Obfuscation Selecting the Correct XBee SX Module

How does a customer select the best XBee SX module?

A new farm customer will eventually find https://www.digi.com/products/embedded-systems/digi-xbee/rf-modules/sub-1-ghz-rf-modules/xbee-sx-900 and the tractor working in the paddock is reassuring if they are after a module for the farm.

There are three options for 900 MHz and it is not clear if they are about product form or specifications.

  1. Digi XBee SX 900 RF Module links to the top of the page you are on. What’s the purpose of it?
  2. Digi XBee-PRO 900HP RF Module links to the top of the page you are on. What’s the purpose of it?
  3. Digi XTend 900 MHz links to the page for P2MP - https://www.digi.com/products/embedded-systems/digi-xbee/rf-modules/sub-1-ghz-rf-modules/xtend-module

Why would anyone select “Digi XTend 900 MHz”? There is no mention of XBee SX, it has a really strange board, the photo clearly shows it’s for geeks, who knows what “Digi XTend 900 MHz” means and the description makes no sense. The thing is, if you don’t select it you won’t find the P2MP modules (even if you understand you need P2MP).

(Don’t click on “Compare sub-GHz Wireless OEM Modules from Digi” or you go back to the previous page.)

Regardless, select “Part Numbers & Accessories” to find the module you need. The North America module part numbers are fairly recognisable but there are some strange numbers for other countries. Maybe this is not the right place?

Confusing right? Just phone Digi on the listed number which gets you through to product sales who deal with retailers so they’ll pass you onto a distributor. They won’t know which module to select so they’ll ask Digi but they won’t explain why this is the right part so you won’t trust the answer.

Obfuscation! Hopefully, Digi is better at telecommunication than people communication.

If the website is the primary communication interface for users then fix it!

Flywire, Sorry your experience was like this. Our Sales team should be helping you select the proper product for your needs. If that is not occurring, then please ask for a supervisor or contact Support and let them know that you are having issues with getting assistance.

The page at https://www.digi.com/products/embedded-systems/digi-xbee/rf-modules/sub-1-ghz-rf-modules/xbee-sx-900
Is the landing page for the Digi 900 SX module. The gray bar in the middle of the page that contains the subheadings:
Overview
Part Numbers & Accessories
Specifications
Resources
Product Support
Is where you will find all the information and specifications for that particular radio.

The 4 radios listed lower on the page are a display of the comparable radios. These are grouped together because they use the same frequencies which are allowed in North America.

The “Overview” section should provide a general idea of what type of application it can be used for. Long range communication in Precision Agriculture, Manufacturing Automation, Digital Signage and Kiosk, Digital Oil Field Tank Monitoring to name a few.

I agree with the previous answer to contact Digi Sales or contact tech.support@digi.com with your product selection questions.

A simple flowchart to guide product selection would help.

Fifty years ago expert systems would ask questions then give an answer with the reasons. Should be easy these days with AI.