Ren-W Wireless Converter Board Buy

[dirknerkle]

Complete information about the Ren-W is located here: http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/index.php?title=Renard_Wireless_Converter

Ren-W boards are usually available in two styles: the SMA version and a Rev6 version (yes, it took 6 prototypes to get it right). Both are pictured below in the attachments. Both boards have the radio pointing downward which better accommodates the RPSMA version of the XBee radio that has the large antenna jack. The Ren-W SMA board measures 3"H x 2.5"W. The Rev6 board is much more compact, has space for only ONE XBee radio and uses a jumper to switch between TX (transmitting) and RX (receiving) modes. It is also about 27% smaller, measuring 2.75"H x 2"W. It also has its own blinky: the LED responds to the XBee's status pin (pin15) telling you that the XBee is operating properly. The Rev6 board uses slightly fewer parts than the normal Ren-W board, resulting in a savings of about $2.50.

While the physical difference between the two boards is fairly obvious, there are two important operational differences: the Ren-W SMA board has repeater capability (retransmit the received signal to the next radio) and can also be used as an XBee Explorer board while the Rev6 board cannot do either since it has only one RJ45 jack. However, the smaller Rev6 board is a good fit if space is an issue in your controller box or if you know that it will never be used as a repeater board or for reprogramming an XBee radio.

Group buy on XBee radios: Several users have asked about a group buy on the XBee Pro radios that Ren-W uses, since at $32-$34 each they're a rather expensive part. We are unable to amass enough interest to get the price down to a point where such an effort is worthwhile. It would take an order of 288 to get the price down by only $3 per radio. Therefore, there is NO GROUP BUY on XBee radios.

Group buy on the Ren-W BOM The current cost of component parts for ONE Ren-W board is $45.28. In a group buy of 50 units (the group buy max) the price becomes $40.79. However, after adding the costs of shipping, shipping materials and paypal fees, you'll find you've saved nothing and it will likely cost you MORE than if you just ordered the parts yourself. I don't have the spare time nor wish to have the hassle of counting all the parts out and assembling personal orders, so unless another DIYC member runs a group buy on the BOM, please understand that I will not be doing one. Not now, not ever.

How to order: Go to the DIGWDF store at: http://diychristmas.org/store/

The product descriptions in the store also include links to Mouser BOMs wherever appropriate. It is not expected that Ren-W kits including the BOMs will be available at the store because there are so many options for the XBee radios.

[Sharkey]

Hmm, I'll see what I can do Dirk, I have to check my funds :)
If you need buyers though, I'll help!

[IdunBenhad]

Hi:
Put me down for 3 boards. Will PM the address when needed.

Just was wondering if you had thought of using "router" type antennas? These are short but effective and would help increase the range, if needed.

In my case, a wet noodle would probably do the trick, but it's hard to keep the noodle wet unless I installed a drip system.

One further question, is Sharkey becoming a shill?

[fathead45]

ill be putting a order in for 4 boards within the week. thanks

[Penfold]

Hey Dirk put me down for at least 4 boards.

[BadWolf]

Hi I would like 3 boards.

Thanks!

Later. . . . . . . Brad

[XmasInGalt]

Dirk,

Please put me down for 4 boards. Thanks.

[boarder3]

Put me down for 3 boards

[DavidHenry]

I might be interested, but I can't seen to find any info on what a Ren-W is. Didn't see anything when I did a quick scan of the Renard forum, and site search can't even find this thread.

[dirknerkle]

I might be interested, but I can't seen to find any info on what a Ren-W is. Didn't see anything when I did a quick scan of the Renard forum, and site search can't even find this thread.

Hi, David. It's all in the Wiki -- you'll find a link to it at the bottom of the main Renard page, or click here:

http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/index.php?title=Renard_Wireless_Converter

[DavidHenry]

Hmm, $60 - $150 to test it with a pair (parts). Given the board cost, I'd think about 4 boards. I hope someone does research on directional antenna's...

[dirknerkle]

Hmm, $60 - $150 to test it with a pair (parts). Given the board cost, I'd think about 4 boards. I hope someone does research on directional antenna's...

I understand your trepidation. Wireless is not cheap, to be sure. The darned XBee Pro radio alone is $32 each. To get the price down to $29 you have to buy 288 of them.

I suspect that external directional antennas would enhance the distance as well as the quality of the received signal by quite a bit. One drawback is that the radios come prebuilt and you can't switch the antenna type on any one radio module. How you buy it is how it is. If you want to try all three antenna types, then you have to buy three radio modules -- or six if you wanted to test all combinations. Pricey to be sure... I chose the 1" whip because the XBee's tech documents about its radiation patterns indicated that it was much more even and stronger than the on-chip antenna. I did not try the XBee that has the small UFL antenna connector because by design, I wanted to mount them inside CG2000 YBBS cases to keep them out of the elements.

I had a megatree and 8 mini trees last year all controlled wirelessly and they performed very well. I used the 1" whip antenna for each radio and they were scattered around in the yard; the first transmitter was in my garage and it had to go through 3 walls of aluminum siding to get to the first receiver -- a megatree -- about 75 feet away. From there, the megatree transmitted it across the yard to two other units that controlled mini-trees. In testing, the raw signal seemed to pooch-out around 175 feet. Results will vary depending on a lot of factors: antenna height, orientation to one another, distance, impediments between the two, the enclosures used, etc.

[Skunberg]

Put me down for 4 please.

[RickeyS]

I'll take 4 boards.
Thanks
Rick

[Dragon88]

Hi Dirk

Put me down for 4


Thanks

[jcarney]

Put me down for two please.

Quick question: That's the minimum I need to go from my PC to the first controller and I can cat5 the rest of the boards together?

Project looks great btw.

[dirknerkle]

Put me down for two please.

Quick question: That's the minimum I need to go from my PC to the first controller and I can cat5 the rest of the boards together?

Project looks great btw.

Like a walkie-talkie system, you need at least 2 XBee radios. But if the first one is going to be connected to the PC, then you can use an XBee experimenter/programmer board to connect it to the PC and transmit out to the receiver. The receiver would be a Ren-W and therefore you'd really need only 1 Ren-W board to accomplish that.

Yes, you can connect wirelessly to one and then hard-wire them from that controller to the next one(s).

I'll put you down for two boards for now but let me know what you finally decide.

-dave

[jcarney]

I'll put you down for two boards for now but let me know what you finally decide.


Keep me down for two boards and I will make the call before I order the BOM. I don't want to limit myself for $6.

Thanks

[IdunBenhad]

Hi:
DavidHenry was wondering about directional antennas, and I note your reply.

I was looking at the Xbee modules and found this one: XB24-ASI-001. It has 1 mw power and a RPSMA connector. The price was $22.95. If a directional or vertical antenna with gain were used, this might make a relatively inexpensive way to get going.

Most directional antennas are not cheap (should I say low-priced?) but if anyone is interested, here is one site to look at. I have dealt with them before and they are very helpful and reputable.

http://www.wifi-link.com

Another way to go would be to use a router antenna. They are readily available, exhibit some gain and are low cost. This would make the lower power modules more desirable. This would also make mounting the module in a metal box feasible.

Edit: Correction. Mouser price is $21.00

Just a few thoughts. I don't want to hijack the thread.

[jimbo3301]

Hi Dirk

Please add me to your list for 4 boards.

Thanks

[lowrider3121]

Hey put me down for 4 boards. Thanks

[dirknerkle]

Hi:
DavidHenry was wondering about directional antennas, and I note your reply.

I was looking at the Xbee modules and found this one: XB24-ASI-001. It has 1 mw power and a RPSMA connector. The price was $21.00. If a directional or vertical antenna with gain were used, this might make a relatively inexpensive way to get going.

Another way to go would be to use a router antenna. They are readily available, exhibit some gain and are low cost. This would make the lower power modules more desirable. This would also make mounting the module in a metal box feasible.


Thanks, Idun!

I'm certain that a directional antenna could make a difference. I have several each of both the pro and regular versions (all with the 1" whip antenna) and one thing that's nice is that configuration of them is identical. The only differences are in the size of the module (the pro version is 1/4" longer), the current requirement and output power (the pro model uses up to 290ma, nearly 6x as much as the regular and is rated at 50mw instead of 1mw output), and the receiver, with the pro model having a more sensitive receiver. The specs indicate the receivers are identical but the digi tech support people told me that the pro model actually is more sensitive, so I'm going with the guys who actually make it.

To keep the cost of development down I have not tested all models in all configurations, only the 1" whip antenna versions of the regular and pro versions. My idea was that for convenience, IMO an ideal "plug-in" adapter should be very compact and self-contained with no extra wires hanging all over the place. At least that's what I wanted -- to be able to stick the thing inside a YBBS case with the controller, lock the case down and it'd be proected from the elements. I wanted something I could move around at will without having to reprogram or even open the case and in that regard, I think it's been successful.

I've attached the official XBee antenna documentation for folks who are interested. I would heartily encourage others to don their experimental hats and open their wallets to furthering development of the concept of wireless. I'm certain that more performance can be eeked out of the XBee's effective distance by using directional antennae and in so doing, I'd guess that might also result in enhanced reliability of the wireless connection, too.

To those who want to take Ren-W to the next step, I'm more than happy to share whatever information I've learned since starting this project last year. When we take each others' designs, modify and massage them a little here and there, good things almost always emerge!

-dave

[ppohlman]

Hey Dirk,

Will you put me down for 4 boards?

Thanks

[dirknerkle]

Hey Dirk,

Will you put me down for 4 boards?

Thanks

Gotcha!

[IdunBenhad]

Hi:
In order to not subvert this thread from board ordering, I have started a new thread titled "WIFI and FM Antenna Discussion". Please join the discussion.

http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?p=106784#post106784

Idun



Idun

[mikentn]

Hey Dirk,

Put me down for two boards, please.

