At last! The Building Wireless Sensor networks Basics Kit is now available from Sparkfun Electronics. It includes many of the components you will need to build the examples and projects in the book.
Parts include:
1x – AA battery holder, 2x – 10uf 25v capacitor, 2x – 1.0uf 50v capacitor, 1x – mini-USB cable (6ft), 1x – buzzer, 1x – 9V wall adapter, 1x – photocell, 2x – clear breadboard, 1x – 9V to barrel jack adapter, 2x – XBee 2mW – series 2, 1x – barrel jack, 2x – straight male header (40-pin), 4x – 2mm 10-pin XBee socket, 1x – LED assortment, 1x – TMP36, 1x – 5V black on green LCD (16×2), 2x – XBee breakout board, 20x – 10K ohm resistors, 20x – 100K ohm resistor, 1x – 10K trimpot, 20x – 300 ohm resistor, 20x – 20K ohm resistor, 20x – 200K ohm resistor, 1x – XBee Explorer USB, 1x – 33mm push button, 1x – NPN transistor, 1x – 3.3V voltage regulator, 1x – jumper wire kit
You can buy kits today! Also, check out Howard Wen’s interview with me on O’Reilly Radar, “Wireless sensor networks can see and shape the world” in which for some reason I compare WSNs to enormous underground mushrooms.
Thanks for putting this together!
Since the book’s subtitle is “with ZigBee, XBee, Arduino, and Processing” I was surprised not to see an Arduino in the kit or in the suggested “shopping list” near the beginning of the book. Am I missing something?
There is a second kit planned that will cover everything needed, including the more expensive items. Sparkfun’s feeling was that many people already have Arduinos, so the “Basics” kit covers the more unusual items. A BWSN “Extras” Kit will include Arduinos, additional XBee equipment and a ConnectPort X2.
Would your book also help with the Sparkfun Wireless experimenters kit RTL-08987? I think it has Series 1 Xbee modules and not Series 2. The Arduino and Xbee shield would need to enable/disable a digital output on a remote Xbee module.
I have some students I am working with at DeVry who are working on a pill dispenser project and need something like a local paging system to alert the user to come to the dispenser to get their pills. The project is Arduino based and it looks like a pair of XBee modules could be used for this purpose, The remote Xbee module could be worn on the users neck perhaps. The XBee module in this BWSN kit above has a short antenna and the chip antenna in the other Sparkfun kit would be more compact.
Also, is my assumption correct that the Arduino can control the remote DO on the standalone Xbee module?
My book focuses on the Series 2 (ZigBee) radios. Since the two are similar it can definitely help with the Series 1. You might also want to look at Tom Igoe’s “Making Things Talk” which has a couple simple Series 1 (i802.15.4) projects.
Any clue as to when we can buy a BWSN “Extras†Kit ?
How about a simple “shopping list” until then ?
Many Thanks for a most excellent “Bee Book” !
Cheers…
They just went out of stock this morning. Last time Sparkfun built more within 24 hours so I’d suggest placing a back order, and contacting them to check on the ETA.