XBee Wall Router

Hello, I’m working a student project with a few XBee ZB devices. I currently have a coordinator and a routing node up and communicating with one another, via API mode and a PAN ID that I selected.

We have an XBee Pro ZB Wall Router that we’d like to use to get a bit more range out of our prototype project. I’m seeing this device in the Node List of the X-CTU Remote Configuration window, and would like to double check (and possibly change) its configuration settings over the air. I would like this device to be running the API router firmware, if it is not by default (which I assume it isn’t).

Per the X-CTU and drop in networking user guides, I am able to read configuration settings from a standard XBee ZB device over the air via X-CTU. However, when I attempt to read from the detected wall router, I receive the following error message:

The modem configuration file was not found. Would you like to check the web site for updates? (Recommended)

I have already done a web update in the past, and when I attempt to perform it after receiving this message, the program presents a message stating that if cannot find an appropriate configuration.

Could anyone provide some insight or send me in the direction of some more documentation (or any sections that I happened to missed in the aforementioned docs)?

Thank you for your time and help!

  • Jon

“The modem configuration file was not found. Would you like to check the web site for updates? (Recommended)”

What the error means is that you don’t currently have whatever firmware version is loaded on your XBee Wall Router within the XCTU installation. Do you know what version of firmware is loaded on this Wall Router? Can you update its firmware to 2264 (Router AT) or 2364 (Router API, see below)?

As far as running Router API (2364) firmware, yes this is possible. Once loaded, you’ll want to modify the following parameters so it will continue to support Light/Temperature samples, as well as show up as a Wall Router, on your PAN:

DD=30008
D1=2
D2=2

I’ve double checked that the 2264 and 2364 firmwares are indeed in the X-CTU proper folders – I’m using the 2x64 firmware. I’m able to read these firmwares off of the other devices in my network, but not from the wall router.

I do not know what firmware version is running on the wall router, does anyone know which version is the default when they’re shipped? I couldn’t seem to find this in any documentation.

My guess is that it has 2242 loaded. If you update it to 2264 or 2364 over-the-air from your coordinator you should be all set.

Don’t forget to set the three parameters mentioned in my earlier post regardless of whether you chose 2264 or 2364 to update it to.

It looks like I only the 221 and 264 firmwares in my X-CTU directory, so I’ll give that a shot. I’m having a little trouble tracking down the older firmware version on the Digi FTP site.

The 2*64 firmware is 82001817_D.zip – I guess I’ll just start working my way backwards from there if I can’t find any documentation on which files correspond to what.

Thanks!
Jon

Looks like the firmware I needed was in 82001817_C.zip

Alrighty, so I can now read and adjust parameters on the wall router, but the firmware change doesn’t seem to be sticking. The blue bar on the network view progresses backward, but subsequent reads show the old firmware.

This is the process I’m using.

  • Open up X-CTU
  • Connect a serial port to my coordinator (API mode)
  • Verify that I can communicate with the it via the Test/Query Button
  • Switch to the Modem Configuration Tab
  • Open the Remote Configuration Window
  • Open COM port, and discover nodes on the network
  • Read from my Wall Router. It was shipped with 2241 (AT mode)
  • Select the ZigBee Router API for the function set
  • Ensure that the version is 2364
  • Verify that DD = 30008, and D1 and D2 are set to ADC
  • Click Write
  • The blue progress bar on the Remote Configuration window moves from right to left, and then says “Programming Complete.” This process finished within about 3-4 seconds.

If I then read from the device (with and without power cycling it), It reports the old firmware version. Any ideas?

Just an update:

I’m still having trouble getting an over-the-air firmware update on the wall router to “stick.” I’ve verified that I can set parameters and firmware on other devices over the air.