Thanks!

[sjwilson122]

Dirk, put me down for 4

[dirknerkle]

Dirk, put me down for 4

Will do!

[RavingLunatic]

Put me in for 4 boards

[rstehle]

Oh well, may as well climb aboard.......... put me down for 2.

[dirknerkle]

Got you both. Boards should arrive tomorrow, if the tracking information is correct...

[LabRat]

+4 please.

Can you drop me a PM with estimated costs to ship North of the 49th? (Canada for the uninitiated).

[oldcqr]

2 please (standard, not the sma version).

[sjwilson122]

Dirk, make mine the sma version please.

[dirknerkle]

PayPal and other ordering information has been sent via PM to everyone on the list so far. Thanks to all who have participated!!!

Check the FIRST posting of this group buy thread for shipping status info

[BF210]

I'd like two boards, please. Prefer SMA but either is fine.

(yet another Don)

[dirknerkle]

I'd like two boards, please. Prefer SMA but either is fine.

(yet another Don)

I'll put you down for the SMA -- won't be able to ship them until about March 10th. Thanks.

-dave

[mlyons1957]

This is great! It is exactally what I was looking for.
I was afraid I was going to have to "test" some of the MDS Units from the office over the Xmas holidays.

Put me down for 6 boards SMA

I am on order for 6xRen24
I am looking for a couple Ren64 the ver with the 4ch remote SSRs
xMark

[dirknerkle]

This is great! It is exactally what I was looking for.
I was afraid I was going to have to "test" some of the MDS Units from the office over the Xmas holidays.

Put me down for 6 boards SMA

I am on order for 6xRen24
I am looking for a couple Ren64 the ver with the 4ch remote SSRs
xMark

Gotcha.... I'll send paypal information via PM

[RickeyS]

received boards today
Thanks
Rick

[IdunBenhad]

Hi:
My trip to the mailbox paid off. The boards were here.

Thanks

[dirknerkle]

Rick & Idun, glad the mail arrived for you! Thanks for letting me know that Cliffy Claven is alive and well!

[rstehle]

Rick & Idun, glad the mail arrived for you! Thanks for letting me know that Cliffy Claven is alive and well!

Hey everybody......... NORM!!!!!!!

Got mine too, thanks!

[lowrider3121]

Hi, just letting you know I got my first two boards yesterday when I got home.

Thanks

[ppohlman]

Hey dirknerkle,

Just got my boards today. Super fast shipping! Thanks.
Now I just need the parts.

[bobkeyes]

Dirk,

I would like 2 boards please. I want the SMA version.

I'll look for the paypal address.

Thanks,

[dirknerkle]

Now I just need the parts.

Reminds me of what my wife tells me once in a while... she'll say, "For a guy your age, you still got all your parts. Too bad so many of them are loose..." :rolleyes:

Thanks for the note!

[mikentn]

Got my boards a few days ago. Danke!

[dirknerkle]

All orders have been processed, paid and shipped.

FYI... While the official group buy is complete, a few boards are still available. The prices listed on the first post of this thread will be honored until the boards are gone. PM me to order; I'll include my PayPal address in the reply.

-dave

[BF210]

SMA boards arrived in today's post. They look great!
(yet another Don)

[jcarney]

Got my SMA boards yesterday, thanks

[DavidHenry]

Got my SMA boards yesterday, thanks

+1 [or 5 depending on what you're counting]

[dirknerkle]

+1 [or 5 depending on what you're counting]

Hi, David. Did I not count right? (It wouldn't be the first time that's happened...:rolleyes:)

[bobkeyes]

Boards received. Thanks.

I should have your icicle parts out by Tuesday.

[IdunBenhad]

Hi:
Ren W-SMA boards received today. Thanks, Dave.

I appreciate all your hard work.

Idun

[DavidHenry]

Hi, David. Did I not count right? (It wouldn't be the first time that's happened...:rolleyes:)

It's all good. the +1 was to indicate I also got my [5] boards yesterday :)

I tried posting just +1, but that was too short to accept so I had to add something to help confuse things... :)

[sjwilson122]

Got my boards today. Thanks!!

[dirknerkle]

I still have some Ren-W boards left in case you didn't get in on the original buy. I likely will not be doing another buy this year, so when these are gone, we're done for 2010.

Of course, you can always etch your own -- the PCB layouts for both the standard and SMA version of the board are in the Ren-W Wiki.

[dirknerkle]

Someone sent me an email directly about Ren-W boards but my company's filtering system wouldn't let me read it.

For any who are still interested in the remaing Ren-W boards, pricing is the same as listed in the first post of this thread.

-dave

[N7XG]

Dave,

Any board left?

Dean

[dirknerkle]

Yep. Got some of both the standard and SMA type. The first post of the thread has all the pricing.

[gocats7]

I have done some searches but havent found it yet. How much does it cost for all the components, etc?

[marble42]

do you have any boards left?

[dirknerkle]

marble42: yes, I have some left of both the standard and SMA versionl

gocats7: there are many configuration options to a Ren-W board, and some configurations don't even need all the parts. A single board ranges anywhere from about $23 to $70, with the average probably coming in around $45. The XBee Pro radio alone is a $32 item, the boards are $6.75 each (or you can etch your own) and the other parts total about $7. The Wiki has all the info about the gizmo - find it in the electronics hardware area from the main Renard page... or click here:

http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/index.php?title=Renard_Wireless_Converter

[marble42]

i'll take two boards standard

[dirknerkle]

I have 20 of the standard Ren-W board and 15 of the SMA version of the board left. Coupled with the Renard Start Address, the wireless adapter is a solution looking for a problem -- it could be the "duct tape" of DIY light control!

Recent testing with a 14" wi-fi antenna on the transmitter has proven to easily control remote units up to 1000' away, and the Renard start address firmware allows setting the remote controller to a specific group of channels, giving you amazing control and flexibility that has not existed in the Renard community before.

Just think -- you'll probably be setting up your display around 6-months from now, folks. Get 'em before you need 'em because it's doubtful I'll order any more this year...

It's FCFS on the boards -- first come, first served. Same price as the first post of this thread. My email paypal address is: dave$clubdata.com (where $ represents the @ sign...) Be sure to include the number of regular and SMA boards you want.

-dave

[rjchu]

Thanks for reminding me! I just paypal'd you funds for quantity 4 of the SMA boards.

Thanks,

-joni-





I have 20 of the standard Ren-W board and 15 of the SMA version of the board left. Coupled with the Renard Start Address, the wireless adapter is a solution looking for a problem -- it could be the "duct tape" of DIY light control!

Recent testing with a 14" wi-fi antenna on the transmitter has proven to easily control remote units up to 1000' away, and the Renard start address firmware allows setting the remote controller to a specific group of channels, giving you amazing control and flexibility that has not existed in the Renard community before.

Just think -- you'll probably be setting up your display around 6-months from now, folks. Get 'em before you need 'em because it's doubtful I'll order any more this year...

It's FCFS on the boards -- first come, first served. Same price as the first post of this thread. My email paypal address is: dave$clubdata.com (where $ represents the @ sign...) Be sure to include the number of regular and SMA boards you want.

-dave

[dirknerkle]

Thanks for reminding me! I just paypal'd you funds for quantity 4 of the SMA boards.

Thanks,

-joni-

Thanks -- packed and ready for a Cliff Claven pickup first thing in the morning!
-dave

[mmulvenna]

I have 20 of the standard Ren-W board and 15 of the SMA version of the board left. Coupled with the Renard Start Address, the wireless adapter is a solution looking for a problem -- it could be the "duct tape" of DIY light control!

Recent testing with a 14" wi-fi antenna on the transmitter has proven to easily control remote units up to 1000' away, and the Renard start address firmware allows setting the remote controller to a specific group of channels, giving you amazing control and flexibility that has not existed in the Renard community before.

Just think -- you'll probably be setting up your display around 6-months from now, folks. Get 'em before you need 'em because it's doubtful I'll order any more this year...

It's FCFS on the boards -- first come, first served. Same price as the first post of this thread. My email paypal address is: dave$clubdata.com (where $ represents the @ sign...) Be sure to include the number of regular and SMA boards you want.

-dave


Just sent you a paypal for 10 boards.... Also sent you a PM....
See you next month....

[mmulvenna]

Anybody have a mouser part number for the XBEE SMA version. There on-line tech say they dont carry it. If not where are you buying them and do you have a part number?

[mmulvenna]

Anybody have a mouser part number for the XBEE SMA version. There on-line tech say they dont carry it. If not where are you buying them and do you have a part number?

Okay, I think I found it 888-XBP24-BSIT-004. The picture is wrong, but I think this is the part. It does show correctly here using the same part number.

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=XBP24-BSIT-004-ND

[dirknerkle]

The Mouser part # for the XBPro with the SMA connector is 888-XBP24-ASI-001. Price: $34

The part number for the standard (non-pro) XBee with the SMA connector is 888-XB24-ASI-001

Actually the parts are listed as having the RPSMA connector, but that's the one you want. I have tried both the pro and standard versions of this radio and they work very well. The standard version with a 14" 6db gain Wi-Fi antenna should perform about as well as a Pro version with the 1" whip antenna. The Pro version with the same wi-fi antenna is dynamite!

Both are listed as "NEW at Mouser" so you won't find them in the catalog.

BTW, the U.FL connector isn't as bad as originally thought. Turns out it's a little snap-on thing that's very snug and secure, and the little 8" antenna cable you can get has an RPSMA connector on the end. It actually may be easier to mount that on the Ren-W in a case and mount the cable end through a hole in the case -- gives you a LOT more flexibility in locating the radio inside a case. Thanks to stenersonj for the tip!

[rjchu]

Great, thanks again!

-joni-



Thanks -- packed and ready for a Cliff Claven pickup first thing in the morning!
-dave

[chicken]

Put me down for 4. Thanks

[rjchu]

Cliff came through yesterday with 4 boards. Thanks for the quick ship!

