mamouda@... wrote:
>
> I'd like to design a wireless sensor network (20 sensors) using PIC microcontrollers.
>
> Which PICs do you think is better for that purpose and which wireless technology (Zigbee. WiMi ?)
I have used XBees for several devices, but would like to move over to
PICs with a Microchip stack at some point to reduce per-unit cost.
My feeling at this point is that ZigBee has a lot of nice features, but
if you don't need them, the fact that it's a standard is NOT important,
because no two ZigBee stacks interoperate yet (as I understand it). So
it's really no more "standard," at this point, than Microchip's MiWi.
So - my decision tree goes like this:
A. Is short development time far more important than per-unit cost? Or,
are you looking to sell the product commercially? Go with XBee. (FCC
approval is a major cost otherwise.) There are some other similar
modules that are no worse, but as far as I can tell, not particularly
better either.
B. If per-unit cost is important, and FCC approval isn't (or you can
afford it), try Microchip's ZigBee solution. Their stack is free, but
you still have to join the "ZigBee Alliance" ($K).
C. Or if you are OK with the subset included in MiWi (<= 1024 nodes, <=
8 coordinators), use that.
So far, for home use, I have done (A) but lean toward (C) next.
For small commercial products, I would go with (A) since the FCC
certification process scares me.
Hope that's of some use.
--
Timothy J. Weber
http://timothyweber.org--
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