Wixel Programmable USB Wireless Module

The Pololu Wixel is a general-purpose programmable module featuring a 2.4 GHz radio and USB. You can write your own software or load precompiled, open-source apps onto the TI CC2511F32 microcontroller at the heart of the Wixel, turning it into a wireless serial link, data logger, or whatever you need for your current project. With 29 KB of available flash and 4 KB of RAM, the Wixel is even suitable as the main controller for a robot or other system.

The Wixel is based on the CC2511F32 microcontroller from Texas Instruments, which has an integrated radio transceiver, 32 KB of flash memory, 4 KB of RAM, and a full-speed USB interface. A total of 15 general-purpose I/O lines are available, including 6 analog inputs, and the 0.1" pin spacing makes the Wixel easy to use with breadboards and perfboards. These features give you three main ways to use this general-purpose module:

1. Directly connect the Wixel to a PC to create a wireless USB dongle.
2. Add USB connectivity to your project via the Wixel.
3. Add wireless capabilities to a remote, self-powered device.

A single Wixel can be used as a computer-interface device, such as a USB-to-serial adapter, and it can even serve as the main controller for your system. Connecting the Wixel to a computer requires a USB A to mini-B cable (not included). Two or more modules are required to take advantage of the Wixel’s wireless capabilities.

The Wixel features a built-in USB bootloader that can be used in conjunction with our free Wixel Configuration Utility software to upload custom programs or precompiled, open-source apps to the Wixel (no external programmer is required). Our growing selection of free apps lets you turn the Wixel into whatever you need for your current project. No programming experience or compiler software is required to use these apps: simply download a different app to reuse the Wixel in your next project! We plan to release additional apps in the future for wireless AVR/Arduino programming, wireless sensing, wireless motor driver interfaces, and more. Read more about the available apps…

Advanced users can modify apps to suit the needs of their specific projects, and the apps serve as examples for programming the CC2511. The Pololu Wixel SDK Repository on GitHub is the central location for obtaining source code and sharing modifications with the community.

The Wixel as a Wireless Serial Port

Our Wireless Serial App turns a single Wixel into a USB-to-serial adapter and a pair of Wixels into a wireless USB/TTL serial link for communication between two microcontrollers (like an XBee link) or between a PC and a microcontroller. Among many other things, you can use this versatile app to enable communication between two robots or to remotely monitor or control a robot from a computer. Using an RF bit rate of 350 kbps, the serial app is capable of transmitting or receiving up to 10 KB of data per second and can reach a range of approximately 40 feet (under typical conditions indoors), and multiple serial links can be used simultaneously on different channels.

Features

• Full-speed USB
• 2.4 GHz Radio with 256 available channels that can be configured dynamically
• Programmable through USB bootloader (no external programmer required)
• Pre-compiled, open-source apps available
• Wixel SDK for developing your own applications in C using open source tools and libraries
• 0.1" pin spacing (compatible with standard breadboards and 0.1" perfboards)
• 3 indicator LEDs
• 15 user I/O lines, featuring 6 analog inputs, 2 USARTs (for serial or SPI), and 7 timer channels (capable of PWM)
• 4 KB of RAM and 29 KB of application program memory (flash)

Specifications

• Operating voltage: 2.7 – 6.5 V
• Operating current: up to approximately 30 mA (can get down to ~100 μA when in sleep mode)
• Radio
  • Frequency: 2400 – 2483.5 MHz
  • Range: approximately 12 meters (under typical conditions indoors)
  • Bit rate: programmable, up to 350 kbps
  • Effective data rate: up to 10 KB/s
• Size: 0.7" × 1.5"
• Weight without header pins installed: 3.2 g

The kit ships with everything installed except the header pins. A 25×1 straight 0.1" male header strip is included but not fitted to give greater flexibility.

Pololu Wixel User’s Guide (pdf)  Yes, this is a must read before you use this module!

File downloads

Wixel Windows Drivers and Software (release 110322) (12MB zip)

This ZIP archive contains the installation files for the Wixel Configuration Utility, the Wixel command-line utility (WixelCmd), and the required USB drivers for Microsoft Windows.

Wixel Development Bundle for Windows (version 110415) (10MB exe)

This bundle contains all the software you need to get started developing your own Wixel apps in Windows: a copy of the Wixel SDK, the Small Device C Compiler (SDCC), the Pololu GNU Build Utilities, and the Notepad++ Text Editor.

Wixel Pinout and Peripherals (145k pdf)

Printable labeled pinout and peripheral diagram of the Pololu Wixel (actual size). This diagram makes a handy reference when working with the Wixel, and it is small enough to fit on a business card.

Wixel Schematic Diagram (51k pdf)

Printable schematic diagram of the Pololu Wixel.