Time to play with the Ren24's I just built and figure out how to use the PIC programmer I bought from Kelly so I can play with the addressable Renard firmware. Might just have to order some components to build these boards if all goes well. For now I bought them just in case I want to play with them later. I suspect that volume of use of the RenW's isn't high enough to support a group buy. Perhaps someone will prove me wrong! ;)

Thanks again!

-joni-




Thanks -- packed and ready for a Cliff Claven pickup first thing in the morning!
-dave

[dirknerkle]

I suspect that volume of use of the RenW's isn't high enough to support a group buy. Perhaps someone will prove me wrong! ;)


I tried to get a group by for a Ren-W kit going but to get the price of the XBee radio from its normal $32 down to even $29 took an order of 288 units -- far more than there was interest. The other parts cost almost nothing -- geez, RJ45 jacks, a couple resistors, 16-pin DIP socket, a few cheap capacitors, an LED... they're common parts that many folks just keep on hand anyway.

Before you order any Ren-W parts, check out the Wiki section for the BOM and construction. I recently added pics of a couple stripped-down but fully functional Ren-Ws, and you can save money by using only the parts you need for the kind of board you want. For example, if you're using the start address firmware, most of your boards would be receivers only so there's no sense installing the parts that are for the transmitting side of things on those boards. There are 25 total parts on the board but a receive-only can be made with only 16 of them and a transmit-only board with 12. And of if ever change your mind, you can always add the missing parts at a later date.

[IdunBenhad]

Hi:
Dave, I am just getting started on the Ren-W boards.

I think my configuration will be to use the "High Power" version of the XBee for the transmitter and "low power" version for the receivers. By using a high gain antenna at the transmitting end, I think I will have more than adequate coverage for my area. I only have to go a maximum of 115'. With the new "addressable" Renard PIC software, daisy chaining is no longer necessary, thus making wireless use and construction much easier.

I am going to try to photograph the procedure as I go along, in case any one is interested in "How I Did It!".

Right now plans are to mount the Ren W transmitter and a Vastelec FM02 FM transmitter in an old first aid kit box that I salvaged from a yard sale.

I don't know yet how many receivers I will be using. That is up to the Christmas lights budget. It's not in too good shape right now, but may be replenished sporadically!

Thanks again.

[dirknerkle]

Hi:
Dave, I am just getting started on the Ren-W boards.

I think my configuration will be to use the "High Power" version of the XBee for the transmitter and "low power" version for the receivers. By using a high gain antenna at the transmitting end, I think I will have more than adequate coverage for my area. I only have to go a maximum of 115'. With the new "addressable" Renard PIC software, daisy chaining is no longer necessary, thus making wireless use and construction much easier.

I am going to try to photograph the procedure as I go along, in case any one is interested in "How I Did It!".

Right now plans are to mount the Ren W transmitter and a Vastelec FM02 FM transmitter in an old first aid kit box that I salvaged from a yard sale.

I don't know yet how many receivers I will be using. That is up to the Christmas lights budget. It's not in too good shape right now, but may be replenished sporadically!



Idun,

I use some of the lesser-powered XBees as receivers, too and with the gain of a better antenna (and the high-powered SMA radio) I think that should work pretty well. I don't think there will be any interaction between the XBee and the Vastelec as their frequencies are so far apart. I initially thought I had a problem with interaction last year, but it proved to be a poor connection to the FM antenna.

If you're going to use a Ren-W as a transmitter, one thing you might check is the RS485 signal your PC puts out. The Ren-W was designed to hook up to an SS controller first and foremost, and the measured output voltage/current from one of them is pretty low. It uses only ground and pin5, which is the +485 signal from an SS board. The outputs I've seen from a couple USB-485 converters can overdrive the radio and cause it to lock up, but if you use a passive RS485 converter, it seems to work fine -- the passive ones seem to filter some of the voltage. For example, the following converter works great -- http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/search.sintech%209309

So I've been recommending to folks that the best transmitter to use is actually the USB XBee Explorer board. It's the board you need to program the firmware in the XBee radios but it shows up as an additional COM port to your computer. Just set Vixen to use that com port and you're good to go. The explorer board is about the same size as the XBee Pro radio and is a fantastic transmitter. Then you can put all the Ren-Ws out in the field.

FWIW, I do have a solution to the problem of overdriving the XBee and I'm toying with the idea of adding it to the Ren-W, but in light that the XBee Explorer board is such a great solution, I'm thinking that it's redundant and unnecessary.

[IdunBenhad]

Hi:
Thanks for the info. I am not sure which RS485 converter I am using and can't check because they are in Yuma and I'm in Washington State.

Just wondering if terminating the RS485 line with the recommended 120 ohms or possibly lower would load the data line enough to make it agreeable to the XBee?

May be that a terminating resistor on each end would be OK. Of course, if the line were short, say just a few feet or few inches, that might load it too much.

I will look into the Explorer board. That would be very advantageous, especially when experimenting with various configurations, etc.

[rjchu]

Excellent, it's always good to have (cheaper) options available!

Thanks,

-joni-




I tried to get a group by for a Ren-W kit going but to get the price of the XBee radio from its normal $32 down to even $29 took an order of 288 units -- far more than there was interest. The other parts cost almost nothing -- geez, RJ45 jacks, a couple resistors, 16-pin DIP socket, a few cheap capacitors, an LED... they're common parts that many folks just keep on hand anyway.

Before you order any Ren-W parts, check out the Wiki section for the BOM and construction. I recently added pics of a couple stripped-down but fully functional Ren-Ws, and you can save money by using only the parts you need for the kind of board you want. For example, if you're using the start address firmware, most of your boards would be receivers only so there's no sense installing the parts that are for the transmitting side of things on those boards. There are 25 total parts on the board but a receive-only can be made with only 16 of them and a transmit-only board with 12. And of if ever change your mind, you can always add the missing parts at a later date.

[dirknerkle]

It's a wrap, sportsfans!

All the boards are gone. Depending on interest, I may start another board buy sometime later this summer, perhaps July or August. Until then, remember that the PCB layout is available via the Wiki and you can always etch your own.

[rklarman]

Looks like I found this a little late... please let me know if/when another group buy comes up. Thanks!

[mmulvenna]

Somebody call the exterminator, I was infested by 10 bees via ups today.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[kychristmas]

Somebody call the exterminator, I was infested by 10 bees via ups today.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

So where did you purchase ten modules and how much?

[dirknerkle]

Another Group Board Buy has started for Ren-W boards.

There are TWO versions of the board available: the popular SMA version and a new Rev6 version which is much smaller. All circuit and layout enhancements have been incorporated into the new boards. The standard board (with the radio pointing upward) has been replaced with the more popular SMA version so the regular board will not be available.

Pricing and other board information is in the FIRST POST -- be sure to read it!

http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showpost.php?p=106094&postcount=1

The boards are currently on order; I expect to start shipping sometime before mid-July.

I anticipate that this will be the last Ren-W board order for 2010 as there are already more than 200 of them out there from the first buy. Even so, if you are thinking about making your Renard system wireless in 2010, getting in on the action now seems like a pretty good idea...

Book 'em, Danno...

-dave

[rjchu]

Mostly off topic so sorry in advance...

I'm looking for the post from, don't remember who, that had rigged up a bunch of these and sequenced in a bunch of his neighbors. I believe it was a post with pics of his setups (a RenW and Ren64 per house) and links to video of everything running. Anyone have a link handy? Search isn't turning up anything for me.

Thanks,

-joni-

[tweist]

Try this one.

http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11581

Its under "What it takes to bring your block to life " in the 'How To's'

[LabRat]

Question about the Rev 6 ren-w boards...

dirknerkle wrote:


While the physical difference between the two boards is fairly obvious, there are two operational differences: the Ren-W SMA board has repeater capability (retransmit the received signal to the next radio) and can also be used as an XBee Explorer board while the Rev6 board cannot do either since it has only one RJ45 jack. However, the smaller Rev6 board is a good fit if space is an issue in your controller box or if you know that it will never be used as a repeater board or for reprogramming an XBee radio.

The inability to re-transmit is obvious. What I'm not clear on is why this board could not act as an XBee Explorer. If both the Tx and Rx lines *could* be connected to the RJ45.. it seems to my limited ape descended brain... that it would be a perfect XBee explorer. Using a single cable, and not some funky y-branch cable.

What am I missing ??

[dirknerkle]

Question about the Rev 6 ren-w boards...

dirknerkle wrote:


The inability to re-transmit is obvious. What I'm not clear on is why this board could not act as an XBee Explorer. If both the Tx and Rx lines *could* be connected to the RJ45.. it seems to my limited ape descended brain... that it would be a perfect XBee explorer. Using a single cable, and not some funky y-branch cable.

What am I missing ??

The Ren-W was intended to be a "plug-in adapter," complete with all the implied simplicity the term infers. The number of postings related to simple cabling problems users have encountered in making even a simple serial cable to connect to a Renard DB9 or RJ45 was my basis for making the comment.

It actually is *possible* to do -- it's just that it's no longer a "plug in" kind of solution and you need to build a special cable and make a couple other special little mods. It's definitely a true DIY'ers project, but probably not one for a newbie and I didn't want to spend endless hours trying to explain it over and over and over and over and over...

....and over...

..............and over..... in posting after posting, endless PMs... etc...

The second reason is that Digi's XCTU software uses hardware handshaking to talk to the XBee radio which is not only faster, but more secure when you're talking about updating a radio's firmware. The Ren-W does not use the RTS/CTS lines at all to provide for that security.

The USB XBee explorer board is only $20 and supports all the communication lines to the radio. IMO, purchasing an USB Explorer board is just as important to getting involved with XBee radios as is purchasing a PIC programmer if one is entering the Renard world. It's a necessary piece of equipment.

