Building Wireless Sensor Networks: with ZigBee, XBee, Arduino, and Processing [Paperback]

Robert Faludi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 2010 | ISBN-10: 0596807732 | ISBN-13: 978-0596807733 | Edition: 1

Get ready to create distributed sensor systems and intelligent interactive devices using the ZigBee wireless networking protocol and Series 2 XBee radios. By the time you're halfway through this fast-paced, hands-on guide, you'll have built a series of useful projects, including a complete ZigBee wireless network that delivers remotely sensed data.

Radio networking is creating revolutions in volcano monitoring, performance art, clean energy, and consumer electronics. As you follow the examples in each chapter, you'll learn how to tackle inspiring projects of your own. This practical guide is ideal for inventors, hackers, crafters, students, hobbyists, and scientists.

• Investigate an assortment of practical and intriguing project ideas
• Prep your ZigBee toolbox with an extensive shopping list of parts and programs
• Create a simple, working ZigBee network with XBee radios in less than two hours -- for under $100
• Use the Arduino open source electronics prototyping platform to build a series of increasingly complex projects
• Get familiar with XBee's API mode for creating sensor networks
• Build fully scalable sensing and actuation systems with inexpensive components
• Learn about power management, source routing, and other XBee technical nuances
• Make gateways that connect with neighboring networks, including the Internet

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert Faludi is an NYU Professor, SVA professor, and an expert consultant on commercial projects, including large-scale home energy monitoring. His work has appeared in The New York Times, CNet, Good Morning America, and elsewhere. He is a co-creator of the LilyPad XBee wearable radios, and Botanicalls, a system that allows thirsty plants to place phone calls for human help.

Product Details

• Paperback: 322 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (December 31, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596807732
• ISBN-13: 978-0596807733
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.7 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > APIs & Operating Environments > Palm OS
  • #3 in Books > Computers & Technology > Networking > Wireless Networks
  • #5 in Books > Computers & Technology > Hardware > Internet & Networking

More About the Author

Robert Faludi is a professor in the MFA program at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and also in the Interactive Telecommunications program at NYU. He specializes in behavioral interactions through physical computing and networked objects. Rob is the author of Building Wireless Sensor Networks, with ZigBee, XBee, Arduino and Processing published by O'Reilly Media, 2011. He is currently the Collaborative Strategy Leader in R&D for Digi International, with a mandate to forge stronger connections with the maker community, discover outstanding new work, contribute to outside projects and support innovators. Faludi holds a B.A. from Oberlin College, an M.A. in Cognitive Psychology from New York University, and a second Masters in Interactive Telecommunications also from NYU. For ten years, his San Francisco-based Faludi Computing supported Internet startups like Match.com and Salon, and created interactive web sites for companies like Gap, Visa, Lonely Planet and American Eagle Outfitters. As a researcher for NYU's Department of Psychology and Center for Neural Science, he investigated the connections between visual perception, motor action and the mathematical properties of environmental affordances. At ITP he specialized in physical computing, dense social networks and networked objects, work continued as a Resident Researcher there and at Microsoft Research. He frequently consults on interactive projects including recent work in entertainment, architecture, and toys. Faludi developed device networking and customer engagement systems for GroundedPower and Tendril, both smart energy monitoring startups. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Wired Magazine, Good Morning America, BBC World, at the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry and Museum of Modern Art among others. Projects include Social Genius, a multimedia name-learning game; WildLight, a networked device that brings organic light to dark or windowless spaces and BlueWay, a networked location and wayfinding system. He is a co-creator of the LilyPad XBee wearable radios, and Botanicalls, a system that allows thirsty plants to place phone calls for human help.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Kind to beginners but also useful generally February 4, 2011

By Robin Pain

Format:Paperback

Faludi is kind to the reader by using simple language in the old school of: tell-them-what-you're-going-to-say, tell-them and then tell-them-what-you-said.

I bought the book because although I am not a beginner to electronics, I am to ZigBee, and I am lazy and want a quick start to what to get and why and which "start-bugs" to avoid. Faludi does a good job here and tries to please everybody by including non-Windows based (Mac and Linux) examples where he can (this market is clearly biased towards Windows).

Evidently you could simply download the free ZigBee spec' and read it - it is not too boring and took me about four days to scan through it, but for the cheap price, I would recommend that even a professional would recover the cost in time saved from this book but evidently he will not be interested in the simplistic treatment of how to connect A to B, just the tips and hints and as a quick broad outline for both the spec and the parts range.

For the beginner this book is excellent with both diagrams and photographs of how to wire up the half dozen-or-so connections between one module and another plus very full descriptions + screen shots of how to drive the (mainly Windows based) software.

The firmware example-code is consistently of the simplest-only-to-do-the-principle (there is no cheating by padding with large amounts of code) and gradually the reader is taken into more and more detail about protocols and networking in a painless manner.

A huge amount of work has gone into this book to make it look simple. It is also up to date (late 2010). I highly recommend it to anyone.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wireless networks made easy January 17, 2011

By SFTA

Format:Paperback

This book is a *must* for anyone working with xBee series 2 radios. After wasting countless hours scouring the internet for info on how to update firmware, and configure/interface with the series 2, I found this book to be a godsend. It is simple to follow and clearly written. The book is broken down into little projects so you can quickly get a network up and running, and then move on to building bigger and more sophisticated networks. Without Faludi's guidance, my xBees would surely be gathering dust on a shelf. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in building wireless projects!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great step by step guide... February 14, 2011

By Keith & Sunnie

Format:Paperback

NYU Professor Robert Faludi, has supplied a very easy to follow book tackling the construction of a XBee wireless network, which is not as simple as it may appear. He provides both a step by step guide and a basic understanding/education of the technology involved.

This book starts with describing initial choices around hardware and software to construct a XBee wireless network, Professor Faludi also does a quick tutorial on radio transmissions theory and wireless networking. Once you have the bits and pieces set out, Professor Faludi walks through a number of projects helping to build up the readers overall knowledge:

1. A Wireless doorbell

2. Romantic Lighting Sensor

3. Simple Sensor Network

4. Simple Sensor with Sleep Project

He then discusses a XBee Internet Gateway (XIG) project ( see his blog), this opens up the borders by allowing the XBee radios to proxy through the ConnectPort X2 and hence be accessable via the Web.

Next project, a project to Tweat to a XBee. Professor Faludi concludes the book with a review of the ZigBee stack, a list of plans for the ZigBee platform. Finally there is a resource guide for Arduino, Python, ZigBee, Digi, etc.

This book really offers a end to end introduction to XBee radio networks and is well worth the time for anyone who is hacking or looking at industrial applications in sensor networks.