Arduino Wireless SD Shield Tutorial
Intro: Arduino Wireless SD Shield Tutorial
As the name implies, the Arduino Wireless SD shield serves two functions. Foremost, this shield allows you to easily interface with Xbee transceiver modules to create mesh networks, and other wireless devices. Secondly, the micro SD socket allows you to store and access a large amount of data. Whether using these functions by on their own or together, this chip greatly enhances the capabilities of a standard Arduino. The best part about this shield is how easy it is to use. In no time flat, you can have its various components up and running.
STEP 1: Plug in the Xbee
Plug in your Xbee modules in order to use the shield as a wireless transceiver.
Make sure the module's pointy end is lined up with the edge of the board.
If you are using the shield for wireless data transfer, you will need two or more of them.
(Note that some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This does not change the cost of the item for you. I reinvest whatever proceeds I receive into making new projects.)
STEP 2: Plug It In
Plug your shields into your Arduinos.
STEP 3: Features
The wireless SD shield supports Xbee modules. These modules allow for easy wireless serial communication. A standard module has the range of 100 - 300 feet.
It also boasts a micro SD socket. This can easily be interfaced with the Arduino SD library. Unfortunately, this library does not come bundled with the Arduino development environment, so you will have to set it up yourself.
The shield also boasts a perfboard grid for prototyping your own circuit, and a micro switch for toggling between the USB port and micro SD port.
For more technical information visit its official Arduino page.
STEP 4: Program the Receiver
Plug one of the Arduinos into the computer. Make certain the micro switch is toggled to the "USB" option.
Upload the following code:<pre>//Xbee receiver
//This example code is in the Public Domain
int sentDat;
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
pinMode(2, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
if (Serial.available() > 0) {
sentDat = Serial.read();
if(sentDat == 'h'){
//activate the pumpkin for one second and then stop
digitalWrite(2, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(2, LOW);
}
}
}STEP 5: Setup the Receiver
Unplug the Arduino from the computer. Toggle the micro switch from "USB" to "MICRO".
Plug the red wire from a 9V battery connector into the Vin pin. Plug the black wire into the GND pin.
Connect the positive leg of an LED to pin D2 and the other leg in series with a 220 ohm resistor to ground.
Plug in your battery.
It is now a standalone receiver.
STEP 6: Program the Transmitter
Plug in the Arduino for the transmitter. Make certain the micro switch is toggled to the "USB" option.
Before you upload any code to the Arduino, open the serial monitor. Type in "h" and hit the "send" button. The LED on your receiver should light up. You have made a wireless connection!
Fantastic.
Now upload the following code:<pre>/*
Wireless transmitter demo
Based on Button example code
http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Button
created 2005
by DojoDave <http://www.0j0.org>
modified 28 Oct 2010
by Tom Igoe
The circuit:
* pushbutton attached to pin 2 from +5V
* 10K resistor attached to pin 2 from ground
This code is in the public domain.
*/
// constants won't change. They're used here to
// set pin numbers:
const int buttonPin = 2; // the number of the pushbutton pin
// variables will change:
int buttonState = 0; // variable for reading the pushbutton status
void setup() {
// initialize serial communication:
Serial.begin(9600);
// initialize the pushbutton pin as an input:
pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT);
}
void loop(){
// read the state of the pushbutton value:
buttonState = digitalRead(buttonPin);
// check if the pushbutton is pressed.
// if it is, the buttonState is HIGH:
if (buttonState == HIGH) {
//transmit a High command to the pumpkin and delay a second so that it does not receive more than one command
//per button press
Serial.println('h');
delay(1000);
}
}
STEP 7: Setup the Transmitter
Unplug the Arduino from the computer. Toggle the micro switch from "USB" to "MICRO".
Plug the red wire from a 9V battery connector into the Vin pin. Plug the black wire into the GND pin.
Connect a 10K resistor between pin D2 and ground. Also connect a push button switch between pin D2 and 5v.
Plug in your battery.
It is now a standalone transmitter.
STEP 8: Prepare the SD Card
Before you can use the micro SD card, it needs to be formatted to either FAT16 or FAT32.
On a Mac:
- Connect your SD card
- Open Disk Utlity
- Select the Disk
- Click "Erase" at the top of the window
- Select "Volume Format: MS-DOS(FAT)" and hit "erase"
- It is now FAT32 formatted
On a PC:
- Open "My Computer"
- Right-click on the disk and select "Format"
- Select "FAT" and click "start"
- It is now formatted to FAT16
Once the disk is formatted, the next thing you have to do is make sure that you have the SD Card Library. For instructions on how to setup the library, check out the bottom of Adafruit's extremely thorough micro SD card tutorial.
Plug the SD card into the socket on the shield.
