XBee module just purchased, is it faulty?

XBee & XBee Gateway XBee - Zigbee
1

Hi,

I have just purchased 2 XBee modules, one can communicate with X-CTU PC Settings,Test/ Query, correctly, the other very occasionaly connects.

Working Module = XB24-B, 2241
Occasional Module = XB24-B, 2841

As i understand these are supposed to communicate out of the box, as you can see i have 2 different firmware versions for some reason?

Is one faulty or has it wrong firmware?

Also I have a ASSOCIATE Led on my DROIDS USB board that on the working one this LED is on all the time.

On the faulty one it pulses ON for 1 second then OFF for 15 seconds? then repeats.

Hope you can help me as I’m new to XBee.

regards

Gary

2

The module with 2841 firmware is an AT command mode end device which always goes to sleep for some period. While it is sleeping it will not respond to serial or RF. Sounds like it sleeps for 15 seconds and is only awake for one second so this module is working as expected.
The 2241 firmware is an AT command mode router.

Use X-CTU to read the modem parameters, save the profile and post here for help on interpreting them.

You will need to evaluate what you need these modules to do and then maybe load the appropriate firmware. Read the document # 90000976 which covers the six versions of ZB firmware.

Also please post a link to the documents on the DROIDS USB board in case we may need to see its schematics.

3

Something I’d also like to point out is that in the 2x41 ZB firmware version, router and end device were two different firmwares such that “router” firmware could not be put to sleep, and “end device” firmware could not be set to stay awake.

In 2x64, both “router” and “end device” firmware types still exist, but a router now supports the sleep modes, and an end device can set SM=0 so it stays awake.

The 2x64 firmware may make the modules easier to work with, until such time as sleep mode is desired again.

4

Thanks Admin, I did read that when the new firmware was released but forgot.

5

And my thanks to you Waltr for giving him an answer first :slight_smile: