Xbee in API mode to read serial port remote uC

Wireless & IoT
1

Hi all,

I am wondering if it is possible to use an Xbee (version 2) in API mode to read the serial port of remote uC connected to a Xbee as well.

The idea is to have some uC’s connected to Xbee’s. These uC’s (AVR) will read some sensors (1-wire/I2C) and transmit the read data over the uart to the Xbee’s. I know this can be done in AT mode, but the question is if this can be done someway in API mode as well.

Any other suggestions are welcome as well.

Thanks,

Eknein

2

I did that with XBee series 1 and the standard AT command firmware.

One XBee connected to PC.

Another XBee connected to an ARM7 micro.

My message protocol is such that the ARM7 gets data, parses it, see that the PC wants to do an AT command to the distant XBee. The ARM7 code (C) does the +++ AT command, gets the result, and sends that back to the PC.

I didn’t use the binary API but could have.

I was in a hurry.

I did this for one PC and 12 remote XBees. The PC addresses is message to a given Xbee, or the PC sends to the broadcast address and all 12 respond, in turn. I do have application message layer ACK and timeout with retransmit becuase the 802.15.4 ACK is not 100% reliable when there are hidden-node collisions.

3

Thanks for your reply Stevech.

I don’t understand “My message protocol is such that the ARM7 gets data, parses it, see that the PC wants to do an AT command to the distant XBee”.

How can the ARM7 detect that the PC wants to do an AT command?

Thanks,

Eknein

4

remote XBee’s serial port connects to one of the two serial ports on the ARM7 in my arrangement.

5

In fact I don’t understand your words.

but I am really interested in it.

stevech:
I did that with XBee series 1 and the standard AT command firmware.

One XBee connected to PC.

Another XBee connected to an ARM7 micro.

My message protocol is such that the ARM7 gets data, parses it, see that the PC wants to do an AT command to the distant XBee. The ARM7 code (C) does the +++ AT command, gets the result, and sends that back to the PC.

I didn’t use the binary API but could have.

I was in a hurry.

I did this for one PC and 12 remote XBees. The PC addresses is message to a given Xbee, or the PC sends to the broadcast address and all 12 respond, in turn. I do have application message layer ACK and timeout with retransmit becuase the 802.15.4 ACK is not 100% reliable when there are hidden-node collisions.

6

I know exactly what you mean and have the same question. Did you find a solution yet? I have been suspecting that there may be a way using cluster ids, which are barely documented. I’m really interested if anyone has made any progress with this.