We would like to submit Digi XBee Tools for the Engineering Development/Design Tool of the Year.
Digi XBee Tools is a suite of hardware, software and services that promote rapid IoT product development for fast time-to-market as well as ongoing monitoring of devices deployed in the field. The tools support the full lifecycle of development, deployment and management of Digi XBee radio frequency and cellular communication modems which are integrated into wireless designs across a vast array of verticals and applications, from remote monitoring of industrial tanks to smart city lighting, wastewater management, wireless medical devices, precision farming and rentable bikes and scooters. (See www.digi.com/xbeetools.)
Digi XBee Tools are designed to make developers’ lives easier, and to improve every aspect of their processes from prototyping to testing the functionality of their design, ensuring their applications require as few board spins as possible, meet certification requirements and operate securely. They support rapid manufacturing of the configured devices so they can be built and deployed quickly. And they provide all the tools needed to get the finished product deployed and tested in the field and provide monitoring and ongoing management.
Digi XBee Tools include free, individually-priced and subscription service products. For example, Digi XCTU – one of the most popular tools in the suite – is a free download. The hardware tools, such as the Digi XBIB-C Development Board, are individually priced. And Digi Remote Manager – our remote device monitoring and management tool – is a software-as-a-service.
The following is a description of each of the Digi XBee Tools in the suite.
Digi XCTU
The Digi XCTU configuration and test tool is a free multi-platform application designed to enable developers to interact with Digi RF modules through a simple-to-use graphical interface. It includes new tools that make it easy to set up, configure and test Digi XBee® RF modules.
XCTU includes all of the tools a developer needs to quickly get up and running with XBee. These include unique features like graphical network view, which graphically represents the XBee network along with the signal strength of each connection, a communication range test tool and more. Developers can manage and configure multiple RF devices, even remote (over-the-air) connected devices.
Digi XBIB-C Development Boards
Digi XBIB-C development boards are designed for rapid application prototyping to test various features developers may want to add to their product design. For use with cellular modules, the boards feature a USB-direct port, allowing developers to interact directly with the cellular modem. The boards also feature a temperature and humidity sensor that easily demonstrates how Digi XBee modules can interface with an I2C protocol using MicroPython. The development boards are available in surface-mount, through-hole and micro-mount form factors.
Digi XBee GPS Daughter Board
The Digi XBee GPS Daughter Board integrates with the Digi XBIB-C development boards to enable developers to quickly build and test GPS functionality.
Based on the leading U-blox CAM-M8 GPS receiver, the Digi XBee GPS Daughter Board allows developers to quickly and easily add GPS location tracking to applications incorporating Digi XBee modules.
Digi XBee MicroPython PyCharm IDE Plugin
The Digi XBee MicroPython PyCharm IDE Plugin is a tool that simplifies MicroPython coding/compiling, through code examples and a friendly and intuitive platform for MicroPython code development. Leveraging the existing application infrastructure of the PyCharm IDE, developers can be more productive using features such as code completion, error checking, project navigation, the interactive MicroPython console and PyCharm IDE’s built-in developer tools.
Digi XBee MicroPython
Digi XBee MicroPython is a code library offering a trove of supporting edge compute functionality to give developers a jump start on development.
Digi XBee Mobile SDK
The Digi XBee Mobile SDK is a software development kit that includes a range of developer resources, including APIs, libraries and examples for mobile applications, and is designed to simplify the creation of iOS and Android mobile apps that interact with Digi XBee 3 modules via Bluetooth.
Digi XBee Multi Programmer
The Digi XBee Multi Programmer is a device for programming multiple modules to expedite production. Each Multi Programmer can simultaneous program 6 Digi XBee modules, and multiple Multi Programmers can run at once. Combining a PC-based application and a sophisticated, but easy-to-use hardware interface, the Multi Programmer program uses a pre-existing firmware profile created with Digi XCTU® to replicate the firmware profile to the Digi XBee modules plugged into the device.
Digi XBee Network Assistant
Digi XBee Network Assistant is a deployment tool for mapping a network and analyzing network strength. The tool streamlines wireless deployment with these key functions: mass configuration and firmware updates, device mapping and signal strength analysis.
The tool’s firmware update feature makes it easy to push firmware and configuration updates to the local network, ensuring the code is dispersed efficiently across all nodes.
Digi XBee 3 USB Adapter
The Digi XBee 3 USB Adapter is a tool for local commissioning of a network, via a PC. This easy-to-use USB-to-Digi XBee Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) adapter, providing local connectivity to wireless networks. A technician can simply plug the Digi XBee 3 USB Adapter into the USB port of a laptop or PC for instant access to a Digi XBee network and its devices. This compact, USB-powered wireless adapter enables local network configuration, diagnostics and device monitoring.
Digi XBee Mobile App
The Digi XBee Mobile App is a mobile configuration and testing tool, with similar functionality as Digi XCTU, except it is designed for local use in the field.
Digi Remote Manager®
Digi Remote Manager is a hosted platform designed for ongoing security monitoring and rapid firmware updates across the device deployment. The tool provides automated security remediation and notifications as well as complete monitoring and control of all deployed devices from a single interface.
The Digi XBee Tools suite simplifies and expedites the entire lifecycle of IoT application prototyping, development, testing, manufacturing and ongoing monitoring and maintenance. Every phase of this process was carefully examined for opportunities to reduce friction, provide code samples, and support the goals of developers, product managers and administrators in getting products to market and managing deployed device networks.