[tweist]

You need to listen to Dirknerkle on this one. The USB XBee explorer board for $20 was one of the best investments I make. And besides, you are going to need one anyway to connect your USB port for your computer to your transmitter anyway. Trying to make up a Serial to RJ45 cable is not as easy as it sounds due to the length you want, cross talk, and timing issues you may introduce at the same time. Trust me, we know about timing issues. You can purchase the USB XBee explorer board from the Robot Shop and it usually ships the same day. I bought 3, one for each transmitter I have and one for a spare. This will be the best $20 you have spent so far.

[dirknerkle]

FYI... I've heard that many folks are having trouble getting XBee Pro radios from Mouser. I just checked their stock and they're LOADED with radios. If they're on backorder for you, you might contact Mouser and find out what's happening...

[IdunBenhad]

Hi:
I modified one of the original boards to the Xbee Explorer (sort of). Dirknerkle is aware of the mods. He and Tweist are right, it is not for the newbie or faint of heart. It is time consuming, requires careful soldering and cutting of some of the traces on the original board.

I ran the handshaking lines to unused inverters on the MAX232 chip and then through a special cable to the RS232 comm port on the computer.

It is better to spend the $20 for the Explorer board than to modify the board as I did.

[barryiseeu]

Where can i find the info on the Xbee Explorer?
thanks

barry

[dirknerkle]

The USB Explorer is available from Sparkfun electronics or from the Robot Shop. It's the same board at both places but it's about $5 cheaper at the Robot Shop.

[rocketcrazy07]

If there are still boards left I would like 2 of the Rev6 boards. Will send payment when I know there are still boards left.

[dirknerkle]

There will be plenty of boards available -- they haven't come yet! They're supposed to arrive on Tuesday. So yes, there will be Rev6 boards.

[dirknerkle]

The latest Ren-W boards have arrived. And as promised, I'll start shipping tomorrow, July 14th.

I've also updated the Wiki with a bit of information about the Rev6 board, too.

Mouser also recently received a shipment of XBee radios from Digi -- if you have them on backorder, it'd be a good time to check with Mouser on it.

Also, the 3.3v regulator is on backorder, but #595-UA78M33CKCS is essentially the same thing and they list 464 in stock.

I don't plan on replenishing my stock of either the SMA or the Rev6 board for the rest of the year, so if you want to make sure you have boards, please order them early. It's already mid-July and 4 months from now, most of you will be setting up your displays, not building them...

-dave

[dirknerkle]

All the boards have been shipped to those that have bought them in the 2nd round of the board buy -- except for those who have asked me to hold onto them while they're traveling. :cool:

Get 'em while they're hot...

[jerryinmich57]

Dirk I have a couple of questions. Do you have any sma boards left? And if I understand everything I can use a XBee USB Explorer from SparkFun, a sma board and two xbee radios and I will not have to cable out my window to my first renss16 then I can cable to the rest of my boards outside. I think I will go with the sma board even though for now it will just receive but I have learned in the hobby next year things will change.
Jerry

[toodle_pipsky]

Got mine yesterday! Thanks heaps! :)

[dirknerkle]

Dirk I have a couple of questions. Do you have any sma boards left? And if I understand everything I can use a XBee USB Explorer from SparkFun, a sma board and two xbee radios and I will not have to cable out my window to my first renss16 then I can cable to the rest of my boards outside. I think I will go with the sma board even though for now it will just receive but I have learned in the hobby next year things will change.
Jerry

Plenty left. Yes, you can do that. Sorry for the short reply-am on vacation and the blackberry is dying...

[dirknerkle]

It's state fair time -- get 'em while they hot, folks. Plenty of SMA and Rev6 Ren-W circuit boards available... slice 'em, dice 'em, put 'em in the yard. Yessiree, they're a bargain at twice the price, but you can pick em up here:

http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showpost.php?p=106094&postcount=1

Phone lines are open...

[Aussie Ryan]

Got my boards thanks!

[tweist]

Dave

You are a true sales man. But I already got my 18 boards and I don't think I want to solder any more, my fingers have blisters......:D

Then again, I may need some more for next year.

[dirknerkle]

Dave

You are a true sales man. But I already got my 18 boards and I don't think I want to solder any more, my fingers have blisters......:D

Then again, I may need some more for next year.

Ahhhhhh yes, but another 18 and you'd have 36! That's the spirit!!! You know, one of the features of the new boards is what I call "exomount technology." This is a direct response to all those like me who are worried that surface mount technology is going to take over and you'll need a microscope to solder-up your next project. Yessiree, we've got the perfect solution. Exomount Technology. In fact, the new boards don't require soldering at all -- they have spring clips throughout... of course, the boards are 14 x 16 inches in size, but that's the price we pay for convenience, right? Not to mention bad eyesight...

Get 'em while they're hot, folks! Exomount is BIG! :shock:

[tweist]

But I already use a microscope to solder. What does that say?

[macmike]

I need four of the rev6 boards.

Mike

[dirknerkle]

I need four of the rev6 boards.

Mike

Here's how to order them:

http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showpost.php?p=106094&postcount=1

[macmike]

Thanks. Paypal payment sent.

Mike

[dirknerkle]

*BUMP*

Just wanted to remind everyone that Ren-W Boards are available for 2011. Check the FIRST POST of this thread for pricing.

[Livermore-Dad]

*BUMP*

Just wanted to remind everyone that Ren-W Boards are available for 2011. Check the FIRST POST of this thread for pricing.

Fine whatever

if I can connect to my first ren with cat5 and only need to go to maybe another 2 controllers (maybe 4)..

Or skip the cat5 go wireless for about 25' through exterior wall? and than about 90' to another controller and the next controller I'm guessing will be right there. (so I could use cat5 between ren2 and ren3 (12").


Tory

[dirknerkle]

Is there a question in that posting?

[Livermore-Dad]

Maybe not, just giving you an opp to up your post count? :)

So the rev6 is meant for an endpoint only, and thus can either receive or transmit, correct? (so an edge device).

And the SMD card will allow transmit and receive is that right? (so core?)

Do I have that correct?
Tory

Just trying to figure out what to purchase for my environment.

[tweist]

Tory

What you need to do is draw up a simple map and attach it to your post so we can see what you are doing. That way if there is a better idea, it can be suggested at that time.
It is really simple to do this. Just give us an idea of how you want to layout your controllers.

[dirknerkle]

Maybe not, just giving you an opp to up your post count? :)

So the rev6 is meant for an endpoint only, and thus can either receive or transmit, correct? (so an edge device).

And the SMD card will allow transmit and receive is that right? (so core?)

Do I have that correct?
Tory

Just trying to figure out what to purchase for my environment.

The Rev6 board can be used as either a receiver OR a transmitter, but not both. It was developed to be a smaller package as *most* Ren-W units are receive only.

The SMA board (not SMD) has space for two XBee radios, and can be used as a receiver only, a transmitter only, as a repeater or as a retransmitter when both on-board XBees are utilized. As a repeater, the only option is to forward the signal to the "next" controller, which is to create a sort of wireless daisy-chain system. The retransmitter is used when you need to transmit from one location to a central receiver and have that central receiver transmit to all the field units.

Tweist has the most experience with a large display and has offered excellent advice. Draw out what you have in mind and others can help you. Otherwise, the firmware for the mindreading module is a ways away from release...

[eroberts]

paypal payment sent for 2 sma boards.

[dirknerkle]

paypal payment sent for 2 sma boards.
Got it, thanks. They'll go out tomorrow morning.

[dirknerkle]

My current stock of Ren-W boards is as follows: 31-SMA type, 25-Rev6 type for a total of 56 boards.

If you're toying with the idea of doing wireless this season and you want production circuit boards, now would be a good time to order them because I may not order any more this year.

There are more than 250 Ren-W boards already out there in DIY land somewhere which leads me to believe that's the reason why interest in wireless has really dropped off -- it could be that everyone who wants them already has what they need! Therefore, with 56 in stock right now, it doesn't look like I'll order any more this year because I'm not looking to tie up a lot of money in a new order for a couple hundred more boards. What this means to you is that come September/October, I may not have any in stock if you wait until then to order Ren-W production boards...

But either Ren-W board is an easy board to home-etch, so you always have that to fall back on. :mrgreen:

[acreiss]

Paypal sent for 4 SMA boards....
Thanks


Adam

[jcarney]

Payment sent for 4 SMA boards
Thanks

[klyneshouse]

2 Rev6 boards -
ill combine payment with a few 8X's as well -

thanks !

[mlkren]

In for 4 SMA boards.

Payment sent.

Thanks,

Mike

[dirknerkle]

Mlkren & Klyneshouse -- boards are in the mail.

[dindallas]

Please send me 5 Rev6 boards. I will send the Paypal payment today.

thanks!!!

[dirknerkle]

Please send me 5 Rev6 boards. I will send the Paypal payment today.

thanks!!!

On their way.

[gmbartold]

Your advise would be appreciated. I'm just starting out in this hobby and have ordered a Ren ss16 & ss24 from James Round 2. (I hesitated for a minute and missed out on round one :( I would like to go wireless and purchase the boards now while they are available. I have a very small piece of property, so distance is not an issue. I don't want to hang wires out my upstairs window where my show computer is kept. Am I correct in assuming that I will need either 3 of the SMA boards or 3 of the Rev 6 board's? I already have two CG1000 enclosures awaiting fulfillment. BTW very nice wireless display Tweist!

Thanks
Gary

[rjchu]

Welcome! For your two controllers and assuming they're far enough apart that you want a radio at each of them then you'd only need two renw boards - one at each controller. The third xbee radio for transmitting would be seated in the xbee explorer board from sparkfun.com or someplace similar. Check out the renw wiki, there's a lot of good info in there.

