Wixel Shield for Arduino + Wixel pair +USB cable

Description: This combination deal contains the basic parts you need to go wireless with your Arduino. It consists of one Wixel shield for Arduino, two Wixel modules and one 6’ USB A to mini-B cable for connecting the Wixels to a computer.

The Pololu Wixel is a general-purpose programmable module featuring a 2.4 GHz radio and USB. The Wixel is based on the CC2511F32 microcontroller from Texas Instruments, which has an integrated radio transceiver, 32 KB of flash memory, 4 KB of RAM, and a full-speed USB interface. A total of 15 general-purpose I/O lines are available, including 6 analog inputs, and the 0.1" pin spacing makes the Wixel easy to use with breadboards and perfboards. These features give you three main ways to use this general-purpose module:

• Directly connect the Wixel to a PC to create a wireless USB dongle.
• Add USB connectivity to your project via the Wixel.
• Add wireless capabilities to a remote, self-powered device.

A single Wixel can be used as a computer-interface device, such as a USB-to-serial adapter, and it can even serve as the main controller for your system. Connecting the Wixel to a computer requires a USB A to Mini-B cable or a USB A to Mini-B adapter (not included). Two or more modules are required to take advantage of the Wixel’s wireless capabilities. To help you get started with wireless communication, we offer a combination deal that includes two Wixels and a USB A to mini-B cable.

The Wixel features a built-in USB bootloader that can be used in conjunction with our free Wixel Configuration Utility software to upload custom programs or precompiled, open-source apps to the Wixel (no external programmer is required). Our growing selection of free apps lets you turn the Wixel into whatever you need for your current project. No programming experience or compiler software is required to use these apps: simply download a different app to reuse the Wixel in your next project! We plan to release additional apps in the future for wireless AVR programming, wireless sensing, wireless motor driver interfaces, and more.

Advanced users can modify apps to suit the needs of their specific projects, and the apps serve as examples for programming the CC2511. The Pololu Wixel SDK Repository on GitHub is the central location for obtaining source code and sharing modifications with the community.

The Wixel shield seamlessly enables a wireless link (with a typical range of ~50 feet) to duplicate the functionality of your Arduino’s USB interface, which means you can use the standard Arduino computer software to:

• wirelessly program the Arduino (this feature does not work on the Leonardo or the A-Star 32U4 Prime).
• wirelessly debug sketches with the Arduino serial monitor.
• wirelessly communicate with the Arduino from your computer’s virtual COM port.

More generally, the shield can also be used for wireless communication between an Arduino or Arduino clone and other embedded systems (including additional Arduinos). Alternatively, this board can also be used without an Arduino as a general-purpose Wixel prototyping board.

Warning: The Wixel has not been tested or certified for conformance with any radio regulations, and the Wixel is shipped with only a bootloader that does not use the radio. The 2.4 GHz band is relatively unrestricted in many parts of the world, but it is your responsibility to comply with your local regulations if you program your Wixel to use its wireless capabilities. More information…

Features:

• Wixel shield for Arduino
  • Wireless sketch uploading using the standard Arduino IDE
  • General-purpose wireless serial communication between an Arduino and a computer or other electronics
  • Prototyping space for easier/cleaner construction of custom circuits
  • Shield-accessible Arduino reset button and pin 13 LED
  • Four general-purpose 2/3 voltage dividers (can be used to safely connect 5V signals to 3.3V inputs)
  • Two general-purpose MOSFETs (can be used as level-shifters or high-current outputs)
  • Wixel socket allows the Wixel to be removed and used for other applications

• Wixel modules
  • Full-speed USB
  • 2.4 GHz Radio with 256 available channels that can be configured dynamically
  • Programmable through USB bootloader (no external programmer required)
  • Pre-compiled, open-source apps available
  • Wixel SDK for developing your own applications in C using open source tools and libraries
  • 0.1" pin spacing (compatible with standard breadboards and 0.1" perfboards)
  • 3 indicator LEDs
  • 15 user I/O lines, featuring 6 analog inputs, 2 USARTs (for serial or SPI), and 7 timer channels (capable of PWM)
  • 4 KB of RAM and 29 KB of application program memory (flash)
  • Operating voltage: 2.7 – 6.5 V
  • Operating current: up to approximately 30 mA (can get down to ~100 μA when in sleep mode)
  • Radio
    • Frequency: 2400 – 2483.5 MHz
    • Range: approximately 50 feet (under typical conditions indoors)
    • Bit rate: programmable, up to 350 kbps
    • Effective data rate: up to 10 KB/s

Package includes:

• 1 x Wixel shield for Arduino
• 2 x Wixel modules
• 1 x 6’ USB A to mini-B cable

Documents & downloads:

• User's guide for Wixel shield for Arduino
• User's guide for Wixel shield for Arduino (PDF)
• User's guide for Wixel module
• User's guide for Wixel module (PDF)
• Wixel Apps
• Writing Your Own Wixel App
• Product page