Xbee Wifi S6B not detected by XCTU or Device Cloud

XBee & XBee Gateway XCTU
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1

Hello

I’m new to this forum, but I hope it’s ok to start with a question!

I’m trying to communicate with my Parallax ActivityBot wirelessly with Xbee, but the Xbee module is not found by XCTU or in my Device Cloud account (something show up in Device Cloud, but it can’t recognize it as an Xbee).

My setup:
1 Parallax ActivityBot with the Propeller Activity Board (Xbee socket integrated)
1 Xbee Wi-Fi S6B, Wire Antenna
A USB cable connects the board to my Windows 8.1 PC.
The power is on.
According to Parallax, this setup should work.

I was able to do the steps described in the Quick Start Guide: XBee Wi-Fi Cloud Kit, and ended up here:
http://ftp1.digi.com/support/documentation/html/90002195/Files/step1.html
So I started at step 2:
http://ftp1.digi.com/support/documentation/html/90002195/Files/step2.html
and made an account (Europe Cloud, because I’m from Norway). I tried to “add new device”, but it can’t find any Xbee module. My Xbee is discovered as something, but it doesn’t seem like the cloud recognize it as an Xbee and I fail to add the device. The only information the cloud gets from the device is the Device ID (00000000-00000000-00409DFF-FF5DF75F) and MAC address (00409D:5DF75F).

XCTU recognizes a COM port, but can’t find any Xbee when scanning, and I tried with every possible option. I get the message “try to reset your Xbee”, and I tried that by connecting a wire between the correct pins on the Xbee, with negative results.

When I connect a wire to the LED pin on the Xbee, it flashes constantly with a constant period.

I don’t have any communication problems with the Activity Board and my PC, it’s only the Xbee module I have problems with.

Tell me if you need more information, and I hope you understand what the problem might be.

Thanks

2

The Propeller Activity Board is not a board that provides UART access of the XBee module to a PC. It is a board that allows a Propeller micro processor access to an XBee. For that reason, the directions you are using at http://ftp1.digi.com/support/documentation/html/90002195/Files/step1.html are not going to work. The directions there are for board that allow direct access to the XBee radio via a USB or RS232 port. What you are going to need to do is to either get an interface board that is designed to allow the XBee to connect to the PC with similar to an XBIB-U-DEV board or write and upload an application to your processor that configures the XBee to search for and connect to your WIFI Gateway.

3

Thank you very much for your answer! That explaines the problem, although I was hoping it would be as quick and easy as just plug in the USB cable.
Do you have or know where I can find guides/tips on how to write an application like this, as I don’t have much experience in communication.
Thanks!

4

I would suggest starting with the manufacture of that board. They seemed to have examples on their site.