Have another issue Im afraid. I switched over to use the FTDI i just received from Jordi.Un-plugged my Xbee, and plugged in the FTDI. Could not get an upload with it, switched back to the Sparkfun FTDI to make sure it still worked. Yup....However, when I plugged my Xbee back into the shield in the proper plugs, the xbee wouldn't flash anymore.Pulled the xbee pro, plugged it into the usb explorer, now I can't connect to the xbee anymore. Tried to do all baud rates, tried re-flashing the firmware. Nothing, so I figured ok, ill try my other xbee in the shield too. Same thing happened, to that one too.Jorid, I need help here. Have you seen this behavior before from the shield. Is something fried and now shorting out my xbees. I have lost 2 in less then 30 minutes plugging them into the the shield. Very very dissapointing...-Peter
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Hi,
This is probably totally unconnected but I've had similar problems when I've accidentally shorted the underside of the adapter with doublesided tape. I cleaned it up then I was able to reconnect. Also, in an act of supreme stupidity, I hooked up the ftdi cable in reverse. The blue light flickered on then off again. I plugged it back in the right way round and it worked again, so it seems pretty resilient.
Mike
Hi all,
it happens to me that if I restore the xbee it works and then after some startup it no more respond. I restore it and it begin to work again until a random number of startup.
Which could be the problem?
Do I change the adafruit board, the xbee or both?
Thanks for any help.
Ric
I was able to restore my bricked xBee by following these instructions. Hope this helps!!
Using the sparkfun USB explorer board.
1. Take the module out of the interface board.
2. Connect the interface board to the computer.
3. Open X-CTU
4. Go to "Modem Configuration"
5. Put a check in the "Always update firmware" box
6. Select proper modem from drop down menu,
7. Select proper function set and firmware version
from drop down menus.
8. Click on the "Write" button. After a few seconds of
trying to read the modem, you will get an Info box
that says Action Needed. At this point, CAREFULLY
insert the module into the interface board.
9. You may get the info box again a short while after,
just use the reset button on the interface board.
This should get you back up and running.
It may take more than one try to get it to work, but mine worked the first time.
The original problem was that some how a glitch corrupped the xBee so it wouldn't respond to the "AT" commands.
I am also using adafruit adapter with my xbee pro 900
I noticed that I couldn't left the Xbee Rx pin connected to Ardupilot Tx pin when I powered up the ardu board.
else the xbee would be not responding/bricked.
but there is a way to get it working, that is to use another xbee adapter and the XCTU to reflash the firmware.
*connect the reset pin to ground if it ask u to do so
hence, now i can only connect the xbee rx <---> Ardu Tx everytime after the battery is connected
anyone facing the same problem as mine?
I have built one and it works fine with the Xbee Pro. It also has a TO220 3.3 v regulator which should handle the Xbee Pro current requirements. You can use a Parallax Propeller Plug to communicate with it using X-CTU right off the bat because the board has a Propeller Plug connector as well as a regular I/O connector. Unfortunately you cannot use either the Sparkfun FTDI board or the Adafruit FTDI cable directly with the board's I/O connector. It will require an adapter for interfacing.
Well, I just bricked an xBee too. I'm an electronic engineer, so tomorrow I'll get a change to trouble shoot it and see what may have happened. :(. Brand new xBee and brand new adafruit board. Both xBee's worked fine on the Sparkfun USB board, set baud rate and Network ID just fine. Hooked up the full system and then the xBee died.
The Adafruit shield has a 3.3V power regulator (is the 3 pin device that looks like transistor) an a buffer/shifter IC, that protects the unit and converts the 5Vsignals to 3.3V...
I've burned one Xbee with a damaged Adafruit unit. So i added a new Xbee module and was burned after 20 minutes of use it with the damaged adafruit board. So be very careful or you may burn a third one. I hope we are suffering different issues. But I'm really worry about that!
Received my new adafruit xbee adapters. However I took a risk and hooked the old on up to a new XBEE Pro 24. Connected to my computer via the Sparkfun FTDI connector, and the new xbee flashes green light. Went to X-CTU and pulled firmware, went to AT Terminal and can AT just fine. Went to Read the configuration, no problems at all.
So to me it does not look like the ADAFRUIT xbee adapter is frying my xbee adapters.
Jordi, what should the voltage be from ground on shield to TXO and RXT???
Mine is showing on shield
GRND+VCC = 5.3v
GRND+TXO = 5.3v
GRND+RXT = 2.8v
Are these voltages correct.
I hooked the xbee up to the shield without RXT on xbee connected to tx0 on ardupilot and i get a good xbee flashing green.
Before I hook up the RXT to TX0 I want to make sure these voltages are ok...
Replies
This is probably totally unconnected but I've had similar problems when I've accidentally shorted the underside of the adapter with doublesided tape. I cleaned it up then I was able to reconnect. Also, in an act of supreme stupidity, I hooked up the ftdi cable in reverse. The blue light flickered on then off again. I plugged it back in the right way round and it worked again, so it seems pretty resilient.
Mike
it happens to me that if I restore the xbee it works and then after some startup it no more respond. I restore it and it begin to work again until a random number of startup.
Which could be the problem?
Do I change the adafruit board, the xbee or both?
Thanks for any help.
Ric
Using the sparkfun USB explorer board.
1. Take the module out of the interface board.
2. Connect the interface board to the computer.
3. Open X-CTU
4. Go to "Modem Configuration"
5. Put a check in the "Always update firmware" box
6. Select proper modem from drop down menu,
7. Select proper function set and firmware version
from drop down menus.
8. Click on the "Write" button. After a few seconds of
trying to read the modem, you will get an Info box
that says Action Needed. At this point, CAREFULLY
insert the module into the interface board.
9. You may get the info box again a short while after,
just use the reset button on the interface board.
This should get you back up and running.
It may take more than one try to get it to work, but mine worked the first time.
The original problem was that some how a glitch corrupped the xBee so it wouldn't respond to the "AT" commands.
Let me know if this works for anyone else.
Doug
I noticed that I couldn't left the Xbee Rx pin connected to Ardupilot Tx pin when I powered up the ardu board.
else the xbee would be not responding/bricked.
but there is a way to get it working, that is to use another xbee adapter and the XCTU to reflash the firmware.
*connect the reset pin to ground if it ask u to do so
hence, now i can only connect the xbee rx <---> Ardu Tx everytime after the battery is connected
anyone facing the same problem as mine?
There is an alternate Xbee interface board made by Selmaware: http://www.selmaware.com/appbee/index.htm
I have built one and it works fine with the Xbee Pro. It also has a TO220 3.3 v regulator which should handle the Xbee Pro current requirements. You can use a Parallax Propeller Plug to communicate with it using X-CTU right off the bat because the board has a Propeller Plug connector as well as a regular I/O connector. Unfortunately you cannot use either the Sparkfun FTDI board or the Adafruit FTDI cable directly with the board's I/O connector. It will require an adapter for interfacing.
I am attaching AppBee documentation.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
TCIII
AppBee_Doc.pdf
I've burned one Xbee with a damaged Adafruit unit. So i added a new Xbee module and was burned after 20 minutes of use it with the damaged adafruit board. So be very careful or you may burn a third one. I hope we are suffering different issues. But I'm really worry about that!
Received my new adafruit xbee adapters. However I took a risk and hooked the old on up to a new XBEE Pro 24. Connected to my computer via the Sparkfun FTDI connector, and the new xbee flashes green light. Went to X-CTU and pulled firmware, went to AT Terminal and can AT just fine. Went to Read the configuration, no problems at all.
So to me it does not look like the ADAFRUIT xbee adapter is frying my xbee adapters.
Jordi, what should the voltage be from ground on shield to TXO and RXT???
Mine is showing on shield
GRND+VCC = 5.3v
GRND+TXO = 5.3v
GRND+RXT = 2.8v
Are these voltages correct.
I hooked the xbee up to the shield without RXT on xbee connected to tx0 on ardupilot and i get a good xbee flashing green.
Before I hook up the RXT to TX0 I want to make sure these voltages are ok...
-Peter
Are you using Adafruit xBee board?
I assume that you are using the Adafruit Xbee interface board to connect the Xbee to the Ardupilot/Shield?
Regards,
TCIII