Good luck,

-joni-



Your advise would be appreciated. I'm just starting out in this hobby and have ordered a Ren ss16 & ss24 from James Round 2. (I hesitated for a minute and missed out on round one :( I would like to go wireless and purchase the boards now while they are available. I have a very small piece of property, so distance is not an issue. I don't want to hang wires out my upstairs window where my show computer is kept. Am I correct in assuming that I will need either 3 of the SMA boards or 3 of the Rev 6 board's? I already have two CG1000 enclosures awaiting fulfillment. BTW very nice wireless display Tweist!

Thanks
Gary

[IdunBenhad]

Hi:
You can use 3 Rev 6 boards for your controllers. Two would be set to receive and one to transmit.

The only problem you will have is setting the XBees for the proper baud rate, etc. For that you will probably need the XBee Explorer board, in which case, as RJCHU said, you could use it as the transmit board.

I use Rev 6 boards and keep the Explorer for experimentation, etc.

This coming season I will be using the MiniRen4/XB at the top of a megatree controlling a 3 channel star and one or two Rev 6 boards into XMUS boards down at the gate/fence. The Rev 6 has to have a slight modification to use it with the XMUS boards, but it is easy to do.

IMO, the Rev 6 is the best one to use when the XBees are not being used in repeater mode. They are smaller and have fewer components.

[gmbartold]

Hi:
You can use 3 Rev 6 boards for your controllers. Two would be set to receive and one to transmit.

The only problem you will have is setting the XBees for the proper baud rate, etc. For that you will probably need the XBee Explorer board, in which case, as RJCHU said, you could use it as the transmit board.

I use Rev 6 boards and keep the Explorer for experimentation, etc.

This coming season I will be using the MiniRen4/XB at the top of a megatree controlling a 3 channel star and one or two Rev 6 boards into XMUS boards down at the gate/fence. The Rev 6 has to have a slight modification to use it with the XMUS boards, but it is easy to do.

IMO, the Rev 6 is the best one to use when the XBees are not being used in repeater mode. They are smaller and have fewer components.

I would like to thank both of you for your input. RJCHU mentioned distance between controllers in his comments and after rethinking my future layout, I will only need wireless to the first controller and cat 5 cable to the second. Sometimes you just miss the obvious. I will probably go with two Rev 6 boards after I check out the xbee explorer board and renw wiki.

Thanks again,
Gary

[tweist]

Gary

Just remember "Line do site" if you can not see the transmitter antenna, you may have problems. But sense you are going such a short distance you really should have no problem. Also, watch out for tree's. The signal has a really hard time getting thru trees and leaves.

Good luck, and once you have it setup, it will work great.

[gmbartold]

Please send me 2 Rev 6 boards

Payment sent

Thanks,
Gary

[dirknerkle]

On their way, Gary.

[eschnell]

2 Rev6 Boards Please

Payment will be sent once I finish typing this...

[dirknerkle]

2 Rev6 Boards Please

Payment will be sent once I finish typing this...

They're on their way!

[dirknerkle]

Ren-W Rev6 Board Blowout - Super-Low Prices!

I just received a new shipment of Rev6 boards from a new supplier -- first board is $5, each additional board is only $4. Includes paypal and shipping to U.S. International orders add $2.

Get 'em while they're hot. I don't plan to order any more in 2011. How to order information is in the FIRST post of this thread.

-dave

[bobkeyes]

I'll take 3. The money is on the way.

[mikeh65]

8 RenWRev6 boards please. PayPal money sent.

[Materdaddy]

Money sent for 5!

[ChiefWarrant]

Can I get 6 Rev6 boards?

[dirknerkle]

All current orders shipped. About 70 boards left...

[Materdaddy]

All current orders shipped. About 70 boards left...

Wow, 70 left. I wondered how many you ordered. With a number listed, my guess was your new order was 100, and 30 are already gone?

[dirknerkle]

Wow, 70 left. I wondered how many you ordered. With a number listed, my guess was your new order was 100, and 30 are already gone?

Yep. I typically order 100 at a time. And rather than wait for an official group buy to "front" the money, I just bet on the come, pay for the boards out-of-pocket and hope that they'll sell... and they eventually do... Since I started this goofy wireless stuff a couple years ago more than 400 Ren-W boards are now out there in the wild, and this current effort could very well be the end of any interest for quite a while. I have no clue who has actually built them and is using them nor do I know how many have been home-etched. So it's a crap-shoot...

[Materdaddy]

I understand the crap-shoot. No slight to your efforts or anything, but I am just buying the PCBs in case I have enough money to spend populating them.

For now, they'll sit bare in the "projects" cupboard in the garage with the extra RenSS24 and some of the other things I'm sitting on from group buys.

I have a feeling some neighbors might want to "get in on the action" and wireless will be the best/easiest. Not to mention, future expansions. If you're not going to produce another batch in the foreseeable future, it further reinforces my buy of the PCBs! Thanks a million!

[PinakBERT]

Are SMA boards still available? if not... Can the Rev6 boards be used in a way to: transmit from one rev6 --> receive on another rev6, signal goes though a ren24ss board then back out another rev6 board to transmit ---> next rev6 receive board attached to another ren24ss ?

so 4-rev6 board equals 2-rev6 board and 1 sma board? is that right?

Or just get an explorer board and set the Rev6 boards to receive?

can this work with RPM's DMX dongle? Disregard DMX question.. found answer in wiki...

[budude]

Are SMA boards still available? if not... Can the Rev6 boards be used in a way to: transmit from one rev6 --> receive on another rev6, signal goes though a ren24ss board then back out another rev6 board to transmit ---> next rev6 receive board attached to another ren24ss ?

so 4-rev6 board equals 2-rev6 board and 1 sma board? is that right?

Or just get an explorer board and set the Rev6 boards to receive?

can this work with RPM's DMX dongle?

You cannot run DMX with RenW's because they do not support the speed required.

[steve_hirst]

ok I'm in for 8 money will fallow

thanks

[PinakBERT]

i'll take 6... paypal info still valid on the first post??

[dirknerkle]

Yep. Everything's current.

[PinakBERT]

Payment sent for 6

[mlkren]

Payment sent for 4 boards

Thanks,

Mike

[BuzzKill]

Paid last week for 2 of the SMA and 3 of the Rev6. I think I made it in under the wire.

[dirknerkle]

Paid last week for 2 of the SMA and 3 of the Rev6. I think I made it in under the wire.

You did indeed!!! Excellent timing!

[ChiefWarrant]

Dave,

I looked through the Ren-W wiki and did not see a part number for the Xbee standard.

I looked on Mouser at some of the $19 price ranged chips and saw 888-XB24-AWI-001. Is this the standard version of the chip?

Thank you.

Tony

[dirknerkle]

The current part numbers are listed on the ANTENNA page of the Ren-W Wiki:

What are the part numbers for the various XBee antenna types?

Mouser's part numbers for XBee Pro modules currently are:
888-XBP24-AWI-001 --- 1" whip antenna
888-XBP24-ACI-001 --- on-chip antenna
888-XBP24-AUI-001 --- U.FL. antenna connector
888-XBP24-ASI-001 --- RPSMA antenna connector

Mouser's part numbers for regular XBee modules currently are:
888-XB24-AWI-001 --- 1" whip antenna
888-XB24-ACI-001 --- on-chip antenna
888-XB24-AUI-001 --- U.FL. antenna connector
888-XB24-ASI-001 --- RPSMA antenna connector

[WireWrap]

Dave, please put me down for four (4) Rev 6 boards. Payment enroute.

Thanks in advance - Neal

[dirknerkle]

On their way, WW! You will have to be careful about this wireless stuff... once it gets a grip on you and your mind gets going with the possibilities, you are basically doomed!!! :lol:

[BuzzKill]

I have the original REN 24 (2.5) boards from Frank. The RS-232 is different than the 3.X boards. (pin 4 and 5 are swapped I think) Is that all I have to change to get Ren-W to work with my boards?

[dirknerkle]

I have the original REN 24 (2.5) boards from Frank. The RS-232 is different than the 3.X boards. (pin 4 and 5 are swapped I think) Is that all I have to change to get Ren-W to work with my boards?

Yes, that's the only difference from the 3.0 board as I recall. Just switch the cable pinouts.

[BuzzKill]

Now all I need is the 5V tap.

[dirknerkle]

Now all I need is the 5V tap.

I'm not sure what the Ren24 pre-3.x board's layout is, but there is probably a test point somewhere on it where you could tap +5v. You might check the large cap that's near the voltage regulator. On the Ren24LV 2.0 board, there's a set of 6 header pins called "Power Tie" and +5v is on one of them; perhaps the 2.5 board has such a power tie setup. There's also TP1 and TP2 (on the LV) which are toward the upper-right corner of the board. I believe TP2 has +5v. That may not help much since you're working with a 2.5, but I'll bet there are a few places where you can snag +5v pretty easily. For one thing, there are 3 PICs on the board and pin#1 on each of them has +5v...

[BuzzKill]

FYI - On the 3.0 boards there is a cap on the power supply that does not get populated. It is right next to the voltage regulator heatsink. You just add a header pin to the "+" hole and tap that for your +5V.

So I have the SMA and the Rev 6 board built and populated. I am using the explorer "sled" from sparkfun to attach one of the XBee Pro's to my laptop. The SMA board with the radio on the RX side works great! The range is insane. I am on a 1/3 of an acre and I was able to walk all the the way to the back of my property and still send the data to the REN 24 in the garage a couple hundred feet away! But...

The Rev6 board is no worky! The diag light blinks. But nothing appears to be going out the rs-232 port. I can swap the xbee modules between the SMA and the Rev6 board. The issue follows the board, not the radio. So I know the radios are configured correctly. I have a shunt on the RX jumper.

[dirknerkle]

FYI - On the 3.0 boards there is a cap on the power supply that does not get populated. It is right next to the voltage regulator heatsink. You just add a header pin to the "+" hole and tap that for your +5V.

