Wireless connectivity using the DigiMesh protocol

Part of the XBee family of wireless products, these modules are easy to use, share a common footprint, and are fully interoperable with other XBee products utilizing the same technology. This allows different XBee technologies to be drop-in replacements for each other; you can switch between 802.11, 802.15.4, ZigBee, DigiMesh and proprietary long-range with minimal development time or risk.

The XBee 2.4 DigiMesh modules use the same hardware as the XBee 802.15.4 modules. It is possible to change from one platform to the other by loading different firmware onto the same module.

DigiMesh Protocol

• Self-healing — Any node may enter or leave the network at any time without causing the network as a whole to fail.
• Peer-to-peer architecture — No hierarchy and no parent-child relationships are needed.
• Quiet protocol — Routing overhead will be reduced by using a reactive protocol similar to AODV.
• Route discovery — Rather than maintaining a network map, routes will be discovered and created only when needed.
• Selective acknowledgments — Only the destination node will reply to route requests.
• Reliable delivery — Reliable delivery of data is accomplished by means of acknowledgments.
• Sleep modes — Low-power sleep modes with synchronized wake-up are supported, with variable sleep and wake times.

2.4GHz DigiMesh Module Features

• Power output: 1mW (+0 dBm)
• Indoor/Urban range: Up to 100 ft (30 m)
• Outdoor/RF line-of-sight range: Up to 300 feet (90 m)
• RF data rate: 250 Kbps
• Interface data rate: Up to 115.2 Kbps
• Receiver sensitivity: -92 dBm
• Spread Spectrum type: DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum)
• Networking topology: Mesh, point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, peer-to-peer
• Error handling: Retries and acknowledgments
• Channel capacity: 16 Direct Sequence Channels
• Addressing: PAN ID, channel, and 64-bit addresses
• Encryption: 128-bit AES
• Supply voltage: 2.8V - 3.4V DC (Footprint Recommendation: 3.0V - 3.4V DC)
• Transmit current: 45 mA (@ 3.3V)
• Receive current: 50 mA (@ 3.3V)
• Sleep current (pin sleep): <10 µA
• Sleep current (cyclic sleep): <50 µA
• Frequency band: ISM 2.4 GHz
• Interface options: 3V CMOS Serial UART (5V-tolerant inputs)
• Configuration method: AT and API
• Digital I/O: 13 I/O lines
• ADC: Six 10-bit analog inputs
• Size: 0.960 in × 1.087 in (2.438 cm × 2.761 cm)
• Weight: 0.10 oz (3g)
• Operating temperature: -40°C to 85°C (industrial)
• Certifications: FCC (USA), IC (Canada), ETSI (Europe), C-TICK (Australia), Telec (Japan)

Antenna options

• with U.FL connector
• with PCB antenna
• with wire antenna

2.4GHz DigiMesh Module Resources

• XBee DigiMesh 2.4 User Manual
• Mechanical Drawing
• Download X-CTU Configuration Utility (click Diagnostics, Utilities and MIBs)
• X-CTU User Manual
• White Paper: Wireless Mesh Networking: ZigBee vs. DigiMesh