Wireless Arduino programming/serial link

[SonicDH]

Hey guys, this is my first post so I'd like to start off by saying I'm glad that there seems to be such a robust community of people willing to help others develop for this great platform.

Now, down to business. I'm working on a project to make an arduino drift my RC Car. I just got my tuition disbursement and I really HATE having to take my car's shell off everytime I want to futz with the program. So I searched for ways to debug and reprogram my car wirelessly, when I spotted a possibility on Lady Ada's site.

The page in question.

Now, Here are my questions:

1. Will I be able to use the usb com port through the Arduino IDE?
2. Is there an appreciable lag at the fringes of communication range?
3. The range of XBee is stated to be more than 100' and the max as 300', but what is a realistic effective range? (i.e., if I program the car wrong and it goes driving away from me, how fast will I need to react to send it a stop signal?)
4. How durable are Xbee units? The one in the car will be subject to physical shocks, vibrations, and dust.


Thanks in advanced for your help!

[adafruit_support_bill]

1. Will I be able to use the usb com port through the Arduino IDE?

Yes. Although it will be able not keep up with continuous transmissions at higher baud rates.

2. Is there an appreciable lag at the fringes of communication range?
3. The range of XBee is stated to be more than 100' and the max as 300', but what is a realistic effective range? (i.e., if I program the car wrong and it goes driving away from me, how fast will I need to react to send it a stop signal?)

That is highly variable and dependent on many factors. You might consider implementing a transmitter 'heartbeat' protocol and having your car stop if it can't hear the transmitter.

4. How durable are Xbee units? The one in the car will be subject to physical shocks, vibrations, and dust.

The modules themselves are relatively robust. Points of failure are more likely to be connectors. If you search the forums, there are a couple of threads regarding ruggedizing electronics for automotive applications.

[SonicDH]

Thanks a bunch!