So I have the SMA and the Rev 6 board built and populated. I am using the explorer "sled" from sparkfun to attach one of the XBee Pro's to my laptop. The SMA board with the radio on the RX side works great! The range is insane. I am on a 1/3 of an acre and I was able to walk all the the way to the back of my property and still send the data to the REN 24 in the garage a couple hundred feet away! But...

The Rev6 board is no worky! The diag light blinks. But nothing appears to be going out the rs-232 port. I can swap the xbee modules between the SMA and the Rev6 board. The issue follows the board, not the radio. So I know the radios are configured correctly. I have a shunt on the RX jumper.

The blinking LED tells me that the XBee is working fine. Check the Ren24's input setting -- I believe it should be in RS232 mode. The earliest Ren24 it was tested on was the 3.0 board, so what it sounds like to me is a cable mismatch. Ren-W's output in RX mode uses only pins 1 (gnd) and 5 (signal).

[BuzzKill]

The SMA board plugged into the same REN24 works fine. Swap out to the Rev6 and no worky. Are they that different?

[dirknerkle]

The SMA board plugged into the same REN24 works fine. Swap out to the Rev6 and no worky. Are they that different?

The Rev6 double-inverts the output signal and provides RS232 on pin5 while the SMA provides only RS485- on pin4. This is because the Rev6 board has only one RJ45 which has to double-up for TX/RX while the SMA has a dedicated RJ45 for TX and another for RX.

[BuzzKill]

What does this mean in english? Does this mean I have to make a different cable to make Rev6 work with the Ren24 3.0 board? The SMA board works with a regular CAT 5 cable going from the SMA to the Ren24

[dirknerkle]

With the SS boards, Ren64, and Ren24's post-version 3.0, you can just plug them in, although the Rev6 may require setting a jumper on the controller to use RS232 instead of RS485. Because the pinout for the Ren24 2.5 was different, you may well have to make a special cable. In a similar vein, I've heard that the Xmus-16 board requires a special cable for the same reason -- but I have not confirmed this.

EDIT: RStehle confirmed that the Xmus16 board has the same pin-out as the Ren24 3.x and Ren64, so it should work fine with Ren-W.

[BuzzKill]

Okay .. so we are up to UK english. :)

I'm going to pull the MAX232 chip and swap that out then with the SMA board. The REN24 board is V3.0. Straight CAT5 works with the SMA board. It does not with the REV 6 board. Even if the wire out was different, in theory, I only need to swap the 4,5 wires mid cable? So blue/wht to wht/blu and wht/blu to blu/wht. Well that doesn't work either with the REV6. So I am kind of down to maybe the MAX232. Maybe it is bad. I dunno.

[dirknerkle]

Okay .. so we are up to UK english. :)

I'm going to pull the MAX232 chip and swap that out then with the SMA board. The REN24 board is V3.0. Straight CAT5 works with the SMA board. It does not with the REV 6 board. Even if the wire out was different, in theory, I only need to swap the 4,5 wires mid cable? So blue/wht to wht/blu and wht/blu to blu/wht. Well that doesn't work either with the REV6. So I am kind of down to maybe the MAX232. Maybe it is bad. I dunno.

Hmmm.... that's a pretty good idea... my experience with Rev6 and that of others has been pretty straight-forward, and there's so darned few components on it that it ought to be a piece of cake. How about the 3.3 zener diode -- is that in backwards? The stripe should be DOWN. If it were reversed, it would surely hiccup...

[BuzzKill]

10447
Well... That didn't work either. Swapped the max232 from the SMA to the Rev6 with same results. But the max232 in the SMA board and it came right up. What else could it be?
I have swapped the radios.
I have swapped the max232 chips
The REV 6 just gets the one jumper on the RX header.
The 5v tap from the 3.0 board works fine with the SMA board.
The diag light is blinking on the Rev 6 when power is applied
The diodes are facing the right way.

[dirknerkle]

Wow.... it almost sounds like there's a short somewhere... are the spring wires inside the Rj45 jack okay and not crossed/shorted? I've seen that one (hard to diagnose as it's so easy to overlook)... If you have a scope, you ought to be able to see activity on pin 5 in RX mode... If that doesn't work for you, lemmeknow. In the mean time, I'll PM my address to you and you could send it to me to figure out what the problem is. The board is pretty simple, really, and it should be a plug-in-and-go gizmo...

[Imperialkid]

I was just wondering if anyone had thought of or was planning a group buy for the RenW components. I have read that it would take a very large amount of XBees to drop the price enough to make it worthwhile. Dirk has a lot of boards heading out to folks all over, and maybe it would be beneficial for the rest of the BOM. Just curious and not able to per the DIYC rules on Group Buys ... not that I have time anyways! The Marines have a way of sucking up all your free time ... and the wife ... oh and the two children under 3 years old!! LOL!!

[BuzzKill]

The cost of the components and the small qty doesn't really justify a group buy, in my opinion. I already populated my boards. It was less than $10.00 per. It is not worth buying a ton of components, sorting them all into kits and reshipping. Just my $0.02.

[Mactayl]

Bumped due to multiple spams

[Imperialkid]

I might be(and probably am) mistaken, but when I imported the BOM to the Mouser, I thought I remembered the total being around $48. I knew the radio was just over $30. Not a $$ issue ... just curious if there was a GB in the works before I place an order.

[dirknerkle]

I might be(and probably am) mistaken, but when I imported the BOM to the Mouser, I thought I remembered the total being around $48. I knew the radio was just over $30. Not a $$ issue ... just curious if there was a GB in the works before I place an order.

Hiya. I've never run a GB on parts or Xbees because of the quantities. A GB stops at 50 and in quantities of 50, the savings on the BOM are about $3, most of which gets eaten up with paypal and shipping fees. So it's just not worth it to try.

What IS worth it to you, though (if you can swing it) is that when you order parts, order a bunch. For example, a single 680 ohm resistor is about a dime plus shipping, but a packet of 200 of them is only about $3 and you won't have to buy another 680 for years! For $30 you can buy all the resistors in various values that you're likely to use over the next 5 years or so. Yeah, it's a little more expensive at the front end, but it's a whole lot cheaper over the long haul if you order in bulk quantities. Most of the parts you'll buy have quantity price breaks and it's worth it to consider them for popular parts such as resistors, 6 and 8-pin DIP sockets, breakable header pins (strips of 40-80 pins that you break off the number you need), .1uf capacitors, 2n2222 or 2N3904 transistors, RJ45 plugs and jacks, 5mm terminal blocks, small signal LEDs, 5v voltage regulators, triacs, etc. When you get enough of a stock assembled at your home, you can build almost any of the DIY equipment right out of your stock and you hardly have to order anything.

[mschell]

I second the recommendation to buy in bulk, at least those things that you will use over and over...It pays for itself many times over if you even think you'll build another board or run a group buy at a later time.

It's amazing how much cheaper things are once you go over the 5 or 10 or 25 qty number. And stuff like resistors gets dirt cheap if you go over 200. Distributors like this, because it's easier for them to just throw a whole bag of 200 than to count out 5 or 10 of the same item.

And shop around among distributors. I find that Mouser is cheaper than DigiKey for most stuff, but that Future Electronics is even better. Look for alternate part numbers or suppliers for the same or similar items. A few places take a little longer to ship, but it's worth it in the end.

[dindallas]

The cost of the components and the small qty doesn't really justify a group buy, in my opinion. I already populated my boards. It was less than $10.00 per. It is not worth buying a ton of components, sorting them all into kits and reshipping. Just my $0.02.

How did you get the components for $10 per board? I have ordered some Rev6 boards and I pulled up the Mouser BOM list. The total for one board was $45.64. I have never built one so I must have missed something. I like your price better than what I get. How did you do that for $10 per board? Please point me in the right direction.

Thanks

[erm213]

How did you get the components for $10 per board? I have ordered some Rev6 boards and I pulled up the Mouser BOM list. The total for one board was $45.64. I have never built one so I must have missed something. I like your price better than what I get. How did you do that for $10 per board? Please point me in the right direction.

Thanks

My guess, is that it was $10 a board, without the XBee radio, as that is the biggest cost to the Rev6 boards.

[gdyrdave]

Are there any Rev6 Converter boards left. I just need 1. Thanks

[dirknerkle]

Are there any Rev6 Converter boards left. I just need 1. Thanks

Yep. About 20

[gdyrdave]

Can you throw one in to the first order I made today? If not thats ok. Need one to xmit to the ones i just bought.

[dirknerkle]

Can you throw one in to the first order I made today? If not thats ok. Need one to xmit to the ones i just bought.

Dang! When I saw your note, I went out to the mailbox to grab the package and stick it in the the mail truck had already been by!

You can also use the XBee explorer board to be the transmitter. It's a great transmitter -- and as long as you need it anyway to set the XBee radio's communication settings, you might as well use it. But I can certainly get a Rev6 off to you if you still feel you need it.

[gdyrdave]

I could modify the rev6 to be a transmitter couldn't I. This would be the one used at the computer side. I could use others for the ren 24's i have. The I can be like you. Look ma...no wires..LOL

[gdyrdave]

Anyway I will take 3 rev6 boards. I can do something with them. Paypal on the way. Thanks Dave.
(if you just happen to have an SMA board laying around...I could use that)...LOL

[dirknerkle]

I could modify the rev6 to be a transmitter couldn't I. This would be the one used at the computer side. I could use others for the ren 24's i have. The I can be like you. Look ma...no wires..LOL

Yes, the Rev6 works fine as a transmitter -- was just trying to save you a couple bucks...


Anyway I will take 3 rev6 boards. I can do something with them. Paypal on the way. Thanks Dave.
(if you just happen to have an SMA board laying around...I could use that)...LOL

Sorry, no SMAs left for sale... but don't forget, both the SMA and Rev6 are designed for home etching... In the mean time, I'll get your Rev6 boards on their way...

