RedBee Communication Interface
The RedBee RFID reader has a direct USB and wireless XBee serial interfaces, selected via jumpers.
The USB interface simply connects to a host computer using a USB A to Mini-B cable (included with the RedBee RFID Reader).
The XBee wireless serial interface communicates with another XBee module connected to the host computer via a USB Xbee carrier board.
NOTICE: The RedBee does not come with Xbee. The Xbee Modules must be purchased seperately.
RedBee Networked Mode
The XBee wireless interface is very powerful in that a single host computer can communicate with one or more RedBee readers, simultaneously, using the Networked BPAN mode.
This requires some basic XBee configuration of the RedBee RFID reader and XBee modules, but is very easy to do. Setup will take a matter of minutes. A configuration How-To of the RFID readers to communicate in a Networked BPAN scenario is available below.
RedBee Reading Range
The RedBee RFID Reader has an excellent range of 4 ½”, however, this can vary depending on the RFID tag packaging, input voltage, and orientation of the tag when swiped.
Internal Valid Tag List
The RedBee RFID reader can store up to 48 tags in an internal valid tags list. Tags can be saved/deleted to/from the list either via serial commands, or by toggling the SAVE and/or DEL pins on the reader.
Autopulse Functionality
In response to a tag swipe, the RedBee RFID reader can respond by automatically pulsing one of the four OUT pins. This ‘autopulse’ functionality allows you to connect up to four relays (for example) to the OUT pins, to activate door locks or other peripherals when a valid tag is swiped.
[Independently configure Autopulse parameters for all 4 GPIO lines]
Setting the direction, duration, and enabling of each autopulse pin is fully configurable via serial commands.
Asynchronous Serial Event Notification Packets
The RedBee RFID reader transmits out serial event packets in response to various events, containing data specific to that event and RFID tag id. This allows the host application can decide on the appropriate action to take (e.g. grant access for the tag id swiped), and send a command down to toggle one of the outputs (e.g. to unlock a door).
Asynchronous packets are sent out for the following events:
- Tag Swipe
- Tag Delete (via the DEL pin on the reader
- Tag Save (via the SAVE pin on the reader)
- Pin changes (via the OUTx pins on the reader)
- RF Power Enable/Disable (via the RFP pin on the reader)
This is useful to keep the configuration on the board coherent with host applications that are also communicating with the reader.