XBee First Time: Immediate Problem :(

Wireless & IoT
1

I wanted to get started with XBee so I bought the standard XBee 2mW Wire Antenna - Series 2 and the XBee Explorer USB.

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10414

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/8687

I attached them as indicated on page 35 and 36 of Faludi’s Building Wireless Sensor Networks. In chapter one of the book they say to attach the XBee to the Explorer and then just plug it into the computer and run X-CTU. I do all that, but X-CTU never reads “USB Serial Port (COM#)”. It always just gives me the one option of “Communications Port (COM1)”, as a default port that’s there with or without the XBee connected to the computer. The book doesn’t address this problem. I guess it just assumes no one has problems at this point.

If it helps, when I plug the Explorer into the computer, two lights on the back of it, one green (TX) one red (RX), flash three times then the power light holds a steady red… which is usually considered a bad color. So my thought is that it might have something to do with power… but all my USB ports are USB 2.0 and should be fully powered (they’re powered enough to charge my mp3 player and run a small external drive so…). I should also add that I get this with both XBees (I got two of them), and both USB cables all plugged into various different ports on the computer. I also independently tested the cables on an external hard drive, so they absolutely work along with every USB port.

What am I missing? My google skills aren’t sufficient to figure out this seemingly simple problem.

Thanks whatever you can offer.

2

then the power light holds a steady red… which is usually considered a bad color.

Don't assume that. Look on the Explored bd schematic to see what the red LED is connected to.

I do not see any LEDs on the ‘back’ of the Explorer bd. There are, however, four LEDs on the top, 2 red & 2 green.

The one near the USB connector indicate +5V power and should be on after plugging in the USB cable.

I power an XBee series 2 from USB so know this can work.

[quote[I do all that, but X-CTU never reads “USB Serial Port (COM#)”. It always just gives me the one option of “Communications Port (COM1)”, as a default port that’s there with or without the XBee connected to the computer[/quote]

Did you install the FDTI drivers?

In the Windows Device Manager you should see a new COMx port come up when the Explorer board is plugged in.