Digi XBee SX 868 User manual

XBee® SX 868
Radio Frequency (RF) Module
User Guide

Revision history—90001538
Revision Date Description
A June 2017 Initial release.
B September
2017
Updated power consumption values. Added the LB (LNA Bypass)
command.
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© 2017 Digi International Inc. All rights reserved.
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XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 2

Contents
XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide
Applicable firmware and hardware 11
Technical specifications
Regulatory conformity summary 13
Power requirements 14
Networking and security specifications 15
Performance specifications 15
General specifications 16
GPIO specifications 17
LBT and AFA specifications 17
Get started
Verify kit contents 19
Connect the hardware 20
Configure the device using XCTU 21
Configure the devices for a range test 21
Configure remote devices 21
Perform a range test 23
Hardware
Mechanical drawings 26
Pin signals 27
Pin connection recommendations 29
Operation
Operation 31
Listen Before Talk and Automatic Frequency Agility 31
Single frequency mode band mode 32
Serial communications 32
UART data flow 32
SPI communications 33
SPI operation 34
Configuration considerations 36
Serial port selection 36
XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 3

XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 4
Data format 36
SPI parameters 36
Serial buffers 37
Serial receive buffer 37
Serial transmit buffer 37
UART flow control 37
CTS flow control 37
RTS flow control 37
Serial interface protocols 38
Transparent operating mode 38
API operating mode 38
Advanced application features
Remote configuration commands 40
Send a remote command 40
Apply changes on remote devices 40
Remote command responses 40
Network commissioning and diagnostics 40
Configure devices 40
Network link establishment and maintenance 41
Place devices 42
Device discovery 43
Link reliability 44
Commissioning pushbutton and associate LED 47
I/O line monitoring 50
I/O samples 50
Pin configurations 50
Periodic I/O sampling 53
Detect digital I/O changes 53
I/O line passing 54
Configuration example 54
General Purpose Flash Memory 55
Access General Purpose Flash Memory 55
General Purpose Flash Memory commands 56
Work with flash memory 62
Over-the-air firmware updates 62
Distribute the new application 63
Verify the new application 64
Install the application 64
Networking methods
Directed Broadcast/Repeater mode 66
Point to Point/Multipoint mode 66
Permanent (dedicated) 66
Switched 66
DigiMesh networking 66
DigiMesh feature set 67
Networking concepts 68
Device Configuration 68
Network ID 68
Data transmission and routing 68
Unicast addressing 68

XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 5
Broadcast addressing 68
Routing 69
Route discovery 69
DigiMesh throughput 69
Transmission timeouts 70
Modes
Transmit mode 73
Receive mode 73
Command mode 73
Enter Command mode 73
Send AT commands 73
Apply command changes 74
Exit Command mode 74
Sleep mode 74
Force UART operation 75
Condition 75
Solution 75
Sleep modes
About sleep modes 77
Asynchronous modes 77
Synchronous modes 77
Normal mode 77
Asynchronous pin sleep mode 77
Asynchronous cyclic sleep mode 78
Asynchronous cyclic sleep with pin wake up mode 78
Synchronous sleep support mode 78
Synchronous cyclic sleep mode 78
Wake timer 79
Indirect messaging and polling 79
Indirect messaging 79
Polling 80
Sleeping routers 80
Sleep coordinator sleep modes in the DigiMesh network 80
Synchronization messages 80
Become a sleep coordinator 83
Select sleep parameters 85
Start a sleeping synchronous network 85
Add a new node to an existing network 86
Change sleep parameters 87
Rejoin nodes that lose sync 87
Diagnostics 88
AT commands
Special commands 91
AC (Apply Changes) 91
FR (Software Reset) 91
RE command 91
WR command 91

XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 6
MAC/PHY commands 92
CM (Channel Mask) 92
HP (Preamble ID) 92
ID (Network ID) 92
MT(Broadcast Multi-Transmits) 93
BR (RF Data Rate) 93
PL (TX Power Level) 93
RR (Unicast Mac Retries) 94
ED (Energy Detect) 94
LB (LNA Bypass) 94
Diagnostic commands 95
BC (Bytes Transmitted) 95
DB (Last Packet RSSI) 95
ER (Received Error Count) 95
GD (Good Packets Received) 96
EA (MAC ACK Timeouts) 96
TR (Transmission Errors) 96
UA (MAC Unicast Transmission Count) 96
%H (MAC Unicast One Hop Time) 97
%8 (MAC Broadcast One Hop Time) 97
Network commands 97
CE (Node Messaging Options) 97
BH command 98
NH (Network Hops) 98
NN (Network Delay Slots) 98
MR (Mesh Unicast Retries) 98
Addressing commands 99
SH command 99
SL command 99
DH command 99
DL command 99
TO (Transmit Options) 100
NI command 101
NT (Node Discover Timeout) 101
NO (Node Discovery Options) 101
CI (Cluster ID) 102
DE command 102
SE command 102
Addressing discovery/configuration commands 102
AG (Aggregator Support) 102
DN (Discover Node) 103
ND (Network Discover) 103
FN (Find Neighbors) 104
Diagnostic - addressing commands 104
N? (Network Discovery Timeout) 104
Security commands 105
EE (Security Enable) 105
KY (AES Encryption Key) 105
Serial interfacing commands 105
BD (Interface Data Rate) 105
NB (Parity) 107
SB command 107
RO commandt) 107
FT (Flow Control Threshold) 108
API Mode 108

XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 7
AO command 108
I/O settings commands 109
CB command 109
D0 (DIO0/AD0) 109
D1 (DIO1/AD1) 109
D2 (DIO2/AD2) 110
D3 (DIO3/AD3) 110
D4 (DIO4) 111
D5 (DIO5/ASSOCIATED_INDICATOR) 111
D6 (DIO6/RTS) 112
D7 (DIO7/CTS) 112
D8 (DIO8/DTR/SLEEP_REQUEST) 113
D9 (DIO9/ON_SLEEP) 113
P0 (DIO10/RSSI/PWM0 Configuration) 113
P1 (DIO11/PWM1 Configuration) 114
P2 (DIO12 Configuration) 114
P3 (DOUT) 115
P4 (DIN/CONFIG) 115
P5 (DIO15/SPI_MISO Configuration) 115
P6 (SPI_MOSI Configuration) 116
P7 (DIO17/SPI_SSEL ) 116
P8 (DIO18/SPI_SCLK) 117
P9 (DIO19/SPI_ATTN) 117
PD (Pull Up/Down Direction) 118
PR (Pull-up/Down Resistor Enable) 118
M0 (PWM0 Duty Cycle) 118
M1 (PWM1 Duty Cycle) 119
LT command 119
RP command 119
I/O sampling commands 119
AV (Analog Voltage Reference) 119
IC (DIO Change Detection) 120
IF (Sleep Sample Rate) 121
IR (I/O Sample Rate) 121
TP (Temperature) 121
IS command 121
%V (Voltage Supply Monitoring) 122
I/O line passing commands 122
IU (I/O Output Enable) 122
IA (I/O Input Address) 122
T0 (D0 Timeout) 123
T1 (D1 Output Timeout) 123
T2 (D2 Output Timeout) 123
T3 (D3 Output Timeout) 123
T4 (D4 Output Timeout) 123
T5 (D5 Output Timeout) 124
T6 (D6 Output Timeout) 124
T7 (D7 Output Timeout) 124
T8 (D8 Timeout) 124
T9 (D9 Timeout) 125
Q0 (P0 Timeout) 125
Q1 (P1 Timeout) 125
Q2 (P2 Timeout) 125
Q3 (P3 Timeout) 125
Q4 (P4 Timeout) 126

XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 8
PT (PWM Output Timeout) 126
Sleep commands 126
SM command 126
SO command 127
SN command 127
SP (Sleep Period) 128
ST (Wake Time) 128
WH (Wake Host) 128
Diagnostic - sleep status/timing commands 129
SS (Sleep Status) 129
OS (Operating Sleep Time) 129
OW (Operating Wake Time) 129
MS (Missed Sync Messages) 130
SQ (Missed Sleep Sync Count) 130
Command mode options 130
CC (Command Sequence Character) 130
CT command 130
CN command 131
GT command 131
Firmware commands 131
VL command 131
VR command 131
HV command 132
HS (Hardware Series) 132
DD command 132
NP (Maximum Packet Payload Bytes) 132
CK (Configuration CRC) 132
Operate in API mode
API mode overview 135
Use the AP command to set the operation mode 135
API frame format 135
API operation (AP parameter = 1) 135
API operation with escaped characters (AP parameter = 2) 136
API serial exchanges 138
AT command frames 138
Transmit and receive RF data 139
Remote AT commands 139
Frame descriptions 140
AT Command Frame - 0x08 140
AT Command - Queue Parameter Value frame - 0x09 142
Transmit Request frame - 0x10 143
Explicit Addressing Command frame - 0x11 146
Remote AT Command Request frame - 0x17 149
AT Command Response frame - 0x88 151
Modem Status frame - 0x8A 153
Transmit Status frame - 0x8B 154
Route Information Packet frame - 0x8D 156
Aggregate Addressing Update frame - 0x8E 159
Receive Packet frame - 0x90 161
Explicit Rx Indicator frame - 0x91 163
Data Sample Rx Indicator frame - 0x92 165
Node Identification Indicator frame - 0x95 167
Remote Command Response frame - 0x97 170

XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 9
Regulatory information
Europe (CE) 173
OEM labeling requirements 173
Declarations of conformity 174
Antennas 174
PCB design and manufacturing
Recommended footprint and keepout 176
Design notes 178
Host board design 178
Improve antenna performance 179
RF pad version 179
Recommended solder reflow cycle 180
Flux and cleaning 181
Rework 181

XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide
The XBee SX 868 RF Module is an embedded radio frequency (RF) device that provides wireless
connectivity to end-point devices in mesh networks.
The XBee SX 868 RF Module delivers up to 32 mW of Effective Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP) and
has excellent receive sensitivity, low operating current, and exceptional performance in low power
modes. The module’s frequency hopping technology offers advanced interference immunity, affording
long range data throughput even in challenging RF environments. The XBee SX 868 RF Module uses a
microprocessor that supports host communication through Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) or
universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART), as well as digital, analog, and pulse width
modulation (PWM) lines for interfacing with peripherals.
Applicable firmware and hardware 11
XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 10

XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide Applicable firmware and hardware
XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 11
Applicable firmware and hardware
This manual supports the following firmware:
n0xA00x, Europe
nv.10xx zigbee
It supports the following hardware:
nXBee SX 868 RF Module

Technical specifications
Regulatory conformity summary 13
Power requirements 14
Networking and security specifications 15
Performance specifications 15
General specifications 16
GPIO specifications 17
LBT and AFA specifications 17
XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 12

Technical specifications Regulatory conformity summary
XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 13
Regulatory conformity summary
This table describes the agency approvals for the devices.
See Regulatory information for details.
Country Approval
Europe (CE) Yes
The following table shows the channel frequencies.
Operational frequency band1Channel # Frequency
K 0 863.15 MHz
1 863.35 MHz
2 863.55 MHz
3 863.75 MHz
4 863.95 MHz
5 864.15 MHz
6 864.35 MHz
7 864.55 MHz
8 864.75 MHz
9 N/A2

Technical specifications Power requirements
XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 14
Operational frequency band1Channel # Frequency
L 10 865.15 MHz
11 865.35 MHz
12 865.55 MHz
13 865.75 MHz
14 865.95 MHz
15 866.15 MHz
16 866.35 MHz
17 866.55 MHz
18 866.75 MHz
19 866.95 MHz
20 867.15 MHz
21 867.35 MHz
22 867.55 MHz
23 867.75 MHz
24 N/A2
M 25 868.15 MHz
26 868.35 MHz
N 27 868.85 MHz
28 869.05 MHz
Q/R329 869.85 MHz
1The operational frequency bands are in compliance with Table B.1 in ETSI EN 300 220-2 V3.1.1.
2Channels 9 and 24 are removed to comply with section 4.3.4 of ETSI EN 300 220-2 V3.1.1
3Band R applies when polite spectrum access is being used, i.e. more than one channel is enabled.
Band Q applies when polite spectrum access is not used, i.e. when channel 29 is the only enabled
channel.
Power requirements
The following table describes the power requirements for the XBee SX 868 RF Module.
Specification Condition Value
Supply voltage range 2.4 to 3.6 VDC
Typical supply voltage 3.3 V

