NOTE: Please remove a XBee modem from a Fio board while uploading sketches.

These are alternative ways to program a Fio with a L-shaped plug and low-profile sockets:

(:table width=100% border=0:) (:cellnr:)

Using a L-shaped plug and soldered low-profile sockets to program a Fio (:cell:)

Using a L-shaped plug without soldered low-profile sockets to program a Fio (:tableend:)

The Fio does not have a built-in USB-to-serial adaptor, so if you're going to program it over USB, you'll need an adapter. Either of these will work well:

The FIo does not have a built-in USB-to-serial adaptor, so if you're going to program it over USB, you'll need an adapter. Either of these will work well:

Download and unzip the following file as YOUR_SKETCH_FOLDER/hardware. After re-launch your IDE, you can find Arduino Fio in the Board menu. You can also choose Arduino Pro or Pro Mini (8MHz) instead, as the settings are the same for both.

There are two ways you can upload new sketches to the Arduino Fio: you can use an FTDI USB-to-serial cable, or USB-to-serial adaptor board; or you can program it wirelessly, over a pair of XBee radios. If you're new to the XBee radios, it's helpful to know a bit about them before attempting the wireless programming. This introduction may help.

Wired Programming

LIke all Arduino boards, the Arduino Fio can be programmed with the Arduino software (download). If you're new to Arduino, see the Getting Started Guide , the reference and tutorials.

The FIo does not have a built-in USB-to-serial adaptor, so if you're going to program it over USB, you'll need an adapter.

(:table width=100% border=0:) (:cellnr:)

FTDI 3.3V cable

(:cell:)

Sparkfun's FTDI Basic Breakout adaptor.
This has the same pin configuration as the FTDI cable

(:tableend:)
To program the Fio using either FTDI cable or an adaptor with the same pin configuration, attach a row of male pin headers to the cable or adaptor like so:

(:table width=100% border=0:) (:cellnr:)

(:cell:)

(:tableend:)

Then connect the headers to the FTDI pins on the Fio:

(:table width=100% border=0:) (:cellnr:)

Using the adaptor to program a Fio (:cell:)

Using the FTDI cable to program a Fio (:tableend:)

If your headers don't fit snugly in the holes (and most won't), you should hold the connector firmly so that the metal of the pins touches the metal of the holes while you're programming.

When your cable is connected to the Fio, open the Arduino programming environment, choose Fio from the Tools-->Board menu. Then choose your serial port from the serial port menu, and you're ready to program If you're using the FTDI adaptor, you'll see the TX and RX lights flicker. You won't see any visible sign on the Fio, but you will see the following in the IDE when you've successfully uploaded code:

This tutorial borrows from Xbee Adapter - wireless Arduino programming by Limor Fried

In order to upload sketches wirelessly using XBee radios, you'll need the following:

• two XBee or XBee Pro 802.15.4 XBee modules. These are also known as Series 1 modules, for those who've worked with XBees for awhile. You can't use the DigiMesh or ZB series radios (aka Series 2 or 2.5). Those modules do not allow for automatic IO Line Passing that is required for toggling the reset pin when programming.
• a recent version of the 802.15.4 firmware (10A5 or later). If you need to upgrade your firmware, you need to use X-CTU (Windows only, unfortunately). If you confirmed these points, please follow the following steps.
• a USB-to-serial adaptor for one of the modules. You can use Sparkfun's XBee Explorer USB or Adafruit's XBee Adapter kit or any other FTDI-to-XBee adaptor.

On your USB-to-serial adaptor, solder in a tiny jumper between the RTS pin and D3 as shown here:

(:table width=100% border=0:) (:cellnr:)

Modified XBee Explorer USB (:cell:)

Modified Adafruit XBee Adapter Kit
The arrow shows the added solder connection (:tableend:)

Preparing the XBee radios

In order to program the Fio wirelessly, you need to configure two XBee radios, one for the Fio and one to connect to the programming computer serially. The latter will connect to your computer using the adapters mentioned in the last step. Once you've done that, you'll program the Fio using the radio link just like a normal Arduino USB-to-serial link.

The settings for the two radios are as follows:

(:table width=70% align=center border=1 cellpadding = 3 cellspacing=0 :) (:cellnr:) Parameter (:cell:) Programming Radio (:cell:) Fio Radio (:cellnr:) BD (:cell:) 4 (Atmega168) or 6 (Atmega328) (:cell:) 4 (Atmega168) or 6 (Atmega328) (:cellnr:) ID (:cell:) user's preference (0000 to FFFF) (:cell:) user's preference (0000 to FFFF) (:cellnr:) MY (:cell:) User's preference, e.g. 0000 (:cell:) user's preference, e.g. 0001 (:cellnr:) DL (:cell:) FFFF or Fio's MY value (:cell:) programmer's MY value (:cellnr:) D3 (:cell:) 3 (:cell:) 5 (:cellnr:) IC (:cell:) 8 (:cell:) not set (:cellnr:) RR (:cell:) 3 (:cell:) not set (:cellnr:) IU (:cell:) not set (:cell:) 0 (:cellnr:)

 IA

(:cell:) not set (:cell:) FFFF (:cellnr:)

 RO

(:cell:) 10 (:cell:) 10 (:tableend:) Note: If you set the programmer's destination address (DL) to FFFF, it will re-program all Fios in its PAN ID. To program one Fio at a time wirelessly while others are on, set the programmer's DL to that Fio's MY address.

If you're running Windows, you have to make a slight change to the driver preferences. In the Device Manager, select the USB COM port. Then right click and select Properties. Click on the Port Settings tab, and click on Advanced..., then make Set RTS On Close is selected and click OK to apply settings.

