How about stocking some of these along with accompanying breakout boards?
ZigBit Module - 0.6mile (1km) range for ~$23
ZigBit Module (Chip antenna) - 0.25mile (400m) range for ~$24
ZigBit Amp Module - 2.5mile (4km) range for ~$35
ZigBit 900 Module - 3.7mile (6km) range for ~$35
They seem like very worthy contenders to the XBee modules, and with the ZigBit Amp being the same price as an XBee Pro, except with 4km range, makes it seem like much better value.
They also seem to have an AVR inside which you can utilise.
I have used them before, the chip antenna version. To my surprise, there’s no serial-to-RF kind of function like Maxstream. You need to put your data into packages with their format. Unless you want to sit on the ATMega inside, Maxstream will be better. You need to get the kit if you want to develop them and the support only last for a year. No doubt, great product. I got mine from Farnell, it’s so expensive. Now, I’m looking at some China vendors making Zigbee modules. USD12 for 0 dBm Ember EM250 chipset with FCC certified. Want to see how they perform compared to the rest. I tested Maxstream, Aerocomm & Coronis before.
Free Serial AT Commands for Easy Application Prototyping
SerialNet allows programming of the ZigBit RF module-based sensor board via serial AT-command interface. SerialNet is layered on top of BitCloud IEEE 802.15.4 / ZigBee PRO software stack and offers the following features:
Extensive command set with standard diagnostic messages
No need to program the MCU directly
Private profile with easy-to-use serial command interface
Highly structured way to access most functionality of BitCloud stack
So has anyone who has played with these got any tips to share?
I am making a broad up at the moment to breakout the ZigBit 900. I plan on interfacing it with I2C and then using AT commands.
I am a bit confused by the datasheet though, can you actually load up your own code onto the AVR inside? If you do load your software onto the AVR then what handles the AT commands, I can’t see how this could work.
It looks like I will just have to have a small AVR converting my I2C commands into the AT commands, or interface the I2C directly to the module, that would be nice and easy.
If anyone has a dev kit they no longer need I would be happy to buy it off you
I don’t understand why SFE hasn’t get these yet, I at least hope its in the works.
For example, the best XBee will go 1.5km for $36 and is bulky, the best Meshnetics will go 6km for $33 and is very compact.
In order to still have stack, you need to buy their development kit if you want to sit inside the module. That’s what their sales guy told me. I tried to send data between 2 nodes and it worked but it’s not in transparent mode. They don’t have transparent mode. Business model wise, I guess they are something like Greenpeak and Dust Network, where you need to buy expensive development before you get deeper detail although Meshnetics still provide you with the SerialNet thing.
All I am really interested in is simple but robust point-to-point comms. The 6km range is a dealmaker for me.
I guess I might have to buy the $399 dev kit (I think thats what it is), but I would rather develop on my own hardware, so its not such a big transition when I start making my own boards…
I made my own converter board, :). I made my converter board such that it supports multiple radio modules (Aerocomm, Maxstream, Meshnetics, CC2420) without changing my main processor board.
If you going to use an external MCU to manage the module, forget about buying the $399 development kit. Just read the SerialNet document on how to transmit to another point, that should be enough.
Kindly also look at another High Power Solution from RF Arrays Systems India, they have a >20dBm RF Froont end and FCC compliant reference designs that are already integrated with all of the industry leading zigbee baseband IC’s.
Its a tremendous solution with TX power of 18dBm and RX NF =2 dB.
Has any one else got a dev kit. I have the devkit, but it seems that each device has to be programmed with the serial AT code depending on if its a coordinator, router or and end-note.
the good thing is they now have a sample called peer-to-peer, which might be close to tranparent mode.
