Digi XBee3 Zigbee Element

The XBee3 Zigbee element is used to send data over a Zigbee network, and enables devices roles for network coordinators and end nodes to create a Zigbee mesh network. This element is for using the Digi XBee3 Zigbee SMT module connected to a supported device, which is featured in the Digi XBee3 Zigbee Mesh Kit.

In order to use the XBee Zigbee element, it’s recommended to have at least two devices connected to Digi XBee Grove Development Boards to create the Zigbee mesh network: one device designated as a coordinator that establishes the network, and the other as an end node. End node devices send data to the coordinator, which the coordinator can then forward. When a coordinator establishes a network, any end node devices that can connect to that network will do so automatically. The coordinator can either be connected to a development board that includes connectivity to send data to Atmosphere, or can be connected to a computer directly without the need to be used alongside a separate development board.

The XBee3 Zigbee is a protocol element that can be imported into the Element Toolbox through the Add Element button located in the toolbox from the Embedded tab. Only one copy of a XBee3 Zigbee element may be used per project; adding multiple copies of the element may cause issues with connecting to the network.

Properties

The following properties can be changed for the XBee3 Zigbee element:

Name

The name of the element.

UART Driver Instance

The UART driver instance to use.

NOTE: The chosen UART driver instance must be exclusive to the Zigbee module. It must not be shared with debug print data.

Network ID

The unique Zigbee network to have data sent to. If a device is designated as a coordinator, it will create a Zigbee network under that ID. If a device is designated as an end node, it will connect and send data to the coordinator that shares that network ID.

Device Role

The designated role of the device within the Zigbee network. There are two roles available:

End Node: End device on the network that broadcasts data. Any number of end node devices can be supported within the network.
Coordinator: Central device that creates and hosts the Zigbee network, and receives data from any end nodes connected to the network. There can only be one coordinator device per network ID.

Expect ASCII Data

The state of data the coordinator device receives: ASCII or raw binary.

Triggers

The following triggers are available to execute events from within the XBee3 Zigbee element:

Triggered

Execute an event when the source element connected to the XBee3 Zigbee triggers.

Data Sent

Execute an event when data is sent over the Zigbee network.

Data Received

Execute an event when the coordinator device receives data.

Abilities

The following abilities are available for the XBee3 Zigbee element when its source element triggers:

Trigger

Trigger the element(s) that follow the XBee3 Zigbee element.

Send Data

Send data to the Zigbee network specified in the element’s Network ID property.

Element Resources

Atmosphere includes a selection of resources for users of all levels that demonstrate using the XBee3 Zigbee element.

Guides

For a step-by-step guide on creating a project that uses the XBee3 Zigbee element, click the guide’s name to learn how to use it within a project.

Name	Hardware	Description
Creating a Zigbee Mesh Network with Atmosphere	HUZZAH32	Introduction to using Zigbee with Atmosphere by having two devices send and receive temperature data between one another over a Zigbee mesh network, and having the data send to Atmosphere.
Using the Atmosphere IoT Agent as a Zigbee Gateway	Arduino Due	Learn how to configure the Atmosphere IoT Agent to operate as a Zigbee network gateway with a simple project that has two devices send and receive data between one another over a Zigbee mesh network, and uses the agent to send the data to Atmosphere.

Demo Projects

To view the XBee3 Zigbee element used within a project, click the demo’s name to open the project in Atmosphere and see how the element is set up.

Name	Hardware	Description
Digi XBee3 Zigbee Receiver Demo	HUZZAH32	The XBee3 Zigbee element is used in this demo by acting as the coordinator of a Zigbee network and passing received data to the Atmosphere cloud. Designed to work with the Digi XBee3 Zigbee Sender Demo.
Digi XBee3 Zigbee Sender Demo	Arduino Mega	The XBee3 Zigbee element is used in this demo by acting as an end node that sends temperature data to the coordinator of the Zigbee network every second. Designed to work with the Digi XBee3 Zigbee Receiver Demo.
Digi XBee3 Zigbee Gateway Demo	Arduino Due	The XBee3 Zigbee element is used in this demo that demonstrates the Atmosphere IoT Agent gateway functionality by acting as an end node that sends temperature data to the coordinator of the Zigbee network, which is then sent to the cloud via the agent.