I want to connect to my project via 802.1, and saw the various WiFly modules, but don’t know which to get.
The MCU will be either a Teensy or Teensy 3.0 board; I haven’t decided yet. In either case I won’t need XBee pin compatibility. Should I get the RN-XV? or just the RN-171? Am I getting anything with the RN-XV besides the antenna? Is that a tricky to add?
What’s the difference between the WiFly GSX and the WiFly RN-171?
I’d rather use a traditional development stack, so I don’t think I want the Electric Imp.
Done a bit more research & think what I want is the RN-131C (aka GSX). This way I get the onboard antenna and slightly higher output power. I was surprised to find that the manufacturer seems to have the best price: $34.95 vs. Sparkfun’s $49.95.
My first choice would’ve been the Sparkfun GSX breakout board, but I can’t see spending an extra $50.00 for it. Did the Manufacturer cut their price after Sparkfun developed this or something?
Just to confirm your selection - yes, go with the RN-131C. While it costs more then the RN-171 it has an on-board chip antenna as well as a U.F.L antenna connector. The RN-171 has neither and it’s a bit tricky to maintain the 50 ohm impedance required by the antenna when laying out your PC board. The downside of the higher output power is that the RN-131 is a fixed output, while the RN-171 is variable. This may be a factor if you are using it in a battery operated device.
As to cost, Sparkfun is not known for being a low-cost distributor. If you want lower prices you need to look at companies like DigiKey, Mouser or Newark/Farnell. Roving Networks was recently purchased by Microchip and I’ve encountered some unusual pricing on low quantities their modules since then. For example, all the major distributors used to sell the RN-171 for $29/single qty. Mouser is still selling them for that price, but DigiKey is charging $43.
Do you happen to know what kind of range or performance in general I can expect with the on-board antenna? I want this thing to work throughout my house, which has the a single WiFi hub centrally located. (so, probably 35 linear feet max, but might be blocked by walls, etc).
Do you have any links with good programming examples? (other than the obvious ones that Google reports).
It’s difficult to give an accurate prediction of range for any RF device as there are so many factors affecting it. I’ve never used the RN-131’s on-board antenna so I can’t comment specifically on that, but I would suspect that it can do 35 ft. in a typically home. If the on-board antenna doesn’t work for you, you can always connect an external antenna to the UFL connector.