To test the SD card, plug the Arduino into the computer and upload the following code:
<pre>/*
SD card read/write
This example shows how to read and write data to and from an SD card file
The circuit:
* SD card attached to SPI bus as follows:
** MOSI - pin 11
** MISO - pin 12
** CLK - pin 13
** CS - pin 4
created Nov 2010
by David A. Mellis
updated 2 Dec 2010
by Tom Igoe
This example code is in the public domain.
*/
#include <SD.h>
File myFile;
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600);
Serial.print("Initializing SD card...");
// On the Ethernet Shield, CS is pin 4. It's set as an output by default.
// Note that even if it's not used as the CS pin, the hardware SS pin
// (10 on most Arduino boards, 53 on the Mega) must be left as an output
// or the SD library functions will not work.
pinMode(10, OUTPUT);
if (!SD.begin(4)) {
Serial.println("initialization failed!");
return;
}
Serial.println("initialization done.");
// open the file. note that only one file can be open at a time,
// so you have to close this one before opening another.
myFile = SD.open("test.txt", FILE_WRITE);
// if the file opened okay, write to it:
if (myFile) {
Serial.print("Writing to test.txt...");
myFile.println("testing 1, 2, 3.");
// close the file:
myFile.close();
Serial.println("done.");
} else {
// if the file didn't open, print an error:
Serial.println("error opening test.txt");
}
// re-open the file for reading:
myFile = SD.open("test.txt");
if (myFile) {
Serial.println("test.txt:");
// read from the file until there's nothing else in it:
while (myFile.available()) {
Serial.write(myFile.read());
}
// close the file:
myFile.close();
} else {
// if the file didn't open, print an error:
Serial.println("error opening test.txt");
}
}
void loop()
{
// nothing happens after setup
}
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16 Comments
Judico007 5 years ago
My SD card is 16GB formatted as FAT32 on Windows platform.
Please help me. Thanks in advance...
randofo 5 years ago
Judico007 5 years ago
AnnieL49 5 years ago
Hey there. I would like to use this, but to send datas directly to my computer via Wifi. Do you think I can adapt this to make only a wireless transceiver with my computer working as a receiver? (i'm new in this. I'm sure there is better board to use for my project but they are all sold out....)
jonnygeebee3xx 8 years ago
Hi all
I try to get this to work using two Mega 2560 instead of Unos. They dont show any sign of life. Has anyone done this with Megas or knows a solution ?
Thanks
Jorge LuisP1 8 years ago
Hi all, I have an issue when trying to get data to my xbee connected to an Arduino Arduino Wireless SD Shield, not recivo data, this is my code.
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600); // opens serial port, sets data rate to 9600 bps
}
void loop() {
if (Serial.available() >0) {
byte temp= Serial.read();
Serial.print(temp);
}
}
I connect the XBee to a plate and see that XCTU and receipt data, but using the Arduino UNO and Arduino Wireless SD Shield does not work I do not get anything, please aid that could be wrong?
I am sending data from another xbee connected to a PIC 16F877A using a 9600 baud rate on both sides.
Please help me.. Thanks.
marcviader 9 years ago
Dear friends, thanks for the tutorial.
Anyway I would like to ask some additional help.
In my sketch I need to open a file from the SD in order to get two values (void loop) from a list, then I get two values from my sensor, and in the last step I want to save these two values into another or even same file into the SD. The problem is that if I close the SD file (a .txt) to switch the SD sate from READ to WRITE every time I return to the SD to read from the list I will be at the first data from the list, and I would like to continue reading the list.....
1. open SD txt file (there is a list of data: 1. sassa 2.dadad 3.ffsfsf 4.fdfdf
2. get first value of the list: sassa (READ SD)
3. get value from my sensor: s = 122
4. save that value into the file (WRITE SD).
so my question is: how could I avoid to always return to sassa, into the first list position each time I acces the SD file, just because I have closed the SD file in order to be allowed to switch to WRITE the SD ?
many thanks!
adelima 10 years ago
Thank you!
Mhichil 10 years ago
Question: I see that on the image with the SD card that you're using a 4GB. I read that the maximum SD size is supposed to be 2GB. Did you try it successfully with a 4GB ?
Carlos Russo 11 years ago
waymond91 11 years ago
However, i cannot figure out how many pins the shield uses? This will determine if I need an uno or a mega
waymond91 11 years ago
Also, I assume (whoops) that I can program the xbee to switch between transmitter and reciever mode? This is why I want a transceiver instead of a normal model airplane radio. I need to send and receive data from the plane
Hammock Boy 12 years ago
randofo 12 years ago
http://www.parallax.com/StoreSearchResults/tabid/768/txtSearch/xbee/List/0/SortField/4/ProductID/639/Default.aspx
No extra configuration necessary. I just plugged everything in and it worked.
mawat 11 years ago
Hammock Boy 11 years ago