The 3 modules I have are unable to return the normal information (serial number, firmware type, and modem type). I get an “Action Required” message, at which point it says to hit the reset button for the Xbees and hit ok. I didn’t have a reset button on the board, so I hit “ok” anyways, and I get the error message saying “Unable to Communicate with modem”.
I tried plugging in the Dongle, opening X-CTU, going to the Modem Configuration Tab, hitting “Always Update Firmware”, selecting the proper factory firmware (in this case, Modem=XBP09-DP, Function Set=XBEE-PRO 900, and Version=1061). It “successfully” wrote the firmware to the bricked XBee but when I tried to read the modem firmware, I got the same error message that X-CTU could not communicate with the modem.
I also tried shorting RST to GND to simulate a reset button on the Dongle itself, but I got no results doing so. The power LED remained on.
Any help?
Also, how would I send AT commands to the XBee? In the Terminal Tab in X-CTU?
The answer has been posted in this forum. Did you search?
I didn’t have a reset button on the board, so I hit “ok” anyways, and I get the error message saying “Unable to Communicate with modem”.
Correct, you MUST put the XBee into Reset for this to work. You can add a RESET switch to the XBee adapter board.
It “successfully” wrote the firmware to the bricked XBee but when I tried to read the modem firmware, I got the same error message that X-CTU could not communicate with the modem.
Did you re-set X-CTU's Baud rate to the Default XBee Baud rate?
Here are alternate unbricking instructions (last post in the thread):
I soldered the RST (Pin 5) to a flying wire, and then plugged it into a SPST push button switch on a breadboard with the other side tied to ground via a bench power supply. I also had a flying wire soldered to the GND hole above pin 1 on VCC (there’s an extra hole on the Sparkfun XBee USB Dongle).
And yeah I made sure the default Baud rate was 9600 (it was the default for the specific Xbees I have).
I tried the method in the linked thread both yesterday and today. It didn’t work at all. I was able to successfully write the default firmware (not using the Restore button), but when I tried to re-read the firmware from the same XBee, I got the same error “Unable to communicate with the modem”.
That’s why I came here.
EDIT: I unbricked 2 of the modules, at Baud Rate = 115200. The 2 modules are only responding to “Test/Query” when I hit the reset button ( a SPST push button switch on a bread board linking 2 flying wires soldered to RST and GND on the USB Dongle). I haven’t tried “+++” in the terminal on either modem.