ZigBee is the wireless protocol to consider when you require low power consumption and don’t need too much bandwidth. XBee click is the way to deploy it.
Point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, peer-to-peer, mesh — with the ZigBee protocol you can weave a wireless network any way it suits you. XBee click is a perfect node to start with. The board carries the XB24CZ7PIS-004 module that operates on the 2.4-2.5 GHz frequency band, has a range of up to 60 meters indoors (with 1.3 km line-of-sight range), and can transfer data through the air at 250kbps.
To clarify, XBee is the name for ZigBee modules produced by Digi International. They are compatible with other ZigBee devices, it’s just that they come with some added benefits.
For example, XBee click can use both UART and SPI to communicate with the target MCU. You can also issue simple commands from the field – thanks to a combination of a so called Comission button and Associate LED. The button allows you to send simple commands to configure how the node relates to the network (the single button interprets various inputs based on how many times in a row you push it, you can find the details in the data sheet).
And then of course, by putting it on a click board we just added another layer of convenience. Not to mention that we, as always, supplied the library and Libstock example to make it even more convenient.
Now you can prototype a wireless sensor system in no time. Start with a node, end up with a vast network.
See the details on the product page, and don’t forget, the 15% Black Friday discount applies.
Yours sincerely,
MikroElektronika