Can I use a programmable XBee S2CTH with an Arduino board

Hello, I’m trying to use some XBee S2CTH (I think they are programmable version) to send and receive data between Arduino boards but I can’t. I’m using a wireless sd shield to plug de XBee’s on the Arduino.

The XBee’s are configured using XCTU in transparent mode, and I can see the connection between them in XCTU software but If I try to send and receive a character using Arduino, It doesn’t work.

Is it posible to use a programmable XCTU with an Arduino board? Do I have to change any special parameter in XCTU to exchange information between XBee and Arduino?

Thanks for the support.

Hello
I don’t have any programmable modules so I can’t help you on that.
If the two modules are configured as AT transparent mode, they should squirt out any data received on Data in pin to the other module without too much intervention from you. It’s like a virtual serial cable. Just make sure one end is data in and the other data out. I have a GPS module with serial data pins marked TX and RX - the TX (RX not used) pin goes into the first XBee RX pin and at the other end, the second XBee’s transmit pin goes into an FTDI (serial to USB) to the GPS software. The shouldn’t be any reason why the same arrangement wouldn’t work with two Arduinos. If you can get the Arduinos communicating with wire links TX to RX plus ground, it should work OK with the XBees. I’ve tried it with Series 1 and Series S2C

Thanks for your answer! I’ve confirmed that my XBee is a programmable version, so it has an extra processor which is intercepting any communication between the Arduino board and the communication processor. I have to put it in “bypass mode”, I am looking how to do it.

Hi,I am using these kind of Zigbee shield https://store.ncd.io/product/xbee-overlay-shield-adapter-for-arduino-nano/ to connect zigbee with Arduino nano and I am able to connect easily but be sure about the PAN ID as well as your parameter set out according to coordinator and router, also should upload latest firmware.

Using a programmable XBee isn’t the easiest place to start.
I would get a bog-standard Series 2 or it’s replacement Series S2C. Series S2 is end of life and S2C is better in many respects, including cheaper, better range etc.
To transmit data you only need power and the data out pin on the XBee - at the other end the same but the data out pin. The Series S2C modules are set up slightly differently but have a setting in the Serial menu where you can set API to 1 or 2 and now 0 which is transparent mode. If you have XCTU version 6.3, I would stick with it as 6.4 has thrown up a bunch of errors on my modules