probably the xbee explorer usb module do?or i have to connect it using a microcontrollerboard?

An XBee can be connected to a PC (or MAC) with the USB Explorer board.

Read through the threads on the Wireless/RF forum for much more info.

Whether the vibration sensor can be directly connected to an ADC input will depend on the vibration sensor. Since I do not know anything about your vibration sensor I can not tell.

Most likely the vibration sensor output will need some analog signal conditioning such as, Amplifying, filtering, voltage offset, Output drive (impedance) and output scaling to match the ADC input requirements.

Do read the XBee data sheet as it has all the info on the inputs you need.

I HAVE NOT BOUGHT THE VIBRATION SENSOR,DO YOU HAVE ANY IN MIND,AND OD I HAVE TO CONNECT IT TO ANY ARDUINO BOARD TO CONNECT IT TO THE XBEE MODULE?

No need to shout!

Your question has two parts therefore I answered the part I know.

the person has to hit something(ground),may be his/her fist or have to shout

I would be thinking of a microphone since the vibrations you are interested in are in the audio frequency range. How you transfer the sensed audio vibrations to meaningful data would take a bit of research but I think it has been done so there should be info on the web.

what about if am to make use of a digital vibrator