Technical specifications Networking and security specifications
XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 15
Specification Condition Value
Receive current VCC = 3.3 V 40 mA
VCC = 3.3 V, LNA bypass enabled 34 mA
Transmit current VCC = 3.3 V 55 mA @ 32 mW EIRP
VCC = 3.3 V 45 mA @ 16 mW EIRP
VCC = 3.3 V 40 mA @ 10 mW EIRP
VCC = 3.3 V 35 mA @ 5 mW EIRP
VCC = 3.3 V 32 mA @ 2 mW EIRP
Sleep current VCC 3.3 V, temperature = 25 °C 1.8 µA
Networking and security specifications
The following table describes the networking and security specifications for the devices.
Specification Value
Modulation Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying (GFSK)
Spreading technology Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS)
Supported network topologies
(software selectable)
Peer-to-peer (master/slave relationship not required), point-to-
point/point-to-multipoint, mesh
Encryption Use EE (Security Enable) to enable encryption. Use KY (AES
Encryption Key) to set the encryption key.
Performance specifications
The following table describes the performance specifications for the devices.
Specification Condition Value
Frequency range 863 to 870 MHz
RF data rate (software selectable) Low data rate 10 kb/s
High data rate 80 kb/s
Transmit power (software selectable) EIRP1Up to 15 dBm (32 mW)
ERP2Up to 13 dBm (20 mW)
Maximum data throughput High data rate 38.4 kb/s
1Effective Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP) is the device's output power plus 2.1 dBi (dipole antenna gain).
2Effective radiated power (ERP) is the specification tested for regulatory compliance.

Technical specifications General specifications
XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 16
Specification Condition Value
Available channel frequencies All data rates 28
Rural range line of sight1Low data rate Up to 14.5 km (9 mi)
Urban range line of sight2Low data rate Up to 2.5 km (1.5 mi)
Receiver sensitivity Low data rate -113 dBm
High data rate -106 dBm
Low data rate, LNA bypass enabled -100 dBm
High data rate, LNA bypass enabled -94 dBm
Receiver IF selectivity Low data rate ± 200 kHz 40 dB
Low data rate ± 400 kHz 45 dB
High data rate ± 200 kHz 33 dB
High data rate ± 400 kHz 40 dB
Receiver RF selectivity Below 863 MHz and above 870 MHz > 60 dB
UARTdata rate (software selectable) 1200 - 921600 baud
SPI clock rate Up to 6 Mb/s
General specifications
The following table describes the general specifications for the devices.
Specification Value
Dimensions 3.38 x 2.21 x 0.32 cm (1.33 x 0.87 x 0.125 in)
Weight 3 g
Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Compliant
Manufacturing ISO 9001:2008 registered standards
Host interface connector 37 castellated SMT pads
Antenna connector options U.FL or RF pad
Antenna impedance 50 Ωunbalanced
Maximum input RF level at antenna port 6 dBm
Operating temperature -40°C to 85°C
1This number was measured with the LNA bypass disabled.
2This number was measured with the LNA bypass disabled.

Technical specifications GPIO specifications
XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 17
Specification Value
Digital I/O 13 I/O lines, 5 output lines
Analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 4 10-bit analog inputs
Pulse width modulator (PWM) 2 outputs
GPIO specifications
The following table provides the electrical specifications for the GPIO pads.
GPIO electrical specification Value
Voltage - supply 2.4 - 3.6 V
Low Schmitt switching threshold 0.3 * VCC
High Schmitt switching threshold 0.7 * VCC
Input current for logic 0 -0.1 μA
Input current for logic 1 0.1 μA
Input pull-up resistor value 40 kΩ
Input pull-down resistor value 40 kΩ
Output voltage for logic 0 0.05 * VCC
Output voltage for logic 1 0.95 * VCC
Output source/sink current 1 mA
Total output current (for GPIO pads) 20 mA
LBT and AFA specifications
The following table provides the Listen Before Talk (LBT) and Adaptive Frequency Agility (AFA)
specifications.
Specification Condition Value
Channel spacing 200 kHz
Receiver bandwidth 150 kHz
Modulation bandwidth < 300 kHz
LBT threshold Low data rate < -95 dBm
High data rate < -90 dBm
TX on time < 1 second

Get started
Verify kit contents 19
Connect the hardware 20
Configure the device using XCTU 21
Configure the devices for a range test 21
Configure remote devices 21
Perform a range test 23
XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 18

Get started Verify kit contents
XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 19
Verify kit contents
The XBee SX 868 RF Module development kit contains the following components:
XBee
U.FLmodule (3)
XBee
development
board (3)
USB cable (2)
Power supply
(2)
Set of power
supply adapters
(2)
Antenna U.FL (3)

Get started Connect the hardware
XBee® SX 868 RF Module User Guide 20
Connect the hardware
The following illustration shows you how to assemble the hardware components of the development
kit.
1. Attach the XBee SX 868 RF Modules to the development boards.
2. Attach the antennas to the devices.
3. Connect the USB cables to the development boards.
CAUTION! Before you remove a device from a development board, make sure the board
is not powered by a USB cable or a battery.