Upgrading to use API mode

NOTE: THIS DOCUMENTS HOW TO UPGRADE TO USING THE API MODE FOR THE XBEES. IF YOU BOUGHT YOUR MINIBEES IN 2012 OR LATER, THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT RELEVANT FOR YOU_

To use the API mode for communication with the XBees you have to update the following things:

The settings of the XBees to use the API mode
The firmware on the MiniBee
Use the new version of the Hive software

XBee settings

You can use the X-CTU to change the settings or simply load the api profiles onto your XBees. These are the profiles in the api subfolder.

Alternately, you can use the python XBee Tools to change to the API mode.

MiniBee firmware

Prepare the Arduino IDE with the right hardware files and firmware library
Select the basic example from the Arduino menu: Examples>MiniBee_APIn>minibee
And program it onto the MiniBee.

Use the new version of the Hive software

Install the software with these instructions.

Adjust your configuration files:

The libversion should now be 8:

<minibee caps="7" configuration="1" id="1" libversion="8" name="minibee1" revision="D" serial="13A200407E506D">

In the configuration file you can now use serial numbers with or withouth the leading zeros, so these two are equivalent:

<minibee caps="7" configuration="1" id="1" libversion="8" name="minibee1" revision="D" serial="13A200407E506D">

can also be:

<minibee caps="7" configuration="1" id="1" libversion="8" name="minibee1" revision="D" serial="0013A200407E506D">

page created on:	last changed on:
	23 November 2011