[gdyrdave]

Thanks my friend,

Dave

[rocketcrazy07]

Hey dirk could you hold 4 of the Rev6 for me I am waiting on a paypal dispute to be resolved so i don't have to pay for the charge that i didnt make. Thanks.

[dirknerkle]

Hey dirk could you hold 4 of the Rev6 for me I am waiting on a paypal dispute to be resolved so i don't have to pay for the charge that i didnt make. Thanks.

Sure, glad to.

[rjchu]

Can you put me down for 4 more? I'll pp funds as soon as I get home tonight.

Thanks,

-joni-

[dirknerkle]

Can you put me down for 4 more? I'll pp funds as soon as I get home tonight.

Thanks,

-joni-

Sure, 4 more Rev6 boards set aside for you.

[rjchu]

Sure, 4 more Rev6 boards set aside for you.

Payment just sent!

Thank!

-joni-

[dirknerkle]

Payment just sent!

Thank!

-joni-

They're on their way... Current count is 26 boards left.... get 'em while they're hot, folks!!!

[rocketcrazy07]

Just sent payment for 4 thanks for holding them for me paypal just resolved my dispute and got my money back

Chris

[dirknerkle]

On their way, chris....

[latntekky]

any Rev6 left? id like a pair. let me know and ill paypal you

[dirknerkle]

any Rev6 left? id like a pair. let me know and ill paypal you

Yes, I have about 26 boards left. I try to keep post #1 up to date with current stock levels...

[latntekky]

im in for 2 rev6.. just paypal'd you
thank you

[dirknerkle]

On their way...

[rocketcrazy07]

Just got mine thanks again dirknerkle cant wait to go all wireless. Is there any chance that you will be doing another round of these next year since I will need more for when i expand my display.

[dirknerkle]

Just got mine thanks again dirknerkle cant wait to go all wireless. Is there any chance that you will be doing another round of these next year since I will need more for when i expand my display.

Not sure. I have a couple dozen in stock right now, and if I restocked now with another full order, I'd have a bunch of money tied up in boards for probably a year, maybe more. The PCB layout is available in the Ren-W documentation and it's easily home-etchable, which lessens demand. We'll see how it goes.

[macebobo]

Dave,

I have a question regarding why the XBee is programmed at 8, 1, Mark, and 2 stop bits. Is this a function of the XBee for streaming or ???

Also, just send $29 to your for 7 more rev 6 boards. (p.s. you can thank Tom Sawyer for this!)

Thanks,
John

[dirknerkle]

Dave,

I have a question regarding why the XBee is programmed at 8, 1, Mark, and 2 stop bits. Is this a function of the XBee for streaming or ???

Also, just send $29 to your for 7 more rev 6 boards. (p.s. you thank thank Tom Sawyer for this!)

Thanks,
John

Hey, John. I'll get your boards on the way tomorrow.

The 8,Mark,2stop is because the mpu in the XBee runs a little hot -- a bit faster than an exact 57600, although still within the tolerance of acceptibility. The PIC is running at exactly 57600 and on controllers that have more than 7 PICs (such as a Ren64 or three SS24s in a daisy chain) the 8th pic of the series exhibits some dropouts. The mark parity and 2 stops effectively slows the XBee down just enough so that the 8th PIC reacts normally and isn't data starved.

If you don't have a Ren64 or more than 7 PICs connected in a daisy chain, then 8,N,1 will perform just fine.

[macebobo]

Hey, John. I'll get your boards on the way tomorrow.

The 8,Mark,2stop is because the mpu in the XBee runs a little hot -- a bit faster than an exact 57600, although still within the tolerance of acceptibility. The PIC is running at exactly 57600 and on controllers that have more than 7 PICs (such as a Ren64 or three SS24s in a daisy chain) the 8th pic of the series exhibits some dropouts. The mark parity and 2 stops effectively slows the XBee down just enough so that the 8th PIC reacts normally and isn't data starved.

If you don't have a Ren64 or more than 7 PICs connected in a daisy chain, then 8,N,1 will perform just fine.

Thanks Dave. I knew there had to be a good reason. -- John

[dirknerkle]

A new shipment of Ren-W Rev-6 boards has arrived -- for those of you who are on the fence about going wireless, now would be a great time to pick up a few. I've kept the pricing at $5 for the first board and $4 for each board thereafter, including shipping...

BTW, to check on the current quantity of boards in stock, read the FIRST POST of this thread. I'll try to keep an updated count at the bottom of that posting...

[budude]

Order in for 1xSMA, 2xRev6 - going to try and change my LEDTriks to wireless this year...

[dirknerkle]

Order in for 1xSMA, 2xRev6 - going to try and change my LEDTriks to wireless this year...

Cool idea! On their way...

[rjchu]

I must be crazy...

Payment sent for 4 more Rev6 PCB bringing my total up to 12.

Thanks,

-joni-

[Wish_g]

Order in for 1xSMA, 2xRev6 - going to try and change my LEDTriks to wireless this year...
Cool idea! On their way...
So, does Ren-W work with LedTricks ?

[dirknerkle]

So, does Ren-W work with LedTricks ?

No reason why it wouldn't as long as the signal to control the Ledtricks is serial. Ren-W is a wireless replacement for a serial cable.

[rjchu]

Dirk,

I just want to make sure you saw this and got the PayPal the other day.

Thanks,

-joni-





I must be crazy...

Payment sent for 4 more Rev6 PCB bringing my total up to 12.

Thanks,

-joni-

[Wish_g]

So, does Ren-W work with LedTricks ?
No reason why it wouldn't as long as the signal to control the Ledtricks is serial. Ren-W is a wireless replacement for a serial cable.
Thanks Dave! Could, also, a Renard controller (e.g. a Renard 24) be connected together with a LedTricks' one, in order to control them with the same Ren-W controller ?

[dirknerkle]

Thanks Dave! Could, also, a Renard controller (e.g. a Renard 24) be connected together with a LedTricks' one, in order to control them with the same Ren-W controller ?

I believe that you need two serials ports if you have a LedTricks and a Ren24 -- I don't think they can share the same port because their signaling mechanisms are different. Therefore, you'd need a separate set of Ren-Ws for each, and on top of that, you'd set them to use different channels as well or you'd get interference.

[Wish_g]

Ok! I was afraid of that... Thanks, again!

[rjchu]

Dirk,

The other 4 PCB's showed up yesterday, thanks!

I got your note and, yes, wireless is certainly agreeing with me! These are for next year but I'm thinking that I'll probably end up ordering some more anyways (unless you do a buy for the snap-in PCB's in which case I'd probably order those instead) as some neighbors have expressed interest in coordinating and it didn't pan out this year since I was too busy but I'm thinking of offering up something to them for next year assuming James does another off-site in which they could opt in to buy (at cost of course) Ren24SS and RenW kits, I'd probably have to handle assembling them and sequencing but then off we go - another neighborhood of crazy blinkers and flashers! ;)

Thanks again,

-joni-

[ritztech]

I would like to get 4 REN-W full bom/kit ....


not sure if i need anything else :) i have currently 4 RENss24s

Thanks ;)

[dirknerkle]

I would like to get 4 REN-W full bom/kit ....


not sure if i need anything else :) i have currently 4 RENss24s

Thanks ;)

Here's a link to the BOM... and, by the way, there are more than 30 pages of docs about it in the Wiki... You can etch your own circuitboard if you like -- the PCB layouts are in the COPPER section of the file library, Or, I have PCBs in stock -- check the first posting of this thread for more information...

http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/index.php?title=Ren-W_BOM_and_Construction

BTW, there isn't a group buy for the BOM, just the boards...

[ritztech]

Cool just for PCB boards and ill have fun at mouser :) ....

PCB express software looks freaking awesome really cool tool to learn electronics

[gdyrdave]

Dave,

Where did you get your sma antennas from. I am thinking going this route for the next wave of boards.

Dave

[dirknerkle]

Dave,

Where did you get your sma antennas from. I am thinking going this route for the next wave of boards.

Dave

I went to eBay and searched for Wi-Fi antennas. Lots of them out there, but watch out for shipping prices.... I looked through many pages and found a deal for 9db wi-fi antennas for the SMA.... I think I got 6 of them for about $15 and free shipping.... it was a steal... On another occasion I bought a dozen of a shorter, 3db gain antenna for about $20 with free shipping.

In db terms, 3db is roughly equivalent to doubling the transmitting power or nearly that in receiving sensitivity, 6db is akin to 4X, 9db is about 8x. Consequently, I'm able to use a few of the cheaper and less sensitive regular Xbees (only $18 each as opposed to $33 for the pro radio) with a good external antenna for a net savings of $12 per Ren-W. However, my main transmitting radio is an XBee Pro with a 9db antenna -- so I get plenty of signal out there in my yard... or neighborhood :lol:

[gdyrdave]

Thankyou sir dave. I appreciate that. Planning on a big order from Mouser. Think I will go that route. Thanks again my friend.


Dave

[Ralph Bing]

are there any more v6 boards available
is there a group buy on the parts?
or a bom

thanks

[dirknerkle]

Plenty of Rev6 boards in stock. No group buys on the BOM though -- the quantity we'd need would be near 300 to got the BOM price down even $4 or so... The first posting of this thread has pricing and ordering info.

[zztopmo]

Ok I have done my homework and now ready to take the next step in the world of blinky flashy.....WIRELESS!




