This is pretty much the simplest way to use the Xbee modules. Also, here is a breakout board for Xbee modules from the good people at SparkFun. Finally, here is a USB board for the same modules.

Jennic sells through Digikey, and offers some pretty comprehensive solutions, at least at first glance.  They make a 32bit micro with Zigbee radio, which need very few additional components.  These sell for $12/1, $4/1k.  They sell a dev kit for $500 which has four sensor modules, a main controller module, a GNU-based C++ dev env, and the Daintree network analyzer software.  Pretty nice!  Here is their getting started manual and their getting started page, with links to lots of internal resources.

I need to read the docs to see if the system is really easy enough to use.  And if the stack, which is presented as a separate product, is included with the software dev kit.  Digikey doesn’t list it separately.  Yes, turns out the stack and GNU tools and compiler and IDE all come royalty free with the dev kit.  Digikey sells the micro built into a tiny module with integrated chip antenna and preprogrammed with their Zigbee stack into ROM, and 120kB serial flash for user program, for $25/1.

Their datasheet says:

“A Software Developer Kit (SDK), free from Jennic’s website, provides a comprehensive Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to facilitate the development of application code. The kit includes a C compiler, graphical and command-line debuggers, assembler/linker and flash programmer. Libraries are included with the SDK that drive the peripherals of the JN5139 wireless microcontroller. They enable applications to call library functions via a simple Application Programming Interface (API). Applications developed on this kit can be directly loaded onto the module memory to implement production solutions.”

This is a nice way to go, I think.  It could do pretty much everything.  Next, compare to the MaxStream solution: which is easier and more flexible?

Lemos’ Ember-based Zigbee offerings have a complete module, a USB stick, and a CF card with with AT command interface.

The AT-command modules from Synapse seem potentially useful. They automatically create self-healing star networks with long range (amplified versions have three mile range). They cost about $25/1. The coordinator, which plugs into the PC and automatically creates the network, costs $180. At first glance is seems that the end devices, which have ADC and other io, don’t even need a micro, but can be used like radio-controlled addressible io, but sadly, no. Otherwise this would be a fun solution for some simple desktop extension ideas.