This is a second draft of the XBee LilyPad that Kate and I are working on. It adds some noise filtering and decoupling capacitors to help with reliability. We’ve also added LED outputs so users can tell if the XBee is on, associated and receiving information. There’s currently solder jumpers on these lights, so that they can be disconnected if the …

XBee LilyPad Second Draft Read more »

We work with the LilyPad open-source wearables system and the XBee radios a lot at ITP, so Kate Hartman and I decided that it was time to put the two together. My Friday 7 in 7 project was to create a XBee LilyPad board, the first draft of which is pictured above. There’s probably going to be a second draft before …

XBee LilyPad Read more »

The LilyPad XBee sew-in wearable radio created by myself and Kate Hartman just got an update to add a reset button and improve its manufacturability. This board can be paired with LilyPad wearable sensors, custom built sensors and a variety of output devices to create a complete wireless wearable system. Available from Sparkfun for just $14.95 with discounts available for larger quantities. Get yours today! …

New LilyPad XBee Read more »

The LilyPad XBee a sew-in wearable radio is now available from SparkFun Electronics! It can be paired with LilyPad wearable sensors, custom built sensors and a variety of output devices to create a complete wireless wearable system. The board is $14.95 (XBee sold separately). Wow, from 7-in-7 exercise to commercially produced item in five months. I’m still working on nailing down …

LilyPad XBee Now Available Read more »

Wearable radios are coming for your clothes! The LilyPad XBee sew-on ZigBee boards just headed out for manufacture. We finished testing the final green prototype version, nudged in a few improvements and about four weeks from now they’ll be commercially available. Pricing and source to be announced when the boards go live. For now, we can tell you they’ll definitely be …

LilyPad XBee Ready for Manufacture Read more »

Your XBee project isn’t working? Here’s some common mistakes that both beginners and experts make: Not using the latest firmware (especially if ATD0 or ATIR is giving an error)* No reference voltage to VREF pin on the 802.15.4 radios (analog and digital reads give wrong values) Forgetting that AT commands use hexadecimals Hitting return after +++ (or otherwise not respecting 1 …

Common XBee Mistakes Read more »

We’re experimenting with a LilyPad-style wearable coin cell to supply 3.6 Volts to the XBee LilyPad from a 2450 Lithium Ion rechargeable cell. The voltage is nominally out of spec for the XBee, but seems to work just fine in our tests. First draft is at the board house right now.

Kate Hartman and I will be teaching a hot new class in Wireless Wearables using the LilyPad XBee. It is offered through downtown Brooklyn’s hacker space, NYC Resistor on Sunday, December 14th from 2-6 p.m. The price of the class includes your own brand-new LilyPad XBee board, an XBee radio and all needed soft circuit materials. The class description explains all: …

Wireless Wearables Class at NYC Resistor Read more »