Rick (Gonna Run with the Big Boys) ;)

[kcoggin]

First page says he has rev6 boards still. I just placed an order. I havn't seen a group buy on parts but the bom is on the wiki. heres the link:

http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/index.php?title=Ren-W_BOM_and_Construction

[Livermore-Dad]

First page says he has rev6 boards still. I just placed an order. I havn't seen a group buy on parts but the bom is on the wiki. heres the link:

http://www.doityourselfchristmas.com/wiki/index.php?title=Ren-W_BOM_and_Construction

I'm going to have to stop pushing these, or there will be no more Rev6 boards for me to use.. Dave I may need to get in front of this :)

Tory

[dirknerkle]

I doubt we'll go through 90 boards for a while, Tory. I think you're plenty safe! :lol:

[Livermore-Dad]

I doubt we'll go through 90 boards for a while, Tory. I think you're plenty safe! :lol:

Is that a challenge?!?! ::)

Tory

[dirknerkle]

Hah... Tweist already bought ALL the remaining Xbee radios for his display this year.... I think it was a couple million... :lol:

[zztopmo]

Hey Dave,

Just sent ya some money for 3 boards. Time to jump into the world of wireless.

Rick

[dirknerkle]

Gotcha covered... however, PayPal shipping is not working tonite, so I'll have to do it in the morning.

Now PayPal shipping is working. I love stuff when it works! They'll be on their way tomorrow morning...

[dirknerkle]

Wow, sports fans... flurry of activity today... 12 Rev6 boards and the last 2 SMA boards went out...

This wireless stuff is starting to catch on... :happy:

[kcoggin]

lol i only ordered 3. I think there's a couple left for you. :biggrin:


I'm going to have to stop pushing these, or there will be no more Rev6 boards for me to use.. Dave I may need to get in front of this :)

Tory

[Surovich]

I think Id like 6 Rev6 Boards - I planned to use the Xbee with the antenna on it, I only need to transmit from the basement to the furthest (P2P) about 30-40 feet - Any ideas if this will work well?

Thanks!

[djd]

dirknerkle,

Do you have any Renard-WC boards on hand or can I get in line for about 12 if you are making any plans to procure some?

Although I can't possibly get them in for this year, I would like to get started early for next year if possible.

Could you give me a quote if possible? Zip code is 34953, Port Saint Lucie, Florida. Thanks, djd

[dirknerkle]

Yes. Check the first post of this thread. In fact, in general, those who run group buys put all the information about the group buy in the first or second posting of the thread, so always check there first.

[AZCOMP]

I would like 4 Rev6 boards. I would be interested in a couple SMA boards when available. Please advise how to proceed.

Thanks,

Jeff Smith(AZCOMP)

[dirknerkle]

I would like 4 Rev6 boards. I would be interested in a couple SMA boards when available. Please advise how to proceed.

Thanks,

Jeff Smith(AZCOMP)

I have Rev6 boards in stock; the SMA board is significantly larger and offers little benefit over the Rev6, and in the quantities I'd order, would be almost double the cost because the demand for it has been so low. As such, I may run an interest thread, but it's doubtful there'd be enough interest to warrant stocking the SMA board...

[mikeh65]

I'm not sure if this is where I want to go. I was going to run my wreath this year wirelessly. It worked great in testing and during setup. That was until I set up the FM transmitter. After that, it stopped working right. I don't know if it was the antenna of the transmitter. I tried moving my broadcast antenna, moved it from ground level to on-top of the house. But the issue continued. I did not have time to pull the wreath down to diagnose, so I ran a data line to it. It worked without issues the entire season. Any suggestions on a solution? Could I be having a issue with the Rev6 transmitter board being close to the FM transmitter box? Let me know.

Thanks,

Mike

[dirknerkle]

I'm not sure if this is where I want to go. I was going to run my wreath this year wirelessly. It worked great in testing and during setup. That was until I set up the FM transmitter. After that, it stopped working right. I don't know if it was the antenna of the transmitter. I tried moving my broadcast antenna, moved it from ground level to on-top of the house. But the issue continued. I did not have time to pull the wreath down to diagnose, so I ran a data line to it. It worked without issues the entire season. Any suggestions on a solution? Could I be having a issue with the Rev6 transmitter board being close to the FM transmitter box? Let me know.

Thanks,

Mike

Hi, Mike.

Wow, I've not run into any problems with FM since they're so darned far apart in frequency -- mhz to ghz for Xbees. I suppose there could be some wierd harmonic from the fm station that's bugging it, but more than likely, it's a wi-fi conflict. Do you have a wi-fi network at home or a cordless phone that operates in the 2.4ghz spectrum? That's where we've seen problems. The solution to that is to change the Xbee channel setting (the default is channel C) on all the Xbees so they're all on the same channel again. I had a problem with a wireless Web Cam -- it caused all sorts of problems -- when I unplugged it, the issues went away immediately. Plugged it in, problems... unplugged it, no problems... pretty easy test.

My FM frequency is 87.9mhz and the FM antenna is only about 8 feet away from the main Xbee transmitter, and I've had no problems so I really don't think the proximity of the two is an issue.

[mikeh65]

You may have something. I have dual band internet, digital wireless security cameras, and wireless phone. The weird thing is that I had all three running while testing the Xbees out and they worked fine. I don't know if the FM transmitter was the problem, it was just the last thing I put up before the wreath went haywire. I transmit on 101.5 FM and the antenna is close to 20 feet away. I wonder if the cameras were the issue. It also started working strange when the FM went in. Maybe they were messing each other up and the FM was just a coincidence.

[dirknerkle]

STATUS UPDATE ON REN-W REV6 BOARDS

The Rev6 boards are en route from the board house. There was a week delay in processing the order -- something about a holiday that I didn't know about... So all of you who have placed and paid for your boards, thanks for your patience. I'll get them on their way to you as soon as they arrive.

-dirk

[scottmcm]

Hey Dave, does this new shipment have extras for new orders? You have convinced me to try wireless for 2012! I would start with 4 rev6. If you will have the inventory I will paypal just let me know.

Thanks!

[dirknerkle]

Hey Dave, does this new shipment have extras for new orders? You have convinced me to try wireless for 2012! I would start with 4 rev6. If you will have the inventory I will paypal just let me know.

Thanks!

Yes, I'll have plenty extra....

[scottmcm]

Thanks! Paypal on the way.

[chadowamsley]

I would also be interested in 2 of these once I check to see which xbee is best, and the BOM.

I had one question. I think I have figured out most of the information, but if I have one ren w with xbee, do I still need the usb to rs485 converter ? I plan to have my first controller wireless and the rest daisy chained together. I thought I read where the xbee plugs in and I would select that port in vixen. Which lead me to believe I wouldn't need the usb to rs485 converter.

Either way, I'm still interested in 2. I have my house and parents, and neither want wires running out the house.

Thanks,

[CaptKirk]

Mr. Nerkle,

If one wanted 3 boards, 2 Rev 6, one of the dual, how much would one need to Paypal you to obtain them?? Is the old first post still accurate or has the price gone up a bit (inflation)??

THX,

Mr Kirk :biggrin2:

[dirknerkle]

I would also be interested in 2 of these once I check to see which xbee is best, and the BOM.

I had one question. I think I have figured out most of the information, but if I have one ren w with xbee, do I still need the usb to rs485 converter ? I plan to have my first controller wireless and the rest daisy chained together. I thought I read where the xbee plugs in and I would select that port in vixen. Which lead me to believe I wouldn't need the usb to rs485 converter.

Either way, I'm still interested in 2. I have my house and parents, and neither want wires running out the house.

Thanks,

You'll need some way to connect the PC to wireless either by using the USB XB Explorer board or a USB-RS485 adapter if your transmitter will be a Ren-W. The Explorer board is highly recommended since it's what works best for configuring an XBee radio, and it also can serve as a transmitter. The only issue with it is that since it's a USB device, there's a limit to how far away from the PC the Explorer board can be. I would heartily endorse having both the USB Explorer and a USB-RS485 converter in your equipment stash since having both will give you complete capability.

For those who don't want to drill holes through house walls, Ren-W is a terrific solution. It's one of the reasons why it was invented in the first place!


Mr. Nerkle,

If one wanted 3 boards, 2 Rev 6, one of the dual, how much would one need to Paypal you to obtain them?? Is the old first post still accurate or has the price gone up a bit (inflation)??

THX,

Mr Kirk :biggrin2:

Hiya, CaptKirk!
Rev6 is the board that's on order -- no change in the pricing from the first post. I haven't ordered any SMA boards yet as I'm waiting until the end of the month to determine whether it's feasible to order them based on the interest. The Rev6 has been the board of choice by end users -- it's smaller, less expensive to produce and less expensive to build. Consequently, since it took so long to use up the stock of SMA boards, I'm not too enthusiastic about stocking them again and tying up all that cash... And ordering a small run of them is ridiculously expensive on a per-board basis. We'll just have to see what the numbers say at the end of the month...

[Davor]

I am interested in going wireless, but I want to transmit wirelessly directly from the computer to the first board, which would be a ren48lsd and then ethernet daisy chain to the rest of the ren24ss'. Do I need to convert usb>rs485>rj45 and then hook the ethernet cable to the transmitting Ren-W? My computer already has a serial port, so I'd like to use that and avoid the USB conversion if possible.

[Jrd]

I am interested in going wireless, but I want to transmit wirelessly directly from the computer to the first board, which would be a ren48lsd and then ethernet daisy chain to the rest of the ren24ss'. Do I need to convert usb>rs485>rj45 and then hook the ethernet cable to the transmitting Ren-W? My computer already has a serial port, so I'd like to use that and avoid the USB conversion if possible.

If you want to use your serial port then you will need an RS232->RS485 converter as your serial port will output RS232 and the Ren-w listens for RS485.

How are you going to program the XBees? With the SMA Ren-W?

I would suggest getting one of the XBee Explorer boards, either the USB (http://www.sparkfun.com/products/8687) or Dongle (http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9819), this will make programming your XBees easier and this board can be used as your transmitter, this way you only need one Ren-W (ie. the Rev 6 board) at your controller chain.

[Davor]

Ah, I see now. The Explorer board sounds like an excellent way to go. Thanks.