Maximum current output on DO ports of the XBEE?

XBee & XBee Gateway XBee - 802.15.4
1

Hello,

does anyone know how many mA the DO ports on the XBEEs can deliver?

I didn’t find anything about this in the datasheet…

Thanks and regards,
dreamy1

2

Hello,

you are right - i don’t want to have a defect because of sourcing to much current on the output ports.

2 mA is insufficient for my purposes - i want to drive leds (no low current leds!) on the outputs, so 10-20 mA would be enough for one portpin. I don’t want to use extra transistors just to drive some leds…:slight_smile:

Another thing is the maximum current added for all output ports…also not specified in the datasheet yet.

Maybe someone from DIGI has further informations?

Thanks,
dreamy1

3

@all,

here is the answer from DIGIs technical support:

“Thank you for contacting Digi. The DI and DO lines can source only about 5 mA each and no more than 20mA total”.

Maybe this information helps other users as well :slight_smile:

dreamy1

4

I believe it can source or sink 2mA. More specifically, in the low state it can sink 2mA with the voltage being no higher than 0.5V, and in the high state it can source 2mA with the voltage being no lower than VCC - 0.5V. The latter assumes that VCC is at least 2.7V.

Check out table 1-03 on page 8 of the 1xE6 product manual - the above is my reading of it. I agree that it doesn’t exactly leap out of the page at you.

5

Thanks a lot johnF!

But i am wondering that there is no info in the datasheet about the absolute maximum current level on the in- and output ports. Every semiconducor or IC has this definition- except for the XBEEs :frowning:

Thanks,
dreamy1

6

The table gives the leakage current for inputs, though if you have the pullup resistors enabled I don’t know what values they have. For outputs, surely the 2mA figure is all you need? Or are you asking about a max in the sense of “draw more than this and you fry the device”? I’d be surprised if there was a max in that sense: XBees are rugged little beasts. If you do want a better answer than this, I’m sure the fine folks at Digi support will be able to help in response to a support request.

7

Surely does. And it is incredible that such information does not appear in the product manual. I spent a lot of time to find it here.

But it seams a bit conservative. There are several schematic diagrams on the web with circuits draining more current than this…

Thxs.

8

I must rectify my post and inform that I have just found the I/O max current information on the manual. It is said to be 4 mA for each I/O. Bu I still think it should be placed in the table “Electrical Characteristics” where it would be more “obvious”.