Connecting an iPhone to an XBee module

Question

I'd like to use an iPhone to monitor output from a remote source using an XBee modem (or other low power wireless device). Ideally, the iPhone can regularly poll the XBee for this information and then use it to display generate output.

This is similar to the way the Nike+iPod thing works I guess but I was wondering if it was possible without the use of the edge-connector attachment?

Internationale

Answer 1

XBee is 2.4GHz, but it's not WiFi or Bluetooth. There's no API for controlling the iPod's radio at that low level. If you want to talk to an XBee network, you'll need to connect via some sort of gateway device that sits on both the XBee network, and one of the networks connected to the iPhone. That could be either the Internet, LAN, or via a physical connection to the dock connector.

If you're comfortable with hardware, you could build a device with an ethernet jack and an XBee radio, and then write software for the iPhone to talk to your gadget, which would pass your messages onto the XBee network.

Or you could build your end node devices to use WiFi directly, leaving XBee out of the equation completely.

Marrissa

Thanks pmb - thats a brilliant help. Do you know of any low power end-node devices that can publish an ad-hoc wi-fi network (for the iphone to connect to) and could readily accept some serial data from a sensor device? I have no problem dropping the xBee, it just seemed like a good place to start and meets requirements in terms of size and power consumption. – Internationale

Low power is the big challenge. Bluetooth and XBee both exist as low power alternatives to WiFi. Sparkfun has sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8869 . Saelig has saelig.com/miva/… . Circuit Cellar and Nuts & Volts magazines are also good starting points for products like this. – Marrissa

Answer 2

i'm working on an App that controls an 802.15.4 ZigBee Module; if you haven't enroll the MFi license there is no way to access to /dev/tty.xx , so if you want, you can try with a jailbroken iPhone and put your apps in /Applications Folder (in this way you can access to the Serial port and note that this is the folder where cydia applications are installed like Cydia.app etc..). Moreover you must have the right hardware and a protocol specification of your module. I use an usb-to-serial RS232, a modified iphone cable connected to the development board where resides the ZigBee module; the communication happens through an UART Binary Protocol.

Hope this help, and other observations are appreciated for me too.

Debose

Answer 3

Digi now has a WiFi XBee Module which can plug-in directly where an old XBee was and can be accessed via TCP or UDP directly from a iPhone app.

Unfortunately, the XBee-WiFi only does WiFi, not both XBee AND WiFi. But, connect the WiFi's DIN and DOUT to an XBee DOUT and DIN and you have a direct WiFi<->XBee portable hardware bridge with no software needed. Throw a microcontroller between them and you can really do some cool stuff. The XBee WiFi's are about $50.

Gerri

Answer 4

I know this is a bit old now, but I recently did a project that used an arduino with a WiServer shield that allowed me to present an ad-hoc network and webpage that could be viewed from my iPhone. I am using it to manage servo controls via GET requests to the web page.

Check out Async Labs for the WiServer stuff. They are in the process of releasing a combined arduino+WiShield product (Black Widow or yellowjacket, depending on your size needs).

Async Labs http://asynclabs.com

Craven

Answer 5

not without resorting to a jailbroken device. bluetooth on iphone 2.x and 3.x devices is purely for handsfree. i've heard of people fooling to work with other audio devices, but that's the extent of bluetooth connectivity.

you want to use a data broker like pachube.com to view your sensor data via http. here's an example iphone app: http://apps.pachube.com/iphone/

Senghor

Answer 6

Use the External Accessory Framework,

3.0 devices can check out the 3.0 SDK External Accessory Framework, It's still under NDA so cant share any code but it is possible.

The External Accessory framework provides a way to communicate with accessories connected to an iPhone OS based device. Use it to interact with accessories connected through the 30-pin dock connector or via Bluetooth.

Lothians

Unfortunately that description is VERY misleading. The EAFramework will only connect to "Made for iPod" devices. Unless the XBee is MFi, it will not be possible through the EA Framework. – Keeleykeelhaul

Answer 7

There is an official development kit from Microchip, so you can develop some hardware in order to create one bridge between iPhone and ZigBee.

There is also one equivalent version for Android.

Casavant