How to configure XBee modems

You can configure your radios using a terminal application, or using X-CTU on Windows, or you can use the Fio XBee Config Tool. This is a modified version of Shigeru Kobayashi's XBeeConfigTool.

Using Arduino Fio XbeeConfigTool

1. Choose a proper mode (Programmer or Fio)

1. Set a proper MY ID (e.g. 1, for end devices, 0 for programmer)

Configuring the radios using a serial terminal application

If you prefer to set your settings manually, you can set them using any Serial terminal application, such as CoolTerm. Connect the adapter to your computer, and open its serial port at 9600 bps using your favorite serial terminal application.

Set your terminal application's termination string to be a carriage return (ASCI 0x0D) only. Then open the port, and type:

+++

The XBee will respond:

OK

For the programmer radio, type:

ATRE,BD6,ID1234,MY0,DLFFFF,D33,IC8, RR3,RO10,WR

The XBee will respond:

OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK

For the Fio radio, type:

ATRE,BD6,ID1234,MY1,DL0,D35,IU0,IAFFFF,RO10,WR

The XBee will respond:

OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK
OK

That's it! Now connect the Fio radio to your Fio, leave the programming radio in the XBee adapter, and you're ready to upload sketches to your Fio.

Uploading sketches from an Arduino IDE to a Fio board

Uploading sketches to the Fio is similar to other Arduino boards.

As you upload, you should see the green RSSI light on the Fio light up. If you're using an XBee Explorer, you'll also see the TX and RX lights on it flicker as the sketch uploads.

If the Fio does not respond, here are the most common causes of error:

1. make sure the Fio is powered. You can use USB power if you don't have a battery.
2. make sure the slider switch on the Fio is turned ON
3. Check your radio configurations. Did you miss a setting? This is particularly common if you confgured them using a serial terminal application.

When in doubt, check the Fio by programming it over a wired connection as described above.

When your'e ready to start writing sketches for the Arduino Fio, here are some programming tips that will make your life easier.

hardware_folder_for_fio.zip

Hardware Definition for Arduino 0018

Download and unzip the following file as YOUR_SKETCH_FOLDER/hardware. After re-launch your IDE, you can find Arduino Fio in the Board menu. Otherwise, choose Arduino Pro or Pro Mini (8MHz) instead.

Attach:hardware_folder_for_fio.zip

Uploading sketches from an Arduino IDE to a Fio board

1. Choose Tools/Board/Arduino Fio or Tools/Board/Arduino Pro or Pro Mini (8MHz)

Reference: Xbee Adapter - wireless Arduino programming by Ladyada

Arduino Fio Programming

Wired Programming

The Arduino Fio can be programmed with the Arduino software (download). For details, see the reference and tutorials.

The ATmega328P on the Arduino Fio comes preburned with a bootloader that allows you to upload new code to it without the use of an external hardware programmer. It communicates using the original STK500 protocol (reference, C header files).

You can also bypass the bootloader and program the ATmega328P with an external programmer; see these instructions for details.

Wireless Programming

You can upload sketches wirelessly. Make sure you are using a Series 1 (not 2 or 2.5) XBee module if you want to do wireless programming. Series 2 modules do not allow for automatic IO Line Passing (this is required for toggling the reset pin when programming). Also make sure that you have a recent version of the firmware (10A5 or later). If you need to upgrade your firmware, use X-CTU (Windows only, unfortunately). If you confirmed these points, please follow the following steps.

Modifying the XBee-to-USB adaptor

If you are using a XBee Explorer USB (SparkFun Electronics) or XBee starter kit (Adafruit Industries), solder in a tiny jumper between the RTS pin and D3 as following picture:

Modifying the serial port settings (Windows only)

You have to make a slight change to the driver preferences. In the Device Manager, select the USB COM port. Then right click and select Properties. Click on the Port Settings tab, and click on Advanced..., then make Set RTS On Close is selected and click OK to apply settings.

How to configure XBee modems

On Windows and Mac OS X, you can configure XBee modems with XBeeConfigTool.

1. Choose a proper serial port
2. Choose a proper mode (Coordinator or End Devices)
3. Choose a proper baud rate (57600bps)
4. Set a proper PAN ID (e.g. 1234, should be same on both)
5. Set a proper MY ID (e.g. 1, for end devices only)
6. Press the Configure button to configure the XBee modem

Uploading sketches from an Arduino IDE to a FIO board

1. Choose Tools/Board/Arduino Pro or Pro Mini (8MHz)
2. Choose a proper serial port in Tools/Serial Port
3. Write a sketch and press the Upload button

Automatic (Software) Reset

Rather then requiring a physical press of the reset button before an upload, the Arduino Fio is designed in a way that allows it to be reset by software running on a connected computer. One of the pins on the six-pin header is connected to the reset line of the ATmega328P via a 100 nanofarad capacitor. This pin connects to one of the hardware flow control lines of the USB-to-serial convertor connected to the header: RTS when using an FTDI cable, DTR when using the Sparkfun breakout board. When this line is asserted (taken low), the reset line drops long enough to reset the chip. The Arduino software uses this capability to allow you to upload code by simply pressing the upload button in the Arduino environment. This means that the bootloader can have a shorter timeout, as the lowering of the reset line can be well-coordinated with the start of the upload.

This setup has other implications. When the Fio is connected to either a computer running Mac OS X or Linux, it resets each time a connection is made to it from software (via USB). For the following half-second or so, the bootloader is running on the Pro. While it is programmed to ignore malformed data (i.e. anything besides an upload of new code), it will intercept the first few bytes of data sent to the board after a connection is opened. If a sketch running on the board receives one-time configuration or other data when it first starts, make sure that the software with which it communicates waits a second after opening the connection and before sending this data.