SparkFun Electronics - XBee Explorer USB

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Product Info

XBee Explorer USB

sku: WRL-08687

Description: This is a simple to use, USB to serial base unit for the XBee line. This unit works with all XBee modules including the Series 1 and Series 2.5, standard and Pro version. Plug the unit into the XBee Explorer, attach a mini USB cable, and you will have direct access to the serial and programming pins on the XBee unit.

You get the red board only. XBee modules and USB cable sold below.

Add a couple XBees, and a Regulated Explorer and you've got a great gift for that special electronics geek! For more gift ideas check out our SparkFun Gift Guide!

Documents:

Wow there are a lot of XBee modules! Here's a breakdown:

Series 1: Good point-to-point (300 ft)

Series 1 High Power: Point-to-point and decent range (~1 mile)

Series 2.5: Multi-point networks (300 ft)

Series 2.5 High Power: Multi-point and decent range (~1 mile)

900MHz: Longer range (~6 mile)

900MHz High Power: Super long range (~15 mile)

Pricing

	353 in stock backorder allowed

$24.95	price
$22.46	10-99 (10% off)
$19.96	100+ (20% off)

	quantity

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Comments

14 comments

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	by clokey +8.6 \| October 27, 2008 at 11:16 AM 0
Can this board be used as a general USB to FTDI board (similar to https://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8772) I have an arduino mini that I want to program and thinking that I can use this board which I have just purchased to play with some XBee parts. Am I barking up the right tree?

33Warlord

+17

| January 4, 2009 at 6:35 PM

+0.81

This is a great board, but could be even better with the addition of a reset button!! It's easy enough to make your own, but it's one of those nice-to-have features!

clokey - Your question is fairly old, but in case you're still wondering - you probably want to use a different board for programing your Arduino. It can be found here: https://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8772. (You can actually do some fancy stuff and use the board on this page to program an Arduino remotely, but I get the feeling that isn't what you're looking for.)

	by p07gbar +1.7 \| March 7, 2009 at 11:48 AM 0
I think you should add a Arduino compatible connector on the end and a 3V3 regulator as the FIDI chip can only provide 20mA so cannot power a pro.

	by mart885 +2.1 \| May 22, 2009 at 7:48 PM 0
This is a great board for having play with XBee and quickly setting up communication addresses. But I'm having trouble upgrading the firmware of my XB24 modem. Can this board be used to upgrade using x-ctu?? I want to use my modem for monitoring analog input but from the manual i need firmware ver. at least 10A1 (currently it's 1084).

	by deen +1.4 \| June 12, 2009 at 7:25 PM 0
can someone tell whether this can be used to program the Xbee module?? Or is it just to interface to the PC to receive and transmit data??

moult

| July 9, 2009 at 5:13 PM

deen, these XBee modules program though the same serial connections that rcv and xmit data, so in short, yes this will do the trick.

Sparkfun guys, I know there are 150 in stock, but maybe you could make a USB key version of this that slides into your port like the new AVR board. MiniUSB is nice, but I have cords everywhere and boards this small tend to not stay put when there is any stress/movement of the cable. I would love this type of thing anytime you make a USB board, because a simple USB extension cable could always turn it into a tethered board.

Thanks

	by BH +1.2 \| August 10, 2009 at 1:17 PM 0
This is a great board and makes experimenting with the xBee very easy. But I do have to agree... a "reset switch" is pretty much necessary when you start playing around with differnet firmware/command sets. Something like the "Mini Push Button Switch sku: COM-00097" would be perfect (leads could be bent flat for surface mount on the bottom of the PCB so you're using a part you alrady stock.

	by hads +1.5 \| September 10, 2009 at 5:14 PM +0.16
Not quite as convenient but you can easily reset the module by pulling it from the headers and re-inserting. I reset switch might be useful but I don't think it's necessary.

+1.1

| September 16, 2009 at 5:34 PM

–0.16

I've had a couple of these things lying around, and only just now connected one to my WinXP machine. I don't have anything currently plugged into it.
This thing takes the old "+++AT" commands. I've discovered a few of them (ATZ - reset, ATE - echo off, ATD - dial), but I can't figure out where to find the whole command set. After all, when this thing has the XBee plugged into it, who's to say where the AT commands wind up - on this board or on the XBee?

	by Nate \| September 16, 2009 at 9:44 PM
You're questions are a bit odd, but let me try to help: The board just passes serial commands from the computer to the XBee unit. You'll have to have an XBee in the socket to really do anything. The X-CTU software makes it really easy to set the parameters on the XBee units so that you don't have to mess with +++ or AT commands.

	by Don +1.2 \| November 3, 2009 at 9:18 AM 0
If you're looking for AT commands for the XBees, you need to download the product manual - Sparkfun has one listed for each of their Xbee modules that they sell. For the most part they are the same commands - but they're not at all similar to modem commands (other than +++), and the XSC module is significantly different from the others.

	by Chelmi +1 \| November 26, 2009 at 2:57 PM 0
Is it going to be back in stock? I don't see that backorder is allowed... If it's not the case, what are the alternative? Thanks!

	by tony +1.5 \| February 2, 2010 at 10:43 AM 0
i just received this board and 2 breakout boards. i knew these things were small but i had no idea. i'll be working with the 300 ft range xbee at first but can't wait to start messing with the higher power versions.